Chapter 1: Limitation
In this magical and mysterious world, limitations were mere figments of the mind. Fear, the invisible shackles that restrained individuals from reaching their true potential, held sway over each person. Yet, understanding that these limitations were born from one's own fears proved elusive. Perhaps a parent's ominous warning steered you away from curiosity, leaving you with a sense of trepidation.
Alternatively, scars from abandoned dreams could linger, instilling fear of failure fueled by regret for the past and anxiety about an uncertain future.
These restrictions, often disguised as “learning experiences,” deceived individuals into sinking deeper into the abyss.
The Depths, a mysterious entity that preyed on both the strong and the weak, posed trials to those navigating the sea of life. Eloi Fremont, in time, may come to realize this truth and face the choice of surrendering to suffering or seizing victory in his life. Yet, fear was not the sole impediment in this accursed world.
As Eloi gradually regained consciousness, he found himself amidst warm sand, wiggling his fingers and toes. Struggling to open his eyes, he listened intently to the surroundings.
“Where am I?” he asked, uncertainty lacing his words. “N-no… Who am I?”
The distant squabbling of seagulls, riding gentle breezes over the calming waves, provided Eloi a semblance of security. It felt oddly familiar. Comforted by the island’s ambiance, Eloi cautiously opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a thunderous strike of lightning crashing against the waves before him.
Embarrassment washed over him, and so too did the violent waves, soaking him and covering him with seaweed and sand.
“Damn it!” he cried out of anger. “Where the hell am I?”
Catching something at the corner of his eye, Eloi looks out at the sea once more. The fog covered something sticking out of the water, but as he leaned in closer, squinting at the object he noticed that it was a shipwreck. A small sailboat, with holes all over the hull and the deck. The sails were torn, stained yellow and brown, and covered in seaweed. It was—in a literal sense—a total wreck.
“Someone crashed?” he wondered, his voice a mixture between confusion and realization. “Someone being…me?”
Unfortunately, hunger interrupted his confusion. His stomach growled, voicing its demand for sustenance. Eloi looked down at the dark water in front of him. Once again, lightning struck and his hideous reflection was revealed.
“What the—?!” he exclaimed, jumped back, disgusted by his own reflection. “Why the hell am I so filthy?”
He shook his head, focusing on what was really important. His body was aching, and his stomach was growling. Eloi lifted up his shirt only to be met with another horrifying sight—he looked like a zombie. Dirty cuts and large scrapes and bruises were racked all over his body, and his ribs were showing. He was as thin as a rail.
Eloi felt a lump in his throat as he slowly turned around to see the tall jungle woods behind him. He chuckled nervously as his head dangled to the side, bouncing around. It appeared at first that his soul left his body, but he took a shivering deep breath, and exhaled. Taking another look at the forest, nothing at changed at all for Eloi. It was quiet, and yet it seemed like it could spring to life at any moment. The mere sight of it haunted him, but he reluctantly treaded onwards despite his anxious thoughts, muttering to himself.
Though he wanted to eat more than anything, thoughts lingered in the back of his mind as he looked up at the jungle looming ahead. Eloi couldn't shake the feeling that it held the missing pieces of his recent past, and perhaps his memories as well. Without a doubt in his mind, this was something he felt was necessary. Finally mustering up enough courage, Eloi continued down the narrow, worn-out path.
Whining like an old man, Eloi staggered into the jungle, aching for food.
“I hate this,” he groaned, clutching his stomach. Something snapped within him, and he winced. Determined to survive, Eloi pushed aside his injuries and set out in search of food.
“I need food… Just give me some food. C’mon!” he whimpered.
Eloi was beginning to get chills down his spine. Wandering alone through the dense forest made him feel uneasy, and he began to look around anxiously instead of watching where he was going. Then, Startled by the sound of his own footsteps, Eloi discovered he had stepped on a stick. He looked to his left to see that a pair of eyes in the bushes met his. Eloi froze in his tracks, but then the creature vanished. It was clear the creature was more afraid of him than he was of it.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Eloi decided to follow the elusive creature, cheerful yet still in a hunger-induced state of mind.
“Come here, little guy!” he called out. “Wait up!”
“Lead the way, show me where all the tasty food’s at!” he muttered to himself. Slouching over with a crazed smile as he wiggled his fingers.
