Chapter 3: The First Steps of Survival

The jungle was still. The distant growls and roars had faded, and the thick canopy above me let in only a sliver of light. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, my legs trembling after the frantic escape. I had made it out of the serpent's reach, but I wasn't safe. Not yet.

Every breath felt like a victory, each beat of my heart a reminder that I had made it through another challenge. But even as I lay hidden in the underbrush, my mind raced with thoughts of what was to come.

I couldn't stay here forever.

I needed food. I needed water.

But most of all, I needed strength. I couldn't afford to be weak, not in this world.

I had no idea what had happened to me. One minute, I had been watching a movie, sitting comfortably in my apartment, and the next, I was in the body of a small, weak dragon. A creature among beasts, struggling to survive in a jungle full of horrors. The world had changed so quickly, so brutally. It felt like a nightmare—a cruel twist of fate.

But this was real.

I stared up at the trees above me, my eyes locked on the rough bark of a nearby trunk. The branches swayed gently in the wind, the leaves rustling softly. I could hear the faint sound of something moving in the distance. A predator? A prey? I wasn't sure.

What I was sure of was that I couldn't just hide. I couldn't just stay crouched here, waiting for the world to swallow me whole.

No, I had to move. I had to adapt.

I gathered what little strength I had left and slowly pushed myself to my feet. My body felt awkward, unfamiliar—like I was still learning how to control it. My claws scraped against the ground, and my tail swished behind me, swaying like an anchor in the wind.

But I wasn't going to let fear paralyze me.

I glanced up at the tree above me and felt a small spark of resolve. It was time to climb. The other creatures in this jungle could easily overpower me on the ground. But if I could get high enough—if I could get to safety for a while—I might have a chance.

The idea of climbing a tree seemed both absurd and necessary. I had never considered myself particularly agile. But with nowhere else to turn, I set my gaze on the sturdy trunk before me. I crouched low and tested my legs, my small, dragon-like body trembling with the effort.

It wasn't graceful, not by any means. But I managed to push off the ground, using my claws to grip the rough bark of the tree. It took several attempts, each one feeling like a struggle, but I eventually made my way up the trunk. My claws scraped against the bark as I pulled myself higher, the muscles in my legs burning with the effort.

It wasn't easy. I wasn't built for climbing like this—not yet. But every moment I spent climbing was a moment I wasn't wasting, a moment I was gaining back control.

When I finally reached the first set of branches, I paused, panting from the exertion. My legs ached, and my claws dug into the wood for stability. The jungle stretched out below me, a maze of green and shadows. I looked down, my heart skipping a beat as I realized how far I had climbed. The ground seemed distant, almost unreachable. But in this moment, it felt safer up here, out of reach from the larger predators that roamed below.

As I rested, my mind turned back to the most immediate problem I faced: food.

I needed to eat.

The idea of hunting something bigger than me was laughable. I wasn't strong enough to fight a creature on the ground—not yet, anyway. But hunger gnawed at my stomach, and the thought of going without food for much longer made my body ache. I had to be practical.

I looked around at the branches overhead. There were insects crawling along the leaves, some of them buzzing lazily between branches, others crawling along the bark of the tree. Small creatures, insignificant to the mighty beasts that ruled this world, but to me, they were all I had.

I swallowed hard.

I had never eaten insects before. The thought of it disgusted me. But in the back of my mind, a voice echoed, reminding me that I had no choice. This was survival. I couldn't afford to wait for something better to come along. I wasn't in my old world anymore. This wasn't a world where I could simply go to the store and grab a meal. This was a world where survival was the only thing that mattered.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I had to do. The insects were small, no more than an inch or two in length, but they would be enough. I could feel my body yearning for sustenance, and I knew I had to overcome the disgust. I had to do whatever it took.

I reached out with one clawed hand, carefully grabbing one of the insects off the tree branch. It wiggled in my grasp, and I held it there, my throat tightening in hesitation. For a moment, I wondered if I could just wait longer, if I could hold out for something else. But the hunger in my gut refused to let me wait. I had no time for hesitation.

I swallowed hard and threw the insect into my mouth, forcing myself to chew. It tasted bitter, and its texture was unpleasant, but it gave me the energy I needed. As I chewed, I focused on the feeling of my body accepting the food, the way my stomach began to settle, even if my mind revolted. The taste didn't matter. What mattered was that I was feeding myself. I was surviving.

I grabbed another insect and ate it, then another, and another, each one more difficult than the last, but each one bringing me closer to the strength I would need.

I could feel my mind, once clouded with panic, beginning to clear. The hunger pangs slowly faded, replaced by a dull sense of relief. It wasn't a great meal—it wasn't a meal I would ever choose willingly—but it was enough.

Survival. That was the goal. And right now, eating insects was the key to my survival.

I looked down at the jungle below, my gaze sweeping across the dense undergrowth. A low growl rumbled in the distance. My heart skipped, but I didn't move. I had learned my first lesson: in this world, every decision had consequences. The creatures here didn't care if you were hungry, scared, or weak. They only cared about whether you could survive.

I had made it this far. But the real test had only just begun.

I took another deep breath and settled into the crook of the tree, staring out over the jungle. I had to adapt, learn, and survive. If I wanted to make it in this world, I needed to become something stronger. Something better.

And for the first time since waking up in this new form, I felt like I might just have a chance.