Bits and fragments slipped through his mind like scattered shards of broken glass. One thing stood out—his name. Kevin. It grounded him, even as everything else remained clouded.

With effort, he sat up, wincing as stiff muscles protested. His arms caught his attention—thick and scarred, unfamiliar yet somehow right. Dense, greenish skin covered them, and when he ran a hand over his face, he felt the curve of tusks jutting from his lower jaw.

He was no human. That much was clear.

The realization sparked something in him—an awareness of his orcish form—but it didn’t answer the bigger question. Who was he, really?

Bracing himself against the wall, Kevin climbed to his feet. The rough stone was cold beneath his hand, but its texture was strangely grounding. He took a tentative step forward, the sound of his footfall echoing through the void.

Where am I?

The question echoed in his skull as he walked, slow and cautious. The shadows stretched along the twisting walls, and the only sound was the steady drip of water, deep and rhythmic like the heartbeat of the dungeon itself.

The corridors turned and narrowed, a maddening maze of gloom. The air turned colder. His breath became visible. Still, he pressed on, each sense sharpened by instinct, by the feeling that danger was never far away.

And then—movement.

A flicker of shadow at the edge of his vision.

Hope stirred. He wasn’t alone.

He followed it, steps faster now, driven by the need for contact, for answers, for something real in this haze of confusion.

Rounding a corner, he came upon a group of orcs huddled around a torch.

Relief surged through him—but so did caution.

“Hey!” he called out, raising one hand slowly. “I mean no harm! I just—”

The nearest orc spun, eyes narrowing. A growl rumbled from its throat. Others followed, rising with weapons drawn. There was no welcome in their gaze. Only suspicion.

Kevin’s heart pounded.

Then he ran.

Panic took over. His legs carried him down the twisting hallways, breath ragged, mind screaming for an escape. The orcs gave chase, their footfalls thundering behind him.

Left. Right. Another turn. He dove into a narrow alcove and flattened himself against the stone, willing his breath to silence.

They passed him.

Shouts fading. Echoes dying.

Only then did he move, slow and careful. The weight of the encounter pressed down on him. No allies. No answers. No way to know who to trust.

He was on his own.

Still, he walked. Forward was the only direction left.

Hours passed—or maybe it was minutes. The dungeon twisted endlessly, soundless but for the occasional distant murmur or the skittering of unseen creatures. Each noise sent tension crawling through his limbs, but he never stopped.

Eventually, the corridor widened into a large chamber.

Ancient carvings adorned the walls. Cracked statues and scattered relics littered the floor. It felt like a graveyard of memories.

Kevin approached a fallen statue. Its face was eroded, but something about it called to him. He reached out, brushed dust from the stone. Something familiar stirred—but refused to surface.

Then, footsteps.

Soft. Hesitant.

He turned.

Another orc stood at the edge of the chamber. Smaller than the others. Wide-eyed. Scared.

They stared at each other.

Kevin held still.

“You don’t want to fight either, do you?” he asked, voice low, almost gentle.

The orc shook its head.

Kevin took a step forward.

It didn’t run.

They didn’t speak again, but something passed between them—something fragile. Trust.

Together, they moved on.

The silence became a shared presence, not an empty void. They moved as one, cautious but synchronized. And where one saw a trap, the other signaled. Where one slowed, the other waited.

Together, they survived.

Twisting jaws in the floor. Spikes from walls. Dead ends that echoed with unnatural growls. They endured them all.

Then—they found the door.

Massive. Iron-bound. Scarred with claw marks and deep gouges.

Whatever lay beyond, it wasn’t safety.

But it was forward.

Kevin looked at his companion.

The orc nodded.

Together, they pushed. The door groaned, resisted—then opened.

Darkness yawned before them.

And they stepped into it.

Kevin didn’t know what waited in that black unknown.

But for the first time since waking, he didn’t face it alone.

And that changed everything.