Chapter 1 - I peed Myself...
Ima always shuddered at the thought of being in the spotlight.
It worried him.
It made his skin crawl.
It made his stomach churn and his head throb.
He didn't dislike being in the spotlight.
He feared it.
But he wasn't lucky today.
He stood in front of the people, beads of sweat trickling down his chin. He was frozen, unable to move or speak, but that didn't matter because everyone was staring at him. He stammered, "I-I..." Everyone waited for him to speak and start his presentation. Ima rubbed his legs together. He needed to urinate in addition to not wanting to be there.
It didn't help that he had a weak bladder either. Not only was he in the spotlight, he also risked wetting himself in front of twenty people packed in a meeting room, which included his supervisor, some of his coworkers, and his boss.
He felt his heart rate increase rapidly. It felt as if his heart were competing in a high-speed chase. He thought his anxiety was just getting worse since he was experiencing his biggest fear and that all he had to do was present and get it over with.
“The... agh!” There was Ima Kounya, experiencing a crushing sensation from his chest. He clutched his chest hard. A pained look had taken over his features. “Agh...Agh” but the pain didn't overwhelm the feeling he had trickling down his leg slowly but surely. He may have peed himself, he thought. But in fact, he was sure he had peed himself in a packed meeting room that included his coworkers, supervisor, and his boss.
It had felt as if the pressure from his chest had stolen all of the oxygen in his lung for itself. The world seemed to tilt a little—well, actually very much. Ima was falling. The world blurred together, colors merging, people transforming into grotesque shapes—this was normal, right? He thought.
But no one could answer him since it seemed his ears had gone to bed early today.
Begone! The fear of being in the spotlight. He had just died from a heart attack and peed himself in a packed meeting room in front of his coworkers, supervisor, and boss. There was nothing left for him to fear. He could only let the suffocating pain and embarrassment go as he was pulled in by the darkness.
I hope that in my next life I will have no bodily functions.
It was his honest wish. He didn't want to go through that again, accidentally peeing himself in public. It was humiliating. He would rather be in the spotlight. He had been in the darkness for quite some time, yet there was no god or devil that came to guide him. Was this what they called the void? A limitless stretch of darkness as far as one could see.
He didn't know if it was just him, but it felt awfully tight in the afterlife. Wait, was he supposed to feel at all? Maybe he wasn't dead after all. Perhaps he was simply in a coma. If that was the case, he wished he had just died instead since he couldn't bear the thought of waking up and facing everyone who was in that meeting room ever again.
He heard the sound of something crack. The sound was reminiscent of a chick breaking out of its shell. Then the sound multiplied, and an opening formed in front of him. Maybe he was finally waking up from his coma. He moved his hand and felt the sensation of what felt like the grooves of a tree. A light shone through the opening, and he squinted his eyes.
He reached for the opening. His hand passed through it, reaching for the light. He felt the soothing sensation of air wrapping around his fingers. He moved his body next, putting his left leg through. His eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the light. He thought it was a weird way of waking up from a coma. When he opened his eyes, he saw what he could only describe as divine.
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As Ima took in the scene, his eyes widened. The light bathed everything in soft, golden hues, and the air smelled fresh—like earth and trees, something natural. Although it did not feel like a dream, this world also did not feel like the one he was from. He hesitated, unsure of his footing, but something tugged at him, an unseen force pulling him deeper into the forest. The trees were tall, their branches swaying with a rhythm of their own, casting strange, dancing shadows across the moss-covered ground.
He turned to look behind him. It was a tree with a big hole. Had he just come out of that hole? He was bewildered. He put his head inside. It definitely wasn't a portal to another world since it was empty inside.
He put his head back out, then felt a sudden chill. He looked down. He was butt naked. Ima suddenly felt cold, but not enough to freeze his butt off. But his manliness was nowhere to be seen.
He told himself as a single tear ran down his cheek. He wasn't big by any chance, but did the gods really have to take his 3 inches away?
A sound caught his attention—a soft, but distinct rustling. His pulse quickened, his mind scrambling for a logical explanation. But logic wasn’t of much use here. He turned toward the source of the noise and saw something moving between the trees.
A shape, not quite human. It had the build of a rabbit, but it was much bigger and was covered in a fine, shimmering fur. Its eyes gleamed with predatory sharpness as it watched him. It jumped forward. It barely made a sound, as if the ground itself was cushioning its every move. The creature had a long, curled tail, and it swayed with an eerie grace.
Ima froze, his heart thudding in his chest. Was this a trick of his mind? Or was he really here, in this strange world with unknown creatures?
Before he could process it further, the creature lunged at him with terrifying speed. Ima barely had time to react, sidestepping just as its claws grazed his arm. He stumbled backward, panic surging through his veins. His mind screamed for him to run, but his legs felt like lead.
As he fumbled to gain his bearings, the creature came at him again, this time faster, its claws slashing through the air. He barely managed to dodge again, but his back collided with a tree. The creature's shadow loomed large, its breath hot on his skin.
He knew he couldn’t outrun it—not like this. His body was already exhausted, adrenaline pooling in his veins, but his limbs felt like they were moving underwater.
His heart pounded, but then a flash of light—bright and almost instinctual—flared in his chest. It felt like his body was aligning with something, something natural. The force of his fear, his panic, coiled within him, and then...
Ima raised his hands, trembling, and in a frantic burst of energy, he hurled a small flame at the creature. The fire hit it directly in the chest, causing it to howl in pain and back away. Ima didn’t wait. He turned, scrambled to his feet, and ran. His legs burned, his breath ragged, but he pushed on. Behind him, the creature screeched but didn’t follow.
Ima stumbled as he ran, finally falling into a patch of soft grass. His heart still pounded, his hands shook, but he was alive. He had survived. For now.
He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. The cool earth pressed against his back as he stared up at the bright sky, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The sunlight above blurred his vision, sweat stinging his eyes. He swallowed hard, his throat dry and burning.
His body ached, every muscle screaming in protest, but he couldn’t rest yet. Not completely. His ears strained for any sign of pursuit—footsteps, rustling leaves, the snap of a branch. But all he heard was the whispering wind and the distant call of a morning bird.
Ima forced himself to sit up, his pulse still hammering in his chest. He closed his eyes, letting the world around him fade away. His mind raced through the possibilities.
He had never wielded fire before. Never even imagined he could. And yet, in the face of death, something deep within him had awakened.
His breath steadied, but his mind raced. He flexed his fingers, half-expecting to see sparks dance between them, but there was nothing. Just trembling hands, dirt under his nails, and the raw sting of exhaustion.
The forest around him was still. Too still. The creature hadn’t followed, but that didn’t mean it was gone. He forced himself to his feet, legs unsteady beneath him. He had to move, to find shelter, to understand what had just happened to him.
Ima stumbled forward, his body aching with every step. His thoughts were a tangled mess—flashes of fire, the creature’s scream, the impossible energy that had surged through him. He needed to rest.
He almost fell once more when his foot snagged on something. When he looked down, he saw it—a hole in the ground, partially hidden by overgrown grass and twisted roots. It wasn’t large, just wide enough for him to squeeze through.
Ima dropped to his knees and peered inside. Darkness swallowed the space below, but cool air drifted up, carrying the scent of damp earth. He hesitated, listening for any sign of movement, any lurking danger. Nothing.
With a deep breath, he slid inside, lowering himself carefully into the hole. The ground sloped downward, and he braced himself against the walls as he descended. The space was small but deep enough that he could sit up without being seen from above. A burrow, maybe? Abandoned he hoped.
He curled up against the wall, his body finally giving in to exhaustion. It made him feel secure. At least, for now.
