Felix wasn't sure how long he’d been standing there, staring. Fear still gripped him, but it wasn’t what kept him still.

  His mind had gone blank, emptied by the constant strain of being ready for whatever this new world might throw at him next.

  That readiness had kept him alive so far, but now it was wearing thin. And the second he allowed himself to stop... it felt like he might never start again.

  His muscles ached. His skin was raw and coarse, small blisters had already begun to form from the gas as blood trickled down his back from where the thorns had sliced him.

  He swallowed, then immediately doubled over in a coughing fit. His spit felt like gravel tearing down his raw throat.

  He groaned, the pain in his lungs flaring as he righted himself, but the cool earth was like a balm on his hot skin. After taking a few more moments to centre himself, he looked down at himself. Once again he was covered in mud and leaves, any trace of cleanliness abandoning him once again. “What's with these monsters?” He asked no one. “I always thought monsters would be aggressive and mindless.” He ran his muddy fingers through his hair, the grime mingling into a mass of muck. “These things are like any regular animal I’d expect… well other than the extra dose of weird these things have. I mean… giant, pus-covered toads with fake rabbit lures? What damned pit did they hop out from?” He shuddered as he relived his introduction to this new world, then a somber mood took over him. He sat in silence, staring down into the ground. Every waking moment had been a constant strain on his mind and body. He absently wondered which would give out first. Thankfully, brooding had an upside. After sitting still for so long, the pain in his eyes and chest had dulled enough for him to move again. Not that he planned to just yet.

  A while later, after pulling himself out of his funk, he was trudging through the dense foliage. Felix was no biologist or botanist. He did however, have an eclectic knowledge of various subjects. The dense canopy above should mean the plants below would be starved of nutrients and light, but the healthy array of plants suggested this wasn't the case. “Huh, I hadn't really thought about it before but the plants down here should be dead and gone, right?” He crouched to inspect one of the duller shrubs, experience had taught him colourful usually meant ‘stay the hell away.’ If bright, colourful patterns meant danger in his world, he figured it'd be doubly so here.

  This particular plant seemed like it would fit right in with any other he'd seen at home. Small, vibrant green leaves covered thin branches made the brush look almost like a squished pear, complete with a neck and shoulders. He moved his hand to inspect the bush closer before thinking better of it, caution was his word of the day and he hoped he could avoid any surprises. He leaned closer when a small glint in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

  Reacting immediately he stood and jumped back, ready to bolt at the first sign of movement. One second turned to two, then ten. Each moment seemingly stretched minutes for Felix as he stared in the direction of the light. His ears strained against the gentle movement of the forest around him as his gaze bored into the foliage in front of him.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Since nothing tried to chew on him, he visibly relaxed, the thumping in his chest abating as he slowly moved forward. His word of the day was completely forgotten as he gently pushed through the waist-high bush. Fortunately for him, the plant didn't rear up, and nothing tried to bite his face off.

  As he broke out, the foliage gave way to a large clearing peppered with rocks and boulders. He squinted hard as his eyes adjusted to the bright sun suddenly bearing down on him.He crouched down slowly, repeatedly scanning the clearing.

  Had he been able to see himself, he'd have laughed. His disheveled hair was clearly visible and full of leaves and small twigs, his eyes were red and a little manic and his face was generously smeared with what he hoped was mud. Overall, he looked like an addict with a very vague understanding of camouflage as his sweat slicked skin twinkled in the light.

  Among the spattering of rocks was a larger cluster, almost centered in the clearing, where a cone of light rose from the ground like powerful torch. As he approached, an unfamiliar sensation gently engulfed his body. His fingertips tingled as an almost nostalgic feeling filled his chest.

  In the middle of the cluster stood a dull yellow rock with the metallic sheen usually seen in ore deposits. The rock looked like it had rapidly pushed through the ground like an aggressive stalagmite as the area and rocks surrounding it were cracked and pushed aside .The yellow surface occasionally gave way to spots of faintly glowing gold with sprawling webs of ethereal silver lines. Resting atop the small spire, in a perfectly carved bowl, was an orb that reminded him of a paper mache globe he once made in primary school. Its surface was rough and uneven with different shades of browns and greens faintly shifting and merging as if the colours themselves were made of oil.

  Felix unknowingly reached out, as if his hand was being called to it. As his fingers brushed the uneven surface, a window appeared in front of him.

  Notice: Would you like to consume “Sphere of Earth”? Yes / No.

  Just as Felix began to consider the unknown danger this could put him in, the faintly blue window sputtered in and out of existence before deep red cracks raged through it. It's usually incorporeal state wavered as it became tangible and sourceless winds buffeted him from every angle. The notice flashed red quickly, shattered and then disappeared completely. Felix was stunned. He wasn't very familiar with whatever power created the video game-esque windows but he was sure that the violent nature of what just happened, probably wasn't supposed to.

  Realising his hand was now firmly pressed against the orb he tried to pull his hand back but was stopped by a sudden searing pain on his palm. He gritted his teeth and pulled harder as red energy whipped and crackled where his hand touched the surface.

  Like two powerful magnets pulling into each other, his hand hovered only inches away from the sphere, as the energy bounced between them. The orb began to tremble and break apart as if an earthquake ran through it and then suddenly, a crooked spike twisted towards him and shot into his palm. Felix wailed and dropped to his knees, hand still outstretched as blood ran down his arm.

  The orb began to bubble, its earthy surface rapidly turning molten. Red hot tendrils whipped out and buried themselves where they impacted on his body, each piece causing his body to convulse more violently as his flesh began to cook. The smell of burning flesh began to overpower his senses as his vision shook with a bright white as the sound of searing flesh mingled with heavy cracking and bubbling of the sphere as it drowned out his own screams.

  Pain coursed through his body as more tendrils relentlessly pierced him from front to back. As he became engulfed in a molten mass, his body convulsed heavily, then his vision went black.