Feet moved slowly.
Step…
Step…
They stopped.
A place filled with small sticks stuck into the ground.
Silence.
---
He stood there for a moment—
Then crouched.
---
A hand entered view.
Holding a small stick.
---
He pressed it into the ground carefully, leaving only a small part above.
---
His face came into view.
It was him.
---
Cleaner.
Calmer.
---
His body looked… different.
Not bigger.
Not stronger in an obvious way.
But—
more stable.
---
"…ah…"
---
"It's been thirty days already…"
"…a whole month…"
---
"Too much happened…"
"…let's sort it out…"
---
He picked up another stick—
slightly sharper—
and began scratching the ground.
---
"…first…"
---
A rough drawing appeared.
A cave.
Two sticks.
Two rocks—
one large, one small.
---
"I started using the cave as a hideout…"
"Two torches…"
"One always burning…"
"One for emergency…"
---
"Rocks… always with me now…"
"In case the fire dies…"
---
He paused.
Looked at the drawing.
---
"…basic stuff…"
---
A breath.
---
"…what else changed…?"
---
His eyes moved to his own body.
He flexed his fingers slightly.
---
"…I feel like I have more stamina…"
---
A pause.
---
"…or am I just getting used to it…?"
---
Days had passed doing the same things.
Again.
And again.
And again.
---
Changes didn't feel sudden anymore.
---
But if someone saw him before—
and now—
the difference would be obvious.
---
"…my memory feels sharper too…"
"I forget less…"
---
"…my head feels… clearer…"
---
He scratched another line into the ground.
---
"…sometimes I make plans…"
---
"If I have to escape…"
"How would I do it…"
---
"If I run out of food…"
"What can I eat…"
---
"If a monster attacks…"
"Where do I go next…"
---
A pause.
---
"…I can't stay here forever…"
---
"…even if…"
---
His eyes narrowed slightly.
---
"…this place feels more peaceful…"
"…than when I was alive."
"…this makes me wonder…"
---
"…are monsters evil… just because they eat you…?"
---
"…or is it something else…?"
---
"If I stood in front of a wild animal…"
"…it would try to kill me too…"
"…and eat me…"
---
"…so what's the difference…?"
---
A pause.
---
"…am I just making excuses… for things I don't understand…?"
---
He scratched the ground again.
---
A human.
A mole monster.
A rough shape of a bear-like creature.
---
A "?" above each of them.
---
"…anyways…"
---
"All this time…"
"I've only seen a few types…"
---
"Mole monsters…"
"Worm-like ones…"
---
"…and…"
---
His hand stopped for a second.
---
"…that thing in the sky…"
---
"…a shadow…"
"…under the crimson night…"
---
"I still haven't seen it clearly…"
---
"…but…"
---
"Even thinking about it…"
"…makes my body react…"
---
He drew a crude shape.
---
A bird-like figure.
With a skull for a head.
---
"…tiny…"
"…but wrong…"
---
"…why does something so far away feel so close…?"
---
He lifted his head.
---
Morning sky.
Bright.
Open.
---
Clouds drifting slowly.
Changing shapes.
---
"…this is weird…"
---
"Night makes me want to hide…"
"…but morning…"
---
"…makes me feel like I could fly…"
---
A small chuckle escaped him.
---
"…kind of funny…"
---
He looked down again.
---
Next to the bird—
he drew a broken moon.
---
Then—
another shape.
Wings.
With a sun above it.
---
"…anyways…"
---
"Back to work…"
---
"…monsters…"
---
"Thankfully…"
"I've been watching them for a month now…"
---
"I know a little…"
---
His hand moved to his chin.
Rubbing slowly.
---
"…keep it simple…"
"…I don't have time to overthink everything…"
---
"Mole monsters…"
"They hunt the worms…"
"…but…"
"…sometimes they eat leaves…"
---
"…why…?"
---
A pause.
