Ori and the Outlander

Prologue: How it all started

"Dude! What are you, doing??"

"Packing... what else?"

"Why?! Where are you going??"

"I'm going to need to find somewhere else to live, anywhere but here."

"Just like that! Without saying goodbye!"

"You know how dangerous it is! People won't be as civilized as they were, especially with how everything is going down recently."

"Don't say it like that... things may have been looking down, but surely there are some reasonable people here."

"But for how long Ethan? You know such things will not last when it becomes every man or woman for themselves! Pollution levels are high! Food is becoming scarce! Clean water is becoming a myth! Your family is wealthy enough to buy everything they need. I don't have a chance if I stay."

"Then move in with us! At least then you are safe when hell breaks loose!" "You know I hate being a burden Ethan, I want to go out there to see if there is somewhere out there that I live in isolation without worry for food or water or any gangs around."

"You are not a burden! You don't have to help us in exchange for living with us! You're an awesome friend!"

"Ethan, I appreciate the offer, but it may draw other's attention to your family, what would people think if they see someone living with a rich family's home that is a friend of theirs? They could get pissed off."

"There has to be a way..."

"Ethan, I doubt there is a simple way to solve this, I will go out there to see if there is something out there that I can work with. If I do not find anything in a week, we can discuss this again ok?"

"...alright... but just stay safe! Least let me know now and then that you are alright ok?"

"...I promise..."

He then woke up, sleeping in a tent he pitched up for the night. It has been 6 days since he left, and time is running out. By his estimate, hell will break loose soon, and people will start fighting over for the sake of survival.

He needs to find a place somewhere where he can gather food or even a place where he could potentially grow food. Finding such a place somewhere in a dead forest proves to be a difficult task, as there is nothing left out here in the world.

Looking up at the grey sky, he sees that it has lost its blue colour with smog floating in its wake. The air has not been clean for a while now, and people even forgot what actual air tastes like. Unhitching the tent, he gathers his belongings and stored them in his trusty old bag, and walks down the trail. He hopes that this exploration would have been all for nothing, but this was nothing but false hope.

'Damn it, there is nothing here...' he said, sighing in defeat. 'Ah well...guess Ethan was right after all.'

Reconsidered his options he shuffles down the trail he took back home. Maybe there was something that can be worked out after all. Along the trail, he brainstorms some possible solutions about how he can payback Ethan's family in return for their kindness until he saw something strange.

A trail... that breaks off into a different path that leads to a cave. A cave? But he had been past this trail before... there weren't any caves here...

'Did you miss it? No not likely, I had been looking everywhere for potential routes and living spots in this damn forest.'

Curious about the sudden 'appearance' of the cave, he decides to investigate, not much else to do anyway. The cave is dark like any other but ancient. The cave leads deeper into a tunnel that is too dark to see, so he used the torch he brought along. Deeper down this mysterious tunnel as he comes across what appears to be a... door?

This door has some strange markings on it; it has a large circle on the center with a hole in the middle that resembles a head perhaps, it then shows a pair of long curved 'horns' while another pair occurs at the side of the head that seems to resemble a pair of long and pointy elf-like 'ears'. Trying to push the door open, but it holds firm, it won't be budging anytime soon.

Finding this Disappointing he moves on, coming back for that door later. Deeper into the cave, he uncovers what appears to be historical paintings! Paintings, that no one had ever seen before nor discover! You took out your camera and took a few pictures of it.

On inspection, the painting illustrates a large tree that has some sort of energy-like markings emitting from it, with some unusual creatures gathering around it, creatures that match that door from earlier!

'Wonder what these guys are supposed to be.' He wonders.

Below the painting, he finds a small glowing orb, sitting on a pedestal. Wait... this orb is shaped like that hole from that door!

'Does it serve as a key perhaps?' he realized.

Grabbing the orb, he rushes back to the door to test his theory. As he gently inserted the orb into the door, it emits a glow. The head glowing a blueish tint of light as it grows brighter until eventually, the door slides open! With a new room to explore, he enters through the door which leads to a big empty room.

'That's it? It just leads to a big empty room? What's the point of making a locked door anyway if there will be nothing anyway?!' he mentally screamed.

"This was a huge waste of my time." he said storming out of the room.

But before he can leave the door slides shut, sealing him in.

"Hey wait! NO!"

He shouts banging his fists against the door.

"Let me out!" he shouts as he continually pounds his fists against the door until he eventually tires out.

'Great, now what?'

Thankfully though, he still has his phone with him, so he can call Ethan for help. However, blueish tendrils then fill in the room in each corner.

'What is that...?' he thought, as they swirl around him. He then unintentionally steps backward to keep his distance from them as he steps at the center of the room where the similar markings of the door are engraved on.

He can feel the energy as he slowly lifts into the air. "Wait! How is this even possible! What's happening?!"

Of course, there is no response as he begins to spin round and round, faster and faster as the light energy swirls around him. The spinning is making him nauseous as he began to lose consciousness as the light consumes him.

He disappears...as though as if he was never there at all.