I slowly approached the round curled object. Upon closer inspection, I discovered the object was covered in black fur. Oh, great! Don't tell me it's another beast? When I saw the object shift, I couldn't help but let out a small squeak of fear.
I placed my hand over my mouth so I could not repeat the same mistake. I stood frozen, observing the furry object as it slowly uncurled itself and began to stand on four unsteady legs, unveiling an enormous pair of piercing eyes.
I felt the urge to scream, but I couldn't the more I looked at it.
"Oh my…. It's adorable~!" I burst into a squeal of joy at the sight of the tiny creature. It was so small that it could probably fit into both my palms, a stark contrast to the ugly bird monster I had encountered before. This tiny little fluff ball was adorable!
The creature resembled a kitten with sleek, midnight-black fur, but what set it apart were the unique purple hues adorning the tips of its ears and paws. A beautiful flower-shaped amethyst jewel was at the center of its forehead. Around the frame of its eyes were beautiful and bold purple floral designs. The color of its eyes perfectly mirrored the captivating hue of the gemstone.
"Why aren't you just a precious thing? Nothing like that ugly big bird monster out there." As I cooed at the adorable kitten, I extended my hand to pat its forehead gently, but to my surprise, I ended up with a scratch on my hand from its sharp claws. "Not the friendly type, I see."
As I cradled my bleeding hand, the tiny fluff ball fixed me with a fierce gaze from its large gemstone-like eyes. Despite its anger, I found myself unable to stay mad at such a cute creature.
"Say, by any chance, do you know your way around here?" I asked the kitty, only for it to look at me like I was stupid.
"Okay, point taken. But it looks like you're injured. Do you want me to carry you? I promise not to hurt you."
I observed the wound encircling its leg and extended my arms toward the injured animal. The tiny kitty gazed at my arms warily, but upon seeing its wounded leg, it decided to accept a ride from me rather than risk further aggravating the injury. Watching the kitten jump gracefully in my arms, I noticed an abnormal trait about the adorable fluff ball.
"You got two tails?!" I gasped with surprise as the kitten twisted in my arms, its muscles tensing in a defensive stance. "You're still so cute~! I'm going to call you Lulu!"
I pressed my face against its cozy, velvety fur, seeking warmth and comfort. Instead, I was met with another sharp scratch across my face. I didn't bleed this time, so maybe the kitten liked me a little.
"Well, at least I'm not alone anymore."
With Lulu nestled in my arms, I continued my journey forward, feeling less alone than before. The tunnel I entered was so narrow that I could barely stretch my arms out. After what felt like an eternity, I emerged into a vast open space with three ominous cave entrances looming ahead.
"Which way should I go? Lulu, any ideas?" I asked the kitty in my arms, whose only response was to slap my face with one of its tails. Thanks to the fluffy texture, it didn't hurt, but seriously, Lulu! It was just a simple question? I pouted.
"Well, this only leaves me with one option. I only use this option in dire times, and it has helped me many times in the past when it came to testing season."
As I stood there, the gravity of the situation weighed on me as I gestured toward the entrance directly in front of me with my finger.
"Eeny Meeny Miny Moe~!"
As I started singing, I noticed Lulu looking at me with wide-eyed disbelief. Hey, don't underestimate this trick of mine. I passed many important tests and avoided many dangerous situations because of this trick.
"…Miny Moe~!" My finger landed on the entrance to the right. "Alright! We'll take that one."
I nodded my head in agreement as Lulu, with their large, expressive amethyst-colored eyes, rolled them in response. Entering the cave, I noticed it was much wider than the one I traveled before.
There was no need for my knife as the walls and floor were adorned in glowing purple crystals that illuminated the entire cave as I traveled further inside.
"Wow~! How pretty~!" I ran my gaze over the glowing crystals. My feet made a splash and water droplets touched my legs. When I looked down, a small stream ran underneath my feet .
"You know, despite the ominous feeling of this place, this place is somewhat pretty."
As I playfully joked, I took another step forward and suddenly realized that I had reached a dead end. In front of me stretched a vast space, and the wall ahead was riddled with enormous holes.
"Okay, not good."
As I hesitantly retreated, my senses were on high alert with every instinct urging me to be cautious. My anxiety heightened as I noticed numerous pairs of ominous, luminescent red eyes within the obscurity of those tunnels. Lulu was also on alert, their tails standing upright and their eyes fixed on what lay ahead of us.
