Deep inside a dilapidated cave, an ancient magic rose from the earth's core, illuminating the space in a bright golden glow. Out from that very same magic emerged a man; a man who couldn't remember his own name.

Confusion and disorientation clawed at his insides for dominance, but neither won. Instead, the man stared, absurdly thinking that the hand in which he glimpsed now on his person should have looked older. Not this unblemished, almost unatural perfection without a hint of wrinkles or age spots. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he felt tired-to the point where his eyes were closing of their own volition-but the man couldn't shake the feeling.

Debris and brown rubble were all around him, the walls splitting straight down the middle. Finally, the man stood on unsteady legs, stumbling forward to gain momentum. And then, as if a fog lifted, a memory hit.

Or what he thought was a memory. A girl's face materialized in his mind's eye, a girl with olive skin, brown eyes, and an easy smile. Her mere presence filled the man with real warmth, a welcoming reprieve from the artificial heat of the cave that he found himself in.

As it stands, the feeling broke through the man's mental barrier like a primal need, yet still lived on the outside of his brain, an instinctive longing for a nameless girl he wasn't even sure was even real. But no, she was real, he knew it, felt it like the air in his lungs.

Yes, of this one thing, the man was sure. As he was sure of her selflessness, her inherent kindness, the way she cared like no one else. The man moved, sluggishly, given his current state.

He moved despite the rubble and debris, despite the fact his feet were bare and hurting like hell. Despite the fact that, aside from the one golden shining light in the corner of the cave, the rest was pitch-black and desolate. Despite the fact that he was-for all intents and purposes-lost and afraid.

Then all of a sudden, the man halted, realizing something. If he willed himself hard enough just like he was doing with his steps, maybe, just maybe, he'd remember the girl's name.

And so, the man tried, closing his eyes and concentrating. He tried for hours, weeks, days, he couldn't tell. Time was meaningless for him. All that mattered was her.

At last, the man opened his eyes, screaming a name he couldn't imagine ever forgetting, just once. But it was enough..

"Elena!"

The ground gave way underneath the man's foot, and his world went black...