The awakening of an saint

[Le M Tendu]

Here's a little story I've written, which I hope you'll enjoy.  

Elpis Diary: My path 

Day 1 - Awakening  

I awoke in a world I didn't recognize. The sky was a menacing gray, as if an eternal storm weighed down the landscape. The ground, strewn with strange vegetation, seemed almost alien beneath my feet. I was alone, my only companions the twisted trees and weathered stones. My name is Elpis, and I don't know how I got here. My memories are blurred, as if covered by a thin film of rust. All I know is that I must survive. I've made primitive tools from what I've found around me, carved stones and sturdy branches. My quest to understand this world begins now. 

Day 7 - 

As the days pass, I gradually discover the inner workings of this hostile world. Food is scarce, and the biting cold of the nights drives me to seek natural shelter. I manage to light a fire using flint and dry grass. The warmth and light give me a semblance of security in this threatening immensity. I ventured further out today and discovered a cavern. Inside, the air was humid and a metallic smell wafted through. The walls were covered in luminescent moss, creating an eerie green glow. I decided to take refuge there for the night, hoping to escape the creatures lurking in the darkness. 

Day 15 -  

The cavern turned out to be much deeper than I had imagined. Exploring its twists and turns, I came across ancient ruins hidden in the bowels of the earth. Structures of corroded metal and crumbling stone bore witness to a once-advanced civilization. At the center of this subterranean hall, a massive machine sat, its gears motionless and covered in rust. As I approached, I felt a strange vibration, as if the machine were still alive. As I touched it, I was overwhelmed by a wave of hallucinations. Visions of prosperous cities and flourishing peoples came to mind, followed by images of destruction and desolation. A world in ruins, where rust was eating away at everything in its path. 

Day 16 - The Encounter  

That night, I dreamt of a huge being made of metal and rust. His eyes shone with a sinister gleam, and his voice sounded like the creaking of rusted metal. A being I could not understand, so I named him the God of Rust. He showed me scenes of ancient civilization, their ambitions and creations. They had built machines to improve their lives, but their arrogance had doomed them. The machine I had found was supposed to be their salvation, but it had become their doom. The God of Rust wasn't there to help me. His presence was oppressive, malevolent, and his visions showed me not only the lost greatness, but also the horrors and suffering engendered by the errors of the ancients. The visions of decay repeated themselves: fertile land turning into barren desert, cities falling into ruin, people fleeing underground to escape the devastation. 

The hallucinations haven't stopped. Closing my eyes, I was transported to a world where the skies were clear and the land prosperous. People lived in harmony with nature, building majestic cities. But these idyllic visions are quickly replaced by images of horror: a plague of decay invading everything, trees withering, animals dying in excruciating pain, and people fleeing underground to escape the devastation. The rot was relentless, turning the world into a barren wasteland. 

These visions were so real that I could almost smell the stench of decay and hear the desperate cries of the inhabitants. Each hallucination left me weaker and more disoriented, but they also gave me fragments of understanding. 

In the days that followed, I couldn't stop thinking about these visions. This world is corroded by rust, and its inhabitants must now pay the price for the mistakes of the past. I began to explore further, looking for clues as to how to right these wrongs. I found fragments of newspapers and ancient inscriptions, speaking of the machine as a hope and a curse. The God of Rust has not left me since that night. His presence is always with me, a constant reminder of the fragility of our existence and the need to understand and respect the world around us. 

Day 45 - The Quest  

Today, I resolved to find a way to correct the mistakes of the past. Perhaps there's still hope for this world, even if it's eaten away by rust. I'll keep exploring, learning and surviving. My journey is far from over, but I'm determined to unravel the mysteries of this world and find a way to save it, if that's even possible. 

The God of Rust has shown me the way, but not in a benevolent way. He delights in human suffering and mistakes, a malevolent guardian of ruins and broken memories. It's not just a question of surviving, but of understanding and repairing, of fighting against this oppressive force. This diary is my testimony, a trace of my passage in this world, and a call to those who will come after me. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past. We must learn from the rust and rise from the ashes. 

Over the past few weeks, a different reality has imposed itself on me. My dreams are haunted by images of light and wings. I feel a forgotten power within me, an essence I still don't fully understand. I was once something more, something greater, but the rust of this world has obscured my memory and tarnished my true nature. Perhaps my destiny here is not just to survive and repair, but to find my true self. 

I feel my mission is to purify this world of the rust that corrupts it and restore the balance that ancient civilizations destroyed. The path is long and arduous, but each step brings me closer to my true nature and the redemption of this world. I must regain my inner radiance and become the light that will guide this world out of the darkness of rust. 

I continue my quest with renewed determination. The machine of ruins still calls to me, and I know it holds the keys to reversing the scourge of rust. The inscriptions I've deciphered speak of an ancient ritual, a process to restore lost harmony. I must find the missing components and perform this ritual. As I wandered across a vast plain, I finally met other survivors. Humans, just like me, struggling to survive in this world. Their presence has given me hope, and together we seek ways to right the wrongs of the past. 

I leave this journal as a record of my journey, in the hope that it will serve those who come after me. If I succeed, this world will rise from the ashes of rust. If I fail, let my mistakes serve as a warning. I am Elpis, a seeker of truth, explorer of ruins and keeper of memories. My journey may have reached a turning point, but the history of this world has only just begun. We've found a crucial clue, a key to unlock the ritual. But time is running out, and the rust is advancing inexorably. If you're reading this while the world is the same, I've failed you. It's your turn, God is with you because he abandoned me, I'm going to find him. 

[C_Man]

Love the story so far, very interesting and a bit intimidating, because of the God of Rust. Would love to see a second part...