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Waking up to the sound of crackling fire, she furiously looked around. To her surprise, all she saw was darkness. She thought this had to be a nightmare—something she'd wake up from soon—and that none of it was real. Curious, she felt around her. "A… shell?" she whispered, her voice trembling in fear. Surrounded by a cold, slimy liquid, she tried to calm herself, forcing her mind to analyze the situation.
Cold. Trapped. Scared. None of it helped. Then, a voice came from outside, near the warmth of a campfire.
"This must be the kidnappers," she thought.
The more she moved, the more restricted she felt. Her body… it felt smaller. Lighter, even.
She tried to kick the shell with her feet. Thunk. The sound echoed—and seemed to grab the kidnappers' attention.
"What the hell was that? Was our dinner… moving?" one of them said, voice harsh and scratchy.
She froze, terrified.
"It seems like this might be worth more than we thought," a younger man added.
"It sure better be worth a damn," replied the older voice.
Hearing this, she stayed still, fear creeping deeper. Is this… human trafficking? she wondered. About five minutes passed. Then she heard the rattling of wood and heavy footsteps. They were moving her. Confused, she kept quiet, praying they'd lose interest.
The rattling continued for what felt like forever. The soft crunch of snow underneath, the wooden creaking… she felt like she was on a rollercoaster. Then, a stop. Wolves howled in the distance. The kidnappers suddenly panicked, speeding up. She was jolted to the side, growing dizzy.
Then the harsh voice shouted, "DROP THE CARGO! THEY'RE CATCHING UP!"
She heard footsteps near the front of the carriage. Boxes being thrown. Shattering. Her fear rose—I'm next. And she was right.
She braced herself. Hugging tightly, she felt the shove—tossed from the cart like trash. The impact wasn't as painful as expected; the shell protected her, and the snow softened the landing. She rolled down a small ditch, hearing wolves growling as they rushed past. Luckily, they didn't notice her.
Lying by the road, freezing, was her worst nightmare. She tried desperately to break free. Kicking hard, a crack formed—letting a bit of light in. But time was running out. If the wolves came back, she'd be their next meal.
CRACK! A final kick snapped a hole in the egg. She peeked out with one eye and saw a snowy pine forest. Nearby were the supplies the kidnappers had dumped in their panic. She wriggled, finally freeing her head.
Looking around, she caught a glimpse of her own snout. The fur on her face was soft and white.
Am I… some kind of weird bird? she thought.
She fully emerged, noticing a tail behind her—also covered in a thick white coat. Her entire body was wrapped in majestic fur. Looking at her limbs, she saw paws. Soft pads. Small claws. Reptilian, almost.
"Am I just… a furry lizard?" she wondered. Then she remembered the wolves. Shivering, hungry, and soaked, she walked into the forest to find cover.
After a bit, she returned to the boxes, drawn by a sweet smell. Something like candy. She approached one and found jerky—dried and tough, but edible. Back when she was human, she never knew true hunger or fear. But now, she devoured it like it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.
Suddenly, a blue screen popped up.
Status: Hatchling
Severe Induced Hunger Effect: -10 Stamina Regen
Fear Effect: -50% Health Regen
Jerky/Dried Effect: +2 Stamina Regen
She jumped back in surprise. "Status…?" she whispered.
She wasn't much of a gamer, but her friends had shown her how to play a game or two. Another screen appeared:
LEVEL: 1 EXP: 0/5
Status: Hatchling
Species: Young Ancient Elemental Dragon
Health: 120/120
Stamina: 12/40 (+2)
Mana: 0/0
Strength: 4.2
Agility: 4
Physical Resistance: 2
Elemental Resistance: 4
Magical Resistance: 0
Ability: ???
She stared at the floating panel.
"Am I in a game? Is someone messing with me?"
She followed the path the kidnappers had taken. Eventually, she reached a fork in the road and a wooden sign. But the writing was gibberish.
"Is this a fantasy world?" she thought and took the opposite direction.
The hunger still gnawed at her. Then she spotted a small rabbit. As she focused on it, another window appeared.
Species: Adult Snow Hare
Health: 5/8
Status: ???
It looked slightly injured. Her instincts flared.
"I need to eat something…"
But she'd never killed before. Never eaten something alive. As a human, she never imagined doing this. But she wasn't human now. The scent of flesh made her mouth water. Slowly, she crept up behind the rabbit.
It didn't notice her. She pounced.
SQUEEZE—it cried out, struggling in her grip. She sank her teeth into its neck. One final twitch, and it went still. She ate it slowly, her hunger finally easing.
But as she walked again, a chill settled in—not from the cold, but from what she'd done. She hadn't hesitated.
She didn't feel guilt.
And that scared her more than anything.
As the sky darkened, she looked for shelter. Eventually, she stumbled on a small cave tucked into a cliffside, hidden by a pile of snow. She'd found it after falling in, but it wasn't deep.
Lying there, she thought about everything that had happened. The confusion. The fear. The hunger. The kill. And now, the cold silence.
She curled up, alone in the dark, with only the warmth of her fur coat—and her growing dread.