The meat was warm, juicy, and fresh, so much better than the filth the goblins tossed to the others.
I tore off a piece with my teeth, chewing slowly as my thoughts drifted.
Ori curled up beside me, misty tendrils wrapped possessively around his larger chunk of meat, making it clear he wasn’t going to share.
Greedy little thing.
I let out a quiet sigh, staring at the dark cave ceiling above.
The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows along the rocky walls, the distant sounds of goblins chattering and prisoners murmuring blending into a dull background noise.
I needed a plan.
But to make a plan, I needed information.
I tried to think back, tried to recall what was supposed to happen next.
But my mind hit a wall, a frustrating blur where the details should’ve been.
The novel had been long.
A slow, drawn-out series that took its time unraveling every plotline, every character arc, every battle.
I had started reading it ages ago, but the pace had been agonizingly slow, and the story itself was old.
That meant the early Chapters, the very foundation of this world, were slipping from my memory.
I clenched my jaw, irritation prickling at the edges of my thoughts.
How could I forget the beginning of my favorite novel?
I had poured years into following this story.
I had spent late nights bingeing Chapters, theorizing about plot twists, waiting for updates with bated breath.
And yet, now that I was here, living in this world, i couldn’t recall what the hell was supposed to happen next.
It was like a cruel joke.
I shut my eyes, taking another bite of meat as I forced myself to stop thinking about it.
There was no use in dwelling on what I couldn’t remember.
Whatever was coming, whatever twists or dangers lay ahead, I would survive.
I can.
Ori let out a satisfied hum, his misty form shifting as he gnawed on his food.
I watched him for a moment, then scoffed under my breath.
"Guess I’ll just have to figure things out as I go."
With that, I shoved another piece of meat into my mouth, pushing all thoughts of the past aside.
I chewed the last bite of my meat slowly, savoring the taste before swallowing.
It wasn’t exactly a five-star meal, but compared to the trash the goblins threw at the other captives, it might as well have been.
Ori was still curled up beside me, misty tendrils wrapped possessively around his much larger piece of meat.
I watched as he greedily tore into it, his small form shifting with excitement.
My eyes narrowed.
I was still a little hungry.
And Ori, in his infinite selfishness, had taken the bigger piece.
My gaze flickered between him and the meat.
He was too focused on eating.
If I was careful, I could probably sneak a little off the side, nothing big, just a small bite.
He wouldn’t even notice.
Slowly, I extended my hand toward the edge of his meal, fingers barely brushing against the meat...
Ori’s head snapped up.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then, in a flash, he shifted, his mist-like body twisting as he smacked my hand away with a tendril.
I frowned.
"Seriously?"
Ori didn’t respond.
He just turned back to his food, munching with a little more enthusiasm, like he was mocking me.
Fine.
If that’s how he wanted to play it.
I waited a few seconds before trying again, this time moving even slower, aiming for a different angle.
I had barely brushed against the meat before Ori shoved my hand again, this time with a little more force.
I huffed.
"You little... You’re being greedy."
Ori ignored me.
I tried again.
This time, I moved fast, reaching for the meat in one quick motion.
Ori dodged and smacked my wrist, shifting his body so that the meat was even further away.
"Oh, so that’s how it is?" I muttered under my breath.
We locked eyes again.
The tension in the air was palpable.
And just like that, the war began.
I lunged.
Ori dodged.
I reached, he shifted.
Every time I tried to snatch a piece, he would either slap my hand away or move the meat just out of reach.
It was an infuriating back-and-forth, made even more frustrating by the fact that Ori was in his small form, which meant I could literally push him aside with my palm, but every time I did, he would just phase through me like smoke before reforming somewhere else.
It was like trying to grab air.
"Damn"
At some point, I almost had it, fingers just about to close around a juicy piece, when Ori let out an offended hum and kicked my hand away.
I blinked.
"Did you just kick me?"
Ori made a smug little sound and took another bite, chewing deliberately slow as if to rub it in my face.
I scowled.
"Alright, you wanna be petty? Fine."
I tried a new strategy, grabbing Ori himself.
The moment my fingers wrapped around him, he let out a startled hum and squirmed, his misty form shifting erratically in an attempt to escape.
But I held on tight, maneuvering him away from the meat while I reached for it with my other hand...
Ori, realizing my plan, let out an angry little sound and slapped my forehead with a tendril.
I flinched, loosening my grip just enough for him to slip away.
"You little—"
I didn’t get to finish.
Ori, now thoroughly done with my antics, wrapped a tendril around the meat and dragged it even farther away, shifting himself over it like some kind of dragon hoarding treasure.
I stared.
Ori stared back.
The message was clear, Mine.
I let out a long sigh, finally accepting defeat.
"Fine," I muttered, leaning back against the wall. "Keep your stupid meat you refuse to share."
Ori huffed in satisfaction before resuming his meal.
Nobody had noticed our little battle.
We were at the very edge of the cavern, tucked into the corner where the goblins had thrown the captives.
The others were too focused on their own misery to care about two idiots fighting over food.
As I watched Ori happily munch away, a reluctant smirk tugged at my lips.
I was getting used to having him around.
Even if he was unbelievably greedy.