The sun was peeking over the horizon, the morning air cool and crisp. The scent of damp earth seeped through the cracks in the wooden wall. A glint of sunlight slipped through the window, landing on Para’s face and rousing him from sleep. His neck ached from sleeping in an awkward posture. For a moment, he simply sat there, listening to the quiet, small chirps of the bird outside and, of course, readjusting his neck.

He moved carefully, gathering what little food he could. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head and got to work, lighting a small fire.

He moved quietly, almost ritualistically. Most mornings, he sat by the window for hours, watching the trees and birds playing in the sky. But today, an unusual energy buzzed in his actions.

Grahn was the first to wake. He cracked his back with a loud yawn, sniffed the air, and smiled. “It smells like food, " he said groggily, kicking Hira awake.

Hira sat up, rubbing his eyes. “What? Morning already?” He blinked at Para, who was setting out the food with an awkward, hopeful glance in their direction.

“G-Good morning.” Para said softly, fumbling a little over the words.

“Morning, Para!” Grahn and Hira said in unison.

Hira took a bite. “Could use some spices, but it’s warm. Thanks!”

Para ducked his head, adjusting his glasses to hide a small smile.

Grahn and Hira couldn't help but notice how Para kept glancing, his tiny fingers tightening around his bowl whenever the conversation lulled. Although he was enjoying sharing a meal with them, he also displayed a quiet apprehension, as if afraid they might disappear.

As they ate, Grahn and Hira exchanged glances. They had noticed how little food Para had left. “We should go to the village.” Grahn suggested, “Stock up on supplies.”

Para’s face tensed, his hands tightening around his bowl. He quickly looked down. “V-Village… Um… I…” His voice was trailing off, but his discomfort was clear.

Hira frowned but didn't push it further. “Won’t it be fun to go and hunt ourselves instead? We can even explore the forest.”

Grahn smiled, “Yeah, I'm also itching for some action.”

Para’s eyes flickered with relief and gratitude. “I-I’ll come too!” He blurted out, surprising even himself.

Grahn and Hira exchanged uncertain glances.

“I’m not sure that's a good idea…” Grahn hesitated. He didn’t want to dampen Para’s enthusiasm, but his safety was more important.

“No! I’ll come too. I can help you guys.” Para’s eyes burned with passion as he looked at them. Grahn and Hira couldn't refuse him any longer. They had to let him tag along, too.

After the meal, Grahn stretched, standing up and glancing around the small space. As he absentmindedly looked through the books stacked near the wall, something caught his eye. It was tucked behind the books, partially peeking over them; it was a map. His fingers had just brushed against it when—

“Oi! Grahn, let’s go.” Hira’s voice cut through the moment, pulling him away from his curiosity.

…

They had decided to head deep into the forest to hunt.

The deeper they headed into the forest, the happier Para got. Grahn was leading with Hira in the back, naturally, and Para was in the middle. Grahn and Hira were mostly looking straight ahead, occasionally observing other things. Para, on the other hand, his head was swinging from left to right constantly.

He had never ventured into the forest before, but with Grahn and Hira protecting him, he was free to explore. He eagerly took in every plant, every insect, and even the smallest movement in his surroundings. He was even observing things that didn't move; he regularly stopped to see strange rocks on the ground. Some were extremely smooth, while others had complex geometrical structures.

Suddenly, something caught Para’s attention. “Watch this!” He called out to Grahn and Hira, then went up to a group of some dried spherical seed pods. He caught a handful of the pods and used all his efforts to pop them.

As the seed pods popped, a brown wisp began to seep out. Without a word, Para dashed past them and dove into a bush. The two stood there, dumbfounded, before quickly realizing something was about to happen. Not wanting to stick around and find out, they hurried after him, squeezing into the same bush.

Inside the bush, Para hurriedly asked them not to breathe the air directly as he covered his nose with his shirt. Even though Grahn and Hira were confused, they didn't ignore Para’s warning. They also hurriedly ducked their noses into their shirts.

Even with his face buried in his shirt, Para’s wide grin was impossible to miss. For the first time, they saw him smiling without any worry.

The brown mist had already dissipated, but they could smell its musky scent even through their covers. Their heads were getting lighter and dizzier when a sudden rustle alerted them. Grahn and Hira were ready to get into action. Grahn was on his toes, and Hira’s hand was on his talwar’s hilt. But Para asked them to stay and watch.

Soon, something came out of the bushes. It was a big monkey-like creature with a single, curving, silver-colored horn coming out of its snout. It was a One-Horned Baboon. Grahn and Hira watched in shock as the beast strangely walked toward the popped seed pod. It was limping, catching itself mid-fall. The baboon, shifting clumsily between two and four legs, stumbled toward the popped pods. It looked at the pods for a few seconds before aggressively sniffing them. It looked like that creature wanted every bit of that brown mist, not missing even a little bit.

