Kaya didn’t say anything. Not yet.
She just walked closer, her expression unreadable. The small knife in her hand was still there, but she lowered it a little.
Cutie gave a small, nervous smile. "You couldn’t sleep?"
Kaya stared at him for a mont and then just said, "Who was that?"
He looked away, scratching his cheek. "who?".
Kaya looked at Cutie for a few seconds.
He stood there, gazing back at her with those wide, innocent eyes, like he genuinely had no idea what she was talking about. Like he hadn’t just been speaking to soone who disappeared into thin air.
She exhaled through her nose and shook her head. "No... nothing. Must be the tiredness ssing with my head."
With that, she turned around to head back into the cave.
The truth was, Kaya knew he was lying. But without proof, what could she do? This wasn’t her world. She didn’t know who—or what—that man was. Beastman, spirit, illusion, threat? She didn’t even have a na to attach to the shadow she saw vanish.
And Cutie... no matter how cute or innocent he looked, he wasn’t going to tell her anything.
So, fine.
Forget it.
Her captain used to say: If you want to catch your prey, don’t chase it. Just sit still and wait. Let it co to you.
And Kaya had learned well.
So she kept walking, back into the dim, flickering cave. Her back straight. Her grip on the knife loose, but not relaxed.
Cutie stood quietly, watching Kaya’s back as she walked into the dark.
His blue eyes, usually soft or playful, shone in the moonlight—but now, they looked different.
Sharp.
Calm.
Like he was thinking deeply.
The innocent look he had just monts ago was gone. Instead, his face was serious and quiet.
He didn’t move or call out. He just stayed still, the firelight flickering behind him and casting shadows on his face.
His lips moved a little—not smiling, not frowning.
Just still.
The next morning was quiet and calm, just like any other. Kaya woke up, went to the river to bathe, her mind still lingering on the strange events of the night before. She stared at the flowing water, the unease from last night lingering like a shadow.
Gently, she dipped her hand into the river, sending soft ripples across the surface. Her eyes caught movent beneath the water—fish swimming nearby. Fish.
Though she didn’t recognize all of them, a few looked familiar—ones she knew were safe to eat. Encouraged, she stepped slowly into the cool water, feeling it rise around her feet as she moved deeper, the river embracing her like a quiet refuge.
Kaya slid deeper into the river, the cold water wrapping around her like a welco chill. She moved slow, steady, eyes sharp, scanning for the right catch. A few fish flickered past her ankles, their scales catching the early sun.
She bent low, fingers ready. Then—snap!—her hand darted, snatching a slippery fish near the rocks. It twisted and flopped, but she held firm.
A small grin tugged at her lips. Not bad, not bad at all.
As she turned to head back, sothing caught her eye on the muddy bank—faint footprints, half-washed by the water, but clear enough to set her senses on edge.
Soone’s been here.
Kaya glanced down at her footprint for a mont, spotting sothing that caught her attention. "Hmm, interesting," she murmured to herself before turning and walking away.
Kaya walked toward the cave, her eyes landing on Cutie, who was busy gathering firewood. He heard her footsteps—the faint rustle—and his ears twitched. He straightened up, a smile spreading across his face as he took a few steps forward to et her.
But then his eyes caught sight of what Kaya was holding.
And just like that, he froze.
Not just a pause—he completely stopped, like soone hit the brakes hard. Then, almost in the blink of an eye, he backed away, faster than he had moved toward her. His back pressed firmly against the cave wall, as if trying to disappear into it.
Kaya blinked, confused by his sudden shift.
Cutie’s face had drained of color, gone pale. His eyes stayed locked on the thing in Kaya’s hand. Curious, Kaya followed his gaze—and what she saw made her pause. The face she held was strange, almost eerie.
She glanced back at Cutie, taking a cautious step forward.
Cutie, however, recoiled even more, inching closer to the cave wall like he wanted to lt right into it.
The whole scene was oddly tense—Cutie, who was usually so calm or goofy, now looked like a scared cat cornered in the dark.
A small chuckle escaped Kaya’s lips as she looked down at the lifeless fish in her hand. Believe it or not, even with its eyes wide open and mouth frozen in a silent scream, it didn’t look nearly as threatening as that damn snake Cutie had casually grabbed just yesterday.
And yet, here he was—face pale, eyes wide—like he’d just seen a ghost.
Kaya took a slow step forward, then another, closing the distance. She reached out and lightly touched Cutie’s back, watching his reaction as she moved closer and closer, almost like she was teasing him.
Cutie stiffened under her touch, his whole body tensing as if trying to disappear into the cave wall behind him. His blue eyes flickered nervously between Kaya and the dead fish in her hand.
He tried to keep his voice calm, but it trembled anyway. "W-what is this?" His hands shook as he spoke.
The guy glanced at Cutie, then down at the fish, and said with a matter-of-fact tone, "Co on, it’s just a fish."
Cutie looked back at Kaya, still trembling a little, then forced a small smile. "Yeah, I know that. But... what exactly are you doing with a fish?"
Kaya stared at him like he’d just spoken in a completely different language, then said simply, "For dinner."
Cutie swallowed hard, "for ...dinner?"
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