Almaz was swimming through bloody-red pond, resembling thick kissel. It looked like it could be edible. Almaz wanted to drink it, albeit he couldn't move his arm. Hell, he didn't even feel his arms. It was as if he didn't have any arms at all. And his legs were lost somewhere too. Almaz couldn't feel his body. He couldn't understand where was up or down, left or right. He was a clear mind, floating above topographical ocean.

How long did this last?

A minute or eternity?

When will this end?

Almaz wasn't against it lasting forever. He didn't want to leave this place.

But where is - This Place?

Who cares!

It was warm and comfy in here. His soul wasn't tormented by memories. His mind wasn't infiltrated by thoughts, that were inescapable, anywhere and anytime.

Anywhere and anytime...

Anywhere... Anytime...

Oh, So that's how it is! It appeared that he was in place, far beyond what was known as "Anywhere" and "Anytime".

What was this?

Eternity multiplied by infinity.

Beginning and end of everything that exists.

Alpha and omega.

The start and the end.

I am here.

I am?

Am?..

Who am I?

From where?

Where am I going?

Almaz tried to remember his name. He knew it before. He knew it long ago... long, long ago... He was a human... He wasn't called by his real name for a very long time.

A sudden flash startled Almaz.

This sudden flash was ominous, evil.

He wanted to dodge this blinding, fiery something, but how could he do it?

He didn't have a body.

And he didn't know, how to find exit from this slimy and wretched state of helplessness.

So this is how infant feels like, who doesn't have a personality or ability to control its small body, but already possessing desires and requirements.

What does an infant do, when it wants its desires and requirenments to be fulfilled? Infant screams.

And Almaz screamed too.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The whirlwind of fire flipped him couple of times and then threw him down, on the ground... or what was that thing called, that is in the direction of "Down"?

Almaz opened his eyes and couldn't see anything, but grey veil above him.

Where is he?..

Almaz took tried to breathe - and it felt like he just swallowed broken piece of glass. His chest burst with pain. His throat was spasmed. Almaz felt, how tears streamed down on his cheeks. Breathing was excruciatingly painful. But not breathing was even worse. Almaz pushed air out through gritted teeth as slowly as he could. Then - He swallowed another portion air, just as slowly as previously. Almaz understood the rhythm of breathing that didn't give him hellish suffering.

What has happened to him?

Almaz tried to push himself up with his shoulders to raise his head, but as soon as he made his first move, poison of excruciating pain spread through his whole body. Almaz fell on his back and opened his mouth. He thought that he would scream, but it didn't happen. Instead, dried, pathetic, a sound resembling gritting of sandpaper on dried concrete wall escaped his charred throat. Afraid of even moving, Almaz could do nothing more than looking in front of him, look at endless sky... He laid on his back, that meant that sky was in front of him. Yes... That was definitely sky. grey, gloomy, filled with moisture, ready to wet the soil that was beneath it.

Rain - It is good. Rain misleads carnivorous beasts.

Nidus Prime!

Almaz finally remembered his identity.

He is a soldier of Interstellar Empire of Humanity. He was a "Guide". He was in the group with scouts and few other soldier that were essentially used as meat-shields. His mission was to lead them to the Sunlight Field and come back ASAP. He led them through a path hidden in the tunnel, because that way they could save time and Almaz knew about this path...

Invisible flames once again burned Almaz's face, forced him to hurriedly and painfully exhale and close his eyes.

He thought that he knew...

And Nidus Prime laughed at his naiveness - The planet spawned another anomaly between the existing two. And even spared him after quality time in Spinner and Hellfire. Even if he tells someone - they won't believe it. Almaz wouldn't believe himself, if someone would tell him this kind of story. But why did the planet punish him in such a way?

Could it be that he was too arrogant?

NO!

Why did this happen?

Almaz licked his cracked lips. He wanted water. Even a sip would be enough.

Almaz moved fingers of his left hand. They were working... What a relief. If he would try hard enough, he could even reach his water flask. But everything must be done very slowly. Otherwise, pain would turn him into paralytic again.

WAIT!

Where are the guys from the scouting team? Crayon and Buckshot? And the other meat-shields that were with them?

Almaz forgot about the water. He wanted to know his whereabouts. Why was he alone? Why wasn't anyone with him? And why does it reek of burned X-Plastic?

He slightly raised his head. He bent his right arm and tried to stand up, while using his elbow as support. Sharp pain attacked his side. Almaz froze, waiting for pain to become endurable. Pain wouldn't disappear - that was a fact. Even if he retained healthy ribs, their number would be severely less than broken ones. They must've broken when he landed on the ground. If spinner would be in its prime, instead of Almaz, his corpse with sharp ribs sticking out in every direction would be there.

After slowly and carefully inhaling, Almaz gritted his teeth and raised himself a little more. He was lying down on the ground a few meters away from circle of burned grass.

Bright light flashed in front of his eyes. Almaz fell back on the ground and wheezed. He was already unconscious when he flew inside the Hellfire. And this state of unconsciousness saved his mind from becoming insane. However, his body remembered Hellfire on cellular level. And even now, memories of these Hellish flames made his mind go inside-out.

Maybe, Almaz lost his consciousness once again. When he opened his eyes, sky, with the same rainy clouds, became a little brighter. This was strange. If they day was coming to the end, shouldn't sky get darker as well? Or maybe Bright Nights are starting again?..

And once again, his thought process jumped to another destination: Why was he alone? Where are Crayon, Buckshot and meat-shields? They were following him...

Oh...

So that's how it is...

Of course...

They were following him step by step and then they saw how Jumper launched his body into the Spinner and then Hellfire. Then they retraced and went towards the nearest Camp. That means that all Almaz has to do, is wait for help.

Yes...

Lying on the ground, looking at the sky and waiting...

For Bright Night, the sky was too bright. And maybe that is Jatre, one of two suns of Nidus Prime, trying to make its way through the heavy clouds...

Waiting...