Food

Location: Unknown

"Come here, you bastard!" Seven growled under his breath, his voice laced with frustration.

In the midst of a ruined city, where shattered buildings loomed like forgotten giants and the sky stretched wide and endless, Seven found himself chasing after a rabbit-like creature.

The broken cobblestones of the street scattered beneath his boots as he moved, each step driven by the gnawing hunger clawing at his stomach.

The city around him, once bustling with life, was now silent, save for the occasional scurrying of wildlife and the eerie echo of his own footsteps.

The creature he pursued darted nimbly between the rubble, its small form quick and agile, teasing him with each turn.

But Seven was relentless.

With a swift surge of energy, he launched himself at the rabbit, his body crashing into it with a thud, knocking the wind out of the small creature and pinning it to the ground. The chase had gone on long enough.

He was done. His dagger was already in his hand, and in one fluid motion, he drove the blade deep into the side of the rabbit's body, stilling its frantic movements.

His breath came in ragged gasps as the adrenaline from the hunt faded, replaced by the gnawing ache of hunger that had been building for what felt like an eternity.

It had been more than an hour since Seven had ventured outside.

He had originally planned to cook the remains of a panther beast his body had hunted in the underground room, a creature that had been slain by the mysterious entity possessing Seven's body.

But when he had inspected it, he found the panther to be nothing but skin and bones, its body wasted away.

Its stomach was concave, as if it had been starving for weeks, and its foul stench was unbearable.

The beast had apparently been forced to consume its own waste to survive, a disgusting and pathetic fate.

The smell alone had been enough to turn his stomach, and he quickly discarded the idea of eating it.

That's when he decided to venture out, hoping to find something more palatable in the ruined city.

Now, after what had felt like an endless pursuit, he had finally caught the rabbit, the very creature that had eluded him for so long.

Seven felt a flicker of pity as he watched the tiny rabbit's body.

Its fur was soft, its little paws twitching weakly in the fading moments of life.

He'd killed it, yes, but there was a part of him that couldn't help but feel the weight of it.

The helplessness in the creature's eyes before its life was extinguished gnawed at him, reminding him of something he had seen long ago when he was a kid.

his mind flashed to the image of the goat he'd seen butchered long ago from outside a butcher shop.

He had been younger then, still struggling with the brutality of survival, but he'd watched with cold detachment as the animal's life had been taken.

He remembered the sharp, rhythmic slashes of the knife, the suddenness of it, and the way the goat had struggled for just a moment before going limp. 

But now it was necessary for food. He had to survive.

And just like that, the pang of guilt was replaced by a dull, almost mechanical resignation. This rabbit, too, was a necessity. He was hungry, and the world around him was unforgiving. There was no room for hesitation.

His hands shook with a mix of relief and hunger, and he wasted no time. He severed the rabbit's head with a quick slash, the blade slicing through the flesh with ease.

The lifeless body dangled from his grip, and he held it upside down, letting the blood flow freely, staining the cobblestones beneath him.

For a moment, he stood there, watching the blood pool at his feet, his thoughts scattered.

The hunger gnawed at him more intensely now, and he knew it was time to prepare the meat, to finally satisfy the cravings that had been growing inside him.

He had caught the rabbit, and now, the hard part was over. All that was left was to feast. 

He began walking back toward the glowing magic circuit room, the rabbit's blood staining his hands as he trudged through the decaying ruins of the city. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "What even is this place…?"

As he passed more houses along the way, he inspected them, but they were empty, just as he expected.

Each house was silent, and inside, he found only the remains of those who had lived here before.

Skeletons, dressed in ragged clothes, sat frozen in time. He reached out to touch one, but as soon as his fingers made contact, the skeleton crumbled to dust.

The same happened with every other one he touched. They had turned to nothing but particles, leaving him with a sense of eerie finality.

He pulled his hand back, disgusted and unsettled, realizing that the bones of this place had been long abandoned to the ravages of time.

The only skeleton that seemed to hold up was the one in the glowing magic circuit room. It was as if that room and the body inside had resisted the decay that had consumed everything else.

He had decided to call the room with the glowing magic circuit the "glowing room," and the one where the ball of fire floated the "fire room," the same room where the panther remains had stayed.

He had also found a rain water collector near the building of glowing room and but it was full of filth, he removed the dirty water and cleaned the rainwater collector thorouhhly

He had also found a rainwater collector near the building of the glowing room, but it was full of filth. He removed the dirty water and cleaned the rainwater collector thoroughly.

after cleaning it he check the condition of the rabbit, it seemed almost drained

After cleaning it, he checked the condition of the rabbit. It seemed almost drained, its body limp and pale, the blood loss taking its toll.

He peeled off the rabbit's skin with a practiced touch, his fingers working gently to avoid disturbing the delicate organs beneath.

Each movement was deliberate, as if the task required respect, a careful dance between survival and reverence for the creature.

His knife, steady in his hand, cut through the flesh with sharp precision.

Even in the heat of the hunt, he had been mindful, aiming for its side with careful intent, deliberately bypassing the intestines.

He didn't want the remnants of the rabbit's last meal to mix with his own.

With practiced slowness, he removed the organs one by one, the slick, warm insides revealing themselves in the dim light.

He set the prepared meat aside, each piece arranged with quiet care, the muscles and ligaments placed in neat piles, awaiting their turn over the fire.

The rhythm of his movements was meditative, his focus unbroken as he went about the task, a quiet determination in his eyes.

With the rabbit butchered and the edible parts chosen, he turned his attention toward the glowing room.

He carried the meat with him as he entered the building, his steps light on the cold, cracked floor.

Inside, the flickering light of the glowing magic circuit illuminated the space, casting an eerie yet comforting glow. 

He descended into the underground, the air growing warmer as he approached the fire room. The magical flame still burned, suspended in the air, its orange glow casting dancing shadows on the walls.

The fire, untamed and wild, seemed to breathe, its heat palpable in the otherwise still room.

He set the meat down near the flame, a flicker of anticipation rising in his chest as he prepared to cook.