The sun was barely over the ridge when I stumbled back into camp.
The others were already gathering near the work tents, the bell's echo still hanging in the cold air. No one looked twice at me, just another tired face among the quarry hands. But my body felt wrong. Heavy. Coiled.
Every sound was sharp again: the grind of stone, the scrape of shovels, the wet rasp of breathing. The scent of iron still lingered in my nose. I swallowed hard.
When I reached my tent, the message was waiting:
[ Daily Quests Updated ]
Feed the flesh. Sustain the form. Consume 100g of Protein - Reward: +10 exp
Test your limits. Break to Rebuild. Strengthen the Body - Reward: +10 exp
I stared at it for a long moment, the faint pulse of the words echoing in rhythm with my heart. Then I looked down at myself. My shirt was stiff with dirt and something darker. The smell hit me: old blood, sour and metallic. My hands trembled as I stripped off the fabric and wiped at my skin with what little water I had left in my canteen.
The dirt came off. The blood didn't. It had dried deep into the lines of my palms, into the creases around my wrists. I scrubbed until the skin burned, but faint stains still clung to me like shadow.
For a moment, I saw flashes, red and movement, a snarl in the dark. My reflection in the water shimmered, and for a heartbeat I thought I saw yellow eyes staring back.
I dropped the canteen.
My stomach turned, but hunger gnawed at the edges of my thoughts. The message still hung in the air, insistent.
[Progress : 15/100g of daily protein] "The flesh hungers." - 5 health
A tremor crawled through my jaw. My teeth ached like they wanted to change shape.
I gripped the edge of the cot until it passed.
—————
"Mason?" I called before I even saw him. My voice came out hoarse, raw from a night I didn't remember.
He appeared from between the supply crates, eyes wide, relief plain across his dirt-streaked face. "Jesus, Terry…where the hell were you? I've been looking since sunrise."
He stopped short when he got close enough to see me. "You look like hell, man."
I forced a weak smile. "You should see the other guy."
The joke fell flat. His eyes flicked over my torn clothes, the stains that wouldn't wash out, the dark smudges under my eyes.
"I'm serious," Mason said. "There's talk around camp. People heard things last night: screaming, metal tearing. And some of the guards didn't show up for roll call this morning."
The air between us tightened. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. "Guards?"
He nodded. "Two from the east watch. Their posts were ripped apart. The dirt's torn up like a bear came through."
A bear.
I almost laughed, but it came out hollow.
"I don't know anything about that," I said quickly, maybe too quickly.
Mason frowned. "Terry, what happened to you yesterday? You were gone, man. Out cold. Then…" He stopped himself, glanced around, then lowered his voice. "I found blood near your tent. A lot of it. I thought you were…"
"I'm fine," I cut in, sharper than I meant. My hands were shaking again. I tucked them into my pockets. "Just… tired. Haven't eaten."
He stepped closer. "You can tell me if something's wrong. You know that, right? After everything we've been through?"
I wanted to. God, I wanted to.
But if I told him… if I said there was something inside me, whispering in my head, making me feel hunger for things that weren't food…
They'd take me away. Like the others. The ones who "got sick" and never came back.
"I just need rest," I said finally, forcing my voice to steady.
He didn't believe me. I could see it in his eyes, the quiet worry, the way his jaw tightened like he was fighting whether to push harder.
"Alright," Mason said slowly. "But I'm keeping an eye on you, got it? You start looking any worse, I'm dragging you to med myself."
I nodded, pretending that was okay. Pretending everything was okay.
He gave me one last look, then walked off toward the main site.
—————
The day dragged like a blade across bone.
Every movement hurt, not the kind of pain that comes from bruises or exhaustion, but something deeper. My muscles twitched under my skin like they were starving for something I couldn't name. Every hour, the message came back.
[Consume 100g of daily protein. Progress: 15/100g] "Feed the flesh. Sustain the form." - 5 health
By dusk, my body was trembling. My veins burned, my muscles twitched, and the pain was no longer subtle.
[Warning: Nutrient Deficit Detected] "Feed or Decay." - 10 health
[Health : 25/100]
I could feel it eating away at me, weakening me with every reminder. My hands shook as I grabbed a flashlight and slipped out into the shadows. The guards were thin tonight, the patrol routes familiar. I had no choice but to hunt.
A supply crate lay half-open near the edge, the contents scattered from last night's chaos. I tore open a burlap sack, the smell hitting me instantly: jerky, salted fat, protein paste.
The first bite was agony and relief. My jaw ached, my teeth felt wrong, but I didn't stop. Bite after bite, my body devoured the protein. Every swallow brought life back to my aching muscles, every chew sent a pulse of warmth through my veins.
[Protein Consumed : 100g/100g] "The flesh sustains. The form endures." + 10 exp
[Health : 100/100]
Pain ebbed. Limbs no longer trembled. My heartbeat steadied. The system's glow flickered and pulsed faintly in approval. For a fleeting moment, I felt… human again.
Then the new message appeared:
[Daily Quest Completed] "Progress fuels evolution."
[Remaining daily quests: Strengthen the Body - Pending]
A chill ran down my spine. I glanced toward the pit. For a moment, under the moonlight, a shadow crouched low, too large to be human. My breath hitched. Then it was gone.
The whisper lingered, soft, insistent:
Feed. Grow. Become.
I turned and ran back toward camp, heart hammering but for the first time in hours, I felt alive.