When I was about to take another step, a blur leaped out at me, and all I could catch sight of was a glint of silver before I courageously sprang out of the way of whatever had come charging at me. My focus was suddenly interrupted by a menacing growl, causing me to turn around and unleash a blood-curdling scream of terror.
A massive, grotesque rat-like creature loomed before me, barely a foot away. Its mangy fur was a grimy, dark shade of gray, and its eyes were enormous and wild, emitting an eerie red glow. The paws of the rat were adorned in long claws that looked as sharp as my knife.
I gazed at the beast in horror. It was ugly and I hated rats! What made things worse was when more of them came out of their dark caves. How do I stop myself from having a panic attack because this was ridiculous!
"Nonono! This can't be happening!"
I found myself sitting on the ground, too frightened to make a move, my eyes fixated on the creature above me as tears welled up and my whole body trembled. I don't want to die here! Mom! Dad! Nino! Anybody!!!
"Please… someone save me!"
Tears streamed down my face, betraying the brave front I had tried to put on. Fear gripped my soul. I was no hero—just a scaredy-cat desperate to survive. I watched the beast glare at me, swinging its arm in the air, ready to strike my neck with its claws.
Before the creature's claws could reach my neck, Lulu leapt out of my arms. With incredible grace, they dodged the beast's grasp and used it as a springboard to launch herself at its face, clawing at its eyes with fierce determination.
The monster let out a deafening scream, and to my amazement, the intricate markings on Lulu's body started to emit an eerie glow. As Lulu's mouth opened, a powerful surge of energy started to build up within her.
"Lulu… just what kind of kitten are you?"
I gazed in amazement as Lulu conjured a massive purple fireball, making them appear even more tiny in comparison to the immense size of its attack. They launched the fireball at the monster, who screamed as the flames reduced it to ash.
"We're saved! Lulu, you did it!"
I cheered, but my celebration was cut short when Lulu's legs shook. Their face looked tired with bags under their eyes. That's when it hit me. Lulu had used most of their strength just to protect me.
A wave of guilt and shame washed over me. As the other rats observed the demise of their companion, a momentary flicker of fear passed through their eyes before they exchanged knowing nods with each other. One by one, the rats sprang out of their dark cave, launching a relentless assault on poor Lulu.
Despite Lulu's exhaustion, they summoned all their strength to rise to their feet. With a graceful leap, their tiny body skillfully evaded the rodents' ferocious attacks, defying all odds. In her weakened condition, Lulu was unable to maintain their aerial maneuvers, and they were swiftly knocked out of the air by the massive paw of one of the rats, sending them tumbling to the ground like a fly being swatted by a flyswatter.
"Lulu!" I cried out desperately to them, watching their tiny body struggle to stand. Yet, here I was, crying and throwing a fit. I felt like such an embarrassment. This tiny furball had more guts than I did.
Then again, I'd always been this way. When faced with scary situations, I never confronted them—I ran away, hoping for someone to rescue me. But there was no one here to save me.
I watched those giant ugly rodents surround Lulu. She was outnumbered and outmatched. This was a death sentence standing before her.
Get up, Dawn! You can't allow fear to control your life! Get up! I repeatedly told myself, beating my fist against my legs, urging them to move. I must move!
Lulu's eyes began to lose their resolve as if they knew this was the end. The giant rat in the middle roared, ready to pounce on Lulu.
"Get away from my cat, you ugly bastard!"
I let out a fierce roar as I leapt onto the monster's back. Its coarse fur felt like straw, and the stench of rotten garbage clung to it, adding to my discomfort. However, in that intense moment, my own unease was the least of my concerns.
I repeatedly stabbed the rodent in the back with my hunting knife. Blood gushed from each jab, painting my face and clothes, but I didn't care. I had no time to. Right now, I could only focus on rescuing Lulu and getting us out of there.
The ferocious rodent thrashed and bucked, but I refused to let go. As soon as it paused, I seized the opportunity to scramble the rest of the way up its back.
"Nighty Night, Ugly!"
I raised my hunting knife high into the air before stabbing it right in its brain, making all signs of life fade from its eyes before the rat fell to the ground, dead and defeated.