---
"…might be useful later…"
---
"So I focused on the ones that eat leaves…"
---
"In my observation…"
"They stop moving after that…"
"…for about an hour…"
---
"…not sleeping…"
---
"…just… still…"
---
"But…"
---
"If another mole comes close…"
"They raise their claws…"
"…like a warning…"
---
"…and strangely…"
"…no one attacks them…"
---
"…even though…"
"They fight each other over nothing…"
---
"…so…"
---
"Eating leaves…"
"…means something…"
"…I don't fully understand it yet…"
"…but I know…"
"…if I get the chance…"
"…this might be my way out…"
---
A pause.
---
"…no…"
"…that's wrong…"
---
"…if I get lucky…"
---
A faint breath left him.
---
"…because from what I've seen…"
"…those worms the moles hunt…"
"…they're not the real threat…"
---
His hand stopped moving.
---
"…they're not the grown ones…"
---
Silence.
---
"…I saw it once…"
---
"…something came out of the ground…"
"…and dragged a mole down…"
---
"…just like that…"
---
"…its skin…"
"…looked like the worms…"
---
A pause.
---
His body tensed slightly.
---
"…when I saw it…"
"…my whole body started shaking…"
---
"…I still remember that feeling…"
---
"…I imagined…"
"…what if that was me…"
---
"…being dragged…"
"…against my will…"
---
Sweat formed along his skin.
---
"…that felt worse…"
"…than getting torn apart…"
---
"…because…"
---
"…you can't even resist…"
---
Silence.
---
"…I left after that…"
---
"…and the next day…"
"…I was just watching the sky…"
---
"…thinking…"
---
"…and then…"
---
"…it made sense…"
---
He scratched the ground again.
---
"…it's a cycle…"
---
"Moles hunt worms…"
"…but something hunts the moles…"
---
"…so…"
---
"…those worms…"
"…might not even be the real ones…"
---
"…just the smaller ones…"
---
"I've only seen one big one…"
---
"…just one…"
---
A pause.
---
"…so if that big one dies…"
"…and the moles gather…"
"…that's my best chance…"
---
"…to survive…"
---
A small, dry chuckle escaped him.
---
"…me and luck…"
---
"…we're like two sides of a coin…"
"…connected…"
"…but never facing each other…"
---
"…huh…"
---
"…didn't think I'd start talking like this…"
---
A breath.
---
"…anyways…"
---
"…this plan has the highest chance…"
"…and the lowest chance at the same time…"
---
"…so I'll keep it…"
"…just in case…"
---
"…you never know…"
"…what happens next…"
---
"…I died once already…"
"…and ended up here…"
---
"…so anything's possible…"
---
A pause.
---
"…thinking like this…"
"…actually makes me feel a little confident…"
---
"…even if I was never good at anything before…"
---
"…just an average guy…"
"…trying to survive…"
---
"…maybe…"
"…I have the right…"
"…to feel that much…"
---
Silence.
---
"…confidence…"
---
His expression changed slightly.
---
"…I should be careful with that word…"
---
"…if I don't want to die…"
---
His gaze dropped to his hand.
---
It wasn't shaking.
---
But—
his body remembered.
---
Fear.
---
Slowly—
his eyes shifted.
---
The stick.
---
Still there.
---
Just like before.
---
He reached out.
---
Held it gently.
---
Pressed it lightly against his cheek.
---
Cold.
Simple.
Real.
---
"…sorry…"
---
"…I shouldn't get ahead of myself…"
---
"…I still remember…"
---
"…what happens…"
"…when I do…"
---
A pause.
---
"…when I drowned in confidence…"
[memory]
He spent his days the same way.
Watching.
Learning.
Surviving.
---
When he found time—
he trained.
Simple movements.
Again and again.
Even when his body resisted.
---
And when the sun lowered—
he watched the cave.
---
The monsters.
Their movements.
Their patterns.
---
He learned.
Slowly.
Carefully.
---
He made weapons too.
A knife—
from bone.
A spear—
from a stick and sharpened edge.
---
He thought he was getting better.
---
Until the day he almost died.
---
He didn't stay in the cave.
---
"…I need to see them closer…"
---
It was hard to understand them from far away.
So—
he went closer.
