Layla was lying on the bed in her chamber. The chamber itself was lit up by a simple candle that was standing on the nightstand by Layla's bed.
"Mhmmm... I want to hug you soooo much!" Layla pouted, wrapping her legs around a long pillow and kissing it softly.
"Orion! Why didn't you come with me, you stupid! It's so boring in here! I am forced to spend my whole day studying!" She slapped the pillow softly, kissing it again afterward.
"I'd prefer to be cuddling you in bed, or talking with Ellie!" She then raised the blanket, looking down at her body underneath the night gown. "And to make me suffer more, I have already peed myself a couple of times! It's so stupid!"
She spread her arms to the sides of the bed. "I'm so lonely... And sad... And hungry... And bored... I would never want to live in this place... But still, I need to survive one more week." Her pouty expression turned firm. "But Gareth keeps trying to win me over, it's so annoying! I want Orion! No one else! Even if Orion wouldn't want me, I would never want anyone else!" She punched the pillow over and over again.
"Lady, I have the thing you asked for." Selene's calm voice called from the other side of the door.
Layla instantly sat up in bed, a wide smile spreading on her face. She stared at the door, cracking her fingers in anticipation. "Really?! Really?! Come in!" She yelled, almost screaming out of happiness.
The door was opened, and Selene walked in, holding a small fumo plushie that looked like Orion's perfect replica. "I have been carefully following your description while I was sewing this plushie." She walked up to the bed, holding the plushie out. "Is it acceptable, Lady?"
Layla instantly snatched the plushie again, giving it many pecks and hugs. "Orion! I missed youuuu~!"
"Is it everything, Milady? It's already pretty late, so maybe consider falling asleep." Selene said calmly.
Layla looked at Selene with an ignorant look on her face. She waved her hand. "Yes, go, go." She said, immediately returning to playing with the plushie.
Selene nodded softly, not a bit surprised by Layla's behavior. It was almost as if she was already used to it.
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A few days ago, somewhere on the road from Fitonwich to Alisford.
"Solen! What are you doing? We have no time to waste!" Gorrak looked around, searching for the slime that bounced off somewhere.
He searched the bushes, climbed the trees, and looked in caves, but he didn't find anything.
Gorrak sighed deeply. "Solen... where have you gone?"
Then, from out of nowhere, Solen landed on top of his head, squeaking loudly in an alarmed way.
"Oh there you are!" The goblin said with relief. He listened to the squeaking coming from the slime, surprised.
"Danger? What do you mean?" He asked curiously.
The slime went silent, shifting on top of his head. After a moment, it spat out a blood-stained cleaver.
Gorrak's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! I've already seen it once!" He walked up to the cleaver, picking it up in amazement. "The goblin champion from my cave had the same one."
Gorrak grabbed the slime, softly pulling it off his head. "Where did you find it?"
The slime squeaked, shifting in his hands towards one direction.
Gorrak looked in that direction, seeing nothing but trees there.
As he was making his way in the direction that Solen suggested, he sniffed the cleaver, catching a familiar scent.
"Wait a second... I know that smell! It's the same blood from the cave back then... It's her blood on this cleaver! There's no mistaking, the scent is dominant and powerful. That's the blood of my Master's companion." Gorrak stared at the cleaver.
Solen squeaked, proud and excited.
Gorrak smirked, nodding softly. "Yeah! You're right, Solen! Thanks to you, we are closer to finding Master!" He looked down at the cleaver. "We can follow this intense smell and eventually find Master Orion!"
After a moment, they finally walked out of the forest, right onto the goblin graveyard.
The grass was soaked in the goblin blood. Corpses were scattered everywhere around, each one pierced with a weapon.
"What in the world happened here?" He looked around as he walked towards the biggest goblin- the champion.
Solen squeaked, clinging to Gorrak's head.
Gorrak crouched by the huge corpse, pierced by seven swords, examining it. "Wait a second... It's the same champion that was in the cave!" He lost his balance and fell on his back in fear. "I swear I have eaten its heart! How... how is it here?!"
Solen squeaked, confused.
Gorrak clenched his fist. "Yes, you are right, monsters are never different... But they are also never exactly the same!" He pointed at the champion. "And this! This is exactly the same one from the cave. The one that was killed by Master's companion!"
Solen squeaked as it jumped off Gorrak's head and absorbed all seven swords.
The slime squeaked, brushing itself against Gorrak's hand.
Gorrak smiled. "Really? The heart is still there?" He immediately got up and towered over the body.
Solen squeaked, its purple, slimy body glowing slightly.
"Yeah, analyze it if you want. I'll get to the heart." Gorrak chuckled as he picked up a sword, cutting the champion's chest open.
He reached his hand into the cut and ripped the pale heart out. "Thanks for the meal~!" He smiled, swallowing the whole heart in one go.
At first, nothing happened, and Gorrak was fine. Then, he fell to his knees. His heart clenched in his chest, almost as if he was having a heart attack.
Solen jumped on top of him, going out of its mind. It squeaked loudly, but Gorrak couldn't hear it because he was experiencing something horrible.
Gorrak grabbed his head, experiencing all the pain the champion had ever felt, and added up at the same time.
He screamed in pain and despair, grabbing the grass as all the champion's memories flashed before his eyes.
He saw a dark silhouette with champion's eyes.
Their hands were behind their back as they towered over the champion, who was bowing down in respect.
"You will lead your whole tribe to the cave, but you will not leave or try showing any signs of life, understood?" The Silhouette said coldly, glaring at the champion.
The champion nodded in submission, turning his head towards all the goblins behind him and roaring loudly.
In the crowd of goblins, Gorrak could spot himself in the middle of it. The weak, powerless, completely defeated old self.
"NO! I'm not! Going to be like this again!" Gorrak roared, getting to his feet, the power he absorbed kicking in. He grew stronger.
Solen bounced off him, squeaking in both worry and excitement as it watched his energy rise.
"I have a master's. I have a friend. But I still am not full. I want to eat more and more. Grow stronger, faster, more powerful. Become something that I've always dreamed of. Are you with me, Solen?" Gorrak looked down at the slime.
Solen squeaked loudly, jumping on his head.
"So now," Gorrak looked around, counting all the dead goblins. "Let's eat something."