Chapter 1 - Precious

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He tried to shout numerous times. He didn't know when or what happened, however he found himself in a dark void.

Time became meaningless. Did it even flow? He didn't know at all. From seconds to billions of years, he couldn't tell.

But sometimes, a weak connection he could feel. If only it stood there for longer, it would strengthen the bond and something might change...

10s or 100s he didn't know. Sometimes the connections would pop in and out, and sometimes they would almost last long enough.

No one told him how long would it take. He just felt it.

The connection sometimes grew faster and other times he felt a sense of repulsion. And then one day, he hit a jackpot.

"Haha finally!" He said, filled with joy. After some tries, he was certain that he could use the connection somehow.

He just had to walk the thin rope till the end. Many times he fell, and he wanted to give up a few times.

Nevertheless, an urge deep within him told him to continue. His skill in traversing the thin line got better and better.

And at the end of the connection stood a bright door of light. With no hesitation, he threw himself in.

Senses he didn't even realise he missed came pouring in. The world around him was much sharper and yet more dull.

Quiet sounds in his past life were as loud as chimes and the world seemed to lack the vibrant colours he had grown used to.

'Doesn't matter, new life is new life. I can manage!' He hyped himself up.

"Let's move first..." He said to himself and urged his body to move... ... ... ...

No response.

...

"I mean, it isn't so bad if you look at it from a certain angle..." He said. A ghost? Some kind of special stalker?

He had many questions. The body he resided seemed to be controlled by another soul already, and he could just experience the sensations.

A deer.

That was his conclusion after much thought. The deer bounced around during the morning and evening with its preferred nap being on a small hill.

The wind seemed barely enough to keep it happy. On its way for some good food, it passed by a few streams, creeks and overall untouched nature.

However, the further it got, the more he felt the strain of their frail connection. At one point, it snapped, and he found himself back in the void.

Although he came back to the bleak place, he didn't fall into panic. The connection still remained.

Not long after, the deer came back. And thus, time continued to flow. From trees taking on a new hue to the more stormy conditions, the season began to change.

To his relief. The monotone days didn't bore him and he got used to the different lense pretty quickly.

After a few dozen more day and night cycles, the first snowflakes fell and encased the world in its blanket.

With the new wave of cold and some luck. The deer found a nice hideout underneath an evergreen tree, which stood right next to the hill.

One day, it suddenly left. At first he felt a bit uneasy, but soon enough it returned and this time it wasn't alone.

A cute and vibrant doe followed the silly dear. A new family was born. The days passed, and he decided to give them names.

"Hmm, the silly deer has spots on its butt that resemble the Orion constellation. Yup, from now on you are Orion and your cute wife will be Andromeda." He said to himself dramatically.

"What about me, though? Should I give myself the name my past parents gave me or should I come up with one? What even am I? Ghost? Spirit? Maybe some kind of wisp..." He said and pondered.

"Yeah, let's first identify what I am..." He declared with short-lived passion and watched the couple play.

Winter turned out to be quite heavy. If he were to compare it, then Swiss alps during a normal winter would be just right.

Sometimes, Orion met other wildlife that hung around. Most looked a tad bit different from the animals he knew, but retained the general look.

Like a rabbit that had much more powerful front paws and a bit weaker hind legs. The way it moved around entertained him for quite some time...

Predators, on the other hand, seemed to be scarce, much to his relief. He couldn't deny that he grew attached to the cute couple living out their lives.

It felt like he was some kind of wild photographer that documented their life, except that he was in a much better position.

Winter passed, and the snow melted. During the winter months, Orion and Andromeda met up with other couples and it became much livelier.

His connection with Orion grew as well and now he could even follow him to his favourite drinking spot.

A beautiful little stream running through a forest encased by luscious trees enhanced by 2 cascades that followed each other.

Peace continued, and time passed. Trees regained their colour, and the world became much more vibrant again.

When one has time to look carefully, they would see the tiny life moving around...

...

"Come on, Andromeda, just push! I know you can do it!" He screamed with vigour. Unlike Orion, who long left like an irresponsible father.

He couldn't believe it. Orion, the deer, he formed such a deep bond just left Andromeda like that!

"Sometimes nature pisses me off. Come on, Andromeda, you are almost there!" Not long after, a head popped out.

During the time they spent with Orion, he formed a bond with Andromeda as well and, to his surprise, even the little fawn that tried to walk had a certain bond with him.

After Andromeda cleared her afterbirth to regain some energy, they surprisingly returned near the hill.

Although Orion hung around the area as well, their contact remained minimal, much to his despair.

Through careful observation and some luck, after just 10 or so days, he found out that the fawn was a doe.

So, he called her Artemis. Heck, after a few months, he almost reevaluated his thoughts about this energetic ball.

At first, the doe looked pure and holy. But after it learned how to walk and run properly, it bounced almost everywhere.

Once spring entered its full swing, the playful Artemis left her mother's side and bounced around almost everywhere.

One day as he watched Artemis play. He saw humans.

...

"Hey! Look, I told you that the game here is much more abundant after the lord actively began hunting predators for trophies." Said a burly man to a much younger looking man.

Underneath him laid an impaled rabbit. After dismantling it, they moved on...

"He-." said the young man before the older hunter shut his mouth. To his relief, the game seemed to not notice their presence.

He slowly removed his hand from the young man's face and took out a poorly crafted arrow with a stone tip.

'Today, we'll have a sumptuous feast!' He thought as he notched the arrow and after a few breaths released it...

...

"Come on. Artemis stop rolling on the ground and explore! Last time we found a hidden stream with really delicious spring water. Let's go and see more!" He said, as it became one of his hobbies keeping him from insanity.

Loneliness is the best motivator to talk with anyone, even if they cannot understand. Out of nowhere, Artemis stiffened for a second before she tried to bounce up.

Before he could realise what happened. He felt Artemis' pain in her front leg and a sense of crisis flooded in.

Artemis sprung with all of her might and ran deep into the forest nearby, ignoring the searing pain in her leg.

As she was leaving. He heard some unknown gibberish which confirmed his deepest fears, humans or other beings like them attacked Artemis.

Helpless, he could just watch and pray to whatever brought him there so Artemis can survive.

From their blatant laughter, he knew that they weren't in a hurry to catch Artemis as they waited till she tired herself out.

He kept shouting, trying to convey his words, emotions and fears. For a second, he could feel himself. At this time, he should be happy, but it wasn't enough.

Just a faint intent. The result of all of his screaming into the empty void. Artemis moved through the forest like wind, however at one point the arrow collided with a tree and it unlodged itself from her leg.

Her bleeding got much worse. And he... he just watched. The joy he anticipated from meeting humans had long left his mind.

The 4 months he spent with Artemis were unforgettable. Her silly antics and curiosity as she explored the new foreign world, her endless energy.

Now it was slipping at an incredible speed.

And he was there, all but a powerless spectator...