"Wait, wait, WAIT—"
Before I could even process what Velistra meant by "real training," she snapped her fingers.
And just like that, reality shattered around me.
One second, I was standing on the rocky path in front of my sadistic demon mistress. The next? I was free-falling again.
"NOT AGAIIIIINNNNN—"
With a loud THUD, I crashed into the soft, mossy ground.
"Owwww..." I groaned, rolling onto my tiny back.
When I finally managed to sit up and take in my surroundings, my fluffy tail bristled in alarm.
I was in a dense, dark forest.
The trees were massive—gnarled and twisted, their bark pulsing faintly with eerie, demonic energy. The air was thick with mist, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear something growling.
I gulped. "Uhhh… Velistra? Mistress? Where are you?"
Silence.
Then—
Her voice echoed inside my head, smooth and teasing. "Welcome to your survival trial, little Koko."
I froze. "…Survival?"
"Indeed. You have one month to endure this forest. If you survive, you will be one step closer to evolution."
"O-One month?! By myself?!"
"Correct."
I panicked. "But—but I'm a TINY SQUIRREL!"
"And this will teach you how to fend for yourself," Velistra purred, clearly having the time of her life. "I will be watching, of course. This should be… entertaining."
Oh. Oh.
She planned this for her own amusement.
"YOU'RE JUST USING ME AS A LIVING SITCOM!" I squeaked in outrage.
Velistra chuckled. "Now, now, I believe in you, little one. Do not disappoint me."
And with that, her presence vanished.
Leaving me.
Alone.
In a murder-forest.
For a MONTH.
—*
Okay. Deep breath. I can do this.
First things first—I needed shelter.
I scampered around, looking for something safe, when I stumbled upon a massive cherry blossom tree in the middle of the forest. Its pink petals glowed faintly, standing out from the rest of the cursed landscape.
Huh. Pretty. Probably dangerous. But I had no options.
Using my Phantom Step, I phased up the trunk and into the thick branches, settling in a comfortable crook between two limbs.
"Alright," I muttered. "Step one: don't die. Step two: find food. Step three: don't get eaten."
Easy, right?
…Right?
—*
WRONG. SO. FREAKING. WRONG.
Not even ten minutes into this goddess-forsaken forest, and I was already being chased.
By wolves.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF YOU?!" I screeched, scampering up the nearest tree at maximum squirrel velocity.
Below me, a pack of massive, glowing-eyed demon wolves snarled and snapped at my tail, their dark fur bristling with raw murderous intent.
I barely dodged as one of them launched itself at my branch, its jaws missing me by inches.
"I AM NOT A SNACK, YOU OVERGROWN MUTTS!"
Up in her throne room, Velistra was probably dying of laughter.
—*
So, fun fact: wolves can climb.
Yeah. No one tells you that.
While I was busy thinking I was safe up in my cherry blossom tree, one of those hellhounds actually scaled the trunk like some demonic parkour master.
By the time I noticed, it was already two branches below me.
"OH, YOU CHEATING SON OF A—"
I did the only thing I could—I jumped.
I Shadow Dashed mid-air, flickering through the mist as I landed onto another tree.
"Ha! Suck it, furball!"
The wolf growled, its glowing red eyes locking onto me like a very angry Terminator.
It crouched. It tensed.
And then—it leaped.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME—"
I barely dodged as it crashed into my new branch, claws digging into the bark, snarling.
Alright. New plan.
If they were that determined to eat me, I'd just have to make myself hard to catch.
I focused, feeling the new power I gained from my last level-up pulse in my chest.
"Cherry Blossom Mirage!"
A split-second later, two illusionary clones of me appeared— both of them darting off in different directions.
The wolves hesitated, ears twitching in confusion as they saw three Koko squirrels instead of one.
And in that moment—I ran.
—*
I survived. Barely.
After my great escape, I finally managed to find shelter in a hollowed-out tree trunk. It was small, damp, and smelled like mushrooms, but at least it wasn't full of teeth.
The next issue? Food.
My stomach growled aggressively, reminding me that squirrels need to eat to live.
So I went foraging.
And immediately learned a few hard truths.
1. Not all glowing berries are safe to eat.
(Spoiler: Some make you hallucinate. That was a bad hour.)
2. There are bugs here that are way too big.
(Literal spider the size of a watermelon tried to eat me. Nearly screamed myself into another death.)
3. Nuts are rare, but I found some.
(Finally. I spent way too long cracking one open with my tiny teeth. Still worth it.)
By the end of the day, I was exhausted.
I flopped onto a patch of moss, staring at the twisted branches above.
"This sucks," I muttered. "I miss Velistra's fancy castle."
Then I froze.
Wait. No. No, I did not just admit that.
I did not miss my demon mistress' evil tea-drinking, squirrel-bullying, sadistic self.
Nope. Not happening.
"Stupid demon lady," I grumbled, curling up. "Hope you choke on your stupid fancy tea."
—*
I dreamt.
And not just any dream.
A really good dream.
Which was the problem.
Because in this dream, I was on Velistra's lap.
Her warm, soft, luxurious lap.
She was petting me.
Long, delicate fingers trailing through my fur, scratching gently behind my ears, her voice a smooth, hypnotic purr.
"You've done well, little one," she murmured, her crimson eyes glowing with warmth.
