A faint blorp broke the silence.
Kael froze, lifting his tear-streaked face.
Something small slid across the stone floor. A slime, faintly glowing, its gelatinous body quivering like a droplet of living water.
Kael's first instinct was to kill it. His fingers tightened around the shard.
Meat. I need it.
He raised the weapon. His breath was ragged, desperate—
The slime stopped. Its form rippled once, then it spat out something onto the floor.
A chunk of meat. Half-digested. Putrid. But food.
Kael blinked. His stomach roared.
Slowly, he lowered the shard. His trembling hands snatched the chunk, shoving it into his mouth. He gagged at the taste, but he swallowed every piece. Warmth spread through him, dulling the ache in his belly.
The slime wobbled, making a soft blorp sound as if pleased.
Kael stared at it.
"…Why?"
The slime hopped closer, bumping gently into his leg. Its jelly body was warm.
Something inside Kael cracked again—but this time, not from despair.
He pressed a hand to the slime's surface, his voice trembling.
"You… you don't want me dead?"
The slime pulsed faintly, as if in answer.
For the first time in his life, Kael laughed. A broken, hollow sound, but real.
"…Moro," he whispered. "Your name… is Moro." The slime bounced happily.
That night, Kael didn't feel completely alone.