Metanoia

The terrain was rough and wild, starkly contrasting his ruined world’s barren and desolate landscape. Now and then, he glanced upward, attemp

screamed for rest, but his determination did not falter. He had faced grueling circumstances before, in th

hoped to catch up to Vula, yet the wise old monkey was nowhere in sight. Instead, he discovered himself utterly alon

the night, but the surrounding noise drowned out his voice. The gravity of his situation started

tinct for survival. The warm glow of the fire provided a comforting presence, warding o

end began, when the Earth retaliated against humanity’s relentless exploitation. A time

into oblivion. The day his seven-year-old self found his home ravaged by a landslide, his parents lost

a heartbreaking mix of fear and determination. “Su

governments crumbled, and societies collapsed, he lea

shed over him. “You were right, Mom,” he murmured

il symphony of the forest night, interrupted Elijah’s reverie. He grabbed a bu

e, scales gleaming under the flickering glow, towered over him. Its enormou

the closest tree. He tried mimicking Vula’s agile moves by climbing the tree to escape. But th

eath stolen by the impact. As he struggled to recover, the snake

rmity of his impending death. A spark of determination fl

emed to fade, focusing his reality on the slithering behemoth and the fiery stick clutched in his trembling hands.

caled monstrosity, eliciting a startled hiss as it recoiled, momentarily disoriented by the sudden brightness

all you’ve got?” He tossed the words into the void, his daring veneer trying to overshadow the predatory threat loo

ts hissing snarl seeped into the quiet, a chilling symphony of threat and

s brandished high, its sporadic dance casting a dreadful shadow across his rugged features. The erratic

estination.” The words trembled on his lips, a cocktail of dread and resolve, yet

t had fought for survival before him. The torch handle, rough against his palms, grew s

the night. The flames in his hand roared higher, responding to the gust of his