Kaito's stomach rumbled painfully, hunger a constant reminder of his helplessness kept him awake. One of the women, a mother, looked at him with pity. Despite her exhaustion and the horrors she had endured, she reached out to him. She could still produce milk, and though it shamed her to nurse a child who wasn't hers, she chose to save him. Kaito drank reluctantly, his cheeks burning with humiliation, but the warmth spreading through his body kept him alive.
Days turned into weeks, then months. The women were taken away one by one, often returning bruised and broken or not at all. Kaito watched silently, his young mind trying to piece together what was happening. When one woman returned, her clothes torn and her face devoid of emotion, he began to understand.
This is why they're here... why all the children are girls, he thought grimly. But a cold shiver ran through him. What about me? I'm a boy... what do they plan to do with me?*
Time dragged on. Some of the women became pregnant, their bellies swelling with the spawn of their captors. Kaito's sharp eyes noticed something strange about the milk he drank—it was different, tinged with an energy he didn't fully understand. The same particles he had seen during the adventurers' fight seemed to radiate faintly from the milk.
He gambled with his life, drinking it anyway. His body grew stronger, faster than any human child his age. But he didn't feel grateful only determined.
Years passed, and by the time Kaito was five, he was no longer a helpless captive. He had trained in secret, his small body honed through endless repetition of exercises he created from his memories of his past live. Push-ups, sit-ups, lunges anything to make himself stronger. The women noticed his efforts, which made them surprised because he is still a child but even though the whispering words of encouragement even as they despaired.
One day, Kaito's routine changed. The goblins chained him and dragged him out of the cave. He was thrown into a group of other captives, all bound like him. The goblin leader barked orders, and Kaito realized with horror what they intended.
He wasn't just a prisoner anymore. He was now bait for hunting.
The goblins shoved him forward, their guttural laughter echoing in his ears. Ahead, the forest loomed, dark and full of monstrous shapes. Kaito's heart pounded, but his resolve was firm.
This is my chance. I'll survive this. And one day, I'll make them pay.
The goblins dragged Kaito into the forest, their guttural grunts mixing with the rustle of leaves. His wrists ached from the chains biting into his skin, and his heart raced as they reached a wide clearing. Tall trees surrounded the area, their dark silhouettes stark against the twilight sky. A mountain loomed behind him, casting a shadow over the clearing.
They shoved him forward, leaving him exposed in the center. Kaito stumbled but managed to steady himself, his sharp eyes scanning the area. He quickly realized the goblins' strategy—they were using him as bait. Hidden among the trees, the goblins crouched with weapons ready, waiting for a beast to take the lure.
A low growl broke the silence.
Kaito turned, his breath catching as a wolf stepped into the clearing. Its amber eyes gleamed with predatory intent, and its fur bristled under the faint light. The wolf lowered its head, muscles coiling as it prepared to strike.
His heart pounded. I'm fit. I've trained. But I've never faced a monster from this world... How do I fight it?
Before he could come up with a plan, the wolf lunged. Its weight crashed into him, and he fell hard onto his back. He struggled, pushing against its snapping jaws as its hot breath washed over his face. His muscles strained against the beast's strength, and panic surged through him.
Where are the goblins? he thought desperately. Aren't they supposed to ambush it?
The wolf snarled, its fangs inches from his throat. Kaito twisted his body, rolling away just as an arrow whizzed past and struck the wolf's flank. The beast yelped but didn't fall. It turned, growling, as more goblins descended from the trees, weapons in hand.
Yet the wolf ignored them. Its focus remained on Kaito, its eyes blazing with a strange, unwavering intensity.
Why? Kaito thought, his mind racing. Why isn't it reacting to them?
Then it hit him. Wolves hunt in packs.
The realization chilled him to the bone. Before he could shout a warning, a chorus of howls erupted behind the goblins. The sound echoed through the forest, a haunting, blood-curdling cry.
Chaos erupted. Wolves burst from the trees, teeth flashing and claws tearing. The goblins screeched in panic, swinging their weapons wildly as they were overwhelmed.
Kaito's instincts screamed at him to move. As the wolf lunged again, he raised his chains, letting its powerful jaws clamp down. The impact snapped the chains with a loud crack, and Kaito didn't hesitate. He bolted toward the mountain, the sounds of slaughter fading behind him.
His lungs burned as he ran, the wolf still chasing him. He rounded a bend and stumbled, his foot catching on a root. Pain shot through his knee as he hit the ground, but when he looked up, he froze.
A cave loomed before him, dark and foreboding. Kaito blinked, confused. He was certain there hadn't been a cave here before.
He hesitated, then scrambled to his feet and rushed inside. As he crossed the threshold, a strange sensation washed over him, like stepping through a sheet of water. He turned, expecting to see the forest, but the entrance was gone.
Instead, a solid wall of stone stood where the opening had been.
Kaito reached out, his fingers brushing the surface. It rippled under his touch like liquid, confirming his suspicion. An illusion.
He backed away slowly, his heart still racing. For the first time in years, he allowed himself a flicker of hope.
Whatever this place is, it might be my chance to survive.