Grahn and Hira watched in shock. “What’s going on?” They asked.

Para smirked. “Those fungus spores are hallucinogenic. Once they spread through the air, nearby animals will be drawn to them.”

Para said as his chest bloomed in pride. “I saw fresh markings of the One-Horned Baboons on some trees nearby, so I decided that this would be the best way to make them drop their guard. It’s going to be an easy catch.”

Grahn and Hira exchanged stunned glances.

“So, should we go in and attack?” Hira asked, already starting to get up.

“No!” Para exclaimed, “Not yet.”

As he said this, two more baboons came sniffing the mist. Following them, a slightly bigger group of baboons arrived; they had around twelve members.

There were some squabbles, but they soon got tired of fighting and decided to just sniff the drug. Some lay sprawled on the ground, grinning in a daze, while others buried their long snouts in the pods or swayed in an intoxicated dance.

But then, soon, one by one, they began falling asleep. Sound asleep. Not moving at all.

“This is the time to strike.” Para said as he slowly got up. He carefully approached the sleeping baboons. Grahn and Hira obediently followed him.

Para signaled the two to be ready and slowly tapped a sleeping baboon on his head; there was no movement.

Para smiled brightly. This was the first time he was able to hunt.

…

The trio returned with three baboons, leaving the rest peacefully asleep.

On the way, Grahn spotted something: it was a paw print. “Do you think this belongs to a mountain lion?” He asked Para.

Para kneeled to carefully observe the print, after thinking for a while, he spoke, “I don't think so… Mountain lion’s print won’t be this small. This print might be of… a ginger cat.”

Hira’s eyes opened in shock. “G-Ginger Cat?” He asked with a stupefied expression.

Para looked at him. “Yes, they are small and orange—”

Meow…

A sweet, soft meow interrupted Para’s explanation.

Hira jolted toward the source of the voice, and what he saw left him in utter disbelief.

It was a small cat; its fur coat was orange and white stripes ran from its chin to its tail.

The small cat meowed at Hira again. His face turned bright red as if he might melt just from looking at the tiny feline.

Without wasting a second, he picked up the small cat, cuddling it. “You are the cutest thing in this entire world. I’ll give you my life to protect you…”

Grahn and Para were awkwardly watching Hira get cozy with his new love.

The cat meowed again. Hira glanced at it. “You wanna to say somethi—”

The cat raised its paws, sharp claws peeking out of them. Hira, Grahn, and Para all saw the claws. They all saw how the claws calmly landed on Hira’s forehead and dragged across his face to his chin. Giving him a temporary tattoo of three red lines.

Hira, still smiling, carefully placed the cat down. He kneeled in front of it, his forehead on the forest floor, and screamed, “It was my fault for picking you up like that. I should’ve asked for permission first. I’m sorry… I disappointed you.” Tears started forming in his eyes, his voice choking.

“I-It’s gone, Hira.” Para said.

Hira looked up, and the cat was nowhere to be seen. Tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks. Para tried to cheer him up, while Grahn stood on the sidelines, carrying three baboons as he shook his head in disappointment.

“Just carry your baboons and let’s go home.” He pretty much had had enough of Hira’s antics.

…

The cramped home pushed them to eat outside.

The three sat together, enjoying their fresh catch.

“You were awesome today, Para.” Grahn praised Para, savoring a mouthful of freshly cooked meat.

“Yeah! Where did you learn all that?” Hira asked, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

“I just learned that in books.” Para said, fidgeting with his fingers, trying to hide his smile.

“You read a lot of books, huh? I saw them inside.” Grahn said.

Para's expression fell, sadness washing over his face. “I don’t talk to people… All I can do is read.”

Grahn and Hira noticed the sudden switch in the mood.

“Well, at least you can remember all that. I used to forget everything the moment I turned the page.” Hira said with a chuckle.

“Yeah.” Grahn gave Para a warm smile. “You were very reliable today, Para.”

A comforting warmth spread through Para’s chest. He wasn't used to this— being seen, being acknowledged. He hid his cherry-red face behind the bowl, but it didn't go unnoticed.

As the night settled in, Para watched Grahn tend to Mokash, adjusting the damp cloth on his forehead and changing the bandages on his arm with careful hands. A shadow flickered in Para’s eyes, something unspoken lingering there.

Watching them, he recalled how he once cared for someone on that hay bed. The memory filled his heart with grief.

Hira noticed Para’s eyes dimming. He gently patted him on the head.

“Let’s get some sleep.” He said with a soft smile.