Chapter 1: The Fall and the Flame
I stared at the ceiling of my cubicle, the fluorescent lights flickering like a dying strobe. Damn, the office job was getting rough. No breaks. I just felt sleepy. Couldn't keep my eyes open.
Before I knew it, I was tumbling down the stairs. My neck bent in unusual ways.
Blackout.
When I woke up, the world smelled of wet grass and iron. I tried to stand—couldn't. My body felt wrong. Four legs. Fur. A tail that wagged when I panicked. Panic turned to dread as I padded to a nearby river and peered in.
I was a puppy. A corgi-sized ball of midnight fluff with glowing red eyes.
"What the hell," I thought, and walked off, paws sinking into soft earth.
The forest was quiet except for my own panting. I hadn't gone far when the smell hit me—charred meat and old blood. There, half-buried in moss, lay a dead dragon the size of a city bus, scales cracked, blood still steaming. All I could do was stare. Then my stomach growled so loud it echoed. Instinct took over.
I bit into the dragon's flesh and ate.
Something strange surged through me—like leveling up in a game, but real. Power crackled under my skin, warm and electric.
I remembered my mom playing RPGs on lazy Sundays. She'd just say, "Status open."
So I tried it, voice trembling in my tiny throat.
Status
Species: Fenrir
Attack: 10
Defense: 10
Special Defense: 10
There was a Special Ability tab. I didn't click it. Bigger things to worry about—like being the size of a corgi in a world that suddenly felt too big.
I started sneaking through the underbrush, ears swiveling. Then I heard a scream—high, terrified, human.
I burst into a clearing. A carriage lay tilted, wheels spinning. Goblins swarmed it. In the wreckage, a girl cried—she couldn't be more than twelve, blonde hair tangled with leaves.
I jumped into action. Bit the nearest goblin's neck, ripped its throat out. Hot blood sprayed my fur. I growled, low and guttural.
One of them hit me. Pain exploded—rib cracked. I flew, skidded, rolled across dirt.
They advanced on the girl, blades raised.
I crawled back, each breath fire in my chest. Heat boiled in my throat, unnatural and fierce.
Fire breath erupted.
Mid-fight, I checked abilities, thoughts racing:
Fire Breath – unlocked
Devour (Lv1) – steal one power from anything you eat
I roasted the rest until only smoke and charred bones remained. The world tilted. I passed out from the pain.
I woke in a massive bed, silk cool against my singed fur. The girl slept beside me, small hand curled near my paw. Her face was clean now, but I could still smell tears.
I licked her cheek, gentle.
She stirred. Eyes fluttered open—bright, grateful, trusting.
"I'm gonna call you Coco," she whispered, voice thick with sleep.
Something cracked open in my chest. Warm. Heavy. Right.
I curled closer, tail thumping once.
For the first time since the fall… I didn't want to go back.