Chapter 1: A Wolf’s Pelt

Orion, the Great Ogre Leader, patrolled the Great Green Forest as he always did, his massive footsteps leaving imprints in the soft soil. This forest was his domain, a sacred land teeming with life, mana, and the unspoken bond of those who called it home. His patrol was routine, but today something felt different, like the forest itself whispered of an anomaly.

Pushing aside a thick curtain of vines, Orion stopped in his tracks. Before him, in a clearing lit by shafts of sunlight breaking through the canopy, knelt a small human girl. She was no older than twelve, her tiny hands working a blade over the carcass of a wolf.

In this world, it wasn’t uncommon for children to hunt, but this little girl sure was fascinating as she skinned the wolf with a precision that rivaled experienced hunters. Her delicate frame, clad in a pristine white dress, looked completely out of place in the wilderness. Blood streaked her hands and the blade, yet her dress remained unsoiled, its fine fabric shining like it belonged to royalty.

Orion stepped closer, his towering shadow falling over her. He expected her to flinch, to cower like most humans did in the presence of an ogre. But she didn’t even look up, continuing her work with calm focus.

“Human,” he said, his deep voice rolling through the clearing like distant thunder. “Are you by chance lost? But... considering you’re skinning a wolf in that beautiful dress… are you hunting?”

The girl finally paused, lifting her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, reflecting the sunlight with an almost ethereal gleam. Orion crouched, resting his forearms on his knees to meet her at eye level.

“A human child like you shouldn’t be here,” he said, his tone softer but still firm. “This forest is no place for a little girl.”

He extended his hand toward her, a gesture of both curiosity and protection. But the girl pulled back slightly, her expression unwavering.

“No,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.

Orion raised a brow, tilting his head slightly. “No? You refuse my help?”

The girl set down her knife, carefully folding the wolf’s pelt with steady hands. She stood, cradling the pelt as if it were a prized possession. “I’m not lost,” she said, her voice steady. “And I don’t need help.”

Orion frowned. “Not lost? Then where are you from?”

The girl remained silent, her gaze dropping momentarily to the ground before she looked back at him. Orion couldn’t tell if it was defiance or indifference in her eyes.

“I don’t need help,” she repeated, her tone unwavering. She bent down, picking up the wolf’s meat and balancing it easily in her arms.

Orion stared at her, a mixture of amazement and confusion swirling in his mind. There was nothing ordinary about her, nothing that aligned with the rules of the world he knew.

“If you’re not lost, then what are you doing here?” he asked, his voice softening.

The girl hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to answer. Finally, she spoke, her voice quiet but clear. “Living.”

Orion straightened up, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her. “What’s your name, child?”

She glanced at him, her expression blank, before replying softly, “I don’t remember.”

He watched as she turned to leave, her small frame disappearing into the dense forest with the wolf’s pelt and meat in her arms.

Orion stood there for a long moment, his curiosity now a burning question. A human child who hunted wolves alone, untouched by the dangers of the forest, and utterly indifferent to his presence. Who was she?

He turned to resume his patrol, but he knew he would cross paths with her again. And when he did, he would uncover the truth about the mysterious nameless girl.

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