Kaya looked at the trembling sparrow in her palm and smirked.
It wasn't that she'd grown a sudden soft heart.
Please.
The only reason she saved him was because she didn't want her emergency ration to be snatched away by a toothless snake.
She eyed him carefully—those tiny twitching wings, the way his feathers fluffed up in panic, the way he fit so perfectly in her palm. He looked like a ball of fluff and fear.
But in her mind…
Sizzle.
Grilled sparrow with spice rub.
Crunch.
Fried with a little lemon and salt.
Steam.
Boiled in herbal soup for strength.
Kaya's mouth subtly watered.
The sparrow blinked up at her with wide, teary eyes, mistaking her stare for sympathy.
Poor thing.
If only he could read minds.
If only he knew what that glint in her eyes meant. If he saw even a glimpse of the recipe ideas dancing behind her lashes, he'd faint on the spot.
And worse—he had no idea. No clue at all that if he ever transformed into a full-sized beastman…
She might just skip the seasoning.
And go straight for the hunt.
Sighing softly, Kaya wiped the corner of her mouth as if brushing away the very idea of imaginary drool. The thoughts of roasted wings and grilled thigh meat would have to wait.
She reached over, picked up her coat from the side, and gave it a lazy shake—dust floating off like tired memories. With calm precision, she slipped her arms through the sleeves, shrugging it on like nothing ever happened.
No trace of her hunger left on her face now—just the cool indifference of a woman who'd decided to let her prey live... for today.
She glanced at the trembling little sparrow still nestled in her palm, then with practiced gentleness—mocking, almost—placed him back in his usual spot. Like putting a dish back in the pantry.
Kaya looked at the group in front of her—rabbits, mutants, humans? She wasn't sure what to call them. She narrowed her eyes. Those ears… they weren't fake. At first, she thought they were just props, maybe something tech-related. But now, after watching them for a while, she knew better.
They twitched, moved, reacted on their own. One of them had slouched earlier, and their ears drooped along with their mood—like a sad puppy. No machine could copy that so naturally.
She crossed her arms and asked plainly, "Where is this place?"
There was a short pause. No one answered at first—not the cute one, not the nervous one. Instead, an older man stepped forward. He was a little older than the rest, maybe in his thirties. His face was calm, but Kaya could tell he wasn't just another soft-faced guy.
Most of them looked like they came from a modeling agency—tall, skinny, and delicate-looking, like K-pop idols
Except cutie.
Suddenly a man stepped forward he looked like he was in his fifties, with strands of grey peeking through his mostly dark hair. He wore animal hides that hung loosely over his front and back, just enough to cover him from the waist down. His hair was unbelievably long—so long it trailed on the ground behind him. It was dark, almost black, but what caught kaya attention were his ears. They were white, strangely so, and made a faint creaking sound every time he spoke. Kaya's eyes couldn't help but linger on them
and then he spoke with a polite tone, "Hello. My name is Maru. I welcome you to the Rabbit Tribe."
Kaya blinked, staring at him. "Rabbit Tribe?" she echoed, a mix of confusion and disbelief in her voice.
Maru nodded calmly. "Yes. We've lived in this region for generations. May I ask which tribe you belong to?"
Kaya stared at him, then tilted her head. "Tribe?"
He waited patiently, clearly expecting an answer. Kaya frowned. "Like… what? Do you mean another animal? Like the Chimp Tribe or Monkey Tribe or something?"
She pointed at herself, confused. Maru, just as puzzled, tilted his head, looking genuinely unsure.
Kaya panicked a little. "Wait—are you saying I look like a monkey?" Her expression twisted. "Do I have that much hair on me? Is that what you're implying?!"
She glanced down at her own arms instinctively. Nope. Smooth as always.
Maru's expression turned awkward. "Ah, no, that's not what I meant. I just—well, I don't see your ears, so I thought maybe you weren't from the Rabbit Tribe."
Kaya raised a brow, slowly processing his words.
Kaya took a moment before giving a small, thoughtful nod. "Yeah… Chimpanzee Tribe," she said calmly.
Truthfully, Kaya still had no clue where she was—or who these people really were. But one thing was certain: they weren't human. Not entirely. And right now, she couldn't afford to take any risks. Her captain's voice echoed in her mind: "Blend in. No matter what, adapt to the environment. Survive first, question later."
Maru nodded slowly. "I thought so. Then… can you tell me what you're doing here?"
Kaya paused, her gaze drifting for a second. Then, in the most sincere tone she could muster, she answered, "I got separated from my group."
The air shifted. The men around them exchanged glances—low, silent, unreadable. Maru studied her closely, but all he saw was sincerity in her eyes. After a long pause, he finally said, "Is that so?"
They were clearly surprised. How could an entire group lose track of a female? In this place, women seemed rare—maybe even revered—and the idea that someone would just lose one… it didn't sit right with them.
Suddenly, one of the men behind Maru blurted out, "What? How can a female—"
But he was immediately silenced by a sharp glare from Maru.
Kaya's eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't know everything yet, but judging by the overwhelming number of men here—and the way they reacted—something about being a woman in this tribe was… off.
So, she added quickly, her tone dipping into something more personal, more wounded. "I was with my husband. I mean… my mate and my parents. We were on a trip together. But then…" she took a shaky breath, voice tinged with betrayal, "My husband ran off with my sister. And my family took his side."
A long, stunned silence followed. Every single man standing there was frozen in disbelief.