Morning light filtered through the woven vines draping the den's entrance, painting the stone walls in shifting patterns of green and gold.
The world outside hummed softly — birdcalls, insect chatter, the distant whisper of the river — but there were no other voices.
No laughter from neighbors, no sound of other beastmen.
Evan stretched and rubbed his eyes, blinking at the serene quiet.
"It's so… peaceful," he murmured, stepping outside barefoot. Dew clung to his ankles, cool and clean. Then, after a moment, he frowned.
"Wait, why are there no other snake-clan people here?"
Silas sat on a low rock nearby. His long tail coiled lazily behind him, the sunlight glinting off faint iridescent scales.
"Most people in the clans don't live near us," he said without looking up. "Snakes usually prefer solitude."
Evan tilted his head. "Do you?"
Silas paused, then gave a small, almost wistful smile.
"It's safer this way."
Evan looked out at the vast expanse of green before them. The jungle stretched endlessly, trees thick with vines and mist, the air heavy with life and secrets.
It was beautiful… but a little lonely too.
---
After breakfast — or rather, some exotic fruits for him and roasted meat for Silas — Evan realized something important.
"I need to change," he said flatly, tugging at his dirt-smudged lab coat. "These clothes smell like… jungle and despair."
Silas blinked, clearly not understanding the last word, but handed him a folded piece of hide.
"Wear this."
Evan unfolded it, staring. "It's… animal skin."
"Yes," Silas said patiently. "What else would it be?"
Evan muttered under his breath, "Maybe fabric? Jeans? A miracle?"
Still, he took it, managed to tie it with some vines, and sighed.
"Okay, not terrible. But one day, I'm making real clothes. I'll start a fashion revolution right here. Ahh… how am I supposed to live here?"
Leo giggled. "Mama's gonna make new clothes!"
"I—what? No—" Evan's face turned pink. "Not… just— not!"
Silas's tail flicked once, amused.
---
A little later, Silas decided to take them to the riverbank before heading off to hunt.
The air there was cooler, the sound of rushing water soothing. The cubs darted around joyfully, collecting fruits and wild berries while Evan sat near the bank, washing the hide garment he'd been wearing.
He dipped into the river for a quick bath, relishing the feel of fresh water after days of dirt and travel.
The cubs splashed nearby, laughing as they tossed leaves at each other. For a moment, Evan forgot he wasn't from this world at all.
Then came the crafts.
Leo tried to teach him how to braid vines into an easy-to-carry sack.
Evan followed the demonstration carefully… and ended up with a collapsing mess that resembled a wilted snake.
Leo burst into laughter. Milo immediately put the failed sack on his head. "Crown!" he declared proudly.
Evan groaned, dropping the vines. "Okay, maybe I wasn't meant to be a jungle craftsman."
Silas returned and glanced at the scene — Evan covered in leaves, Milo wearing his 'vine crown,' and Leo giggling uncontrollably.
His voice was mild but amused. "You'll learn. You adapt fast."
Evan grinned weakly. "That's what my biology teacher said before I blew up the school lab."
Silas blinked. "…You did what?"
Evan snorted. "Long story. Bad chemicals. Worse supervision."
Even the stoic snake-man cracked a small, disbelieving smile from the unknown mumbling of the new member of the family.
---
By afternoon, the jungle shimmered with heat and light.
Evan sat on a flat stone by the stream, peeling a strange green fruit and watching the sunlight scatter across the water.
His thoughts drifted — not to this strange new world, but to the one he'd left behind.
A tiny apartment with humming fluorescent lights.
Cold takeout dinners eaten alone at a cluttered desk.
Stacks of novels about other people being transported to magical lands — the kind of lives he thought he'd never have.
"Back there," he murmured, watching the peel spiral from his fingers, "I was always too much… or not enough. Too odd, too in-between. But here… no one's asked me to hide."
He glanced up. Leo was teaching Milo how to climb a rock, the little one cheering every time he managed to get halfway up before sliding down.
Their laughter echoed through the air like sunlight itself.
Evan smiled softly. "They really are my family now, huh?"
---
Later that day, Evan approached Silas.
"If I can recognize safe plants, maybe I can help more," he said. "I want to find more vegetables or fruits you haven't tried yet. It'll make food taste better."
Silas studied him quietly for a moment, then nodded. "You can go with Leo. Stay within the boundary. Call if anything feels wrong."
Evan grinned. "Got it, Boss."
Silas frowned faintly. "Boss?"
"Compliment. Totally a compliment."
The trip turned into a small adventure. Evan carried a clumsy sack while Leo bounded ahead. Milo toddled behind, humming a nonsense song and picking random plants — most of which were very much not food.
Still, the forest was breathtaking — thick leaves filtering sunlight into gold-green beams, the smell of earth and fruit mingling in the warm air.
Evan knelt near a muddy patch and gasped. "Wait — this is taro! I think!"
He dug carefully, uncovering the starchy root, heart skipping with excitement. "Score! Dinner's going to have actual vegetables tonight!"
Leo stared at it. "Taro? It's the itchy plant. Leave it, Mama."
"It's food if you cook it carefully," Evan explained proudly. "Good for soup. Not deadly."
They continued collecting until Milo reached for a small, bright red berry.
Evan's instincts screamed. He lunged, catching Milo's wrist just in time.
"No! That one's poison."
The child blinked, startled. "How do you know?"
Evan exhaled shakily. "Because it looks like something from home. Bright colors mean bad news."
Then he mumbled to himself, "So many plants here are similar to those in my world. Lucky me."
At that moment, Silas emerged from the trees, having returned early. His eyes flicked from the berry to Evan.
"You recognized it? Have you learned these from the witch of your clan?"
Evan shrugged, trying to play off the small rush of pride. "Yes, see? I'm useful."
Silas's expression softened, approval glinting in his golden eyes. "Good."
And just like that, something warm sparked between them — quiet, unspoken, but real.
---
By evening, they returned home with baskets full of taro.
Evan decided to make stew. With the help of Silas he prepared a simple stew with some fruits taro and greens.
The den filled with the smell of stew simmering in a stone pot — taro, meat, wild greens.
Evan stirred carefully, the cubs chattering around him.
"Mama saved Milo from the deadly red-ball fruit! And he is preparing tasty food.My mama is the best" Leo announced dramatically.
Evan groaned while blushing. "It wasn't that dramatic—"
Silas, sitting nearby, smirked faintly. "He will tell this story for years now."
Evan ladled stew into wooden bowls. "At least it's a good story. We call that a berry where I'm from — just, you know, the kind you eat if you want to die dramatically."
The cubs erupted in giggles. Even Silas chuckled quietly, his usually sharp gaze softening in the firelight.
After dinner, Evan told a fantasy story from Earth. The cubs laughed so hard Milo nearly spilled his stew.
For the first time since waking in this world, Evan felt something he hadn't felt in years: home.
---
Later that night, silence wrapped the den like a blanket.
The jungle hummed beyond the vines, a living lullaby.
Evan lay between Leo and Milo, their small bodies pressed close, their tails curled loosely around his legs.
Across the room, Silas sat by the fire, adding the last bit of wood to the flames.
The light gilded his sharp features, his eyes calm and watchful.
Evan's gaze lingered.
Maybe this is how those story characters felt — lost, terrified… and then somehow, at home.
He smiled faintly. Maybe I don't need to go back. Not yet.
Here, he wasn't too strange. Not too different. Just… him.
Moonlight drifted through the vines, brushing across his face as his eyes closed.
"Maybe," he whispered sleepily, "I can be happy here."
The jungle fell silent..
---
[System Activated.]
[Congratulations, Host.]
---