Behind her, Cutie stayed still for a mont, holding the snake like it was a pet. The snake, surprisingly calm, rested on his arm without hissing.
Kaya didn’t look back. She just muttered under her breath, "I need sleep. That’s all."
And with that, she started walking further away, her eyes searching for a clean spot with less stones, softer grass—anywhere she could just lie down and close her eyes.
After wandering for a while, Kaya finally spotted a cave a little off the trail. It wasn’t anything special—just a hollow space between rocks, wide enough for her to sit upright and maybe lie down if she curled a bit.
It looked like it might’ve belonged to so animal once. The ground at the entrance was a little dug up, and the inside slled faintly of old fur and damp earth. Still, there were no fresh tracks, no broken twigs, no signs of anyone—or anything—coming back recently.
Kaya crouched near the opening and waited for a few monts, listening.
Nothing. Not even the rustle of grass or a growl from inside.
She took a few slow steps in, eyes scanning the edges. A few leftover bones, dried and old. So scratched walls. But no movent.
"Looks like it’s been abandoned," she muttered under her breath, brushing her palm against the dirt floor.
After one last look around, Kaya made her decision. "Guess this’ll do."
It wasn’t exactly cozy, but she didn’t plan on building a ho—just needed shelter for a few days. Sowhere to breathe, sleep, and figure out whatever the hell was going on with magical snakes and growing sparrows.
She dropped her small bundle near the wall, sat down with a tired exhale, and leaned her head back.
"For now... this is fine."
It might’ve been the tiredness settling in her bones, or maybe just the strangeness of this world, but Kaya didn’t feel hungry. Not even a little.
Over the past few days, she’d noticed it—how her stomach didn’t growl the sa way, how the urge to eat ca later, if at all. Maybe it was this place. Or maybe her taste buds had finally given up on her after suffering through whatever questionable things she’d eaten to survive. Who knew.
With a quiet sigh, she lay down inside the cave, resting her head on the rolled-up jacket she’d brought in with her. The ground was hard, and the walls were cold stone, but at least it was dry.
Cutie, on the other hand, was still outside, fussing with the fire. He’d taken to that job like it was his calling or sothing. She had offered to help a couple of tis, even moved to collect a few branches, but he’d been too quick. Moving around with ease, hands steady, that usual soft smile playing on his lips.
She paused as she watched him from inside the cave.
He really seed to enjoy it. Like doing these small, simple things gave him so kind of peace.
So, Kaya let it be.
She closed her eyes slowly, her thoughts floating lazily like smoke from the fire. "Let him enjoy it," she murmured, almost to herself.
And just like that, she drifted toward sleep, not caring about dinner, not caring about the snake curled nearby, or the strange rules of this world. For now, sleep was all she needed.
Kaya drifted off to sleep, her body finally giving in to exhaustion. But the rest didn’t last long.
"Ouch..." she hissed, her hand shooting up to her forehead. A sharp sting pulsed across her skin, like she’d been slapped in a dream and woke up feeling it for real.
Groggy and confused, she blinked hard and sat up. The cave around her was dim, shadows clinging to the edges. Outside, she could see the soft flicker of a dying fire still crackling faintly—but it was dark. Completely dark.
She frowned.
Where was Cutie?
That was strange. He was always nearby. Annoyingly nearby, most of the ti. But now the space felt oddly quiet... too quiet.
Kaya slowly pushed herself up from the ground, reaching for the small knife she kept close. Her fingers curled around the familiar handle as she stepped out of the cave, her senses sharpening. The chill night air brushed against her skin, the silence thick in her ears.
Then—
Mumbling.
Soft, muffled. Not too far.
Kaya froze for a second, her grip tightening on the knife. Her heart thudded once, heavy.
’Who the hell was talking in the middle of nowhere, in this world that made no damn sense?’.
She turned her head in the direction of the sound, eyes narrowing.
her feet crunched against loose pebbles, and just then—
She heard it.
A voice.
Familiar.
Cutie.
He was talking... but not to himself. Kaya’s brows furrowed. That wasn’t right. His tone was low, serious, not the usual cheerful ramble. Soone else was there. She didn’t stop to listen from a distance. Instead, she moved closer, her steps careful, quiet, her grip still tight around the knife.
Then she heard the words clearly—
"Who are you, and why are you following her?"
Cutie’s voice. Steady. Protective.
The reply ca a second later.
Cool, smooth, laced with sothing strange—
"It’s not my fault. She was the one who picked up."
The voice didn’t belong to anyone Kaya recognized. It was cold but... oddly charming. That kind of tone people tend to trust too quickly, without knowing why.
But before anything else could be said, she heard Cutie again, trying to respond, "But—"
Then everything stopped.
The stranger raised his hand—
And in the blink of an eye, vanished.
Gone. Like he was never there.
Kaya’s heart leapt into her throat as she hurried forward, eyes scanning the area. But now, it was just Cutie—
Standing there alone.
His eyes already on her.
Expression unreadable.
And not a trace of the mysterious man anywhere.
Kaya blinked a few tis, still trying to process what just happened.
That man... or thing... just vanished. Right in front of her eyes.
She looked back at Cutie, who was now standing alone, acting like nothing happened.
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