Days passed.
Kael hunted, and Moro followed. The boy struck with cunning and savagery, while the slime dissolved corpses into nothingness, leaving only bones. Together, they fed. Together, they grew stronger.
At night, Kael lay against the cold stone wall, Moro resting at his side. The faint pulse of the slime's body was like a heartbeat, steady, comforting.
It almost felt… human.
But the dungeon never let him forget what he was.
One night, Kael dreamed.
He stood in a vast black cavern, the stone floor cracking beneath his feet. In the center floated a massive core of obsidian crystal, its glow faint yet suffocating.
From all around, whispers filled the air.
—Feed.
—Grow.
—Rise, child of the abyss—
The mark on Kael's chest seared with pain. He screamed, clutching it. His knees buckled.
"Why me?!" His voice tore from his throat. "Why do you want me?!"
The whispers rumbled like laughter.
—Because you are mine—
Kael awoke drenched in sweat, his small body trembling. Moro pulsed anxiously beside him, sensing his fear.
Kael buried his face into the slime's warmth, tears sliding down his cheeks.
"…Don't leave me. Please. Don't leave me."
Moro quivered, pressing close.
And deep within the dungeon, the core pulsed once, as though amused.