The Last Breath and the First

Very few people managed to get through to the other side after dying in a dungeon, as it would cut out connection to the afterlife, absorbing the souls of countless victims to strengthen its power. Those chosen were saved by the will of the gods themselves, unbeknownst as to why, denying the dungeon of their prize.

An eager adventurer had just signed up and was ready to undertake their first adventure. He foolishly chose a dungeon at random and perished within a few minutes of stepping foot inside. He was not lucky enough to be saved by an intervening god, and his soul had been absorbed by the dungeon.

'Am I dead?' he thought. 'I really didn't think that through, huh...'

His voice felt indifferent.

A long time had passed. He was floating in pure darkness, alone with only his thoughts to keep him company. That was, until...

'What's happening to me?!'

A warm, blue light came towards him, touching his chest.

He felt a sharp pain all over his body and awakened on the ground. The hallway he woke up in was clearly visible, albeit no light sources were nearby.

'What... happened? Where am I?'

He tried getting up on his legs but only fell to the side and then tried to pull himself up, though something was off.

'Are these paws? Wait, that can't be right.'

As he was shaking himself awake, he felt unfamiliar in this body.

'Am I an animal?'

It seems that upon his awakening, he lost his memories.

He quickly got up on all fours and took a look around, examining the hallway he woke up in.

On the walls, there were rough, red bricks that looked as if they were about to give in at any time. The ceiling was not that much better, as it was pure rock. The floor was the same as the ceiling with a few pieces of the ceiling here and there.

'How has this place not collapsed yet?'

As he was exploring, he noticed that his nose could easily pick up scents.

'Is there no one here?'

The chilling atmosphere followed by silence was sinister. He decided to keep exploring, peeking through doorways for any sign of life. It all looked abandoned. He was about to lie down to preserve his energy while thinking about ways to get out until a flash of blue light appeared.

He averted his eyes. It was as if a blue sun appeared in front of him, and it spoke.

"Insignificant being, below all recognition. It is with great displeasure that I must give you the mere speck of power that remains within me, but alas, I have no choice."

Its voice echoed in his mind. It did not speak out loud. Only he could hear what was being spoken to him. He could reply to this being, but he was scared to do so. Who knows what would happen if he were to anger it?

"My body lies in ruins. No more lives are present in this dungeon of mine. My servants have served until their demise."

He mustered up his courage and tried to communicate with the light.

"W-what do you want from me? I don't even know where I am!"

"The humans have infiltrated our dungeon and they plan to destroy my heart. You, the weakest, are the last soul that I have. Acquiring more souls is nigh impossible. I will not be able to restore this dungeon, nor will I be able to summon more servants. I will have to recuperate."

The ball of light gave him a few moments to process everything before continuing...

"Until every servant of mine in the dungeon lies dead, my heart will be indestructible. You are to hide from any invader and not engage in combat. I am not strong enough to create a barrier that would prevent you from escaping, and as such, a collar will be forced onto your neck that will kill you if you attempt to leave. Unlike my dead servants, you are no artificial soul. I have had no use of you until now. You are not even fit to nourish me."

This gave him goosebumps. He did not know what he was going to do or how he was going to hide. How is he going to find food if he is to avoid conflict? What does he mean by artificial souls?

His train of thought was interrupted by the blue light once more.

Suddenly, a collar appeared around his neck.

"With the last of my strength, I have given you the body of a wolf. It is nimble, and you will be able to escape more easily in the event that you are discovered, and if the need arises, you may be able to defend yourself."

The wolf still had many questions left unanswered. He only suddenly awoke to this new world, just to be told that everyone wants him dead.

"Your previous name matters not. You will now be remembered as Niall. Calling you a champion would be unfitting, but you are the last of my servants. You will carry out your duty until your last breath. Right now, you are on the highest level in my dungeon, near the entrance. Death will come quickly if you do not move, I can already feel humans coming this way. Go, with haste!"

The light dimmed down and disappeared. Niall did not know what direction they were going to come from, so he ran back towards the way he came, picking a direction at random.