GRRRRRRRRRR!
A loud rumble echoed from the stomach of a young boy as he trudged along the rainy streets of town. His bare feet splashed through shallow puddles, each step heavier than the last. His thin frame trembled with fatigue, and his clothes were nothing but rags, soaked through and clinging to his skin. The shirt was torn at the edges, stained with mud, and his shorts hung loosely, barely holding together. In his small hands, he clutched a soggy piece of cardboard, the only thing he had left.
He lifted the cardboard, but the words written on it had already blurred in the rain.
"Oh no… it's all wet…" he muttered, his voice weak.
Another growl came from his stomach, sharper this time, making him bend forward and clutch his belly. He staggered but kept walking.
"I… I wanna eat something…" he whispered, his eyes dull from hunger.
In the distance, under the safety of colorful umbrellas, a group of high school students walked together. Their laughter cut through the sound of the rain, light and careless. They noticed him, how could they not? A scrawny boy, drenched and dirty, stumbling like a stray dog.
"Look at that kid, pfft." One girl covered her mouth, giggling.
"Disgusting, right? Haha." Another added, her tone dripping with mockery.
The young boy froze when a sharp voice called out.
"Hey, you! Kid!"
He turned his head, blinking rain from his eyes. Confusion flickered across his face.
One of the boys in the group pulled out an empty packet of chips from his pocket. He shook it mockingly, smirking as if he were dangling treasure.
"You wanna eat this? Come here, I'll give it to you."
The boy's lips curved into a faint smile.
'Wait… really? Is he gonna give me food?!' the starving child thought, his heart pounding with a fragile hope.
"What are you doing?" one of the girls asked in a hushed voice.
"Nothing. Just playing with this kid, haha," the boy replied casually before raising his voice again.
"If you don't come here in six seconds, I'm leaving!"
Panic rushed through the young boy's body. He dropped his ruined cardboard without a second thought and broke into a desperate sprint, splashing through puddles.
"Oh no! I have to hurry!" he cried, legs pumping with every ounce of strength he had left.
But then—
One of the girls suddenly glanced to the side. Her eyes widened in shock, her face draining of color.
The boy had just stepped out from the cover of the buildings, reaching the open road in front of them. At that exact moment, a blinding light flared from his side. He turned his head slowly, dread filling his chest…
But it was too late.
The deafening roar of an engine.
The screech of tires.
And then—IMPACT.
A truck slammed into him, sending his small body flying through the air before it crashed onto the wet pavement.
The high school students froze in horror. Then, panic struck like lightning.
"W-we need to go!" one shouted, their voices trembling.
Without hesitation, they ran, leaving the scene behind.
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!" a woman's scream tore through the street, piercing the sound of the rain.
The boy lay crumpled on the ground, his body broken and blood pooling beneath him, coloring the rainwater crimson. His eyes, once dull from hunger, were now glazed with pain, streaked red from the blood that clung to his lashes. His chest rose and fell shallowly, every breath a struggle.
'It's… so hot…' he thought weakly, the warmth of his own blood soaking into his skin.
His vision blurred, dark shadows creeping in from the edges. All he could hear was a sharp, piercing ringing, drowning out the cries and footsteps around him.
"Someone call an ambulance!" a desperate voice shouted.
Strangers surrounded him, their faces twisted in shock and pity. Some held their phones up, recording the scene with trembling hands.
'Am… I dying…?' the boy wondered, his mind hazy.
'I… I just wanted to eat… at least once…'
His lips parted, but no sound came. Slowly, his eyes closed, and the world around him slipped into silence and darkness.
Then, something strange.
He felt nothing, no pain, no weight, no body. Only an endless stillness, like floating in a void.
His eyes—if he still had eyes—opened, and he was surrounded by stars.
They stretched endlessly in every direction, shining like scattered jewels on a black canvas. He drifted among them, his form transparent, without substance.
"Wh… what is this…?" his voice echoed softly, though no sound should have been possible.
The stars began to shift. They swirled and danced, pulling him along. Streams of light curved around him like rivers in the night sky, twisting into shapes and patterns more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. Nebulas bloomed like flowers, their colors shimmering with purples, blues, and golds. Comets streaked past, leaving long trails of silver fire.
The boy's thoughts wavered between fear and awe as the universe itself seemed to carry him forward.
Then, ahead of him, appeared a blinding light. It pulsed, brighter than the sun, yet strangely gentle. The streams of stars all flowed into it, as if guiding him toward it.
His vision was consumed.
And then...everything turned white.
The blinding radiance around him began to thin, fading little by little until shadows and shapes came into view. Slowly, the boy's sight adjusted, and the first thing he saw was a face leaning over him.
A woman.
Her hair was long and black as ink, falling gently past her shoulders like strands of silk. Her eyes were the same shade, dark yet filled with a warmth that drew him in, like a quiet night sky. Her skin glowed softly under the light, smooth and flawless, and her lips curved into the faintest smile. She held him carefully in her arms, her embrace gentle yet firm, as though he was the most precious thing in the world.
The boy blinked, bewildered.
'What… what is this? What's happening?'
"Oh look, he's awake!" the woman said, her tone sweet and filled with joy.
Before he could gather his thoughts, another figure appeared from the side. A second woman walked closer, dressed in a neat maid outfit of black and white, her steps graceful and precise. Her eyes were soft and her smile carried kindness, but what stood out immediately were the smooth, curved horns rising from her head—undeniably inhuman.
She lowered herself slightly, speaking in a delicate voice, "Hello, Master Rainzzy."
The boy froze. His small body trembled in the woman's arms, his eyes locking on the horns.
'M-Monster…!' he screamed in his mind. Tears welled up, and he burst into loud cries, his voice shrill with fear.
The horned maid flinched back in surprise, worry crossing her face. She lowered her gaze and spoke timidly.
"Lady Rain… I think young master is frightened of me."
But the woman holding him—Rain—only chuckled softly. She stroked his tiny cheek with the back of her finger, her gaze filled with affection.
"Oh no," she said in a calm, soothing voice. "I think he's just hungry."
With that, she shifted him slightly in her arms. Her free hand pulled aside the fabric covering her chest, revealing the soft curve of her breast. She guided his small head closer, pressing his lips against her skin.
Warmth filled his mouth as milk touched his tongue. His eyes went wide, trembling with shock, and his thoughts exploded in disbelief.
HUHHHHHH?!!!