The sound of water came before the river itself.
A low, steady rush that cut through the forest silence.
To Nime, it sounded like salvation.
"Finally," he muttered, quickening his pace. "If this is another 'training opportunity,' I'm actually going to collapse."
The trees parted.
And the river revealed itself.
Clear. Wide. Fast.
The surface shimmered under faint light, flowing over smooth stones with a quiet, deceptive calm.
Nime didn't wait.
He rushed forward and dropped to his knees at the edge, scooping water into his hands and drinking greedily.
Cold. Fresh. Alive.
"…Okay," he breathed, wiping his mouth. "That's the best thing that's happened to me since… everything."
Behind him, the lion remained still.
Watching.
"Drink slowly," the lion said. "Or your body will reject it."
Nime paused mid-sip, then lowered his hands slightly. "…You could've said that earlier."
"I just did."
"…You're very annoying."
"Yes."
Nime sighed and sat back, staring at the river.
"…So this is where I eat raw fish and question my life choices?"
"Yes."
"…I was joking."
"You were correct."
Nime looked at the water again. Then back at the lion.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
Nime groaned. "Do I at least get a tutorial? Or do I just jump in and embarrass myself?"
"Jump."
"…Of course."
He stood slowly, stretching his sore body, then stepped closer to the edge.
The water looked calm.
Too calm.
"…This feels like a trap," he muttered.
"It is."
Nime froze. "…You could've lied. Again."
"No."
"…Right."
He took a deep breath.
And jumped.
—
The moment his feet touched the water—
Something moved.
Fast.
A blur beneath the surface.
Nime's eyes widened.
"…Wait—"
SPLASH!
Something slammed into his side.
Hard.
He was thrown off balance instantly, crashing into the river with a shout.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
He struggled to stand, water rushing around him, pushing against his legs.
Then he saw it.
Shapes.
Dozens of them.
Moving.
Circling.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
A sharp fin cut through the surface.
Another followed.
Then another.
"These are not normal fish," Nime said slowly.
"No," the lion replied from the shore. "They are predators."
"…Of course they are."
One of the creatures lunged.
Nime barely reacted in time, stumbling backward as it snapped at where his leg had been.
"OKAY! OKAY! I GET IT! THIS IS TRAINING!"
Another one came from the side.
Then another.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?!"
"To ensure you do not relax."
"I WASN'T RELAXING!"
Nime slipped, nearly falling as the current pushed against him.
His heart pounded.
His breathing became uneven.
Panic started to creep in.
"I can't do this!" he shouted. "I can't even see them properly!"
"Then feel them."
"…That doesn't help!"
Another attack came—this time faster. Closer.
Nime flinched—
—and something inside him reacted.
That same flicker.
That unstable spark.
For just a moment—
Everything slowed.
The movement of the water.
The shift of the current.
The direction of the attack.
Nime moved.
Not perfectly.
Not smoothly.
But enough.
He dodged.
Barely.
The creature shot past him, missing by inches.
Nime froze.
"…What… was that?"
"Again," the lion said.
"I didn't even try!"
"Again."
Another attack came.
This time—
Nime focused.
Not with his eyes.
But with that feeling.
That unstable, burning presence inside him.
There.
A flicker.
He moved.
Dodged.
Closer this time.
More controlled.
"…Wait… I can actually—"
SPLASH!
One of the creatures slammed into him from behind, knocking him face-first into the water.
"OKAY—NOT PERFECT!"
He scrambled back up, coughing.
"This is not fair!"
"Life is not fair."
"…I'm starting to think you enjoy this."
"I do."
"…Yeah, that makes sense."
—
Time passed.
Nime lost track of how long he'd been in the water.
Minutes.
Maybe longer.
His body ached.
His reactions slowed.
But something was changing.
He wasn't panicking as much.
He was starting to feel it—
The movement.
The rhythm.
The danger.
Another attack came.
This time—
He didn't hesitate.
He stepped to the side.
Reached out.
And grabbed.
His hand closed around something slippery.
Thrashing.
Violent.
"…I GOT ONE?!"
The creature struggled wildly, nearly slipping from his grip.
"Do not celebrate yet," the lion warned.
"WHY NOT—"
The fish twisted sharply.
Nime lost his grip.
And fell backward into the water again.
"…I hate everything."
—
By the time he finally dragged himself out of the river, he was soaked, exhausted, and empty-handed.
He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
"…I failed."
The lion approached slowly.
"You survived."
"That's not the same thing."
"It is the first step."
Nime turned his head slightly, staring at the river.
"…They were too fast."
"You were too slow."
"…You always know how to make someone feel worse."
"I am not here to make you feel better."
"…Yeah, I noticed."
A pause.
Then—
"You improved."
Nime blinked.
"…Wait. What?"
"You reacted. Twice."
"…That's… improvement?"
"For you, yes."
Nime let out a tired laugh.
"…Wow. My standards are really low."
"They will rise."
"…Eventually, right?"
"Yes."
"…Good. Because I am not living like this forever."
"You are not living."
Nime frowned. "…What does that mean?"
The lion's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You are surviving."
The words hit differently.
He didn't respond.
—
The river flowed quietly beside them.
But beneath its surface—
The predators still circled.
Waiting.
Watching.
—
Far away, in the unseen dark—
Something stirred.
"…Struggle, little vessel."
—
On the riverbank, Nime closed his eyes.
Exhausted.
Hungry.
But alive.
And slowly—
Very slowly—
Changing.