There was no way out.
The cave was extremely sturdy, and I couldn't break out. Especially considering my exhausted state, and not to mention, my mind was still in turmoil.
Memories of both lives overlapping gave me an intense migraine.
"Ughh." I groaned, massaging my forehead to try to calm the pain.
I decided there was only one thing to do. Go deeper into the cave. Although that thing was there, I had no other choice. I had to move.
I got up to my feet and pushed myself forward, going deeper into the pitch-black cave.
The darkness didn't feel that bad; in fact, it felt almost... comforting.
This was... odd. In both lives, I hated darkness, and yet now it felt like an old friend was guiding me.
I continued to walk through the cave until...
In an instant, the scenery changed.
Heat covered me.
The sun shone bright overhead, blinding me slightly as I raised my arm to cover my eyes.
Blinking, my eyes slowly adjusted to the light.
Looking around, trees were everywhere, the sunlight lighting their leaves as a soft breeze brushed by, causing them to flutter slightly. I could hear what sounded like a bird chirp.
By all means, the scene was beautiful, but I wasn't surprised at all by the sudden change.
All rifts were like this anyway.
These were holes that combined dimensions, allowing for beings from one dimension to enter the other dimension.
They were the main reason humanity was constantly under attack from interdimensional monstrosities, not that there weren't ways to stop rifts.
It's all very confusing, and the old Cassian wasn't much of a book guy. That bird chirp was probably something that could destroy a city alone, or just a small bird.
In the rifts, you never know.
I decided to move in the direction of a nearby waterfall. I needed rest, and that seemed to be the only safe place.
The forest was weird, at least by Earth standards. The trees had dark orange bark, and the leaves were a multitude of colors, some blue, some purple. I didn't feel much looking at it, though.
My body was too tired, and I was dragging myself forward because I knew one thing...
'I'll die if I stop moving.'
The thought repeated constantly in my head, but there was no other choice. The forest may look nice. But I could feel it...
I was being watched.
I could sense presences all around, but I couldn't hear or see them.
But they were there.
-rustle
My head snapped in the direction of the noise, but...
Nothing.
I didn't know why they hadn't attacked me, but I came to a conclusion.
I was marked.
'Damn it.' I lamented at the realisation.
That thing that had been chasing me and Paul had left a mark on me, signaling that I was its prey, and touching me would mean challenging it.
They were an audience here to watch my desperate struggles for their entertainment.
I couldn't hear them, and maybe I was going insane, but I felt their laughter surrounding me.
It was suffocating.
I grit my teeth and continued to push forward. I was determined not to die a useless death again.
-SHAAAA
I had finally reached the waterfall and could hear the loud sound of the water.
"Hah... hah... hah." I panted heavily, my exhaustion evident.
There was no time to admire the view, so I immediately rushed toward the waterfall and walked through the water.
The cold water washed over me, and I shivered. My body was on the verge of collapse.
And it did collapse.
-Thud
I fell onto my back and fainted.
------
Cassian's story wasn't anything crazy. He was a spoiled brat in a world where strength was all that mattered, and his father was one of the strongest.
A king.
To be more specific, the Sea King. The ruler of the 3 seas.
This world had 3 seas, and all of them were controlled and ruled over by the Thorne Royal Family.
They protect their people from rifts and the things that come from them. It is the duty of those with power to protect the weak, or at least that's what they say.
Anyway, back to Cassian, as I said, he was a spoiled brat, but it wasn't his fault. The Thorne Royal Family is, naturally, a bunch of assholes.
The Sea King had ten concubines. None of them was Cassian's mother. She died before he could pretend she never existed, too.
Every time he tried making friends, his family would always interfere or provoke him. He never had the chance to build any true connections, and those who tried to connect with him always had ulterior motives.
One time, he was approached by a young girl at a banquet. She was trying to genuinely become his friend, but his half-siblings came and harassed her.
When they were caught, they all blamed Cassian. Cassian tried his best to defend himself and turned to the girl for help, but she blamed him as well, most likely out of fear, but it didn't change the betrayal Cassian had felt.
Naturally, he began to lash out, abusing servants and tarnishing the royal name wherever he went.
Until one day, his favorite punching ba- I mean subordinate, Paul, convinced him to go to a nearby rift, claiming it was already mostly conquered and that Cassian could swoop in and steal the credit.
Cassian, the poor idiot, believed him and thought this would be his chance at proving all his half-siblings wrong for calling him the disgrace of the royal family.
Why did he trust Paul so easily? Well, Paul had been his personal servant since they were young, and although he took advantage of Paul, he believed Paul was his only true friend.
Looking back, it was obvious Paul hated him, and Cassian could see it, but he was so desperate for a real connection that he deluded himself into trusting Paul.
And originally, he was supposed to die in the rift after being betrayed by Paul, but now he is me, and I had no intention of dying in a fucking cave.