Deeper into the woods, Eloi realized the creature was long gone, and he was hopelessly lost, but not alone.
"Well, I'm gonna die," he sobbed. Sitting down, he felt something odd beneath him—a giant pile of animal waste. Frustration and horror overcame him as he stumbled away, then scrambled to his hands and feet, looking for a place to hide.
“This is disgusting!” He shrieked. “I need to wash off quickly before a predator sniffs me out or something!”
Unfortunately whatever saw him didn’t hesitate to follow close behind, as Eloi’s frantic and panicked behavior was loud. The scent of animal waste made it easy for this starving predator to follow, it just had to wait for the right moment to strike.
After hours of wandering on an empty stomach, Eloi discovered a small pond.
“Finally, I can take a bath,” he sighed, wiping tears from his eyes. “This stench was starting to make me lose my appetite.”
Eloi jumped right in without hesitation, dancing ever so gracefully until he felt another sharp sting of pain in his ribs.
“Okay, no more of that!” he grunted.
Bathing in the pond, Eloi felt a sense of calm. As he admired the forest's beauty, it gradually became eerily quiet. Eloi felt uneasy again. The sudden noise of leaves and sticks rustling and snapping caught him off guard, but he turned around to see a tiger just standing there casually, as if it were waiting for something.
"Huh!" Eloi cocked his head, finding the encounter more peculiar than frightening.
“Never thought I’d come across a tiger! This is definitely a fir—” Eloi closed his mouth and didn’t make a peep. Trying not to alarm the beast, he slowly turning around in fear.
“Whaaat?!” he finally released his panicked scream, dashing away like a rocket.
“Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope! Nooo!” he shouted, flailing his arms in the air.
Glancing back, he saw the tiger inches away. Turning around, however, he spotted what he hoped was fruit just down the hill. It was at that moment that Eloi felt hungrier than ever. No—he was not hungry—he was hangry. There was no way he would let some tiger eat him before he could have a meal of his own.
“I hope you’re ready to eat…poop—or something—'cause that’s what I’ll be kicking in your face when I leave you in the dust!” he cackled monstrously, the tiger let out a fierce roar in response as it swiped its head side to side trying to latch onto Eloi with its teeth.
“Eek!” cried Eloi. “It was a joke—I’m joking…Everyone loves jokes, right?” the tiger roared once more in response, but Eloi ignored it. “Fooooood!” he cried. “I’ve gotta get that food!”
Determined, Eloi sprinted like a maniac. He moved so quick that his legs were seemingly spinning cartoonishly, but a big rock hidden just below the dry, rocky hill caused him to trip and tumble down the hill into a pit of quicksand.
“Wait a minute…No—this can’t be!” his jaw dropped. “I need to grab onto something and fast!”
Struggling frantically, Eloi tried to escape the quicksand, but solid ground eluded him. His fingers were slipping off of the dry dirt as rocks and soil collapsed sinking into the quicksand along with him. He looked for a way out among the plants, though clinging to them risked tearing or snapping.
“When I get out of here, I’m gonna eat you, but first, I need your help!” he said, reaching for a strange-looking vine.
The tiger made its way down the hill, slowly approaching Eloi as it growled menacingly. Out of sheer panic, Eloi moved quicker through the quicksand. More determined than ever, he pushed through, sinking deeper. His face neared the mushy dirt; soon, it would be over.
At last, close enough, a single tear trickled down Eloi's eye. Not from fear, but from the plant biting his hand and tugging on his arm.
“Ouchie!” he whimpered, right before being launched into the air like a slingshot pellet.
After the plant ripped him out of the quicksand it flailed and flailed, swinging Eloi around. Trying to get a firm grip on him, it opened its mouth, and Eloi fell to the ground before it could reach him. He was in pain, but relieved.
“I’m alive!” he shrieked, spreading out. “I’m actually freaking alive!”
After navigating the jungle’s nightmares, Eloi found a clearing. The warmth of the sun and its light showered a feeling of refreshment and certainty over him. Then, amidst the wildlife, a person’s silhouette caught Eloi’s attention.
“Hey — hey! hello?” he called out, running toward the man despite his injuries.
“What is this place?” he asked the man, who stood in torn, soaked clothes before a grave. Feeling nervous, Eloi approached cautiously. Something was off, and he didn’t like it.
“Who are you?” he finally spoke up.
