|Chapter 1| The Celestial Beast

In the dense, dark forest, Hadassah's panting echoed as she ran, her feet bruised and bloodied. She could hear the distant shouts of her captors growing louder, panic surging through her as she stumbled over roots and branches clawed at her clothes. Outrunning them would not last long, she realized, but she had to try.

Bursting through a thicket and into a clearing, Hadassah found herself at the edge of a cliff.

The bloodhounds were close, and her heart pounded like a drum. She had to jump.

Her feet left the earth, and the world spun around her as she plummeted towards the jagged rocks below, the wind roaring in her ears. She struck the rocks with a sickening thud, her vision blurring as she saw a figure swimming towards her before everything went black.

Hadassah winced as she tried to open her eyes, coughing violently and spitting out mouthfuls of seawater. Her body convulsed with dry heaves as she struggled to get her bearings, every muscle screaming in pain. As she turned over, her eyes widened at the sight of fine sand leading to the ominous forest she had left behind. Relief filled her as she didn't see any trace of the bloodhounds. Trying to stand, a splitting pain shot through her head, forcing her to collapse back to the ground, where she lay, breath ragged, trying to piece together what had happened.

Summoning what little strength she had left, she crawled slowly towards the edge of the trees, her vision blurring with each movement, needing to find shelter, water, or anything to keep her alive. She stood up shakily, taking in the sheer immensity of her surroundings, aware that navigating this world as a human was extremely difficult. Everywhere she looked, the forest seemed to pulsate with life and danger, massive, ancient trees stretching their gnarled branches toward the sky and forming a dense canopy that blocked the sunlight. She could hear the faint rustling of unseen creatures, their eyes undoubtedly watching her every move, knowing her survival was a full-time job for a lone human.

Carefully, she made her way deeper into the forest, avoiding the large, snapping flowers that could easily mistake her for prey. She spotted a narrow path ahead, partially hidden by foliage. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

As she moved along the path, the sounds of the forest grew louder-bird calls, insect chirps, and the distant howl of some unknown beast. The air was thick with the scent of earth and decay, mingling with the fresh, green aroma of the plants.

The light was fading, and the forest would become even more perilous in the dark. Her head throbbed with pain, and the bleeding had slowed but not stopped. She could not afford to lose any more blood.

In the distance, she saw a small cave, partially concealed by a curtain of vines. She paused unsure of if she should continue forward. Common beasts often made caves their homes, if she entered and was met with a boar or a bear, she would be a dead man. Yet staying here meant the blood hounds could pick her scent much faster. She grit her teeth, it was a gamble, but she had to take it. Gathering the last of her strength, she stumbled towards the cave, praying it would provide some measure of safety from the forest's relentless dangers.

With a final, desperate push, she reached the cave's entrance and collapsed inside, her body finally giving in to exhaustion. As darkness enveloped her, she hoped that the cave would be a sanctuary, even if just for a little while.

She woke up to the sounds of thumping coming from outside the cave. Her heart pounded as she stiffened, listening intently. The noise grew louder, each thump reverberating through the ground. Panic surged through her, and she began to move deeper and deeper into the cave, her breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps.

The creature, drawn by the smell of blood, was closing in. It was massive, with glowing eyes and a hulking, twisted form that filled the entrance of the cave. The Orc’s nostrils flared as it sniffed the air, searching for the source of the scent. Despite being a senseless beast, it was dangerous, notorious for eating weak beast men who weren’t careful, most Orcs are killed by tribe hunters to protect the civilian beast men, yet she was unlucky to meet one here.

Hadassah kept creeping to the back of the cave, her hands trembling as she felt her way through the darkness. She stumbled over rocks and debris, the rough surface scraping her already wounded body. Desperation drove her forward, her mind racing to find an escape.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her gave way, and she fell through a hidden hole to the underside of the cave. She landed hard, the impact jarring every bone in her body. She groaned in pain, the world spinning around her. With great effort, she dragged herself toward the sound of trickling water.

As she reached the edge of a small, hidden pool, she let her bloodied hand dip into the cool water. The pain was excruciating, but she needed to clean her wounds and regain her senses. As her blood dripped into the water, the pool began to ripple and shimmer with warm ethereal light.

From the depths of the pool, a man emerged. Long, flowing hair adorned with delicate chains and beads sparkled like stars. His eyes were a deep, mesmerizing blue, and his enigmatic presence alone was enough to captivate her.

"There you are, I was looking for you," he said, his voice smooth and calming. Her heart almost stopped.

A celestial beast.

It was the unmistakable aura of a celestial beast, the very enemies of humanity. One of the five major clans that had decide to wipe humans off the face of this continent. She shook, pushing herself back, her eyes filled with fear. Her body couldn't take running away any longer, but she couldn't stay here and wait for death.

Seeing her fearful reaction, he paused and looked at her with confusion, cocking his head to the side. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked. He pouted, crossing his arms. "Do I look that scary?"

A celestial beast, pouting? Was she seeing things?

His childish demeanour was unexpected, but it gave her a moment to calm down and think allowing her to vaguely remember his figure reaching out to her in the waters after her fall.

"Did you save me?" she asked in a shaky breath.

The man nodded, his expression softening. "Yes, I did. You were in grave danger, and I couldn't leave you to just die," he said slapping his hands against the rim. "Those guys were really chasing you fiercely! Are you a fugitive?"

