Honestly... not even in my wildest nightmares could I have imagined that one day I'd have to eat a monster. Sure, it vaguely looks like an ostrich — at least at first glance.
But as far as I know, ostriches aren't usually the size of a horse, nor do they have a bony horn sticking out of the middle of their forehead. Still, what else can I do? What choice do I have? If I don't eat this, I'm going to starve. In this cursed forest, aside from humans, there are only monsters.
By the way, since we got back to the cave, the woods around us have been eerily quiet — except for the distant buzz of some insects and the occasional rustling of leaves, as if the wind itself hesitated to pass through. Strangely, we haven't found any other humans besides that first group. I can't tell if that's a good sign... or just a warning of something worse.
I let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of exhaustion on my shoulders as I stare at the colossal carcass lying before me. The creature lay just a few feet from the cave entrance, collapsed on a surprisingly flat patch of ground, where twisted roots gave way to a bare dirt clearing. Blood slowly dripped from its misshapen body, winding across the dry earth until it formed a red pool staining the dead leaves around it.
Oliver, Alice, and Ethan were nearby too. After placing the other bodies inside the cave, we came back with what would be our meal for the day. However, now that we'd reached this point, a sense of unease hung in the air — something important had slipped past our attention.
Amid the silence, Oliver was the first to speak. He raised an eyebrow, eyeing the strange substance before him with clear suspicion: "By the way... does anyone here have any idea how to make this edible?"
As Oliver's words echoed around us, everyone exchanged uncertain glances, as if waiting for someone to take the lead or confirm what to do. But soon it was clear no one had the slightest clue how to process an animal to turn it into food.
It was one of those kinds of knowledge lost over time or never needed by most. At that moment, the silence was almost awkward — except for me. In this particular matter, I was a rare exception.
With that thought, I raised my hand — both Noa's and Justin's — the sudden and unusual gesture immediately drew everyone's attention. I felt their gazes fall on me like a silent wave, and as I realized the weight of their focus, I stood firm and said, my deep and calm voice echoing around us: "I've always been interested in survival... that kind of stuff has always fascinated me. Over the years, I've learned quite a bit about it"
Adding to Justin's words, I turned to Noa and added, my female voice calm and precise: "My case is the same as Justin's. I've never actually put it into practice, true... but at least in theory, I have the necessary knowledge"
Though curiosity was visible on everyone's faces — silently questioning why exactly we'd need this kind of knowledge — in the end, no one objected. They just exchanged brief looks, sighed resignedly, and went back inside the cave.
According to their own words, staying out there would only get in the way, and maybe deep down, they were relieved not to have to deal with whatever was coming.
Anyway, now that only my two bodies remain in front of the monstrosity, I proceed cautiously. The first step is clear: make the monster bleed. I don't want to see its flesh soaked with clotted blood — that sight disgusts me. With that firm thought, in one quick and precise movement, I draw my dagger from its sheath, feeling the cold blade against my skin.
Then, I make a deep cut at the base of the neck, right near where it meets the chest. The blood gushes thick, with an unusually dark hue — almost black — although it still holds the typical reddish tone of regular blood. Curiously, its metallic smell is stronger than I remembered.
"This... is even grosser than those magazines and sensational TV shows make it out to be" I murmur to myself, my voice low and shaky, as if speaking aloud might, even for a moment, keep the growing nausea from tightening my stomach.
As my body grows paler, I feel a cold shiver run down my spine, but I can't stop. I start pulling the monster's feathers off... or whatever those dark structures are. The fibers are thick and stiff, with a strange texture — something between the rough lightness of a feather and the cold hardness of a thin leather blade.
Each tug brings a slight snap, like tearing dead skin, and a strong, metallic, oily smell invades my nostrils. When I finally finish, my hands are stuck in a viscous and disgusting mixture of sweat, thick grease, and small black strands.
The next step is to open the monster. With the knife firmly in hand, I make a long and precise cut across its belly, from the neck down to the base of the legs. I try to be careful not to damage what's inside, but still, a nauseating smell escapes the opening, making my throat tighten.
It's a suffocating mix of rusty iron, damp rot, and a sharp sourness — something completely strange, unlike any animal I've ever faced.
I hold my breath, fighting not to choke, and begin slowly pulling the entrails out, feeling the viscous texture and strange weight of that interior. Honestly, at this moment, an uncomfortable doubt begins to grow inside me: is this thing really edible?.
Anyway, liver... heart... stomach... intestines... all slip through my fingers with a wet, slimy sound, echoing in the heavy silence around us. For a moment, I feel tempted to keep the liver, but looking at its color — a strange, almost repulsive greenish hue — my desire disappears instantly. I give up immediately — it's probably not a good idea to keep something so compromised.
I clean as best I can, using leaves and damp moss, carefully rubbing both inside and out. The moss, cold and moist, leaves a slight earthy smell on my hands as I insist on removing all the accumulated dirt.
Even so, I'm not expecting a perfect meal... Honestly, by now, all I want is to eat something that won't kill me right away. Either way, you could say that after dealing with the toughest parts, the last step was by far the simplest: light the fire and start roasting the meat.
