Every Domain has its use. After all, it is a gift from heaven.
Deep inside a dense forest, after walking for days on end, Michael found himself wandering in a straight line. The physical pain from his burns had faded, but the agonizing realization that his dreams were dying—and that he was powerless to stop it—still burned within his chest.
At this rate, I'll probably die in a ditch somewhere... Guess Julian was right. My life really was pointless. Born poor and weak. His parents disappeared when he was young. The old man, the only person who had ever felt like family, was dead. He had spent four grueling years in a place where nobody wanted him, and the only thing he had to show for it was the ability to keep warm on a cold night.
It was always the wrong people who got everything handed to them. The thought made him let out a dry, bitter laugh as he trudged through the brush. But that laugh soon broke, giving way to quiet tears. He stopped in his tracks. Looking around, he was completely surrounded by the wilderness. No friends, no family, no future. He was entirely alone, soon to be forgotten by the world.
The tears fell harder as the weight of his own foolishness crashed down on him. How could he, a commoner, the son of an absolute nobody, ever achieve something great? He was born to fail and disappear into nothingness, just like his father.
He wanted to just collapse right there and cry himself into an early grave. But if he didn't keep moving, the beasts lurking within the trees would gladly make that happen. He forced himself to his feet, aggressively wiping the tears from his eyes. Plastering a hollow smile on his face, he forced his legs forward, marching deeper into the clutches of the forest.
◇◇◇
Several days later, his lips were as cracked and dry as a hundred-year-old corpse. He hadn't drank water in days; the crushing depression had sapped whatever will he had to sustain himself. His stomach growled so fiercely it practically echoed through the quiet woods.
Eventually, his trembling legs gave way. He fell heavily to his knees, and a second later, his entire body collapsed flat against the earth.
So this is how I die... he thought dimly, staring at the dirt. To be honest, I didn't think I'd be this hungry when my time came. Parched and starving, he sent one final plea into the void. To whatever deity is watching over my miserable life... can you at least give me a drop of water before I go? That's all I ask. With that final thought, his mind surrendered, and the lights inside his head completely went out.
He mistook passing out for actually dying. Floating in that dark abyss, he tried to remember all the wonderful things his life had to offer. But as the memories flickered... there was nothing. Aside from meeting the old man and attending the academy, not a single wonderful thing had ever happened to him. His existence felt meaningless. Maybe it really was time to just give up and let go. After all, what was the point of struggling if the gods only willed him to suffer?
***
"Anyone can make something out of something else. But only a few can make something out of nothing. That small gap is what separates ordinary people from legends. Are you a legend, Michael?"
"Yeah!"
"Sure you are, kid."
***
Drop... drop... drop...
His flashback was abruptly cut short. He felt cold drops of water splashing against his face and the rest of his motionless body. His eyes fluttered, slowly peeling open to adjust to the gray surroundings.
It was rain. Oh, wonderful rain.
His ashy, cracked lips slowly formed a weak smile as he opened his mouth, catching the falling drops. The dark sky above had opened up, sending down a heavy downpour that soaked him to the bone.
After lying in the mud and drinking the rain for a while, Michael finally forced himself to rise. The water had returned a fraction of strength to his limbs. Thanks to his new domain, he didn't have to worry about catching a cold, but staying out in a torrential downpour wasn't exactly a survival plan.
If I have to die, I'm going to do it on my own terms, he thought, his jaw setting with newfound resolve. If life wants me to suffer, I'll find a way to prosper just to spite it. He repeated this mantra in his head as he sprinted through the muddy forest, desperately searching for shelter. After running for what felt like hours, he stumbled upon a cold, dark cave. It wasn't much, but for someone with absolutely nothing, it was a palace.
He slipped inside, throwing his soaked backpack to the rocky floor and peeling off his wet clothes. A fierce chill racked his body, and he crossed his arms over his bare shoulders, shivering violently.
"Okay, how do we use this thing?" he muttered, closing his eyes. "Maybe I should just think of myself getting warm, huh?"
He focused deeply on his core temperature. Little by little, a comforting heat began to radiate outward from his chest, chasing away the biting cold.
"Oh, okay. I've got it now. I just need to visualize what I want to happen."
Even with the warmth returning, his body felt incredibly weak. Drinking rainwater simply wasn't enough to make up for days of starvation. His eyes darted around the dim cave, desperately scanning for anything edible. Tucked behind a cluster of rocks near the back, he spotted a small shrub heavy with wild berries. He didn't know if they were poisonous, but the gnawing ache in his stomach made him too desperate to care.
He grabbed a handful and shoved them into his mouth. The sweet, tart juice exploded across his tongue.
"So good," he choked out, practically inhaling another handful. "Oh, man... I can't get enough."
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes again, mixing with the dirt on his cheeks as he chewed with a massive, relieved smile. For a split second, the sheer, overwhelming emotion of surviving hit him hard. But he quickly blinked it away, roughly wiping his face with the back of his hand and swallowing hard.
He wasn't dead yet. And as long as he was breathing, he was going to keep moving forward.
A/N: Thank you for reading Boundless Knight, remember to add it to your library and don't forget to leave a power stone or 2
: thoughts will change from 'words' to Words