The night air was damp, heavy with the salty scent of the ocean. The wind howled harder than usual, rattling the loose tiles on Ren's roof. In the distance, the waves crashed with a booming intensity, as if the sea itself was preparing to roar.
But inside the small, run-down house, Ren was lying flat on his thin mattress. His stomach growled again, louder this time, like a war drum demanding his attention.
"Urghhh…" Ren groaned, clutching his belly. "Why am I hungry again…? Didn't I just eat this evening? Am I cursed? Or maybe… I'm actually a monster disguised as a human?!"
He stared up at the cracked ceiling, eyes hollow, but his mouth kept spouting nonsense.
"At this rate… I'll die. D-I-E. Just from an empty stomach."
He rolled to his right, then his left, restless. Finally, he sat up straight, his hair a tangled mess, his expression grim like a hero who had lost his sword.
"No. I can't let this continue. If I stay put, I'll lose. I need to fight back! Yes, a battle against hunger itself!"
He stood dramatically, pointing toward the open window. "And the battlefield shall be… the ocean!"
---
Meanwhile, from the crackling radio of his old neighbor, the midnight news echoed through the night.
"Residents are advised not to set out to sea tonight. Meteorological reports predict a storm forming around the Bermuda Triangle. Strong winds, towering waves, and whirlpools are expected to occur without warning. All vessels are advised to remain ashore."
But Ren never listened to the news. To him, the radio was nothing more than "a box of nagging voices unrelated to his stomach."
---
He made his way to the small dock near his house. The night was dark, with only a pale moonlight breaking through the drifting clouds. The wind picked up, whipping at the sea, making it swell and churn. Most boats had already been pulled ashore, leaving only a few tied up at the dock.
Ren walked lightly, as if nothing unusual was happening.
"Tonight, I'll be the hero of my own stomach. Behold, unlucky fish, I come to rescue you… with kindness… and then fry you."
He climbed into one of the small boats. It rocked under his weight, nearly throwing him off.
"Whoa! Calm down, partner. We're gonna make a great team. I eat, and you… well, you become my food. A fair deal, right?"
With a crude paddle, he rowed out into the open water. The waves rose higher, splashing against his face. But Ren only chuckled.
"Wahahaha! This ocean is so dramatic. Like it's cheering for me. Don't worry, I'm ready!"
---
Minutes later, he stopped rowing. Standing at the center of the boat, he stared at the rolling sea.
"Alright, time to hunt!"
Without hesitation, he threw himself into the water.
Splash!
The cold seawater swallowed him whole. Ren opened his eyes underwater, straining against the sting. Everything was darkness, endless and deep. Yet faintly, at the bottom, he saw a glimmer—like the mouth of a cave.
"Eh? What's that? A cave?"
His curiosity quickly overpowered his common sense. He swam down, lungs already begging for air. The glow pulled him closer, until—
Suddenly, a powerful current surged out from the cave, tugging at him with a force he couldn't resist.
"W-whoa?! What the hell is this?! I wasn't ready yet! I haven't even said goodbye to fried rice!"
A whirlpool erupted, swirling violently, dragging his body down. He flailed desperately, but it was no use. It felt like a giant hand gripping him tight, pulling him into the unknown.
"Nooo—! If I die, please, someone write on my tombstone: 'Ren, fell in battle against hunger!'"
The water spun, his vision blurred. His breath vanished. Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
When the storm finally calmed, and the ocean once again fell silent, a lone body washed ashore on an unfamiliar beach, far, far from the land Ren once knew.
He lay face down in the sand, clothes drenched and clinging to him. His chest rose and fell weakly, shallow breaths the only proof he was still alive.
Ren did not wake.
And from beyond the treeline of the dense forest bordering the beach, faint shadows began to move closer.
---