Adam tumbled through the void. His senses were useless. He could not think. He could not make a sound. All around him were swirling walls. They were made of countless points of light.
The lights looked like stars. They looked like entire galaxies. He had no way to know for sure. A powerful force pulled him forward. It dragged him at an immense speed.
He was moving through a tunnel toward a destination he could not see.
It was over in a few seconds. He was violently thrown out.
He found himself high in the sky. The sky was a bright and endless blue. It stretched out above him. He was falling. The wind rushed past his ears. It was a loud roaring sound.
Gravity had him. It pulled him rapidly toward the earth. He fought against the fall.
He managed to twist his body. He looked down. Below him were vast sprawling fields.
They were a deep and healthy green. In the distance he saw a small cluster of houses. They looked simple and small.
He did not have time to process more. The ground was rushing up to meet him. It grew larger every second. In the final moments before impact Adam shut his eyes tightly.
He did not want to see it. He reflexively pulled his arms and legs in. He folded his body into a protective ball. It was pure instinct. A single thought cut through his terror.
This is the strangest day of my life. And the last. He was certain he would not survive this. No one could survive a fall from this high.
He did not complete the thought. He hit the ground.
The impact completely destroyed a section of the field. It carved a large deep crater into the soft earth.
A massive cloud of dust and dirt erupted from the impact point. It shot high into thesky. It was like a small explosion.
Nearby a man was working in his fields. He owned this land. He saw the object fall from the sky. He saw the explosion of earth. He stood frozen for a moment. His eyes were wide with shock.
He dropped the tool he was holding. Then he broke into a sprint. He ran as fast as he could toward the crater. His heart pounded in his chest.
The scene shifted back to the center of the impact zone. Adam's eyes opened. His face and clothes were caked with a thick layer of dirt. He was stunned. He blinked. He took a breath. He was alive.
He pushed himself up with his hands. The dirt was loose under his palms. He moved from a lying position to a sitting one. He looked down at his arms and legs.
He expected to see broken bones. He expected to see blood and mangled flesh.
But they were completely unharmed. There was not a single scratch on him. He was even more bewildered now.
This was not possible. He placed his feet firmly on the soil of the crater. He pushed with his legs. He only wanted to stand up.
Something unexpected happened. The force he used was too much. The ground gave way beneath him. He did not just stand. He launched upwards. He shot 10 meters into the air. He was higher than the edge of the crater.
He looked down from the peak of his jump. His mind reeled in shock. He saw the deep hole he had made. He saw the world from above. He spread his arms out instinctively. It was like a bird spreading its wings. He fell back to the earth.
He landed on his feet this time. The landing was perfect. He was perfectly upright. He looked down at the spot where he had landed. The ground beneath his feet was not solid.
It was spiderwebbed with fresh cracks. He stared at the damage. He was completely astonished. What was happening to him?
Before Adam could make sense of it a figure appeared. The figure stood at the edge of the crater. It was a man. He looked to be middle-aged. He had black hair. He wore simple leather clothes.
He wore a wide-brimmed hat. It was the kind a farmer might wear to block the sun.
Adam looked at the man. His mind started to work again. The wormhole must have thrown me into another city. Or maybe a village. The thought brought him a small bit of relief.
Well that's good. At least it didn't leave me in space. I definitely wouldn't have survived that. This was much better. He was on solid ground. And there were other people here.
Adam took a step forward. He intended to climb out of the crater and talk to the man. The farmer saw him move. The farmer's eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected to see anyone alive in there. The man opened his mouth. He said something.
Adam froze. The sound of the man's voice hit him. He was completely stunned. A look of pure shock spread across his face. He had not understood a single word. Not one.
This man… he looks like he's from my country. He had the same features. The same hair color. But what language is that? I've never heard a language like that before.
It was not Japanese. It was not English. It was not any language he had ever heard in his life. The man's words were just meaningless sounds.
The man spoke again. His voice was full of concern. He started to walk carefully down the steep slope of the crater. He was moving toward Adam.
"Child are you alright? How did you get here?" the man said as he approached. His steps were slow and cautious. He did not want to frighten the boy.
Adam saw the stranger getting closer. He heard the utterly alien tongue. He remained rooted to the spot. His shock was too great. It made him completely motionless.
His brain could not process the new information. He fell from the sky. He survived. He had super strength. And now he was in a place where he could not understand anyone. He was more alone now than he had ever been before.