My name is Taiga. I’ve been running around and causing havoc wherever I went for the past 10 years. It’s not like I didn’t know the consequences of my actions… It’s just that I didn’t care.

I stagger over a rock, slicing into one of my toes causing it to tear open and start bleeding.

I’ve stolen precious but ultimately useless items like rare gems, artwork, and lavish clothes only to later dump them into some river, but sometimes… Have I ever taken things from those that might have needed it? Can I really say that I’ve never killed before if I might have indirectly caused the death of others?

I bend over and clutch my right eye in pain. A tiny rock had just struck my eye at monstrous speeds, broken off from the ground and carried by the wind. Weaving right into my eye hole.

Anyways, it’s too late for regrets now. I made a decision on the type of person I wanted to be and I have to follow through. I live solely for the sake of myself and myself only.

I put my hand on my mask. How long have I had this damn mask on?!? This is going to go well over two days; What’s going to happen to me once I take it off? It’s probably been a day and a half since I started my journey judging by the sun rising and setting.

But when I came to this place I was scared… Scared beyond belief of these super-humans who were on the same level, if not even greater than me. When I lived my life pampered by the fact that I could do anything and there was little anyone could do to stop me.

The hole in my hand was turning black from presumably rot and infection, but there was nothing I could do about it but keep walking through the storm.

And so I had to reevaluate myself. Who was I? Because I wasn’t the danger seeking reckless badass I thought I was. I was actually something that I wasn’t proud of.

My ears began to ring continuously, the loud droning wind overloads and begins dulling my senses. I could no longer distinguish the sound of wind from the ringing noise I was hearing.

A fool. An overconfident fool, god damn it that’s all I ever was.

I stare at the ground. One foot over the next, over and over again. My bare feet were black at this point, caked in blood and dust.

I thought I could do anything as long as I was self-aware about it.

I bend down and slice my feet open for the fourth time that day, it kept on healing and closing up making it impossible to keep traveling unless I did so.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

But I wasn’t even self-aware about it. I simply fell into delusions of fake pride and arrogance.

How much blood have I lost already? I begin directing Anku to my heart to artificially pump it harder, my muscles feel exhausted, my brain feels foggy.

And this mask isn’t even mine. I never earned any of this power. It was just given to me, by Dundee I’d guess.

In the distance, ginormous rocks decorated an empty field. The words Rudeus said came back to me. That’s a good sign. It means I’m on the right track. I can also take shelter from the wind there for a little while.

However, I don’t intend to stop living for myself.

I sit down and huddle between two large rocks. This place resembled a maze with towering stone corridors and branching paths.

In fact, I don’t intend to change anything about myself.

My limbs flop to the ground out of energy, I begin to wobble.

Where would I start? What would I do? Should I force myself to do something I don’t want to?

Maybe I’ll rest for a couple hours…

This selfishness has already been engrained into my personality. Any attempt at proving otherwise would be fake and disingenuous.

As I began drifting away, my eyes shoot open as I feel a fog of miasma forming around me. At that moment I knew that if I fell asleep here that I wouldn’t wake up.

And so I’m sorry, but I still don’t intend to involve myself in the war like you wanted Rudeus.

I get off the ground and begin to hobble away quickly, back into the storm which thankfully seemed to be growing milder.

My goal is still the same. I will find Dundee, and I find out about my past.

The sun sets, signaling the end of the second day. I’ve never felt worse than I was feeling right now.

And then after that… I don’t know. It’ll depend on what I find out, but at the very least until that day, I will not die.

I hover in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness, no longer thinking, just placing one foot over the other like a zombie.

And so, I will send a prayer to Rudeus hoping you survive, but I will not involve myself in your tirade any further.

I feel a bitter but acidic taste in my mouth, I probably threw up inside the mask a couple hours ago but I can’t seem to remember doing so.

Yea… I’ve made up my mind. This will be my final conclusion.

The wind had lightened to a point that I no longer needed to anchor myself to the ground, and I could finally see the silhouette of civilization in the distance. I stagger to the entrance of the town. A couple of the locals stare at me looking horrified as I pass through the gate.

“Please… Help me.” I spoke as loud as I could, however my voice was shot to the point where it was unrecognizable.

Alright, time for the worst part.

This is the longest I've gone with my mask on.

I place a hand on my mask.

And then hesitate for a couple seconds.

Before letting it fall off my face.

END OF PART ONE.