Morning came quietly.
But there was nothing peaceful about it.
"Wake up."
Kael's eyes snapped open.
Before he could move—
THUD!
Something heavy hit his stomach.
Air left his lungs instantly.
He curled up, coughing.
"Too slow," Orin said.
Kael forced himself to sit up, breathing hard.
"You said rest…"
Orin looked down at him.
"And now you're done resting."
Kael wiped his mouth.
"…what are we doing today?"
Orin turned and walked outside.
"Surviving."
Thrown into the Wild
The forest felt different today.
Darker.
Heavier.
Kael followed Orin, but something felt wrong.
"Stop," Orin said suddenly.
Kael froze.
Orin turned and pointed ahead.
"You see that path?"
Kael nodded.
"Walk it," Orin said.
"…alone?"
"Yes."
Kael frowned.
"…what's there?"
Orin's eyes were calm.
"Death. If you're weak."
Silence.
Kael swallowed.
"…and if I survive?"
Orin smiled slightly.
"Then you earn your food."
Kael looked at the path again.
It was narrow.
Covered in thick trees.
Too quiet.
No birds.
No wind.
Nothing.
"…fine," Kael said.
He stepped forward.
Alone.
The Hunt Begins
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Kael held a sharp stick tightly in his hand.
His eyes moved quickly.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Nothing.
"…too quiet," he whispered.
Then—
CRACK.
A sound behind him.
Kael spun around.
Nothing.
His heart began to beat faster.
"Show yourself…" he muttered.
Silence.
Then—
A low growl.
Not human.
Not normal.
Kael slowly turned his head.
From the bushes…
Something stepped out.
It looked like a wolf.
But bigger.
Much bigger.
Its eyes glowed red.
Its teeth were long and sharp.
Drool dripped from its mouth.
Kael's body froze.
"…what… is that…"
The beast growled again.
Then—
It charged.
Fast.
Too fast.
Kael barely reacted in time.
He jumped to the side—
The beast slammed into a tree behind him.
CRASH!
Wood broke like nothing.
Kael's eyes widened.
"…I'll die…"
The beast turned again.
Locked onto him.
No hesitation.
It attacked again.
Kael raised his stick—
SNAP!
The beast's claw broke it instantly.
Pain exploded in Kael's chest as he was thrown back.
He hit the ground hard.
Everything spun.
"…get up…" he whispered to himself.
The beast walked toward him slowly.
Confident.
Like it knew the fight was over.
Kael tried to stand.
His legs shook.
His chest burned.
"…I can't…"
The beast lunged.
Kael closed his eyes—
"No."
His eyes snapped open.
"I won't die here!"
He rolled to the side just in time.
The beast missed.
Barely.
Kael grabbed a broken branch.
Sharper.
Stronger.
He stood.
Facing it.
Breathing hard.
"Come!" he shouted.
The beast roared.
And attacked.
The First Kill
This time…
Kael didn't run.
He watched.
Carefully.
The beast jumped.
Claws out.
Teeth ready.
At the last second—
Kael moved.
Not away.
Forward.
The branch drove straight into the beast's neck.
THUD!
A wet sound.
The beast let out a painful cry.
But it didn't stop.
Its claw slashed across Kael's shoulder.
Blood sprayed.
Kael screamed.
But he didn't let go.
"No… you die!"
He pushed harder.
Deeper.
The branch pierced through.
The beast struggled.
Roared.
Then—
Slowly…
It fell.
Still.
Silent.
Kael stood there.
Shaking.
Covered in blood.
His own.
And the beast's.
"…I did it…"
Then his legs gave out.
He dropped to his knees.
Breathing like he was drowning.
His vision blurred.
But his eyes… changed.
The golden one glowed again.
Stronger this time.
The air around him felt heavy.
The ground beneath him cracked slightly.
Something inside him…
Was waking up.
Orin's Test
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Kael looked up weakly.
Orin stood there.
Watching.
"…you knew," Kael said, his voice shaking. "You knew that thing was here…"
Orin nodded.
"Yes."
Anger filled Kael's face.
"You tried to kill me!"
Orin walked closer.
"If you died," he said calmly, "then you were never worth training."
Kael clenched his fists.
"…you—"
"Look at it," Orin interrupted.
He pointed at the dead beast.
"You killed it."
Kael looked at the creature.
Still couldn't believe it.
"I… almost died…"
Orin nodded.
"And you will… many times."
Silence.
Kael looked down at his hands.
They were shaking.
"…I was scared."
Orin didn't laugh.
Didn't mock him.
"That's good," he said.
Kael looked up.
"…good?"
"Fear keeps you alive," Orin said. "But only if you don't let it control you."
He crouched down.
His eyes locked onto Kael's.
"What you did just now…" he said. "That was instinct."
Kael swallowed.
"…what was that feeling?"
Orin's expression turned serious.
"That… is the beginning of your true nature."
Kael's heart pounded.
"…tell me."
Orin stood up.
"Not yet."
Kael's face hardened.
"You keep saying that!"
"And you keep surviving," Orin replied.
Silence.
Then Orin added—
"That wasn't a normal beast."
Kael looked at it again.
"…what was it?"
Orin's voice dropped.
"A low-level spirit beast."
Kael froze.
"…spirit?"
Orin nodded.
"The world is bigger than you think," he said. "There are things here… beyond humans."
A pause.
"And beyond them…"
His eyes sharpened.
"…are gods."
Kael's breath caught.
Something deep inside him reacted to that word.
Gods.
"…why does that word feel…" he hesitated. "…familiar?"
Orin watched him closely.
But said nothing.
A Harsh Truth
"Eat it," Orin said suddenly.
Kael blinked.
"…what?"
"The beast," Orin repeated. "Eat it."
Kael stared at him.
"…raw?"
"Yes."
"That's disgusting."
"That's survival."
Silence.
Kael looked at the dead creature.
Then at Orin.
"…fine."
He crawled toward it.
Tore a piece of flesh with shaking hands.
Hesitated.
Then bit.
The taste was awful.
Blood filled his mouth.
He almost threw up.
"Swallow it," Orin said.
Kael forced it down.
Again.
And again.
Each bite harder than the last.
But he didn't stop.
Because he understood something now.
This world…
Was not kind.
The Change Begins
After eating, Kael leaned back against a tree.
Exhausted.
But something felt different.
Warm.
Inside him.
"…what is this…" he whispered.
His wounds…
Were slowly closing.
Not fully.
But faster than normal.
His breathing steadied.
His strength… returned.
Orin watched silently.
"…just as I thought," he muttered.
Kael looked at him.
"…what?"
Orin smiled faintly.
"You're not human, Kael."
Silence.
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Real.
Kael didn't deny it.
Didn't argue.
Because deep down…
He already knew.
"…then what am I?" he asked quietly.
Orin turned away.
His voice came low.
"Something that should not exist."
Kael's grip tightened.
"…then I'll become something the world can't ignore."
Orin stopped walking.
A small smile appeared.
"…good."
He glanced back.
"Because one day…"
His voice turned cold.
"…the ones who threw you away…"
Kael's heart skipped.
"…will regret it."