Chapter 2: A strange world.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Zane Sage.

I was born in Germany in 1938, son of a brilliant scientist named Dr. Werner Sage, who worked for the Nazi regime, providing them new means to help gain advances in their twisted ideals.

My father secretly opposed the atrocities committed by the Nazis, and one fine day decided to sabotage the gas chambers and help quite a few Jews escape. Unfortunately, he was discovered and eventually my family executed by the Gestapo, leaving me orphaned and alone.

I was 12 at that time.

The man who was assigned to finish me off decided to spare me and instead handed to the authorities. I was taken by them and subjected to cruel experiments that aimed to create senseless soldiers, They experimented on the less fortunate, us orphan.

Torturing, injecting newly discovered drugs, physical abuse in the form of training, throwing in boiling water, freezing ice, and unknown chemicals. Making us fight for every chance of survival. And some other harsh things that I can't speak of.

I endured years of pain and isolation, determined to survive. Only one thing motivated me - 'revenge' Good old plain revenge that I planned to take slowly, killing those that harmed my family, enjoying it to my heart's content. That.... and my curiosity to learn everything I could from the books and their papers I found here and there.

The head scientist who oversaw the facility where I was held captive was a sadistic man who took pleasure in inflicting pain and suffering on his subjects. He relished in the power he had over us, using his power and authority to make us do his bidding. I learned to fear him and his experiments, always anticipating the next round of torture.10 years passed, but it felt like a lifetime.

One day, his team had a breakthrough. They had been working on building a portal, which could transport objects and people from one location to another. The Führer dreamt of such technology, which would give him the upper hand at the battlefield by allowing him to transfer his mighty army wherever he desired.

The Head Scientist was ecstatic and wanted to test the portal immediately. He ordered his team to place a living mouse attached with a camera on it's head, relaying footage directly to them. They threw that mouse into the portal to see where that portal would lead, or if the mouse would remain alive during the process. They succeeded in sending the mouse to the other side, it was somewhere above the ground in grassland, or so it seemed. The mouse was moving around fine, but after a few seconds the relay stopped and the connection was lost..

Everyone rejoiced on the success, patting and shaking hands with one another. This was the ticket out of misery to them, since most of them were forced to work here.

My eyes gleamed on looking this sight and for the first time throughout my not so good life, a smile appeared on my face. There stood in front of me my chance of escape, my chance of freedom.

Why didn't I escape before?

The whole facility was underground, meaning no windows, no doors, no stairs. And the only elevator for entry and exit had a military security. Hell, it even had an automated gun system mounted inside, an isolated power supply system with even a backup to the backup. I have seen some unfortunate souls who tried to escape being turned into a mass of flesh and bullets swimming in the blood pool.

I had to escape, this was my only chance. Without even slightly considering the state I am in, I started running towards the portal. The scientists tried to stop me, but I evaded their sloppy attempts. I instinctively took the lighter out of one's hand and burned all their papers(almost all) throwing them away at another assistant's face. They caught fire quickly and in moments the entire desk.

Soldiers came rushing in with weapons but were resisted by waves of scientists sprinting outside.The fire alarm rang and sprinklers were activated, pouring rain all over the facility like a rain. Meanwhile, I reached the portal's end and was about to enter it, something heavy hit my back.I stumbed onto the nearby controller, changing the data entered in the process.

It was the head scientist with a chair in his hand. He yelled at me while swinging the chair.

"You want to escape from my care, I gave you everything here - a purpose, a purpose to serve me with your useless life"

He signalled the mercenaries to catch me.

Utilizing this small oppurtunity, I hit him on his lower abdomen with my legs and used at push to dive into the portal. The mercenaries shot at me with converging bullets from the entrance.Many sparks emerged from the portal and the electricity in the building started pulsating, resulting into an arc flashes throughout the lab.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and the portal glowed with an eerie blue light.

The head scientist exclaimed, "You idiots! Don't shoot the portal! You baboons are destroying my life's work!" He stood before the portal with his hands wide.

I felt myself being hurled around aggressively in chaos, my body contorting as I was floating in the swirling vortex. For what felt like an eternity, it tossed me around in a sea of colors and shapes, my mind reeling as I struggled to hold on to my sanity.

Eventually, the portal spat me out on the other side. I landed hard on the ground, my body bruised and battered. As I tried to get up, I realized I was no longer in the facility.

