Call

Emerging from the fragment of the historical void, Kane was greeted by a cold breeze that hit his bare chest, accompanied by golden rays from a sun that provided no warmth, a reflection of the harsh winter.

"So this is what the forest looks like without the fog..." he muttered, feeling the numbness in his arms from the pain.

As the fragment of the historical void was cleared, the thick fog that covered the entire forest vanished utterly. It was clear that the fog was not a natural phenomenon of the forest but a manifestation of the dungeon, a byproduct of the fragment of the historical void.

After observing the surroundings momentarily, Kane began walking towards the forest's exit. As he did so, he started to feel gazes he had not noticed before; they were not hostile but charged with pure curiosity.

'So in this forest, there were animals... I wonder how they survived without being able to hunt or if they experienced an evolution by being in prolonged contact with the mist of the historical void.'

Kane's thoughts wandered as he hurried his pace, aware that he could be attacked by one of these creatures at any moment.

After going through some bushes and trees, he noticed a small wounded animal in the distance.

He was about to change direction to avoid it, but when he noticed its appearance, an expression of astonishment crossed his face.

The animal was a wolf with a coat as black as night, shining locks that evoked a starry sky, and eight resounding red paws as if bathed in blood.

"What is this creature doing in this place?" Disbelief flashed across Kane's face as he approached the eight-legged wolf despite his pain. He crouched down, gritting his teeth, and carried the eight-legged wolf in his injured arms.

...

After about five minutes, Kane emerged from the Forest of Mist, although calling it that was no longer appropriate.

He walked to the road and waited about twenty minutes before a cab finally passed that spot. It was a dangerous and poor area of Ignes, so the wait was unavoidable. He did not return to the point where he had gotten off earlier; he was now defenseless against those guys who prowled the area.

As he got into the cab, the driver looked at him with surprise before regaining his professional smile and asking:

"Are you headed to the hospital?"

Kane was silent for a moment. After about eight seconds, he replied tiredly, "No, I'm going to 34 Mise's Court Street, in the Argenteo district. And, if it's no trouble, we could stop by the Vitalis Clinic first."

The driver nodded as the car started smoothly down the narrow, bumpy, poorly paved road.

With the eight-legged wolf in his lap, Kane leaned against the vehicle's window and closed his eyes, seeking to rest for the ride.

...

After passing through the Vitalis Clinic, where his arm wounds were bandaged and disinfected, and the eight-legged wolf was treated, Kane arrived at 34 Mise's Court in the Argenteo district.

After paying the driver, he headed straight to his apartment. Once inside, he placed the eight-legged wolf on the bed and went into the small bathroom in the bedroom to clean himself of all the monster's blood.

After showering, he stepped out of the shower, looked in the mirror, and noticed several changes to his body. The first was the prominent blackthorn symbol covering his right chest, shoulder, and arm. In addition, he had a mark on his right hand in the shape of a bright red crown.

'Probably these marks and symbols are the features I got,' he thought as he came out of the bathroom, drying his head. He then dressed in a plain shirt and pants and re-bandaged the two wounds.

With a sigh, Kane sat at the desk and turned on the laptop, wanting to see how much money the original Kane had in his account.

Ring! Ring!

At that moment, the phone began to ring, catching her attention. He looked at it curiously, and "Dear Mother" appeared on the screen.

Kane's expression tensed as he stared at the phone, unsure what to do. "Should I answer this call?" he muttered, plunged into a dilemma. But after careful thought, he decided to answer.

- Hello, my darling! How are you? I have been waiting to hear from you for days.

"Hi, Mom... I'm fine." Kane replied in a muffled voice he felt strange.

- Are you sure? You sound strange... you don't sound like your usual self. Did something happen?

'She noticed very quickly,' Kane thought as she noticed the change. "No, nothing... I'm just tired."

- Mmm, so you say, but I know you. Your voice sounds... I don't know, different. You're not fooling me. What do you have? At work? With a friend?

"No, Mom, it's really nothing. I just... I've been thinking about a lot of things."

- Thinking about what? You're not one to keep quiet. You know you can tell me anything. You don't have to carry it all by yourself.

"It's complicated...I don't know if I want to talk about it right now." Kane didn't feel very comfortable being acted like his son.

- You know if you say that, I will worry more, right? Please, son, talk to me. I'm not here to judge you. If something is bothering you, I want to understand.

Kane was silent momentarily, so he decided to lie, even though his heart felt heavy. "It's just... lately, I feel like nothing makes sense. Like I'm on autopilot... I don't know what to do with my life, Mom. I feel like I'm stuck."

- My life... and why didn't you tell me before that you felt this way? You don't have to carry everything alone. Sometimes, we think we must always be strong, but it's normal to feel lost. The important thing is not to stay there.

"I didn't want to worry anyone...I thought I'd handle it." Kane said with a strange grimace

- That's what you always say, but you're not a machine. We all need to talk about what's weighing on us. If not with me, find someone else, but don't shut down. I feel scared when you seem so distant.

"I'll try, Mom...thanks for caring."

- I will always worry, that's for sure. And remember, as dark as everything looks right now, there is light. You have to take the first step out of that fog. How about a date to meet up? A coffee or a walk, like before.

Kane was silent for a long moment before answering. "I could use it. I'll call you tomorrow to set it up."

- Perfect, honey. I love you very much, okay? Remember.

"Me too, Mom. Thanks for always being there."

After hanging up, Kane let out a long sigh as many unfamiliar thoughts ran through his mind.