I am Ashton, a typical young adult human male, you know, the average height, average build, brown hair, brown eyes and all . Everything about me was average, no past life memories, no special power or divine blessing, just your average human being. I was never really close with my parental units. I mean don't misunderstand me, they never mistreated me and provided me with everything a person would need but we never really bonded with each other. They were out at work most of the time, even on the weekends they usually had something to do or atleast that's how it was ever since I could remember.
My academic life was good as far as I can tell and that's when I got to know about my only redeemable traits: my near unquenchable trust for knowledge and curiosity and near perfect memory for anything I deemed interesting or important. It helped me through out the school and got me near perfect scores, never bothered with perfect score as it would be too much of a bother and would invite unwanted attention. Some people thought they I had mythical eidetic memory but I knew better cause I don't remember everything, only what I deem worthy or interesting. I actually have trouble with names of unimportant people. Anyway long story short I cruised through the school life till the last year of my highschool without any trouble. No one bullied me or alienated me. Teacher were helpful and cordial. But again I had no one that I could say I was close to. I had acquaintances but not any real friend.
In the last year of my highschool I came across an anomaly, yep an anomaly, no other way to describe her. Her name was Jahne and was way too cheerful. Always the sunshine and rainbows in her head, I tell you. If that was all then I wouldn't call her an anomaly but she showed an interest in me. I mean, yeah, sure there were other girls here and there who showed interest in me, dropping some subtle hints which I might or might not have picked up. I was pretty much untainted in the matter of man and woman at that point of life. I am getting off the point again....anyway, as I was saying she showed an abnormal interest in me. At first it was disturbing and I was kind of creeped out even and thankful for the fact that I had different major than her. I had maths along with physics and chem while she had biology.
At first I politely declined any advances she made but as time passed the witch managed to bewitch me. I started liking her cheerful aura and that's how my first relationship started. We kept dating through highschool and in college, promised to spend life with each other and all that shit. I picked particle physics as major in college, published a paper and even got two patents.
Everything was going well till the start of the 5th semester. Me and Jahne were going through another one of our argument about God and religion. It happened every now and then. She was devout christian, church on Sunday, saving herself till wedding and all that jazz and I was bonafide atheist cause let's say if 'God' created everything then who created him? God's God? then what about him? How did he came about? I might as well believe all the conspiracy theories than that religious mumbo jumbo. Anyway, I regress, as I was saying we would usually have discussion about God and religion and sometimes it would escalate with neither of us willing to back down so we would evoke the right to not talk for couple of days. It was pretty good arrangement as we would be back to our luvvy duvvy selves after those couple of days. But this time it was an exception.
On the third day of our 'not-talking' agreement, I received a text from a acquaintance of ours asking when I broke up with Jahne and then he drops the bomb that that a guy in his dorms is bragging to his buddies about banging a virgin last night who just happens to match jahne's description. I simply call it a bullshit cause you see, Jahne was supposed to be devout christian and even I haven't gone past kissing in our 3 years of relationship. I put it out of my mind and focus my mind back on my research project.
At the last day of our not speaking agreement I called her which was ignored and I simply chalked it up as her being busy till I got the text about 'wanting to explore' and breakup. I mean are you shitting me? A relationship of 3 years atleast deserves a phone call as a way to break up, if not in person. So I called her again, and again, and again till she picked up and I got an interesting revelation. Apparently all the shit about God and the religion and their guidelines doesn't worth anything when you are drunk. And that's not all. The fact that he was a christian and that she already slept with him makes him better dating choice than a guy who respected her choice throughout their 3 years of relationship How do you argue with that? The least she could do was apologize, right? but no, no apologies or anything. Needless to say I was heart broken and the fact that she was the only person who ever got close to me, only made it worse.
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I started escaping from the issue by burying myself in my research but didn't help much so I turned to games and light novels and used those fantasy worlds to escape the real one. I started missing classes, just attending enough to barely pass and that's how I spent last year of my college life. I never resorted to drugs or alcohol though. I mean I am already putting my body through so much by not doing enough exercise and all, why would I want to increase its burden? It's already a wonder that I am not turning into a fat ass as it is.
After college I didn't look for any job, the money from patents was enough to sustain me for a while so I shut myself in my apartment and completely immersed myself in light novels and games and mmorpgs and their fantasy worlds. I ended up reading about all the mythologies and such as a result.
Oi! why are you reminiscing about our life in our own mind like some trashy main character from trashy novel? Shut up! I am coping with the present situation. So...Where were we? Ah right. You see, last night I went to sleep in my bed, situated in my bedroom after finishing up the world boss event of the mmorpg I was playing but when I woke up I found myself sprawled over hard floor of this dark and humid cave. Whoever did this must have drugged me somehow and transported me here because I'm pretty light sleeper so if anyone touched me in my sleep I would have woken up. It is probably a kidnap scenario. Yeah, let's go with that, I like that one. God is not real. Fantasy worlds are not real. I can't possibly be in a different world. That's better so let's calm down a bit . We are still on earth. But who would want to kidnap us? We are doing okay financially but we are not fucking rich and why wouldn't they restrain us? Let's not think about it. I don't want to consider any other possibility besides a stupid prank or kidnapping. Yeah, let's not think about it and explore the surrounding.
Okay, exploring a dark cave barefoot is pain in the ass, especially when you are barefoot. I have already stubbed my toe 5 times and it hurt like hell. I probably would have stubbed myself more if I didn't start moving in slow motion, feeling every step beforehand. I have been moving for about half an hour I think and I come across a small pool of water, a ground spring possibly. Now atleast we have a source of water for when we are thirsty, atleast till our kidnappers show up. Let's not worry about drinkability of the water. Yeah, let's definitely not worry about dysentery.
The cave is like a fucking maze, I try to keep track of my exploration so I can get back to that pool if I need to. After another hour or so I come across another turn but this one is bit different as it has some sort of glowing rocks embedded in cave wall at proper intervals. It's not like electric bulbs but after spending some time in this dark hole, I will gladly take it. I hear some movements and gibberish sound so I press myself against the wall and slowly creep towards the corner, being careful to not make any sound. I am no special force but even I know when to be cautious. Yup, better safe than sorry. After reaching the the corner I quietly take a peek.
The hell...?!?
The hell...?!?