Ten years ago.

  Solarian northern jungle.

  Damien woke, unaware of where he was nor how he came to be there. He didn't even know where he came from, his only memories beginning from these last few seconds.

  He stood up, taking stock of himself. He was naked and standing in the middle of a dense gathering of leaves with tall trees stretching into the sky all around him.

  Despite his confusion—which still wracked him—Damien decided then that standing still and doing nothing wasn't going to accomplish anything. He didn't know what brought about the thought, and since his mind was blanked on what to do, he decided to heed the strange warning.

  Lacking any knowledge whatsoever of his surroundings, Damien simply picked a direction and, on instinct, followed it. For the first few minutes, Damien's mind was a whirl of fear and terror at the strange sounds echoing around him, and since their source of origin was unknown, his fear only grew. Slowly, as he walked, knowledge began pouring into his mind: knowledge of the type of trees he passed through, the sounds of birds he was listening to, and the deep terror-inducing growls of a few creatures he never wanted to meet.

  Damien looked around, trying to somehow pinpoint the direction of where the strange input of knowledge was coming from, but all he got was the usual screeches and growling.

  Resigned, with a feeling creeping in that all would be well, Damien walked on. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he came upon the tree edges and, in the distance, the calm flowing body of a stream.

  Absentmindedly, he felt the loud growl of his stomach, but he paid no heed to it. Instead, his eyes were pinned on the stream flowing a few feet from him. Damien knew he hadn't seen a stream before nor any body of water, but he just knew what it was, like the knowledge had just been inserted into his mind.

  Looking around to see if he was the only occupant nearby and confirming that he was, Damien slowly walked up to the stream. Getting to it, he looked down and was startled when he came face to face with another person.

  Damien jumped back, eyes widening in fear. He looked around, finding no one else there with him. Honestly, he would have preferred to simply leave and stay away from the strange person in the river, but the little twinge in his stomach and his parched throat forced him forward.

  Again, but this time with caution, Damien slowly crept back up towards the stream. When he got to his previous location. Instead of simply looking down like he'd done before, he stretched forth his right hand, his eyes studying the river for any reaction, and indeed, that was what he got.

  With another squeak, Damien drew back his hand, watching as the strange water person did the same. He frowned, then stretched forth his hands again. The strange thing mimicked him.

  Confused, but with an idea brewing, he stepped back again, out of view of the stream. Slowly, Damien walked back forward, and this time instead of using one hand, he speedily threw both hands forward. The strange thing mimicked him.

  Seriously, how fast was this thing, he thought.

  Anger flaring, Damien marched down into the stream in an attempt to force out the strange thing. Again, he watched as the thing mimicked him. That was when he got an idea.

  This time, instead of simply retreating like he usually did, Damien bent down and studied the thing.

  It was devoid of hair from head to toe with a tiny scrawny body devoid of muscles, though not completely, judging by the shadow mass he could detect on the chest and arms.

  Curiously, Damien dipped a finger into the water, and when he was certain that the water thing wasn't going to act beyond its usual mimicking, he cupped his hands, dipped it into the stream, and bent his face downwards, all on the instructions of an unknown source.

  Damien hadn't taken in more than a few gulps when he froze and then raised his head, locking eyes with another that had decided to share the stream with him.

  The gazelle stood a few feet away, also with its head raised. Again, he didn't know what a gazelle was and had never seen one before, but for some reason, the knowledge just instantly appeared in his mind.

  The gaze of the animal was one of such regal majesty, with beautiful Antlers adorning her head like a crown, with a combined color of silver and black that gave it its majestic stature, and her eyes. Her black, alluring eyes that could forever drown one in its black, mesmerizing pools.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  CRACK!

  He didn't notice it until it happened, and neither did the Gazelle. One moment, she was there, and the next, a huge black cat was crouched over her, cracking her neck with such jaw-breaking force that he could hear the sounds from where he stood. Without wasting time, it began feasting on the body with such speed that he knew it wouldn't take time before it was finished.

  Snapping out of his reverie, Damien knew it was right about time he found somewhere else he became the next meal course on the animal's plate.

  With utmost caution, Damien slowly stepped backward, putting his full effort into not making a sound. It seemed luck wasn't on his side that day; the moment he moved, the cat's head snapped up like the antenna of a snail, except this time it was pointed his way. Meeting the eyes of the cat, Damien's heart skipped at the sheer hunger within.

  He turned around and ran.

