A man who had lost everything [Edited]

"HAAAAAAAAAAH!" I gasped, jolting upright as my chest heaved with desperate breaths. My lungs burned, and my ragged panting filled the still air. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion as I tried to get my bearings.

A forest?

I looked around, my eyes darting to take in my surroundings. Yes, it was unmistakable—a forest.

But… how?

I wasn't supposed to be here. I shouldn't be in this forest.

I should be…

I...

Wait.

A cave.

Yes, I was in a cave.

"What happened to the damn cave?!" I hissed through gritted teeth, forcing myself to stand. My legs wobbled beneath me, stiff and uncooperative as if I hadn't used them in weeks.

"Argh," I groaned, clutching a nearby tree for support. My gaze swept over the dense foliage around me.

I was here.

Really here.

The forest.

My chest tightened as realization struck like a thunderclap.

"I should be dead," I whispered, my voice trembling.