Despite the numbness that had taken hold of his entire body, he could feel the howling winds rushing past him, lashing at him like icy whips. What little consciousness he had remaining was fading at an alarming rate, the sweet whispers in his mind gently urging him to cease his struggle and give in to the darkness.
'…Fall…ing...'
With more effort than such a simple action should've ever taken, he pried his eyes open, taking in the ever-changing blur of colours that surrounded him.
Vibrant hues of white, yellow, blue and green sprang into his vision.
'…Sky…trees…?'
Only then did the reality of his situation seem to fully sink in.
Sky-blue eyes widened and heavy limbs jerked into action as his mind finally caught up with what was happening around him.
Twisting himself around, he gazed down at the rapidly approaching forest. With what little strength he could muster, he began to draw upon the ocean of energy dwelling within his body, only… it didn't respond.
The panicked confusion roiling within him barely had any time to make itself apparent on his face; just as quickly as it came, the second wind he had caught wore off. The tension drained from his body and his limbs went slack, surrendering to the violent currents of air dancing around him.
Time continued to flow, and he continued to fall.
Before his already heavy eyelids could shut fully, he noticed something else burst forth on the blue and green tinted canvas around him. It was red; a deep, rich crimson he was more than familiar with. It poured out of his stomach and set his body alight, flaring wildly and granting him the appearance of a furious, blazing comet streaking across the sky.
The barest of smiles managed to play across his lips, and even though the harsh gales swallowed the words as soon as he spoke them, the one they were directed at heard them clear as day.
'…Thanks… Kura...m-'
Something was wrong.
The feel of the earth beneath him, the sounds and scents surrounding him… he knew them, remembered them. He was sure of it. So why did they feel so off? So unfamiliar?
So… foreign?
Try as he might, he was unable to place his finger on it; couldn't form a coherent thought pinning that miniscule, fleeting difference into place. It was maddening. Like a child presented with a puzzle it couldn't possibly solve, he kept trying, kept reaching out to the answer, coming close, ever so close…only for it vanish.
It slipped through his fingers like fine sand, evading his grasp like a vague, distant memory teetering along the edge of his recollection.