I melted.
I don't mean that figuratively. I mean I literally flopped into her hands, belly-up, tail flicking as I let out the most embarrassing little purring noise.
I was completely and utterly weak to the pets.
She chuckled, her touch featherlight as she scratched under my chin. "Adorable."
I preened. I basked.
And then—
I snapped awake.
I sat up so fast, I nearly launched myself off my moss bed.
No. No no no.
I did not just have a dream about being pampered by my evil demon captor.
I did not just enjoy it.
I did not just let my traitorous squirrel instincts revel in head pats and gentle praise.
I clenched my tiny paws. "STUPID FURBALL BODY, BETRAYING ME LIKE THIS!"
My ears twitched violently, and suddenly I felt exposed.
Was… Was Velistra watching my dreams?!
I froze.
No. No, she wouldn't—
…Would she?
My eyes darted around the forest. No signs of her. No ominous laughter echoing through my mind.
Okay. Okay. Maybe I was safe.
Still, just in case, I shook myself aggressively, puffing up my fur like a tiny warrior.
"I AM NOT WEAK TO PETS!" I declared to the empty forest.
Silence.
I scowled.
Velistra better never hear about this.
—*
Back at the castle, Velistra chuckled.
She sat elegantly on her throne, a goblet of dark wine in one hand, her other lazily swirling in the air. The floating projection before her shimmered with magic, displaying the tiny cherry blossom squirrel currently flailing about in the cursed forest.
"I AM NOT WEAK TO PETS!" the little one declared, shaking herself aggressively.
Velistra's smirk widened.
"She is far too cute for her own good," she mused, sipping her wine.
A chuckle sounded from the shadows behind her.
"You are quite invested in this little creature, my Lady," a voice purred.
Velistra didn't even glance back. "She is… amusing."
From the darkness, a figure stepped forward—Zareth, her right-hand general. Tall, sleek, with curved obsidian horns and eyes that glowed like molten gold, she was one of the most powerful demons in her court.
And right now, she was watching the floating orb of Koko's struggles with interest.
"So this is the one you've taken in?" She mused, tilting her head. "A mere squirrel?"
Velistra's smirk did not fade. "She is not 'mere' anything."
Zareth watched as Koko faceplanted into a pile of leaves, squeaked in rage, and immediately started throwing tiny nuts at a passing bird.
She raised a brow. "...Are you sure?"
Velistra laughed softly. "You underestimate her. She is growing stronger by the day."
Zareth's eyes gleamed. "Then what is your plan for her, Mistress? Do you intend to keep her as a pet forever?"
Velistra's fingers tapped against the armrest of her throne. Her gaze flickered toward the screen, where Koko was now muttering to herself about how much she hated 'stupid demon ladies with stupid fancy castles and stupid nice-smelling hair.'
Velistra chuckled.
"For now," she said smoothly. "Let us enjoy the show."
—*
Meanwhile, Back in the Forest…
I sneezed.
Weird. Felt like someone was talking about me.
Whatever. Didn't matter.
Right now, I needed to find food, avoid death, and definitely not think about how nice Velistra's fingers felt in my dream.
Nope. Not thinking about it.
Not at all.
—*
Food. Shelter. Not dying.
These were the priorities.
And yet, here I was, locked in a staring contest with a demon squirrel.
Yes. Another squirrel.
But this one was huge. Twice my size, with dark, thorn-like fur and glowing red eyes. It hissed at me from a low-hanging branch, tail flicking aggressively.
"Listen, buddy," I muttered, not breaking eye contact. "I don't want trouble. Just looking for a tree. This forest sucks, I'm tired, and I really—"
The demon squirrel lunged.
"OH YOU WANNA GO?!"
I dodged, flipping onto a higher branch as it snapped its fangs where I had just been.
—*
One Squirrel Battle Later…
The demon squirrel lay defeated, dazed on the forest floor.
I, Koko the Cherry Blossom Squirrel, stood victorious, fluffing up my tail like a champion.
"And STAY DOWN!" I squeaked.
A ping echoed in my mind.
[Level Up!]
New Ability Unlocked: Empress's Intimidation
Smaller creatures instinctively fear you. Larger creatures may hesitate.
I blinked.
I just unlocked a new skill… by bullying another squirrel.
Amazing.
This was the best system ever.
—*
Meanwhile, Back at the Castle…
Velistra nearly spit out her tea.
"She challenged a demon squirrel?" Zareth said, her voice somewhere between disbelief and admiration.
Velistra smirked, watching Koko prance around her fallen opponent like a tiny conqueror.
"She is endlessly entertaining," she murmured. "And more capable than I anticipated."
Zareth crossed her arms. "And what happens when she evolves further?"
Velistra's crimson eyes gleamed. "Then she will finally understand what I have planned for her."
Zareth watched her carefully. "And does she have a choice in this plan?"
Velistra's smirk deepened. "Hmm."
—*
Back in the Forest…
I had claimed my new tree.
The demon squirrel had fled, probably traumatized by my superior fluff energy.
All in all? Good day.
I curled up in my new branch, staring up at the dark sky.
One more day survived.
One step closer to evolving again.
And maybe—just maybe—one step closer to getting some scratches from Velistra's magical hands.
(Yeah, like that was gonna happen.)