The group takes him to a tent where he quickly slips into slumber's embrace. Darkness folds around him. He drifts again, not in the void's empty chill but in the midst of countless hands. Soft as cotton, they caress his body.
His cheeks, his belly and his nipples. His body responds as a familiar stir blossoms. Frankly, it becomes hard not to get hard.
He swims in his own realm of lustful desires. Suddenly, a sharp wind kisses his nipples, arousing but freezing, snapping him awake.
A familiar face looms in the dim light, the girl from the beach. He finds a flap in the tent's canvas open, a small cut, just wide enough for a body to squeeze through. It explains the sudden chill.
"Come with me," the girl says, already crawling out.
He looks around not knowing what to do. He shrugs, then follows, pushing through the slit in the fabric. He follows her as she runs in a bent position, strange as it is he follows her like a chameleon, mimicking her movements until they come close to the forest.
"Wait, is it safe in there?" his whisper catches her ears but she doesn't answer.
"They are at the tent," like a thunderclap he hears someone shout, he recognises it as John's voice.
His tries to wave at them but an arrow lands in front of his feet, that's when he notices Shea behind John, preparing to release another arrow.
"It's me," he says but it makes no difference, the arrow flies through the air, fast and swift, aimed for the kill but another arrow comes from behind to hit the incoming arrow midair.
"Fuck," "Run," the girl shouts and pulls away as they make their way into the forest.
He feet leave the welcome grounds of the beach and into the grass and twig-filled forest. Tall trees quickly mask them while arrows give chase, missing at almost every turn while something or someone in the forest keeps shooting arrows back, deterring their pursuers.
"Why are they attacking us?" he gasps, lungs burning. "Less talking more surviving," the girl yells back as she leads them through the maze of a forest, turning at narrow corners.
She stops at a big tree where she places her hand on its bark. The wood shivers, then splits open, swallowing them whole. They fall in and slide through its roots. He tumbles and screams while she remains silent, clearly used this.
His voice gets louder until they come out flying from a burst end of the root. The girl lands on her feet and he lands on his ass.
"What kind of world is this? I just got here and I'm already…" his jaw drops at the sight of the cave.
An impossible beauty. A giant underground cavern. Its ceiling, a collection of star-like lights to act like its sky, raining down on this hidden world.
A pathway stretches out from where they landed. A vast stream, reflecting the lights of the cave, stretching as far as his eyes can see. Patches of smooth green grass peek through fields of dazzling, rainbow-coloured flowers.
A blue moon hangs at the top of the cave, like the sky itself lived here, in this underground haven.
He spins, mouth wide open. This is undoubtedly the most beautiful place he has seen in his life.
Even his past life did not have something like this, at least to the best of his introverted knowledge. "What is this place?" he asks, scrambling to his feet, turning in stunned circles. It is immaculate, beautiful beyond all dreams.
"Move," the girl shoves him aside. Two more figures burst from the root, landing with the same grace as she did. A dark-skinned man and woman, both clad in light armour, bows and arrows in hand. "The arrows from the forest. It must be them," his mind connects the dots.
"Emilia, do you really think he is the one? He doesn't look anything special," the man's gaze rakes over Maxwell.
Maxwell steps back. Another detail about the trio comes to his attention, something he missed in the chase. Pointed ears.
"Elves," he almost screams.
"I'm in a world of elves," he says with a short laugh, "This is going to be amazing," "Is he crazy? Human, are you crazy?" The elven man's voice is sharp. "I am Sanches and this is Matilda," the man introduces himself and his partner, "Who are you?" "Kane," the names leaves his lips without thought.
"There again?".
It happens again without his control. "Why do I keep calling myself that?"
"Kane, you must come with us. We have been waiting for you. The man from the sky," Emilia steps forward, a smile crossing her face.
She takes his arm, in a surprisingly firm grip and pulls him behind her. He grounds one foot firmly but the sway of her hips weakens his resolve.
"What do you mean by you've been waiting for me?" words from his lips as eyes stare at her behind.
"And why were they attacking us?" he asks, this time more focused, "I saw you fall from the sky, just like the prophecy said. The chosen one will come from the sky," her smile enchanting.
Maxwell's eyes drift to the houses on each side of the cave. Unsophisticated, yet camouflaged by the cave walls and rainbow-like flowers that catches the eyes.
"They attack us because that is what they do. For months now, they have been here causing the monsters of the forest to rampage while trying to capture our people," Sanches starts, fists clenched.
"They want that for themselves," he says and points at the moon at the top of the cave. All the other lights from the cave dim before its own.
"The moon?" "That isn't a moon. It is called Mani, the underground moon. To them it is a powerful resource. It holds immense magic," Kane's ears jump up at Matilda's words.
"Magic? There is magic here," he rubs his hands together, "Is there magic to control people?" "Only the dark arts possess such evil powers," Sanches says.
Maxwell pouts but he has to accept that his desires can only be satisfied by the dark side, whatever that may mean.
They walk close to the stream and its lights provide a heavenly ambience, truly mystical but what catch Maxwell's eyes is the person he sees in-between the elves.
A young man probably in his early twenties in the water's reflection, his eyes mimic the blue of the stream and his hair, tattered.
"Who is that?" He asks, brows raised high and an "O" shaped mouth, "That is you, chosen one," Emilia responds. "Are you sure he is the chosen one? He seems broken," Sanches squints his eyes at him. "Come on, let's go".
Laughter of children draws Maxwell's attention as they run past them, an adult chasing after them with deep frowns, "Get back here, it isn't safe outside,".
"Maybe I can talk to them. They helped me, they didn't seem so bad" he says weakly.
Sanches grabs Maxwell's dirty shirt, veins on his forehead, "And yet they turned to shoot an arrow at you." intensity in his eyes, "They are mercenaries who are trying to destroy our people. Thanks to this rescue you are one of us now, they'll treat you the same".
"Sanches" Matilda calls out and he lets go.
"You say I'm the chosen one," Maxwell adjusts his cloth, "Chosen to do what?", "That's why we are here," Matilda nods toward a smaller cave with a wooden door in front of it.
They push it open and enter. Darkness welcomes them, chasing the lights from the crescent moon. "Seer, we have found him. We have found the chosen one," Emilia screams.
Slowly the cave becomes lit with blue light, flowers that hang from the cave walls shine brightly and something moves in the air. It is not a whisper but a shout of spring.
A heady perfume that wraps around them like a velvet cloak, the scent evokes images of dew-kissed petals, fertile earth and the promise of a new beginning through one's mind.
"What is that scent?" Maxwell sniffs, leaning closer to Emilia.
"Hyacinthus," out of nowhere a woman appears. A bull's skull in her hands. Yellow eyes that glow in the dark. Maxwell swallows saliva, eyes stuck to her smooth dark skin.
"You have to believe it when I ask you," her black gown mops the floor as she strides toward him, its slit exposing her legs.
His eyes miss her gaze and falls to her chest.
"Who are you?" She says, putting the bull's skull over her head. "Kane?" "I said, who are you?" "The chosen one?", conviction escapes his voice, leaving it thin.
The woman stamps her feet hard and a wave of blue light spreads around the room. Its force hits his chest and sends him to a familiar place. A place his old life ended and a new one began. The pitch black night.