Eternally Linked

Chapter 1: Lost

As I awoke, my lids immediately shut tight, pierced by the ruthless sunrays that amplified the agony of a throbbing headache. Turning on my side, I allowed my eyes to gradually adjust to the light. I was sprawled on the arid, sandy expanse, surrounded by sparse, heat-ravaged bushes and glowing crimson rocks.

Staggering to my feet proved to be a monumental feat, causing me to stumble and fall repeatedly. Despite my frailty, I began a slow crawl toward a large rock, a refuge in the brutal desert that promised some respite in its meager shade. What felt like an eternity later, I found solace under its shadow. A blink later, it was night - I had lost consciousness.

A throbbing headache still lingered, but I fought through the pain, propping myself up against the rock, staring into the moonlit desert. A skittering critter, illuminated by the full moon, caught my attention as it scampered toward a cluster of rocks. Where there's life, there must be water, I reasoned. With considerable effort, I hauled myself up, leaning heavily against the rock. Disoriented, it seemed I had suffered a head injury.

I moved toward the rock cluster, passing the indentation in the sand where I had first awakened. It resembled a meteorite's impact crater, with an imprint of my form at the center. Stumbling occasionally, I eventually reached my destination. The distinct scent of water lingered in the air.

The tantalizing sound of water drew me toward two enormous rocks. Unfortunately, the narrow passageway between them was too tight to pass. As I sat down near the rocks to ponder my predicament, my hand brushed against the cool earth. Excavating a shallow hole, the soil darkened and dampened, and soon, a small pool formed. The cool water tasted like divine nectar on my parched lips. Laying flat on my stomach, I began to drink slowly, frequently interrupted by bouts of coughing.

Leaning back against the rock, I tried to piece together how I ended up in this desolate place. No recollections surfaced - not even my own name. A fragment of memory, accompanied by a jolt of pain, suddenly flashed before my eyes - a vivid image of airborne combat over the desert, colliding mid-air, and the resultant impact. It seemed to explain my waking location and the evidence of trauma.

In my fragmented memory, I noticed a feeling of focus, a state of hyper-awareness. An attempt to replicate it brought the headache back in full force. Resolving to meditate, I sat facing east, back erect, hands resting on my knees. Gradually, the throbbing headache dulled.

Emboldened, I tried to regain the focused state from my memory. I noticed a subtle decrease in weight until I found myself levitating. Pushing to ascend higher caused the headache to intensify, so I restricted myself to standing and mild levitation.

From my elevated vantage point, I spotted distant pillars that hinted at civilization. Unable to carry water, I embarked on a nocturnal journey. By the time I reached the columns, dawn had broken. They resembled telegraph poles with taut wires connecting them. A road stretched alongside the poles, running from north to south as per the rising sun.

My past remained a mystery, but somehow, I knew basic facts like directions. I opted for the northward path, drawn by inexplicable instinct.

As I ventured forth, I continued to practice my newfound ability to levitate. Gradually, I could rise higher without triggering the headache. When the heat became unbearable, I sought refuge under a tree. With no visible water sources or signs of life around, I focused on meditation, attuning myself to my surroundings.

This mindful state allowed me to sense the earth, the air, the tree, and the grass around me. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on a pebble lying on the ground, feeling the gravitational pull acting upon it. Simulating this force above the pebble, it seemed to lose weight, just as I had. The force of gravity intensified above the pebble, detaching it from the ground as it floated up to my eye level. My eyes opened to find it hovering in mid-air. A gentle touch pushed it away, but adding gravitational pull in my direction brought it back. Everything seemed to fall into place intuitively.

Thirst crept back in, prompting me to slip into my meditative state to probe my environment. A sweat droplet teetered on the brink of my nose. I applied gravity, causing it to float before me. As I discerned its components, I tried to seek out similar matter nearby. There was moisture within the tree behind me, but none in the surrounding soil. On a whim, I sensed the air and discovered trace amounts of water particles.

Returning my attention to the sweat droplet, I found it mainly comprised of water and salt. I tweaked the gravitational fields, separating the components into two distinct entities floating before me - one of water, and the other of salt.

Focusing intently, I generated around a hundred gravitational centers, each attracting only water molecules. I could feel them drawing in the sparse moisture in the air, accumulating into floating droplets. Combining these, I brought forth a large water sphere, which I sipped from using a liquid tendril. After slaking my thirst, I created a gravitational field behind me that attracted air and water, stirring up a refreshing breeze. When I awoke from this meditative state, night had fallen.

Reinvigorated but ravenous, I needed to find food. It had been at least two days without sustenance. Sensing my surroundings, I felt the presence of a snake a hundred meters away. Without hesitation, I used gravity to strike it dead with a stone, levitating it to me. The sight of the dead reptile wasn't enticing, but survival took precedence.

Gathering dry twigs, I arranged them in a pile. I agitated their molecules until the friction ignited them. Once a decent amount of embers were generated, I levitated the snake above them. The aroma was tantalizing. Once thoroughly cooked, I separated the edible parts from the internals, skewering a good piece on a stick. Despite my initial revulsion, hunger won, and I found the snake meat surprisingly palatable. In no time, all that remained were the bones and head.

Having replenished myself, I created another water sphere to quench my thirst and cleanse myself. Now rejuvenated, I was ready to continue my northward journey.