But it wasn't crazy enough for me to try making a fire deep inside the cave — the air there was already too heavy and thin. Dying from suffocation wasn't part of my plans, so I decided to find a safer way out where the smoke could disperse without choking me.
Of course, my plan was never to light the fire right in the middle of the forest — that would definitely attract unwanted attention. So, I chose to start the fire near the entrance, keeping a safe distance to make sure no light or smoke would give away our position. With that in mind, all that was left was to complete the last step to finally prepare our first meal in that place: lighting the fire itself.
Even though I wasn't completely clueless about the theory of making a fire, the truth was I'd never actually lit one before. I never had to, and it would've felt weird just improvising one out of nowhere, without a clear reason or urgent need.
Even with the knowledge in my head, I lacked practice — that hands-on experience you only get by doing it. Still, I knew it was better to try and start with something, no matter how simple, than to stand still.
With that in mind, I split the task between my two bodies. First, I carefully picked two pieces of dry wood — a thicker one that would serve as the "base" which I found during the search alongside Justin, and a thinner one, the "drill" which I found while exploring with Noa.
The thin stick was supposed to spin vigorously against the sturdier log, creating enough friction to spark — or so the old, worn-out books I'd read assured me.
With my male body bent over the ground, I firmly held the thick piece of wood between my legs, pressing it against the soil I had carefully cleared to prevent any ember from spreading.
In my calloused hands, the thinner stick started spinning quickly, in a repetitive and determined motion. The friction grew, and with it the heat between the two pieces of wood intensified.
Sweat trickled down my forehead, running along my temples and dripping onto the dry ground. My arms burned from the continuous effort, muscles tense and begging for rest, but I just ignored it.
After what felt like hours but was only a few minutes, a faint smoke started to form — shy, almost imperceptible, lazily curling through the cold cave air. I stayed focused, my hands steady despite the fatigue.
Soon, a spark appeared, alive and shimmering, jumping like a golden firefly over the dry straw I'd carefully piled nearby. I leaned in slowly and blew gently.
The ember responded, crackling softly, until finally a flickering flame rose — shaky but determined — lighting the dark cave interior with its orange and golden dance.
Seeing that, a small smile formed at the corner of my lips — and also on Noa's and Justin's. There was something almost instinctive in that shared expression, like our intentions were perfectly aligned.
Then, with a voice full of conviction and a hint of pleasure, I declared: "Let there be fire"
After that, the process was simple. I gathered some thin twigs and carefully skewered them into the raw meat, making sure they held firmly. Then, I stuck the twigs into the ground around the fire, positioning them so the heat would reach the meat without burning it directly. It was just a matter of time now.
With a slight smile playing on my lips, I turned and walked into the cave, feeling the soft echo of my footsteps bouncing off the damp walls. My female body moved away from the orange glow of the fire, while Justin — my male body — stayed there, still and watchful by the fire.
It wasn't long before Noa — my female body — returned, accompanied by Oliver, Ethan, and Alice. As soon as the three saw the fire burning, they couldn't hide their surprise and curiosity.
I noticed their attentive looks, and with a half-smile, broke the silence: "Come on, you can settle around the fire. I think the meat will be ready in a few minutes... at least, I hope so" I said, casting a doubtful glance at the makeshift skewer.
The three exchanged silent looks for a moment, sharing unspoken thoughts, before nodding lightly and approaching the fire. I followed their lead, settling next to Alice, who sat right in front of my male body, her serene expression reflected in the dancing flames.
Oliver took a seat to my right, while Ethan settled near my left side. In the end, we all remained in absolute silence, letting only the crackling of the burning wood fill the space.
But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence — quite the opposite. Maybe, after everything we'd been through, words had become unnecessary. There was a kind of silent understanding between us, an invisible connection that let us simply exist in each other's presence, with no demands or explanations.
Strangely, even though we'd only met the day before, being there together felt as natural as breathing... as if we'd been side by side for years.
And maybe that's why the guilt started weighing on my conscience. I hadn't told them yet. I was still hiding the fact that Noa and Justin were actually the same person.
Even though I tried to ignore the fact that Oliver, Ethan, and Alice had already revealed almost all of their powers to me, hiding mine from them made it seem like I simply didn't trust them.
And the worst part was... they genuinely didn't seem to care. No sign of blame, no expression of distrust — just silent acceptance.
That contrast hit me uncomfortably, like a reminder that maybe I was being more closed off than I should be. I sighed inwardly, feeling the weight of the thought settle in my mind as a decision slowly but firmly began to form.
"Guys..." I called, my voice steady echoing in the silence between us.
My male body stepped forward, catching the attention of the three, who immediately looked away from the fire and fixed their eyes on me. Their faces showed a mix of curiosity. I took a deep breath before continuing, feeling the weight of what I was about to say.
"There's something I need to tell you three..."
The three just exchanged looks for a brief moment, as if sharing a silent thought, before turning their eyes back to me. Their expressions, neutral until then, grew visibly more serious.