---
There was one.
A mole.
Different from the others.
---
"…why does it move like that…"
---
He hid.
Carefully.
---
The mole didn't notice him.
Not once.
---
Time passed.
---
"…it's gone…"
---
He stepped out.
---
And in that moment—
---
It came.
---
Fast.
Too fast.
---
His body froze.
---
"…what—"
---
The mole was already on him.
---
He moved without thinking.
---
The stick in his hand—
went straight into its eye.
---
A scream.
---
The creature twisted in pain.
---
And he ran.
---
He didn't look back.
---
Night fell.
---
The crimson moon rose.
---
His body trembled.
---
His breath wouldn't steady.
---
"…I almost died…"
---
His legs felt like they would give up any second.
---
But he kept walking.
---
He tried to rest.
---
But his body wouldn't calm down.
---
No matter what he did—
it wouldn't stop.
---
That shadow in the sky—
still moving.
Still watching.
---
But he didn't care.
---
Because something else was missing.
---
"…my stick…"
---
Silence.
---
"…it's just a stick…"
---
"…I can replace it…"
---
Right?
---
"No way I'm going back…"
---
"It's night…"
"I can't even see properly…"
---
"And that thing in the sky…"
"…what if it sees me…"
---
"…it's just a stick…"
---
He climbed the tree.
Broke a branch.
---
Held it.
---
Nothing.
---
He grabbed another.
---
Then another.
---
Again.
Again.
Again.
---
Branches broke.
Fell.
---
But nothing felt right.
---
"…why…"
---
"…why isn't it the same…"
---
"…I don't need it…"
---
"…I can sleep without it…"
---
He closed his eyes.
---
Then—
---
A voice.
---
Calling him.
---
He ignored it.
He felt it—
like something was calling him.
He raised both hands.
Covered his ears.
His body curled in on itself—
knees pulled tight to his chest—
clinging to the tree.
Like he was trying to hide inside himself.
"…stop…"
It looked like he was trying to block something from outside.
…But maybe—
it was never from outside.
No matter what he did—
he couldn't shut it out.
He tried to distract himself.
Forced his mind somewhere else.
Beautiful places.
Endless food.
Warm sunlight.
People around him.
Laughter.
Comfort.
Even—
faces.
But nothing worked.
The feeling stayed.
"…damn it…"
"…what is this…?"
"…again…?"
"…not again…"
His eyes shifted—
to his arm.
The one pressing against his ear.
"…should I…?"
A pause.
"…should I…?"
"…if pain helps…"
"…then why not…?"
He slowly lowered one hand.
Brought his wrist closer to his mouth.
"…will this work…?"
"…please…"
"…please…"
A breath—
"Please."
Slap.
His own hand struck his face.
Hard.
For a moment—
everything stopped.
His vision steadied.
His eyes—
clear again.
"…huh…"
The "voice"—
wasn't a voice anymore.
It felt different now.
Not sound.
A feeling.
Something he couldn't explain—
but could feel.
"…what is this…?"
No answer.
But his body moved.
He climbed down from the tree.
Without thinking.
---
But something filled his chest.
---
Heavy.
---
"…what is this…"
---
"…sadness…?"
---
A pause.
---
"…no…"
---
"…this is…"
---
"…guilt…"
---
His teeth clenched.
---
"Damn it…"
---
He climbed down.
---
The crimson moon above.
That shadow still moving.
---
He walked.
Slowly.
---
Each step heavier than the last.
---
"…what am I doing…"
---
"…going back…"
"…for a stick…"
---
"…at night…"
---
"…I'm an idiot…"
---
But he didn't stop.
---
When he reached it—
---
His hand trembled.
---
His whole body screamed—
run.
---
"…something is watching…"
---
But he couldn't leave.
---
He grabbed it.
---
And ran.
---
"Run."
---
"Run."
---
"RUN."
---
"Don't stop."
---
"Even if I want to—don't stop."
---
His body obeyed.
---
He reached the tree.
Climbed.
---
Held the stick tightly.
---
His eyes shut.