Could it be, he didn't know she was human?

Hadassah nodded, her heart pounding with the fear that if he found out she was human, he would kill her on the spot. "Yes, something like that," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

His eyes widened with curiosity. "Wow, that's so exciting! I've never met a fugitive before!" He grinned, his demeanour childlike and full of wonder. "My name is Ahqi, by the way. What's yours?"

"Hadassah," she said cautiously, still unsure of his intentions. "Thank you for saving me, Ahqi."

Ahqi beamed. "Well, if I didn't help you would die, that would be a shame!"

She forced a smile, trying to match his enthusiasm. "Can you help me? I need healing." If he was unaware, he might be able to heal her without any issues. Then she could sneak away and never have to see him again.

Ahqi nodded eagerly. "I can help with that! One second!" He scrunched his face dramatically, his features contorting as if trying to squeeze out tears.

Hadassah watched in a mix of disbelief and hope. Ahqi seemed to be genuinely trying, his eyes squeezed shut, and his mouth twisted into a grimace of concentration. After a few intense moments, a single tear rolled down his cheek, glistening like a precious gem.

"Got it!" Ahqi exclaimed triumphantly, catching the tear on his fingertip. "This should help you feel better."

She was expecting him to use healing magic, she did not expect his tears to turn to pearls much less for them to have healing properties. She felt embarrassed to admit - she didn't know something so crucial about one of the five celestial beings.

He carefully placed the tear on her lips, and she opened up to swallow it. As soon as the tear made contact with her tongue, it spread a soothing, cool sensation throughout her body. The pain began to fade, and her wounds started to heal almost instantly.

Feeling better she could finally relax, at least now she would be able to run away if things got bad. "Thank you, Ahqi. I feel much better now," she said quietly.

Ahqi beamed, clearly pleased with himself. "I'm glad I could help! You should rest a bit before you go. I don’t think you’ll survive if you remain this weak." He said it with such gusto, as if she wasn't running for her life.

"This place, it's connected to the sea?" she asked him, looking up at the cave. Now she could actually appreciate how beautifully lit it was, crystals standing against the walls of the cave with gems sticking out of the ceiling, all glowing a soft purple.

"Absolutely! I know this cave system like the back of my hand. I come here often to hide from my retainers," Ahqi said with a carefree grin, his tone carrying a hint of playful mischief.

She looked at him and couldn't help but sigh. Did she get picked up by a kid? "How old are you?" she asked.

"Hmm, I don't really remember. We don't normally keep track," he replied with a thoughtful expression.

Of course, she thought. Celestials don't die by natural causes, and they also can't reproduce by natural means. He must be at least a hundred years old, but still, wasn’t he too childish? Was he just sheltered?

She felt he was lucky, before she was twelve, she had already seen the death of her caretaker, it must be nice to be carefree for hundreds of years.

As she sat there, gathering her strength, Ahqi's childlike manner eased her initial fears. Despite his celestial nature, he seemed genuinely innocent and eager to help. The situation was bizarre, but she needed to take advantage of it.

"Ahqi, do you think you could show me the way out of the cave system?" she asked, trying to sound as calm and composed as possible.

Ahqi's eyes lit up. "Sure! I can guide you. This place is like a maze, but I know all the secret paths."

He bobbed up and down the water, his beautiful iridescent blue tail occasionally rising above the pool.

Hadassah hesitated for a moment before dipping into the cool water. She held on to his waist tightly much to his amusement.

"It tickles! Be careful!" He said chuckling, before diving back in the pool. He swan through the carven, hiss strong strokes propelling them forward effortlessly, but as they swam deeper and longer without surfacing, her anxiety began to grow.

She could feel her lungs burning, and panic set in. She started to thrash and hit him in desperation, trying to signal her need for air. Ahqi glanced back at her, puzzled by her sudden distress. "What's wrong?" he tried to ask, and despite being underwater, his voice was clear enough for her to understand.

Realizing her struggle, Ahqi swiftly changed direction and guided them upward to a small air pocket in the cavern's ceiling. As soon as they broke the surface, Hadassah gasped for air, her chest heaving. She clung to Ahqi, their bodies pressed close together in the confined space.

He looked at her with concern, noticing the small details of her face for the first time-the delicate lines around her eyes, the way her hair clung to her skin, and the intensity of her gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft and full of genuine worry. She must be a really bad beastman for this little swimming to make her this breathless.

She nodded, still catching her breath. "I can't hold my breath for too long underwater. I'm not like you, Ahqi."

He frowned, tilting his head in confusion. "You're a weird beastman. You're really bad at swimming."

She felt frustrated, "I just can't hold my breath that long!"

Realization dawned on Ahqi's face. "Oh! That makes sense now. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a rabbit beastman. You should have told me sooner. You didn't have any ears so I didn't expect it!"

Her eye twitched, rabbit beastman were notorious for being cowards, their females also couldn't swim very well.

"It's okay," she said, she had an inkling that he didn't mean it as an insult. "I should have explained better."

As she caught her breath, she noticed his gaze lingering on her face. "You know, you're actually really pretty," he said, almost as if realizing it for the first time.

"Did you just realize that!?"

He blushed sheepishly, smiling he said, "hold on!" Before she could say anything else they had descended again. She cursed him in her mind, he knew she was about to cuss him out for just noticing she was pretty, did he think she was ugly before!?

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