Prologue

"One foot here, one foot there, grass and trees, all around me," the small child sang, the gentle breeze ruffling her short, golden-orange curls. She was wearing a blue ballerina top and a navy tutu, her pale pink ballet shoes dirty and the messily tied bows trailing behind her feet. She was currently out camping with her mother and father, out on the base of Mount Ebott. Silvia had wandered off, following a winding and barely worn path. "Don't hurt them, understand, how they see, you also me."

Silvia had heard plenty of times about the legend of Mount Ebott. About how those who climb never come back. But Silvia was very aware that if you don't go further than halfway, you'll be all right. That was the only reason why she'd accepted the camping trip. She giggled and skipped, her fingers brushing the plants surrounding her.

"Little steps, no regrets, my own soul, it's in control." She honestly didn't know where the words were coming from, but in her head she heard a symphony. With piano and chimes and drums. They all fueled her to keep marching forward, exploring Ebott's forests. Silvia laughed, her body so full of happiness that she couldn't explain. She jumped further and further, higher and higher -her leaps became close to those of a professional ballerina.

But then she fell, she only catching a glance at the rock ledge before feeling a searing pain stab her in her temple. She fell quietly into the crevice, her voice failing her, and her heart pounded as fast as the drums of her orchestra. The light from outside grew dimmer and dimmer until Silvia fell in silent darkness. After a few moments, Silvia's body slammed into the ground and she screamed, the shock from her first injury vanishing like the light had. She felt warm blood plip onto her face –apparently she'd fallen faster than it had. It ran over her face and down her neck and Silvia's voice slowly died as her screams ripped itself out of her. Tears went to join her blood, creating an awful warmth to her head. She couldn't move her legs without a blistering agony racing to reach the base of her back. She could taste her blood on her tongue.

Get up, she told herself, she trying to hold in her sobs. Get up, Silvia. Mommy and Daddy would want you to move. Please. You can't die here. You won't die here.

With trembling legs and rattling cries of pain, she slowly bent her knees and pushed herself upright. She had to pause as a whole new wave of tears erasing some of the spilling blood off her face. Silvia carefully stood up, reaching a hand out to a nearby wall to steady herself. She couldn't see anything at all, but with her hands, she navigated the walls for some opening she could manage to squeeze through. Every once in a while, the sharp edges of the rock walls would slice open her fingers and palms, causing her to yelp and lick the injuries. The blood wasn't helping her raw throat at all.

But soon she found it: a small shelf not much wider than she was and elevated to about her knees. Silvia slipped onto the shelf and began to shuffle along, wincing as the diamond-hard and razor-edged rock ground scraped her shins and knees into a ragged and torn mess. At least, that's all Silvia could picture when the pain washed over her in agonizing bursts. She began to cry as the pain started to become too great for her and she collapsed, her sobs raking through her small body. Silvia wept for a few more minutes –though it felt like an eternity- until she heard it.

Crnch, crnch. Crnch, crnch, crnch. Crnch.

She could hear faint rustling before the crunching faded away somewhere to her left. Silvia scrambled in that direction, no longer feeling the trauma in her legs and knees. She just wanted to find whoever was walking…maybe they could help her get back home.

A small, very dim light came into view far ahead, and she scurried faster. Silvia was beginning to feel the fatigue, her eyes closing as she pushed herself forward, she now crawling quickly and blindly.

That is, until the ledge cut off from underneath her and she faceplanted into something unbelievably cold. She let out a muffled squeak as the freezing substance touched her head injuries.

Silvia scrambled to her feet, spitting out the ash-tasting snow. How had snow formed in a mountain? She brushed her ballet-shirt free of the dirty snow, leaving faint ruby smears across the blue fabric from the thin slices on her hands. Trees with no leaves and grey bark towered above her towards the hidden ceiling –thick dark clouds drifted over their peaks. Silvia bit her lip, very confused about this. How could clouds be in a mountain that wasn't even as tall as Everest?

She touched one of the trees, its bark pleasingly cool against her cuts. Her eyes caught the imprint she left on the ground. Black and reddish blotches stained the snow on where her legs had landed. She almost threw up and quickly looked away, paying attention to exactly where she'd come out from. A large, tall stone wall went on endlessly on both sides of her. The hole which she'd popped out of was barely visible –it just a slightly darker smear in the cold purplish-blue wall.

She suddenly staggered to keep herself from falling. Her legs were screeching at her, begging her not to move. Roaring at her their confusion on why she'd abused them so. She silently apologized to them, her voice having a terrible rasp. Tears began to warm her face, wetting the dried blood on her face. At least her head injury had stopped bleeding…. She forced herself forward, and something inside her grew louder and louder, pulsing like a heart.

Her symphony. Her orchestra. Her grand masterpiece.

Her Soul.

"I'll keep my integrity."

UPDATE: Holy crap this story has only been up for about two hours and it already has four favorites! THANK YOU GUYS! Also, song she is singing to is Undertale OST Undertale. This is TECHNICALLY supposed to be the fourth story of the Determined series! Oops. Plus, this is rated T for Sans' dirty mouth. (Or...writing, in this case. Hehe.) THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Please remember to review and follow :) -Sty [Bookman Old Style -my Skeleton OC-]

UPDATE[6 hours after posting]: guys I'm literally screaming because this thing already has 7 followers, 3 reviews and 10 favorites. Oh my god. Thank you all so much!

Also just a heads up: I might not be able to update this weekend. Plus, the Determined series is going to be relatively short, maybe 10 chapters each? (Might go over that for this story though. Who knows?). Also, last thing for today, this story is going to rip you to shreds. I'm serious. It's full of sadness, not very explained pasts or actions and such happy moments you'll be crying for more. Just warning. Thank you all, and goodnight.