The dirt road stretched ahead like an uneven ribbon in front of the makeshift carriage. The wheels, barely held together by crooked nails, screeched every time they rolled over a rock larger than usual. Jay, exhausted from walking and trying to decipher the three siblings, ended up lying down on the wooden planks of the cart.
The constant motion lulled him without him even noticing.
Dark.
Dark.
Dark.
Everything was dark. Jay couldn't see his hands, his feet, not even the idea of his own body. Just that suffocating, silent blackness… until a red flicker appeared in the distance.
Fire.
But this time, it wasn't the small flame he'd seen in the previous vision. It was bigger, more alive. A bonfire crackling in the middle of nowhere, lighting a narrow circle of dry ground.
Jay frowned.
"Again with this?" he murmured, though his voice didn't echo anywhere real.
The fire flickered slightly, as if reacting. And then—
"Jay, wake up! Jay! Hey!"
The voice hit him like a bucket of cold water.
Jay's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a jolt.
Nekohime was leaning over the edge of the cart, watching him, her ears tense.
"Finally," she said. "You were moving weird. I thought you were… I don't know, dying."
Jay brought a hand to his face, trying to steady his breathing.
"I wasn't dying… I think. Just dreaming something I didn't ask for. As usual."
He tried to straighten up, and his back cracked like a breaking branch.
"Great," he groaned. "Sleeping on a wooden cart with wheels… best thing for your spine. Recommended by dead doctors."
Nekohime didn't get the joke, but didn't question it either.
The sky had turned violet. The sun was already hiding behind the hills, casting long shadows across the road. Jay rubbed his neck as he sat up.
In the distance, warm lights flickered between low houses and wooden rooftops.
"Hey," Jay said, pointing. "Is that our destination, or a hallucination caused by my broken back?"
Nekohime nodded.
"That's the village. We're almost there."
The cart rolled on for a few more minutes until it stopped in front of the first house. It was a small village—very small. Jay guessed maybe a hundred people lived there… and maybe a few chickens, if they counted as official residents.
The kids, Nekotina and Nekofal, jumped off the cart with an agility Jay clearly didn't have.
Jay got down with much less grace, nearly slipping.
"Uh-huh, yeah, perfect landing. Just missing the applause," he muttered, adjusting his shirt.
Nekotina turned and motioned for him to follow.
"Come. Don't just stand there like a log."
"Hey, I'm an elegant log, okay?" Jay replied, walking behind her. "One that nearly snapped in half while sleeping, but elegant."
The girl didn't react to the joke… as usual.
They walked along a narrow dirt path between old houses. Warm light spilled from square windows, and the smell of home-cooked food mixed with the cool night breeze.
Jay sighed.
"Well, at least it smells better than the alley where I almost died," he said, crossing his arms. "That's already an upgrade in my quality of life."
Nekofal turned from up ahead and said with his usual exaggerated seriousness:
"Weirdo."
"Thanks, little personality critic," Jay replied. "I'll try to keep my standards high."
Nekohime let out a tiny chuckle—barely audible, but enough for Jay to notice.
At least someone got the joke, he thought.
Nekotina kept walking without pause, leading them deeper into the small village.
"Jay," she said without looking back. "Come quickly. There's something I want to show you."
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Something good or something that's going to try to kill me? Because lately, that ratio's been fifty-fifty."
The girl didn't answer. She just kept walking.
Jay swallowed hard, but followed her.
"Great," he whispered. "Perfect. Off into the unknown. Again. As always."
And so, surrounded by three wolf siblings who treated him like a mix between pet and nuisance, Jay stepped into the night of the village—unaware that the fire from his dreams was, once again, watching him… very closely.
As Jay followed the three kids through the narrow streets of the small village, his mind drifted elsewhere.
"That dream again… what am I now, a firefighter? Why the hell do I keep dreaming about fire?"
The sensation of heat still tingled in his arms, even though he knew it had only been a dream. He was so deep in thought that he nearly crashed into Nekotina, who had stopped abruptly.
She raised her small arm and pointed to a worn-down structure on the right.
"We're here. We've arrived."
Jay looked up… and smiled. Well, "smiled" was generous. It was more of a grimace—a forced attempt to seem positive.
"This palace… huh? Sure…"
It wasn't a palace. Not even a house. It was a ruin.
The walls were cracked, the wood twisted and rotting, and the roof had more holes than Swiss cheese. Compared to the poor house from earlier, this looked like an abandoned memory.
