Though he could feel his consciousness, he couldn't see a thing. The world around him was enshrouded in darkness. He felt like he was floating in some space. Even if he tried to touch his limbs, he couldn't feel them.
Let alone the limbs, it felt like he didn't even have a physical form.
'Do I not have a physical form?' He wondered.
Since he hadn't experienced such an experience before, he couldn't tell what was happening to him. However, one thing was certain: he could think.
And, if he could think, then that meant he hadn't died.
For some while, he felt like he was drifting somewhere. Though he couldn't tell where he was headed, he could tell that he wasn't lying stationary at a single place.
Then all of a sudden, something faint shone in the distance. The light was faint, but he could sense it.
'What's that?'
The sight of the faint light aroused his curiosity. It was the first change he had noticed since he had regained his consciousness.
Though it was the first change he had noticed after a long time, he was rather reluctant to get close to the source. However, he couldn't even bring himself to stop at will.
He was getting drawn to the source of light as if some unknown force was pulling him.
The more he got close to the source of light, the brighter it became. It felt like he was approaching the exit of some dark tunnel.
However, he couldn't see what lay beyond the light even if he pried deeper into it. The blinding light prevented him from seeing through it.
'Perhaps, it's a portal to another world…' He thought jokingly.
Having played a lot of games and read a lot of fiction, he wasn't new to this type of scenario. Even so, he couldn't deduce exactly.
Then, as if sucked into a blackhole, he was sucked into the bright light. Just like before, he lost his consciousness the moment he got sucked inside.
**** ****
"Where… am I?"
The words rasped from dry lips as the man shifted, a low groan rumbling from deep in his chest. He could feel the cold sensation of his skin against the earth.
He propped himself up on his elbows.
Just as he propped himself up, a cold breeze slipped across his broad, naked shoulders, carrying the scent of damp soil and wildflowers. The air was crisp and fresh— a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time.
Blinking hard, he rubbed at his temples. He felt lightheaded as if he had awoken after a rough weekend night.
Before him, as his pupils adjusted to the light, was an untamed wilderness spread in every direction. Towering tall trees reached for the heavens. Beneath those trees were lush green shrubs with their blade-like leaves rustling with the breeze.
Upon seeing this unfamiliar scene, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Where the hell is this place?" He cried out.
He remembered the countdown, the cheers, the chime of the bell, the lights streaking past the canopy of stars, and even the moment before things darkened.
"I… I was in the town square with my family…" He mumbled as he tried to recall the moment before he awakened to this unfamiliar land.
"Then… the light fell…"
Just as he recalled the final moment before he blacked out, a dull throb assaulted him, making it hard to remember further.
It felt as if someone had erased a part of his memory.
The next moment after he regained his consciousness, he found himself in this unfamiliar place.
He looked down at his rough hands that supported him. Then he pried further to get a better understanding. But as he looked further, he found himself butt naked.
The sight of him naked flustered him, and he immediately tried to cover his private parts.
"Why… am I naked?" He looked around in panic as if to see if someone had played a prank on him. But he couldn't find others around him.
Besides himself, he couldn't locate a single soul.
This finding assured him and terrified him at the same time. He couldn't tell if he should be glad that no one had seen him naked or feel concerned that he was all alone in this unfamiliar place.
It took him a while to calm down.
This change was something he hadn't expected before. He still couldn't tell if someone had kidnapped him or if the moment before he found himself in this unfamiliar place was a dream.
The reality was just too hard to accept.
Even so, he knew that he couldn't keep sitting there acting all confused and dejected. He might not be able to solve the mystery behind his waking up in this unfamiliar place, but sitting there wasn't an option either.
Thus, he stood up.
The feeling of standing naked out in the open made him uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"Should I look for something to cover me first?"
Even though he couldn't detect the presence of someone else beside him, he still didn't feel comfortable being naked.
Hence, he began to look for something to cover himself.
Since he was out in the wilderness, he began to search for leaves big enough to cover him. While on his search, he couldn't help but make fun of himself, "Haha… I don't even know where I am, and the first thing that I'm concerned about is covering myself."
He knew he should be searching for water, food, and shelter first. But here he was searching for something to shield his dignity.
Despite being in the wild, he was searching for clothes before the essentials.
Hence, he couldn't help but reveal a self-deprecating smile at his foolishness.
Eventually, he managed to find something to cover himself up, and before dark, he managed to find a source of water. However, since he wasted most of his time looking for clothes and trying to figure out his situation, he couldn't find anything to eat.
Luckily, however, he found a place to rest.