"As I said… I won't eat you. Please, stay quiet." Claw lowered his head again.
"A—sorry… I will." Wooly lowered his head too, imitating Claw in fear.
Both of them closed their eyes, while Leila clasped her hands in happiness.
The air between them eased, the tension fading into an awkward calm.
"I knew you both would get along! Haha!" Her trembling voice still carried warmth.
"Leila! Come!" An old man's voice echoed from behind.
"I don't know whether to rest or worry… Vein and Gash's absence is concerning," Claw thought.
A sharp exhale flared from his nose, startling Wooly.
"M… oh yes, I didn't introduce myself. My name is…" Wooly began.
Huh…? He isn't listening. Wooly stood still, his gaze never leaving Claw's.
"Anyway, I saw it—that fight you had with Grizzler," Wooly said, his tone flat.
"You know that bear?" Claw asked, though he didn't open his eyes.
From the huts, a group of old people from the tribe sat by the campfire, their eyes following Leila once she reached the old man.
Their expressions were cold, unreadable.
The crackle of the fire filled the silence, each spark rising like an unspoken word.
Leila hesitated, her hands tightening at her sides as if bracing for judgment.
"How many times have I told you, Leila?" the old man said, his hand reaching for his beard, rubbing it between his fingers.
"I… I know, but—" Leila's usual tone faded, replaced by a sorrowful quiet.
"Don't get too attached, Leila… after all, destiny rarely shows mercy," the old man said, his tone sinking, heavy with meaning.
"You're the chosen one." He pointed at her with his staff.
The staff's shadow stretched toward her, long and thin against the firelight.
Leila lowered her gaze, as if its weight pressed on her shoulders.
"I… I know that," Leila said, her toes dragging nervously through the dirt.
"Yes… G–Grizzler!! That bad bear!!" Wooly almost screamed, his hooves scraping the dirt in restless panic.
"So Grizzler's been around more than once, huh…" Claw thought.
"Oh, regardless… I never expected to see a leopard protecting hu—" Wooly's voice cut off as Claw's terrifying stare froze him in place.
Wooly swallowed hard, realizing he'd said too much.
"I–I'm sorry, Meeh! I didn't mean to!" Tears pooled at the corners of Wooly's eyes.
"I'm so—"
"You've lived here a while, haven't you? Have leopards ever attacked this tribe?" Claw asked, his voice low and steady, carrying quiet authority.
"Meeh… no, I rarely go outside," Wooly said, his voice edged with frustration.
Claw's frown deepened into fury.
"S–sorry for staying inside! I won't do that again!" Wooly apologized, ducking low, hooves trembling.
What a weird animal, Claw thought.
Claw's tail twitched once, uneasy.
So he hasn't seen any leopards like me…
But it's dangerous to leave those humans alone…
Wait—why am I even thinking like this?
"Sorry I made you both wait!!" Leila rushed forward, arms flung open, her voice bubbling with its usual excitement.
"Meeh… here we go again," Wooly said.
"So, how was it? Your friendship!!"
"Eh? What's wrong, Wooly?" Leila lowered her head in confusion, only to see Wooly already asleep.
She blinked twice, unsure whether to laugh or scold him.
The gentle snore that followed made her lips twitch into a smile.
"You're tired, huh? So it's true—you both had fun together!!"
"I'm counting on you, Leopard," Wooly whispered, one eye half open.
Is this girl always this annoying? Claw thought.
At night, Leila rested on the cool earth between Wooly—who had pretended to be asleep but truly was—and Claw, who was lost in thought.
As she stared at the stars, her voice softened.
"Biggie… do you ever wonder why stars vanish when the sun comes?"
Claw turned toward Leila, only staring, clueless.
"Because they're just taking a tiny journey before coming back," she said, pointing at the brightest star.
Her words lingered in the air like a lullaby.
Even Claw, silent as ever, felt something stir beneath his calm.
"Biggie, I'm Leila… the night," Leila said, fiddling nervously with her fingers.
"The stars will come back again, okay?!"
Leila held Claw's paw as if sealing a promise.
Claw stayed motionless, his breath caught, as her small arms closed around him.
Claw didn't know whether to pull away or stay still, but his eyes finally eased.
I don't understand… I really don't understand this world, Claw thought.
His jaw came to rest gently on Leila's head.
But… I want to figure it out. I want to protect her.
From afar, the fire still whispered, its light flickering against the dark.
The old man watched the three, a shadow passing through his eyes.
He tightened his grip on the staff beside him, the flames reflecting in his gaze.
"So it's going to begin," he murmured under his breath.
"Meeeh!!"
Wooly's sudden voice snapped Claw to alertness.
"Haha! Don't worry about him — he's always like this." Leila let out a quiet giggle that faded too soon before cuddling Claw again.
She lifted her head, her eyes meeting Claw's.
"Please… be happy for me, okay?" Her voice was gentle — it wasn't the bright Leila he knew; her voice trembled like fading light.
Claw blinked slowly, unsure what to say.
Something in her eyes felt distant, like a star dimming before dawn.
By morning, the tribe's screams tore through the air. The camp lay in ruins, firewood and ash strewn across the soil.
When Claw opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Wooly's head lying a few feet away, eyes still open, frozen in fear.
I knew something was wrong.
A cold wind swept through the clearing, carrying the scent of smoke and blood.
Claw's claws dug into the dirt — rage and disbelief churning in silence.