Jay stepped forward cautiously, as if the floor might collapse beneath him. He entered… and inside, it was even worse.
No table. No chairs. Nothing.
Just dust, a few planks, and gaps where the night wind slipped through.
"Is this a joke…? Please tell me this is a joke…"
But Nekotina motioned with her hand, serious, signaling him to follow her into one of the rooms.
Jay swallowed hard and walked behind her.
Inside the room was a single bed. Old, crooked, with sheets patched hundreds of times. And lying on it was an elderly man, breathing heavily, his skin a grayish tone. He had wolf ears and a tail, just like the children… but his body was so fragile it looked like a breeze could undo him.
Jay's mind automatically assessed the scene.
"Okay… old bed… empty room… elderly man… yep, definitely retired."
Nekotina approached slowly, her tail lowered with concern.
"Papa… we're back."
Jay blinked.
"Papa? What? That old man is their father? How…? What kind of age gap are we dealing with here? Am I the only one who thinks this doesn't add up?"
The old man opened one eye weakly, and upon seeing Jay, frowned with effort.
"And that boy…? The one dressed so… extravagantly…?"
Jay felt a vein twitch in his forehead.
"Not my fault I didn't get a welcome kit with era-appropriate clothing, okay?"
Nekotina calmly explained who Jay was and how he had helped her.
The old man, with difficulty, managed a grateful smile.
"Thank you… young man… for saving… my daughter…"
Jay sighed internally.
"I wish this were a side quest with a reward… money, a legendary sword… something. Come on, universe, give me a break for once."
But just as he thought that—
Screams.
Desperate voices echoed from outside the village. Loud, urgent, filled with fear.
Nekohime, Nekofal, and Nekotina all perked up their ears at the same time.
Jay felt a chill run down his spine.
Something was happening out there.
Something serious.
The screams of the village echoed like dry blows against the walls. They were desperate, torn, almost animalistic. And among them… a roar.
A roar Jay recognized instantly. The same sound he'd heard upon arriving in this world. A sound still etched into his chest.
The old man opened his eyes with effort, breathing as if each inhale cost him a piece of his life. Then he looked at Jay directly.
"Protect… my daughter… I'm entrusting her… to you…"
Jay froze, cold sweat running down his back.
Me? Me? Entrust me with your daughter? I've never had kids in my life… and he's giving me that responsibility? I'm a complete stranger! What kind of paternal logic is that?
Before he could say anything, Nekohime burst into the room.
"We have to go, now!"
Her voice was tense, laced with urgency and fear. Nekotina approached her father, bowed her head, and a silent tear rolled down her cheek. Nekofal, lips trembling, mimicked his sister.
Nekohime… didn't flinch.
The three children turned and ran outside. Jay was about to follow when suddenly, the floor beneath him cracked with a sharp snap.
"What—?!" The ground gave way like soggy paper.
Half his leg got stuck in the hole, wedged between rotted wood. Jay swallowed hard as he struggled to free himself.
I knew this was a ruin… but this feels more like a house made of cardboard…
With effort, he pulled his leg out and stumbled after the kids.
The air outside was different. Heavy. Thick with blood.
And then he saw it.
In the center of the village, among collapsed houses and overturned fire pits, six creatures roared with fury. They looked like lions… but with twisted horns, sharp as spears. They weren't the same ones Jay had seen before… but they were identical. Equally monstrous.
And they were devouring the villagers.
One child was lifted by the jaw of one of the beasts. His legs twitched for a few seconds before going limp. Jay felt bile rise in his throat and covered his mouth with his hand.
Blood splattered the ground. Short screams, then silence. Mothers, fathers, elders… all prey, one after another.
"Jay, this is not the time to play!" Nekohime shouted from the carriage.
Jay took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain composure. He ran toward them, dodging debris and avoiding the remains on the ground.
But as he neared the carriage… he saw it.
A figure behind the vehicle. Tall, dark, hunched.
The same monstrous monkey from the forest.
There was no mistaking it. Its silhouette was unmistakable. Its presence… suffocating.
Just one. But Jay knew exactly what that single monster was capable of.
The monkey raised its arm and, in one swift motion, pierced the carriage's horse—splitting it like a ripe fruit. Blood splashed across the wood, and the corpse dropped with a dry thud.
Nekohime stood frozen before the monster, sweating. Her ears trembled. Her eyes were wide, locked onto the monkey's yellow pupils.
Jay, panicked, drew his Glock from the thigh holster and aimed with trembling hands.
What if I miss? What if I hit it, but the others come? Damn it… what do I do? Think, Jay, think!
