Kuroki Satoshi woke up at the next sunrise.
His body felt sore, but there were no visible injuries left behind.
Rather than pain, all he felt was emptiness—a deep, hollow feeling centered in his stomach.
Hunger.
He had been born not long ago. Because of that, he lacked teeth, and his underdeveloped body wouldn't be able to break down any food that was too heavy for it. He hadn't been fed milk even once since his birth, so the hunger should have been unbearable—enough to leave any normal being weak and shaking.
Yet… he felt fine.
Ignoring the hunger, he focused his mind on a single problem.
How do I get down from this cave?
The ground below was far. Even though the cave opened from the middle of the cliff—shortening the drop—it was still too dangerous to jump. The distance alone made him feel helpless.
The day faded into night.
The next day came, no different from the last.
He was still stuck.
The large bird's corpse remained, showing no signs of decay.
The wait—for rescue, or for any opportunity to leave—dragged on longer than he expected. Before he realized it, a full week had passed in Satoshi's eyes.
After the first few days, boredom set in.
With nothing else to do, he began browsing through his memories.
Saturday — 2012/05/12
It's been a long while since I've been to the gym. With all the nonsense I've got to deal with now, it's hard to find time for myself.
Hit arms today. Feels so good—clears my mind. Man, I should go to the gym more often.
Taking inspiration from that memory, Satoshi began doing basic bodyweight exercises. Simple movements—anything to clear his mind and maybe help him find a solution.
It also helped to distract him from His ever growing hunger
At the same time, he started observing the monsters and creatures that roamed the ground below the cliff.
Then—
On the tenth day since his birth, he saw one.
A human… or at least, a person.
The man was tall and pale, with green hair and a red gem embedded in his forehead. He easily killed a giant tortoise with little effort.
For some reason, seeing the man's green hair filled Satoshi with a dreadful feeling.
Then panic hit.
The man turned his head toward the cave.
Within moments, he began climbing up the cliff using his spear and inhuman strength.
Kuroki Satoshi fell backward, landing hard on his butt. Pain shot through him—his tail had been crushed beneath him.
He scrambled backward, trying to escape.
The man had already reached the mouth of the cave .
The man noticed his panic.
He dropped his weapon.
Then he smiled.
It was a gentle smile, warm and calm.
Still, Satoshi felt fear.
Stop. Stop. I'm scared.
He's not attacking… but I'm scared.
Why am I scared?
He can help me. Stop being scared.
Steeling his resolve, Kuroki Satoshi dropped the kris blade. He raised one hand in front of him—a gesture of peace.
After a tense moment, mutual understanding settled between them.
Slowly, Satoshi picked up the kris and began drawing on the cave floor.
After a few moments, he gestured for the green-haired man to come closer.
The man approached cautiously, eyes scanning the drawings.
It was a sequence of images, connected by arrows.
First: a stone and a monkey.
The monkey was nothing but bones.
Then the stone cracked, hatching like an egg.
From it emerged another monkey—small.
That monkey looked down from a cave entrance.
Then it fought a bird.
The monkey won.
Finally, a man appeared.
After finishing, Kuroki Satoshi pointed toward the dead bird's corpse.
The man spoke a few words Satoshi couldn't understand, then smiled gently and patted him on the head.
Satoshi grabbed the man's hand, stopping him, and forced it open.
Then he removed the two stone slips from his waist and handed them over.
He pointed to the smaller one—then to himself.
Then to the larger one—then to the drawing of the monkey skeleton, since the real bones were buried beneath the bird's corpse.
After a moment, understanding dawned on the man's face.
He spoke slowly.
"Wu kh-o-ne," he said, pointing at Kuroki Satoshi.
Then again—
"Wu ba-nh-kone," pointing at the skeleton drawing.
Kuroki Satoshi had finally learned his new name.
The name his parents in this life had given him.
Wu Khone.