Chapter 2: Spark of Hope

The current landscape didn't have the typical warm sunlight and beautiful vegetation. Everything looked grey and depressing, the trees were dry without even one leaf left.

Although it was morning, the welcoming light of the sun was blocked by dense clouds and no one could even enjoy the song of the birds since there weren't any.

In an open field there was a boy. Through his rags that he calls clothes one could see countless scars in his frail body except from the face, feet and hands. He had long dark blond hair that managed to hit his shoulders with its length.

The boy was currently unconscious, sleeping with his back on the ground. Some people may even think that he is dead because of his poor nutrition, one could even see his bones if looked more closely.

His eyelids began to tremble as he slowly opened them, revealing two emotionless onix eyes.

Max slowly lifted himself and got into a sitting position.

"So I'm not dead..."

Just like his eyes his voice was emotionless too. He isn't happy nor sad because of the news, he simply didn't want to care anymore. Max looked towards his surroundings while questioning himself.

"Where am I?"

Max barely lifted his body but he almost dropped down. It came with no surprise since his body was malnourished, he didn't eat anything for hours. But even so he stood up and started to walk without direction.

Every step of his put a toll in his body. He felt an emptiness in his stomach that made his body feel completely powerless, Max staggered with each step. But even so... He didn't stop walking.

He doesn't know why, he doesn't know how and he doesn't know when it will end. Despite this, Max didn't stop walking.

Every step carried uncertainty, he walked absentmindedly in search of answers. His heart continued to beat weakly just like a stubborn flame that refused to be wiped out. After minutes that seemed like hours, Max finally stopped.

He looked at a tree or to be more specific, he looked at the tree's base. There was a black egg with dirty yellow stripes around it, for some reason Max staggered towards it. Using whatever strength that he had in his frail arms, Max lifted the egg that was bigger than his head.

Max failed to notice that some black colored energy escaped from his hands and got sucked by the egg. The weak boy suddenly felt the egg tremble.

Cracking sounds could be heard while parts of the eggshell started to fall off and right at the front of his eyes Max saw a new life be born. The top of the egg cracked and broke down finally revealing the new-born.

It didn't have arms or legs, it was white colored with some grey details around its head or actually its entire body. And right at the top of its frame, there were two bumps resembling bear ears.

The new-born slowly opened its eyelids revealing two green pupiless eyes. It curiously looked at Max with affection within its gaze.

Both the human boy and the strange creature kept eye contact until Max said.

"Isn't this a Botamon?"

The newborn made happy squishy noises and started to splurt bubbles from its mouth. Max got surprised thus he dropped the creature on the ground.

The under part of the eggshell broke thus completely freeing Botamon from its egg prison. The baby digimon got even happier and so it started to make sounds that anyone would find cute. Anyone but Max.

"Leave me alone." Max said indifferently, his voice didn't carry any emotions just like his gaze, he started to walk away weakly. A lot of people would distanciate themselves from Max but Botamon didn't care at all. So, it started to follow the human boy while singing happily.

Since Max's strength was already reaching its breaking point he simply stopped caring and let the digimon new-born do whatever it wanted.

Botamon could see that Max was almost reaching his limit so it got worried. The new born jumped and quickly got in front of Max while staring at him with a determined gaze.

"Get... Out..." Weakly said Max, he could already feel his limbs starting to lose strength. Just standing alone made his legs tremble while his stomach roared with hunger. But he couldn't afford to care.

He wanted to die, he wanted to disappear. He is no more than trash, no more than deadweight. There was no place to go neither stay, at this point Max knew that there was no hope for him. Unless a miracle happens, he will definitely die of hunger, dehydration or sickness.

He didn't dare to hope, he didn't dare believe that a miracle would save him. Max was merely waiting for death to cut his throat and end his misery.

Looking at the determined Botamon, Max just looked around and walked towards the closest tree. He sits and waits...

