Chapter 8: Strength in Hunger

I crouched low in the underbrush, my belly full, my body tense. The jungle had gone quiet, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

The scent of blood was too strong, too tempting. Something else would come soon.

And sure enough, I heard them before I saw them.

A rustling in the trees. Soft, deliberate footsteps. Low growls in the distance.

Then, movement.

A pack of small predators, maybe the size of wolves, slinked through the foliage, their eyes locked onto the remains of the deer carcass. They sniffed the air, their sharp teeth bared as they approached the kill.

I held my breath.

Then came something bigger. A massive, boar-like creature with thick, matted fur and curved tusks emerged from the opposite side of the clearing. It grunted, pawing at the ground, its small eyes locked on the deer.

The smaller predators hesitated.

A silent standoff.

Then, chaos.

The pack lunged. The boar charged. Snarls and screeches filled the air as the animals tore into each other, fighting for what little meat remained.

I didn't wait to see who won.

I turned and ran.

My claws dug into the earth as I sprinted through the jungle, weaving through trees, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't stop until I was deep into the forest, far from the kill site, far from the blood-soaked clearing.

Only when I was certain I was alone did I slow down.

And that's when I noticed it.

I felt different.

Stronger.

Faster.

Lighter.

The meat had done something to me, something I hadn't expected. My muscles didn't ache like they used to. My movements felt more fluid, more controlled.

And my wings…

I flapped them experimentally.

There was power there. More than before.

I took a deep breath, crouched low, and leaped into the air.

For a moment, I panicked, expecting to fall.

But I didn't.

I soared.

Not high, not far—but farther than before. My wings carried me for a solid five seconds before I had to land, my claws scraping against the bark of a tree.

I grinned.

This was real.

I was growing. Changing.

Becoming something more.

I wasn't just some weak, helpless creature struggling to survive anymore. I was becoming a true dragon.

And one day, I would be strong enough to fight alongside—or against—the titans of this world.

One day, I would no longer have to run.