The monkey prepared to lunge at Nekohime.
And then— A small figure stepped in front of it.
Nekotina.
Her hand trembled, but she held the same strange stone. The "Scorpion's Heart."
She extended her arm, legs shaking.
And quickly recited a word in reverse, like a rewound tape:
「odivnI ed aicnel」 (Lancia de viento, reversed)
The air vibrated, twisted, compressed—
A spear made of wind shot out from the stone, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.
Jay saw it. And he couldn't believe it.
The wind spear shot forward with a sharp whistle, piercing the monkey's chest like hot butter. The creature froze for a moment, trembled, and then collapsed backward, lifeless, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Jay let out a broken breath—a mix of relief and shock.
"God… finally something good…" he murmured, wiping his face with his hand.
But when he turned back toward Nekotina, she was staggering, breathing as if she were carrying an entire building on her back. Her legs trembled, her eyes half-closed, and her skin was rapidly paling.
Jay rushed to lift her into his arms.
"What's wrong? Hey, breathe! What's happening to you?"
Nekotina rested her forehead against his chest, gasping.
"I can… I can use the Scorpion's Heart… but… it takes too much orb… too much… for me…"
Jay frowned in frustration.
"Perfect… broken magic that kills the user. Lovely system…" he muttered under his breath.
Then a scream tore through the air.
"NEKOFAL!!" Nekohime's voice cracked like a whip.
Jay turned immediately.
And he saw it.
Nekofal was being devoured alive by one of the monstrous lions. The small wolf-boy's body writhed as the beast's jaws tore chunks of flesh from him. Blood coated the lion's muzzle, the ground, and the child's hands as he tried in vain to push away the massive skull biting into him. His legs still twitched, spasming, as a strangled cry escaped his mouth.
Jay felt nausea rise instantly. He covered his mouth with one hand.
"God… no… I can't…" he thought, trying not to vomit.
He tried to shield Nekotina's eyes— But it was too late.
She had seen everything.
"NEKOFAL! Nekofal! Nekofal…!" she screamed, her voice shattered, screaming until her throat gave out. Tears streamed down her face like something inside her had broken.
Jay wanted to say something—anything— But nothing came out.
And then he heard another wet, sickening sound.
He turned.
Nekohime was being devoured by another monkey. The monster had grabbed her by the torso, its claws buried deep in her flesh, while its massive jaws shredded her shoulder. Blood gushed like a fountain, soaking the ground and the creature's face. Nekohime screamed, reaching out toward her siblings, her eyes filled with terror and resignation— Until her body went limp, like a broken doll.
Jay's face twisted in horror. His stomach clenched in pain.
"No… no way…" he whispered, voice trembling.
The monsters began turning toward him and Nekotina.
She kept crying out for her sister. That cry was the fatal mistake.
The lions locked their gaze on the two survivors.
Jay understood instantly. They couldn't fight. They couldn't save anyone.
They could only run.
"Let's go!" he shouted, clutching Nekotina to his chest and sprinting away.
He ran toward a nearby house, throwing his body against the door. The impact shattered the rotted wood, and the door collapsed. Jay stumbled inside, placing Nekotina in a corner.
"Hide. Hide here and don't come out. I'll buy us time."
"Don't leave me alone!" she sobbed, gripping his clothes tightly.
Jay, with a tired but warm smile, placed his hand on her head, gently stroking between her ears.
"It'll be okay," he said.
In Nekotina's heart, those words sparked a blurry memory of her mother. The same smile. The same phrase.
Jay stepped out of the house.
Three monsters waited outside, fresh blood dripping from their fangs. Jay realized he had his pistol in hand—the Glock. He didn't even know when he'd drawn it.
He swapped the magazine with trembling hands.
And started shooting like a madman.
"DIE! DIE ALREADY, YOU BASTARDS!" he screamed between shots.
Bullets struck their bodies, bounced off tough skin, pierced where they could. But there were too many. Jay had too many open flanks. He knew they'd reach him.
But if Nekotina lived… then it would be worth it.
A roar to his left.
Too late.
A lion pounced on him, crashing down with its full weight. Jay hit the ground, the air knocked out of him. The monster bit into his tactical vest, shaking him like a rag doll, trying to tear him apart. The vest held… for now.
Until the lion ripped it off with a violent tug, leaving Jay's torso exposed.
Its jaws dropped toward his neck.
And then—
Time simply stopped.
Everything turned black and white. No sound. No movement.
As if the world had stopped breathing.