I came back to consciousness slowly, my mind swirling in confusion, pain and then fear. I opened my eyes as I fully came to and noticed a presence nearby, but my vision was blurry. The air felt warmer, and everything was far too bright. I remembered the energy beam, and falling, and the insect beasts still below me. I pushed up onto my hands and dodged to the side, getting to my feet in a second and preparing to fight barehanded. I felt a cool breeze move across my bare body where my clothes were torn. I couldn’t look or focus on anything else though, the enemy, the Void was killing me. Then I heard a voice.

  “Whoa, whoa lady, peace!”

  It was an old voice, deep, grizzled and full of history, like the elders had sounded before I was left alone. My vision cleared and I fully took in everything around me. The grass was alive, not dead and gray, and not purple like home, but green. The dirt was reddish-brown, a comforting sight, and the air smelled of life, fresh and clear. The trees… they actually had leaves, though they were green as well.

  “You, uh, you okay?” The old voice intoned, trepidation in their voice.

  I realized I was crying. The life around me, and the small man before me, it all was strange but beautiful. It had been years since I had seen another person or a leafy plant. I realized shortly after those thoughts that my clothes were pretty torn up and there was a little sunlight on some of my skin. I reveled in the comforting warmth, my skin drinking up the rays.

  “Hey, uh, those clothes? They're all torn up. You need some help, I have extra clothes? Need to contact the authorities?”

  Authorities? Wait, was I dreaming? We're these the distorted final thoughts of my dying mind? I thought about this existential concept for only moments before I decided it didn’t really matter. Either I would die in a beautiful place, or I somehow survived and came to this place. I looked down at the man before me, he was almost a head and a half shorter than me and quite thin. His soft, blue eyes stared up into my own. He wore brown coveralls, slightly too long, torn and patched and covered in dirt, over a gray hoodie. His face was weathered and sunkissed, showing his years in the outdoors.

  “Are we safe here? Is this a place the Void can't reach?” I was worried the Void beasts would be here any moment to snatch away this beautiful place, but the old man seemed calm and unhurried.

  “What? Void?” He seemed confused, but continued calmly.

  “Listen, this place is relatively safe I guess, but not you look like you got into some trouble… Here.” The man took off the straps of his coveralls and removed his gray hoodie, and retrieved a pair of sweatpants from a pack on his back. He wore a shirt that said ‘We love Havenreach!’ on it, which was under his hoodie. He replaced his coverall straps and handed the clothes towards me smiling.

  “Take these, I know they will be small for you but they stretch. Please put them on. You shouldn't wear such torn rags.” His voice was old and gravelly, like an ancient mountain, but very kind. I studied his face, the smile seemed genuine. I wanted to be able to read him, but I had been alone so long, I couldn't tell anything beyond the surface. I realized at that moment I could read the Void easier than I could people. I decided to accept the gift and reached out to take the clothes.

  “Thank you.” My voice was quiet, cracked and rough. The old man winced, and then quickly schooled his expression, but I saw and agreed with the sentiment—I sounded horrible. I dressed quickly and noticed for the first time how truly gaunt I had become compared to what I once was. A diet of emergency rations and boiled water for years had not done me good, and the lack of clean air and sunlight hadn’t helped. Even skinny as a ghoul the clothes barely fit me. The length was the main part that wasn't working for me, the cuffs of hoodie and pants sat higher than they should. My large frame barely fit, and even my skinny muscles almost filled them out. I'd say they were uncomfortable, but they were so soft and warm I let out a contented sigh. These clothes were amazing finery compared to what I wore before.

  “You know what happened to you? I don't wanna pry, but torn clothes and unconscious in the park seems like bad news to me. Did someone hurt you?”

  The old man sounded concerned, his eyebrows knitted together, and there was maybe a touch of anger at the end of his words. I thought for a moment, wondering what to say, and decided to ask a question of my own.

  “Can you tell me where I am?”

  His slight frown didn’t leave his face, and he sighed.

  “Well, I won't pry if you won’t tell me. You're in Torau Park.”

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  He saw no recognition on my blank face and continued, not subdued.

  “It's a public park on the west side, the biggest in the city. Homeless camps all over. You really don't know Old Torau?”

  When no recognition appeared on my face he seemed to slump a little.

  “Come on lady, even amnesiacs know about Old Torau. Old man fought for the forest for years, eventually got turned into a nature reserve?”

  Still nothing, I had no idea what he was talking about and the confusion showed on my face.

  “Act like I am an amnesiac, old one, and tell me where I am. Is this the afterlife?”

  His eyes narrowed at my words and I thought maybe he was suspicious of me, but his next words erased that fear.

  “I'm not that old, dammit. I'm only 62! And what do you mean ‘afterlife’? This is Havenreach, the independent city and island? You must have hit your head or something to not know where you are, maybe we should get you to a hospital.”

