"Damn, this is heavy," Astraeus muttered, hauling a thick log over his sweat-streaked shoulder beneath the blazing sun.
He'd left behind a high-paying job at a financial firm years ago. He decided to come out here into the wilderness. Instead of sitting at a desk all day, he decided to build something of his own: a quiet civilization, untouched by the noise of modern life. The government hadn't bothered with this land in decades. He hoped it stayed that way.
Astraeus dropped the log beside a growing pile near his cabin, the sound echoing through the trees. Breathing heavily, he turned toward the cabin. Tired, Astraeus eyes started to droop closed while he made his way inside.
Bap.
"Agh—damn it," he groaned, eyes opening wide. Rubbing his head after smacking it on the low doorway. "Why didn't I make this taller?"
Inside, the cabin was dim and cool. He collapsed into his chair, leaning back with his eyes closed. Silence wrapped around him.
His thoughts drifted to the life he'd left behind: his parents, his brother, old friends. He hadn't said much before disappearing into the woods. Not out of spite. He just didn't think to. His parents had retired early and settled in Youngstown. His brother, still climbing the corporate ladder, had even helped him land that job years ago. Astraeus had the credentials, top of his class from the region's most elite university, but no drive. He'd coasted until he couldn't anymore.
Now, things were different. He opened his eyes and looked down at himself. Still tall at 6'2", but no longer soft. His body was lean, carved by labor and solitude. The transformation had been brutal, but worth it. His family had helped him get started, bringing supplies and support when he first moved out. Without them, he might not have made it.
Sleep crept in slowly. His eyes closed again, and this time, he didn't fight it.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Hours later, he stirred.
Mhmamma…
Stretching, Astraeus raised his arms above his head feeling his joints popping as he relished the sensation. Outside, the sun was fading.
He stepped out to retrieve the axe he'd left near a fallen tree. The air was cooler now, tinged with the scent of rain - a storm was brewing.
The sky had darkened faster than expected.
"Storm must be bad," he muttered, eyes scanning the horizon.
He reached the stump where the axe was embedded. As his fingers curled around the handle, a strange pressure built behind his eyes.
At first, it was a dull throb—like the onset of a migraine. Then it sharpened, stabbing through his skull with brutal intensity.
He staggered, knees buckling, the forest spinning around him. The trees seemed to tilt, bending inward as if dragged by some unseen force.
"Wh—what the hell…" he gasped, clutching his head.
The air thickened. His ears rang with a low hum, deep and resonant, like the vibration of the earth itself. The storm clouds above churned unnaturally fast, spiraling as though caught in a whirlpool.
Pain ripped through him, white-hot, blinding. His vision fractured into shards of light and shadow. He saw stars—impossible, burning stars—flaring in the dark sky where none should be.
AGGGHHHH!
The scream tore from his throat, primal, echoing through the forest. Birds exploded from the canopy, fleeing in a frenzy. The ground beneath him trembled, pebbles skittering across the dirt.
He collapsed to his knees, fingers digging into the soil. The earth felt alive, pulsing beneath his touch. His body was heavy, unbearably heavy, as though the weight of the world pressed down on him.
The hum grew louder, deafening now, until it was all he could hear. His heartbeat matched its rhythm, pounding like a drum.
And then—silence.
The pain vanished in an instant, leaving only emptiness. Astraeus's body went limp, his head striking the earth as the world dissolved into black.