Botamon quickly came over by jumping. It neared Max and looked at him with a worried gaze, with even sadness and a bit of despair. Max's breathing was getting weak, his arms were already dropped while he silently looked towards the sky.

Botamon hurriedly tried to make sounds in order to attract Max's attention, it even began to splurt bubbles to try making him laugh and smile. The human boy looked at Botamon, the baby digimon's eyes were already starting to get wet. When Botamon found that Max's eyes were already starting to close, the newborn began to desperately try to keep him awake.

It tried to sing but its voice was already muffled by its tears. its gaze was begging Max to live, begging him to not give up.

Looking at Botamon's crying figure made something deep inside Max's Stone heart react. Max couldn't help but think. 'This thing... Is it worried for me?'.

A crack finally appeared on his ice cold heart. Max could feel that something inside of him wanted to break out but it simply couldn't, as if it was stuck in a bottleneck. But the more he looked at Botamon's tears, more cracks sprouted from within his heart.

Until suddenly Max felt something wet falling at his body... Was it raining? He couldn't help but think. Albeit feeling the salty taste in his mouth made Max feel nostalgic. They weren't raindrops, those were his tears...

His heart is crying. Just like a waterfall, tears didn't stop coming from his eyes, although Max's expression remained indifferent.

Guided by a primal instinct, Max used the tree to support himself until he finally managed to stand up again although barely. Botamon was surprised by Max but the newborn became restless.

Like a spark, something deep within his heart was beginning to take form, was it the flame of hope or the seed of despair? Max himself didn't know, but despite it he decided to follow his heart one last time.

His mind already gave up. Max knew that the odds of him surviving are lower than 5%, he used logical arguments in order to stop his pointless struggles and suffering.

Using whatever dregs of strength he had left, Max began walking once again. His body and mind were pleading to make him stop, but his heart was telling something different... It screamed at him! Do not... Let this hope die!

His entire life flashes through his eyes. Seeing all the pain, all the suffering made Max feel even more determined to survive.

Every step hurts, every breath was taxing. Max could feel the weakness enveloping his tired body. He gritted his teeth and continued on.

His countless tears painted the ground of his journey while Botamon followed Max worriedly. Every single one of his steps loosened the bottleneck bit by bit, his emotions flowing like a river...

Until he finally found something... A wooden Shack, for Max it was basically his salvation... But what could he do?

Looking at the only way of his survival made Max think... His life was only about suffering, he couldn't do anything against it. It didn't matter how much he cried, how much he pleaded or how much he fought... The only outcome would be just more suffering, there was never hope nor dreams...

Just like a tidal wave, his emotions, his desires... His Hope... They striked the bottleneck with everything they had. His stone heart finally got free as a multitude of emotions striked each and every single fiber of his being.

Max's expression finally changed...

"I... Want... To live..." Despite his raging feelings, only weak pleadings escaped through his lips...

Taken by despair and hope, he tried yet again...

"I want... To live!" His voice surely got stronger, but still he knew that it wasn't his limit. Max gritted his teeth, took the air until he felt his lungs at their limits and screamed.

"I... WANT TO LIVE!!!!" He finally let it all out. Max couldn't stop his face from forming a silly smile. Even if he dies, at least he still hasn't given up.

Max felt his body lose all of its remaining strength, for him everything was in slow motion. Darkness was already taking over his vision bit by bit.

The last thing he saw before losing his consciousness was the crying figure of that white Botamon. Max felt thankful and...

Sad.

He at least wanted to say 'Thank you' towards the newborn...

Darkness finally enveloped his everything. Maybe he will finally rest in peace...

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There was a humanoid silhouette walking towards the wooden shack. It was holding some sort of bag in its right arm.

"Hum? What the hell is that?"

The silhouette revealed the figure of a topless humanoid lion. It walked silently towards its shack, what if it was getting robbed?

But when it finally got close enough...

"BY THE LOVE OF YGGDRASIL!!!"

The lion dropped its bags and sprinted towards the scene...