  He ran with such speed he became sure the winds were aiding him. Still, he could hear the sounds of the cat's purchase getting closer.

  He ran as fast as he could, his pounding footsteps kicking up dust and branches, with a matching rhythm to the beating of his heart, but the beast still seemed to be gaining purchase. Damien decided then that he'd rather fight than tire himself out and become an easy meal for the huge cat.

  Searching for something to use, there were plenty of broken-out woods around, but most of them were either too brittle to snap easily or too unwieldy. Running further, his frantic eyes razored in on one a few meters away that was perfect, and with the grit of his teeth, he acted.

  Timing his approach well, he slid down on the ground, grabbed a thick wood and spun around, and in one smooth move, he slammed it into the left side of the frighteningly close cat's head with such force that he felt the vibration run up his arms. With a loud yowl, the cat slammed hard into a tree, sliding down to crash onto the ground.

  He was shocked by his sudden display of strength, but as with a sudden overwhelming strength, comes weakness.

  Feeling an unnatural loss of energy, the easily held wood now felt much heavier in his hands. He gripped the wood tighter, trying to tap into any well of strength like he'd just done, but then the cat decided to stand up, picking itself up with the grace of a true feline.

  However, this time, when it stood up, there was some amount of wariness to its posture. Though, it seemed that wasn't enough for it to leave him alone.

  Noticing his apparent loss of strength and quickly taking advantage. The cat pounced.

  Damien just managed to place the wood in front of his neck before the cat struck.

  That quick action alone saved him from a quick death.

  The wood blocked it from biting down on his neck, but it still got in a hit before he quickly moved back to get some space. A burning pain ignited on his side. Holding back tears of pain as he looked down, Damien's breath caught the huge, deep gash running down his entire side. He could even see his meaty insides.

  That was when it finally sank in that he was going to die here. His recently awakened life was slowly coming to an end, he knew it, and the cat knew it too, seeing as it was content to just keep circling him after that one hit to pin him in place while waiting for him to bleed out and die a slow death. It knew he wouldn't last long.

  Damien was keeping all his attention on the cat, but it was still a blur when it struck.

  A spear whistled through the air just as the animal rose into the air. It caught the cat with such speed and power, carrying it to pin in place on a tree. The cat gave a loud mewling cry of pain alongside a few other cries of pain, before the whole thing finally ended.

  Through blurry gaze, Damien watched as a man stood up from his hiding place in a nearby dense patch of grass. The man said something, but the sound came out distantly alongside his vision which was beginning to darken. That was when the man took notice of his wounded sides which were already soaked in blood.

  Instantly, he rushed forward, quick enough to catch Damien before he crashed onto the ground, but not quick enough to stop the encroaching darkness just as it consumed Damien.

  *******

  PRESENT

  Damien opened his eyes to the sound of someone trying to get in through the window into his newly rented room.

  After leaving the temple the previous day, he'd gone to find an inn, locating one some ways off from the temple. This distance wasn't too far from the temple, but also not too close, which was how he liked it.

  Sitting up, he waited for the intruder to fully get in. He already knew who it was.

  The Solarian got into the room a few seconds later, coming to stand at the foot of the bed. The room was dark but he knew the Solarian could see him, the same as how he could also see the other man.

  "You just keep getting me more intrigued about your origins. For you to have noticed my entrance, not many people can do that, and the ones who can wouldn't be seen in a city like this."

  Damien just smiled, "You would be surprised. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come, you Solarians like to take your time, after all," Damien said.

  The man raised an eyebrow, "You sound too unconcerned for someone about to get tortured," He said. Energy flashed and sounds from the outside were cut off. "I've blocked out the sounds leaving this room, so you can scream all you like. The length and volume in which you scream from now on will depend on how you answer my questions."

  Damien laughed, "You seem to be under the misconception that I'm trapped in here with you, but you've gotten it wrong, you, are trapped in here with me, and you're going to happily answer all my questions without me even laying a single hand on you," He said, looking the other man in the eyes.

  What the spy must have seen in Damien's eyes must have told him how deep of a shit he was in. His smug face slowly turned to horror before he quickly turned to jump through the window he came in from.

  Damien smiled before snapping his fingers, cutting off the room from reality itself, taking it into the Metaphysical.

  He stood up from the bed and moved to take a seat on a chair placed across from the bed.

  Looking at the now horrified face of the Solarian, he said, "Now, where should we begin."