The fire crackled softly.
It was small. Weak. Barely enough to push back the cold—but to Nime, it felt like luxury.
He sat beside it, staring at the piece of fish in his hand.
"…I really have to eat this raw?" he asked.
"Yes."
Nime looked down at it again.
"…No salt?"
"No."
"…No cooking?"
"No."
"…No mercy?"
"No."
Nime sighed deeply. "…I miss civilization."
The lion said nothing.
After a moment of hesitation, Nime brought the fish closer.
"…If I get sick, I'm blaming you."
"You will not."
"…You sound very confident for someone who made me fight river monsters."
"Eat."
"…Alright."
He took a bite.
His face froze instantly.
"…This is terrible."
"Eat."
"I am eating!"
He forced himself to chew, his expression somewhere between pain and regret.
"…This better give me superpowers."
"It will keep you alive."
"…Same thing at this point."
—
Time passed slowly.
The forest remained quiet, but not peaceful.
Nime leaned back slightly, staring at the flames.
"…So," he said after a while, "are you finally going to explain what's happening to me?"
The lion's golden eyes reflected the firelight.
"You are changing."
"…I figured that part out."
"You are not fully human anymore."
Silence.
The words hung in the air.
Nime blinked once.
"…You're joking."
"No."
"…Right. Of course you're not."
He let out a dry laugh, rubbing his face.
"…Okay. Let's say I believe you. What does that even mean?"
The lion stepped closer.
"There are forces in this world beyond what you understand. Beasts. Powers. Fragments of something ancient."
Nime frowned. "…Fragments?"
"You carry one."
His heart skipped.
"…That thing that happened earlier…"
"Yes."
Nime looked down at his hands.
"…So that wasn't luck."
"No."
"…And it wasn't skill."
"No."
"…Great. So I'm basically a walking accident."
"You are a vessel."
The word felt heavier.
"…For what?"
The lion paused.
Then—
"For something that should not exist in a human body."
A chill ran through Nime.
"…That's not scary at all."
"It should be."
—
The fire crackled again.
For once, Nime didn't joke.
"…Am I going to lose control?"
"Yes."
"…Am I going to hurt people?"
The lion didn't answer immediately.
"…If you remain weak," he said at last, "yes."
Nime clenched his fist.
"…So this training…"
"Is the only reason you are still yourself."
He looked up sharply.
"…Still?"
The lion met his gaze.
"For now."
—
Silence returned.
But this time, it was heavier.
More real.
Nime stared into the fire, his thoughts racing.
"…So what now?" he asked quietly.
"You grow stronger."
"…And if I don't?"
The lion's voice was calm.
"Then something else will."
Nime exhaled slowly.
"…You really don't know how to comfort someone."
"I am not here to comfort you."
"…Yeah."
—
A faint wind passed through the trees.
For a moment, Nime thought he heard something.
A distant sound.
Movement.
"…Did you hear that?" he asked.
The lion's ears twitched slightly.
"Yes."
Nime sat up straight. "…What is it?"
The lion's gaze shifted toward the darkness beyond the trees.
"Others."
Nime's expression tightened.
"…Others?"
"Yes."
"…Like me?"
The lion didn't respond.
That was answer enough.
—
Far beyond the forest—
Something moved.
Not beasts.
Not animals.
Something else.
"…So it begins," a distant voice whispered.
—
Back by the fire, Nime swallowed slowly.
"…I just got here," he muttered. "Why does it already feel like everything is about to get worse?"
The lion turned away.
"Because it is."
Nime sighed.
"…Of course it is."
He looked at his hands again.
Then at the fire.
Then into the darkness.
For the first time—
The world felt bigger than his fear.
And that was worse.
—
The night grew colder.
The fire burned lower.
And somewhere in the distance—
Something was coming.