  I was surprised by his outburst, but as he spoke further I knew I had never heard of anywhere called Havenreach. In younger days when I was a child the names of our cities were always something like “Gentle” or “Misty Glen”, so the name wasn't out of the ordinary, but I still had no idea where I was or how I got here.

  “I'm sorry, I do not know where that is. And I am physically fine.” I patted my chest where one of the holes the Conqueror had put in me was before and felt not even a scar… Weird.

  “Better than before… How have you survived the Void for so long with such life all around?”

  The old man rubbed a hand down his face and sighed.

  “Look, I don't know what this void and afterlife business is, but you are alive and obviously messed up, we need to get you to a hospital, okay?” He seemed genuinely concerned, but I felt fine, better than I had in years. I wasn't sure if this was fake, a ruse or the afterlife, but there was life and light.

  “I am okay, friend. Do not worry for me.” As I spoke my stomach made a very loud rumble and I sighed, disappointment on my face. Meal time had become something I never looked forward to, with how horrible the ration meals had become. I had grown to hate them, the same thing day after day, but as the animals dwindled and edible plants became corrupted I had no other choices. Then I realized there was life here, and potentially food that wasn't mashed tubers and dry, barely seasoned jerky.

  “Is there something to eat nearby? Hunting grounds where game is aplenty?” I asked the old man, excited that I might eat juicy meat for the first time in years.

  “Uh, well if you're alright then okay. And well I got a couple bucks on me, how about instead of going hunting we get burgers. Jim's is nearby and he makes em’ the best around here.” I smiled and nodded, a buck sounded good, plenty of meat, and whatever a burger was couldn’t be bad if it was meat.

  “Yes, lead the way.” I said to him and followed behind as he moved off. I stretched my arms and back as we went, and took in a deep breath of fresh air. It was so peaceful wherever this was, nothing like what she knew of Lathea. She wondered if this even was Lathea anymore, thinking of afterlives again, but she definitely felt alive still. Either way, she had nobody to miss nor was there anybody to miss her, so if this was the afterlife or just some other place on Lathea she somehow made it to, she would take the good around her until it was no longer there to take. She had been through hardship and terror long enough. After a short while walking through the forest behind the old man spoke.

  “So, do you remember your name?” He asked as he continued walking.

  “Yes, I do. My name is Kara.” I said my name like a strangers, I couldn't remember the last time I introduced myself to another person.

  “Good to meet you Kara, even with your circumstances. I'm Samuel, most people call me ‘Old Sam’ around here, not my choice but it stuck to me like gum on a shoe. Anyway, maybe I can ask around about you and see if anyone knows why you woke up nude in the park.” Samuel turned his head to look at me and nodded his head sagely.

  “Yeah, any lady your size would be very noticeable, and there are eyes and ears all over this park.”

  I continued following Samuel, my bare feet making little sound as I moved. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the bucks and this Jim with his burgers, but it was not what came next. Eventually we broke from the tree line and before me stretched something I had only vague memories from childhood. A city, real and huge, metal and glass buildings stretching as far as I could see. They weren’t destroyed, they weren’t corrupted or distorted, the city was whole and bustling. I stood awestruck and numb, this had to be the afterlife or I had gone back in time or something. There were dozens of people, shorter and thinner than me like Samuel was, and they just went about their business in the sunlight.

  “Maybe this… isn't Lathea…” I realized I may not be on my home world. There were no stories of small people, besides the hair beasts, an extinct creature of Lathea that was humanoid but small and hairy. Sometimes there were those born amongst us smaller, but never in great numbers. I couldn’t believe it, but it was right in front of me, an undestroyed city and no sign of the Void. Samuel didn't seem to even know what the Void was. I dared to hope that this was some kind of safe place from the Void, Havenreach sounded like the name of a city in the afterlife to me, but everything was real to my senses.

  “You okay? Memories coming back?”

  I decided to let him continue thinking I had amnesia, and shook my head. He shrugged and waved at me to continue following him. We made it to a building with large flashing sign on it that depicted a sandwich by the looks of it.

  “A burger is a sandwich?” I asked, excited for some real good food for the first time in years. Samuel gave me a funny look, but answered my question.

  “Uh, yeah, a burger is a sandwich I guess. Come on, I'll pay so don't worry about not having a wallet or purse or anything.” I remembered loving sandwiches before the Void attacked. Regrettably I couldn’t remember what they tasted like though, bread and other plant foods having been one of the first things to stop being made with the plants all being corrupted or killed. Samuel opened the door and it jingled with a sound reminiscent of the sound traps my uncle used to make when he was still alive. I felt the urge to run, to go into fight or flight, but then a waft of air exited through the door and snapped me out of my panic. Cooking meat, seasonings, bread and all kinds of other delicious smells assaulted me and I staggered back a bit. My mouth salivated, my stomach gurgle in rage and my mind went blank as I slowly continued to follow Samuel into the building.