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He managed to stumble into a small clearing in the woods before succumbing to his injuries. He fell to the ground, using the last of his strength to turn onto his back to look up at the night sky through the tree branches. This would probably be the last he'd see it, he figured. The chances of him getting back up weren't looking good. He accepted this with a certain peace, as everything that mattered had been taken from him. His eyes slipped closed.
He didn't know how long he was out before he registered a presence in the clearing with him. He opened his eyes to find a large bear watching him, though he was not the least bit alarmed. He felt oddly tranquil, only moving to turn his head slightly towards the bear. It approached him fluidly, not even making a sound as it's feet touched the ground. In fact everything was unusually quiet, as if the world was holding its breath. The bear came to his side, a welcome visitor on his presumed death bed. It looked him in the eyes before leaning forward, pressing it's cold, wet nose against his forehead. As it pulled away he was able to register the cool night air kissing the moisture on his head. He fell back into unconsciousness.
When he woke it was morning; it would seem he wasn't dead yet. He slowly turned over and started to push himself up, but he stilled when he finally raised his head. In the clearing with him was the corpse of a bear, just far enough that his blurry vision hadn't registered it in the dark.
The bear was lying on its side, it's stomach open from the foraging of both man and animal. He carefully approached it, kneeling at its side. After a moment his hands moved almost of their own accord, and when he pulled them back he had a token of the bear in his grasp. He felt the bear wanted him to have it. A gift of sorts. He considered this, remembering his strange visitor in the night. Was it a dream? Had he died after all?
He accepted the gift, a strange feeling washing over him. Even if his heart did still beat, the man from before was no longer. He was Jax now.