The portal had transported me to a strange and unfamiliar place, far away from my captors.It took me a few moments to gather my wits and as i rose up I started inspecting my surrounding.

I open my eyes with difficulty, my in pain. There are bruises all over.I start to move but meet with unending pain that feels like stabs at each and every part of my body.

With great difficulty, I stood up and looked around to inspect my surroundings. The trees are tall and thick, their branches reaching up to the sky like fingers stretching towards the heavens. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor.

The air is cool and fresh, carrying with it the scent of mystical nature. It feels foreign to the nose yet pleasant. The ground beneath my feet is soft, with a carpet of fallen leaves and twigs. The forest seems almost alive, with every rustle and creak hinting at the presence of some unseen creature.

As I look deeper into the forest, the light grows dimmer, and the shadows deepen. The air looks colder, mist and fog paint the scenery, limiting vision but at the same time increasing insecurity.

I can feel chills seeping into my bones. Strange noises echo through the trees, from the haunting call of creatures to the distant roar of a waterfall.

The trees surrounding me seem to differ from any I have seen before. Their trunks twisted and gnarled, with thick roots that thrust and turn like serpents. Some have smooth bark that glimmers in the dim light, while others are covered in rough, mossy growths.

The forest floor is littered with strange plants of all shapes and sizes, they that resemble somewhat like mushrooms, some of them glowing softly in the darkness. I can't help but wonder if they are edible or killing those who dare to pluck them.

As I wander deeper into the forest, I begin to realize that the trees and plants around me seem to be in a state of perpetual motion, as if they were alive and communicating with each other.

The rustling of leaves and the creaking of branches sound like whispers, and I start to feel like I'm being watched by unseen eyes.

The surrounding air grows colder and thicker, and I can hardly see anything through the dense fog that has settled in the forest. Strange noises echo through the trees, from the haunting call of creatures to the distant roar of a waterfall.

I try to keep moving, hoping to find a way out of this place. But the dense undergrowth and the twisted, gnarled trees make it difficult to navigate, and I soon find myself lost.

I wandered aimlessly, my stomach growling with hunger. I needed to find food and water to survive. I looked around for signs of life, and I spotted a stream in the distance.

I hurried towards the stream, eager to drink the clear water that flowed like an elixir. It was a small stream, probably fed by one of the springs above ground. I drank deeply, quenching my thirst and feeling renewed strength coursing through my body.

I splashed some water on my face, feeling the coolness relax me. After a few minutes, my body adjusted to the coldness. This was a good opportunity to take a bath. I cleaned my wounds and washed away the dust and clay from my body.I felt refreshed and invigorated after my bath.

I was surprised to see that there were no fish in the pond, nor any frogs. It was difficult to even spot an insect. This was surprising, as this type of area would typically have a variety of fauna.

I realized that I had not seen any living creatures in the vicinity. I did hear some sounds, but they were difficult to distinguish from the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind.

I decided to put this matter aside for later and focus on finding food. I knew that I had to be careful not to eat anything that could be poisonous. I eventually found a tree that was bearing large berries that resembled blueberries. I hesitantly picked a few berries and examined them closely. They looked and smelled edible, so I took a small bite. After a few minutes, I didn't feel any strange sensations, so I ate the rest of the berries.

I felt much better after eating the berries. I was still hungry, but I knew that I should be careful not to eat too much. I decided to pick a few extra berries to take with me. I wrapped the berries in broad leaves from a nearby tree.

I was still concerned about the lack of animals in the forest. It was a strange and unsettling place. I knew that I needed to find a way out of the forest as soon as possible.

I followed the stream, hoping it would lead me to a river. But as I walked, the trees grew denser and the undergrowth became thicker, making it difficult to move forward. The stream eventually stopped, and I was disappointed. I couldn't hear any running water, so I realized that I had been foolish to follow the stream.

As the day turned to night, I realized that I needed to find shelter soon. Even though I hadn't seen any animals, I knew that they could be present. There are many predators that stalk their prey so quietly that their prey never realizes they are being watched. These predators then take advantage of the darkness to kill their prey in its sleep. They do this not because they are unable to kill a moving target, but because they enjoy the taste of fear in their prey's flesh.

Not far away, I saw a cave in the distance. Without thinking twice, I rushed inside, hoping to find safety.