Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1: Back to The Beginning
I awoke again to see the usual black void. Despite having lived there for well over a year, I still had that flash of panic that I had when I wake up. It honestly just annoyed me at that point. Even though I lived in a black void, that isn't all there was. Every once in a while, I'd find a pool of water I'd try to wash myself in. It was hard with no arms, but I still managed. My diary got a bit wet afterwards though. There was something else that popped up sometimes though. Those white lights. The first time it happened, a flash of light filled my vision and white seemed further ahead. I remember running at top speed towards it only for it to disappear when I got there. It happened frequently after that but I just started to get discouraged, running at it only so it would just go away. I wrote in my diary everyday, so I knew what day it was when my life finally changed for the better. I'd been in the void for 463 days. A year and 100 days. As I was writing in my diary for that day, the light appeared again. I was just tired of it at that point so I levitated my pen and diary and slowly walked towards it. Turns out that was just it. As I opened my eyes, fully expecting it to disappear, I was hit with a burst of sunlight. Shielding my bloodshot eyes with my diary, I saw a beautiful scenery laid before me, waiting to be explored. I was at the edge of a cliff, standing in front of a forest filled with pine trees and little fog was visible. I turned around one last time, staring at the inky darkness I was about to leave behind, and the void shrunk, leaving only the edge of the cliff in my sight. The sun was gorgeous, shimmering and sparkling brilliantly as it set beyond the hills. I looked ahead; a village! They could help me out!
But... something in that forest was calling to me, and as I turned back to it, it suddenly seemed so much more appeasing than the village. But how could I resist help? I didn't know. I stumbled forward, dropping my diary near the edge of the cliff, and subconsciously walked towards the pines. I hadn't known it at the time, but I'd seen two small glowing gold lights that tranced me and made me feel a need to come to the forest. As I came closer, the fog grew thicker and I started to break into a sprint, desperately searching. But for what? What was I searching for? I didn't know, but I had to find it. I didn't realize how long I'd been running until my legs were more sore than they'd ever been, a clear sign that time had passed without my knowledge. I finally slowed down, peering past the thick foliage into the inky night sky where the stars shined even through the murky fog. For a fleeting moment, I felt safe, despite being alone in a dark forest. I hadn't felt safe in a while, so I soaked the feeling in before questioning where I was. As I peered around a few trees, I saw him. TDL. Sitting right on a stump with various animals.