Clouds swam in his vision, ebbing and flowing in a mysterious manner concealing whatever was laid below him. His chest rose and fell slowly, possibly due to the thinning air or due to the weight his anxiety had added to his chest. He shivered both out of fear and lack of warmth. His arms cradled his body, a futile attempt to maintain his heat in an environment where warmth was so scarce, he thought it was a hug from himself to himself- an effort to stay sane up here in solitude. Whistling and cracks of force drove themselves into his ears filling him with the haunting sound of the air, he didn’t realise how terrifying something invisible and vital for life could be. One strong gust alongside a misstep would be the end of him, would send him sprawling off the edge and tumbling down into the unknown which waited below.

Around him stood nothing but patches of grass and snow, there was nothing here. The promises which had filled his brain and fooled his rationality were now nothing more than a crock of shit, lies fed to him by those deemed more powerful by a state driven on corruption and discrimination. He was meant to be the one, the only person who could save this place from whatever was to come next, the only person on this earth capable of climbing this god forsaken mountain yet all that stood here now was him and the cliff face he was considering jumping from. It was funny how he described this place as god forsaken, a place so highly worshiped and revered as god filled was actually nothing but barren land accompanied with an edge for people to dive off of. People in this case meant him since he was the only allowed up here. Cold bursts beat his face senseless, he raised his hands to try and warm his cheeks which felt blistered from the onslaught of freezing air but that only made things worse since his body was now susceptible to the cold army which ruled this peak.

He stood closer to the edge, if this place was truly without a god then he would jump and end it all but if the rumours were true- it was a big if- then he would surely be saved, picked up from the heavens by the ruler himself, placed into safety and then granted a boon for his bravery. His life hinged on his belief or lack there of. Thinking no more, he jumped. If he was to be saved he had to be confident in his actions, a step signalled only apprehension; a jump showed unrivalled courage. He had silently hoped this would be a sign for whoever was above him but for now he would just fall and hope.