The taste of blood lingered in the cub's mouth long after the kill. It was neither pleasant nor repulsive—just natural.
His siblings crowded around the fawn's body, their excitement clear. His sister, the one he had held back, met his gaze. There was no resentment in her eyes—only recognition.
He had made the right choice.
And for the first time, he felt something stir inside him.
Not guilt.
Not doubt.
But pride.
His mother ate first, as was her right. She tore into the fawn's belly with the ease of experience, her jaws painted crimson. When she was satisfied, she stepped back, allowing her cubs to feast.
The cub did not hesitate.
His teeth sank into the flesh, warm and tender. He expected to feel disgust, some last remnant of his past life recoiling at the act. But instead, there was only satisfaction.
This is what I am now.
And he was beginning to accept it.
The days turned into weeks, and the cub grew.
His body became stronger, his movements more refined. His hunting skills improved, his instincts sharper.
Yet, even as he embraced the jungle, his past refused to let go.
The memories came in flashes—
A cold office. The weight of a pen in his hand. A man's voice, smooth and dangerous.
"Sign it."
A betrayal. A fall.
Then darkness.
The cub did not understand why these visions returned, why they still clung to him. But he did know one thing—
He was not that man anymore.
The jungle did not care for contracts or betrayals. The only law here was strength.
And for the first time, the cub wanted to be strong.
Not just to survive.
But to rule.
One evening, as the sun bled across the sky, his mother led them to a river. The water shimmered under the fading light, the scent of fresh prey thick in the air.
But the cub's attention was drawn elsewhere.
Across the river, a figure stood—a lone tiger, massive and scarred, watching them with cold, golden eyes.
The cub felt the weight of that gaze.
His mother tensed beside him, her muscles coiled like a drawn bowstring.
A warning.
The cub did not need to be told.
This was no ordinary tiger.
This was a ruler.
A king of his own land.
And in his eyes, the cub saw no mercy.
Only one truth.
One day, they would fight.
And only one of them would walk away.