---
Slowly—
his body calmed.
---
Safe.
---
For now.
---
Morning came.
---
He rubbed his eyes.
---
"…?"
---
"…did I rub too hard…"
---
His fingers felt wet.
---
He looked.
---
Water.
---
Tears.
---
"…why…"
---
"…why am I crying…"
---
His eyes moved to the stick.
---
Silence.
---
He brought it close.
Touched it to his forehead.
---
"…I'm sorry."
---
[Back to present]
"…at first…"
"…I thought it was just a horrible memory…"
"…but now…"
"…it feels different…"
"…more like…"
"…an interesting one…"
He looked at the stick in his hand.
"…I was scared…"
"…more than ever before…"
"…death was right in front of me…"
"…and still…"
"…in a world where I have nothing…"
"…I held onto this…"
He gently touched the stick.
"…and risked my life for it…"
"…who would've guessed…"
A small breath.
"…anyways…"
"…that's enough thinking about the past…"
"…I need to focus on what's next…"
He looked at the ground.
"…I wrote everything important… right…?"
A pause.
A slight frown.
"…hmm…"
"…did I forget something…?"
Another pause.
"…maybe…"
"…but I can't remember it…"
"…I'll think about it later…"
"…my brain will bring it back eventually…"
He packed his things.
And started walking toward the cave.
Like always.
At some point—
it stopped feeling like survival.
And started feeling like work.
"…instead of money…"
"…I earn experience…"
"…and information…"
"…that's my currency…"
Everything went as usual.
Watching.
Waiting.
Learning.
He even brought fruit this time.
Something he could eat safely.
No scent.
No risk.
He took one out.
"…no matter how many times I see this…"
"…I still think the same thing…"
"…I owe these my life…"
A small pause.
"…I know…"
"…they're meant to be eaten…"
"…but everything is like that…"
"…these fruits…"
"…and even me…"
Silence.
"…ah…"
"…I'll never get used to that…"
"…just eat it…"
He raised the fruit toward his mouth.
His eyes looked outside.
Then—
Everything shook.
Not just him.
The ground.
The air.
Everything.
His body trembled with it.
The fruit slipped from his hand.
He dropped instantly.
Moved to the safe spot he knew.
Curled up.
Holding his legs tightly.
Only one thought remained—
"…no way…"
"…I thought I'd deal with this later…"
"…but it came back…"
"…that thing…"
"…what is it…?"
"…those times…"
"…when everything shook…"
"…and something was there…"
"…in the distance…"
After a while—
The shaking stopped.
"…did it…?"
Silence.
"…yeah…"
"…it stopped…"
Slowly—
he came out.
His eyes fell on the fruit.
Broken.
"…what a waste…"
No sadness.
No regret.
Just—
emptiness.
Something useful—
turned useless.
He lowered himself.
Picked the parts that didn't touch the mud.
And ate them.
Like always.
The taste—
still brought him comfort.
But—
The feeling didn't go away.
Something stayed.
He grabbed mud.
Covered the wasted part.
"…I should get used to this…"
"…things becoming useless…"
"…it's always been like this…"
[Memory]
Cold rain.
Thunder.
A boy—
under a tree.
Holding broken pieces of something.
[Back to present]
"…yeah…"
"…I should get used to it…"
"…everywhere…"
"…something becomes waste…"
"…anyways…"
"…let's go back…"
He picked up his things.
As he grabbed his bag—
his eyes fell on his hand.
It was steady.
Working normally.
"…this is what people mean…"
"…experience changes you…"
"…but…"
"…fear doesn't go away…"
Even if the body adapts—
the feeling remains.
Everything went normally after that.
Evening came.
"…I should sleep early today…"
"…can't see properly anyway…"
"…no sunlight…"
"…no moonlight…"
"…nothing I can do…"
"…better rest…"
He lay down.
But—
That thing—
Still in his head.
"…what was that…"
A pause.
"…anyways…"
His eyes slowly closed.
Sleep came.
Deep.
Heavy.
But—
In the distance—
Something moved.
Closer.
Toward the cave.