Never make choices in anger (You will regret it... Seriously)

   If you’ve been paying attention to the previous chapter, then you already know that I stormed out of Zephyra’s house in a fit of anger. Yep, I walked straight out the door without so much as a second thought.

   At the time, it felt like the best option. I was frustrated, sick of being lied to, and convinced that I didn’t want to hear anything else she had to say. But the thing about making decisions while you’re angry is that you don’t always think things through.

   It didn’t take long before I realized two very important things.

   First, I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. I was supposed to grab something to eat after cleaning the attic, but that obviously didn’t happen. Now, my stomach was growling loud enough to scare off birds. 

   And second—this one hit harder—I was standing in the middle of a forest. Not just any forest, but one in a completely unfamiliar world, and the sun was already starting to set.

   I am really stupid, aren’t I?

   I stood there for a moment, looking around at the tall trees and dense bushes while the light gradually faded. The silence made everything feel bigger somehow, like I was suddenly very far from anything safe or familiar. I felt the pressure building, the kind of quiet panic that sneaks in when your surroundings stop making sense.

   And yeah, I seriously considered just sitting down and giving up for a moment.

   But instead, I slapped both of my cheeks. Hard.

   “Okay, Sora. Calm down. Focus.” I took a deep breath and made myself think. Panicking wouldn’t help, and it’s not like I was helpless. I had been through worse, and between everything I learned at the facility and the books I’d read in Zephyra’s library—especially the survival ones—I had more than enough knowledge to make it through the night.

   “Alright,” I muttered, “it’s Survival Time!”

   The first priority was shelter. I gathered up strong branches and larger leaves, eventually finding a wide tree trunk that would make a decent base. I started stacking the branches against it to form a simple frame, then covered it with leaves and smaller sticks. It wasn’t pretty, but it was stable enough to keep me dry if it rained.

   Next was fire. I made a pit using stones and cleared an area around it. After stacking dry twigs and leaves for kindling, I grabbed a couple of rocks and started striking them together. It took a lot longer than I’d hoped—and more than a few muttered curses—but eventually, I got a spark to catch. The flame spread through the dry material until a small fire finally came to life.

   The warmth hit me quickly. The temperature had dropped fast, and even a small fire made a difference. I sat back and watched the flames, feeling slightly more in control of the situation.

   Then my stomach reminded me that warmth didn’t solve everything.

   I got up and started looking for food. It didn’t take long to find a patch of berries that looked familiar from one of the field guides I read. I picked one and tasted it, cautiously waiting to see if my body would reject it or if it paralyzes me. When nothing bad happened, I gathered what I could and brought them back to the fire.

   By the time I returned, night had fully fallen. The fire cast a soft glow around my makeshift camp as I sat down close to the flames, popping the berries into my mouth one by one. They weren’t much, but at least it was something. As I ate, the firelight flickered across the trees, creating shadows that danced with the wind.

   And that’s when the thoughts started creeping in again.

   Did I really make the right decision by running away?

   Zephyra had lied to me. That much was true. She’d kept things hidden, things I had the right to know. But then... I remembered the look on her face when I left. That moment of sadness in her eyes. Or maybe that was guilt?

   Before I could dwell on it further, a rustling noise came from the bushes nearby.

   I froze.

   “Who’s there?” I called out, standing up quickly and grabbing a stick from the ground, holding it like a weapon.

   The rustling grew louder, and I stared into the dark shadows beyond the firelight, my heart pounding in my chest.

   I tightened my grip on the stick, crouching low as I stared into the shadows beyond the firelight. My heart pounded in my chest, each rustle in the bushes seeming louder than the last.

   Then, suddenly, something leapt out from the shadows.

   I tensed, only to freeze in surprise as I took in the small, stumbling figure. A puppy. A tiny black-furred puppy with wide crimson eyes. It looked weak, its steps wobbly, as if it had used up the last of its strength to jump out of the bush. A moment later, it collapsed onto the ground, its breathing shallow.

   My defensive stance melted instantly. I stepped forward, feeling a pang of worry as I knelt beside the little creature.

   “Hey… are you okay?” I asked, my voice soft.

   The puppy’s eyes half-closed, and it let out a faint whimper. The poor thing looked exhausted, so I reached into my pocket, pulling out some berries. Gently, I held them out to the puppy, who sniffed them weakly before taking a few hesitant bites. As it ate, its gaze met mine, a hint of trust flickering in those crimson eyes.

   Once it had finished, I noticed something red staining the fur on its leg. I looked closer and realized there was a small wound, bleeding just enough to need attention.

   “Hang in there,” I said gently. Without hesitating, I grabbed the edge of my hoodie sleeve and tore it off, ignoring the fact that I don’t have any other clothes. Carefully, I wrapped the strip of fabric around the puppy’s leg, tying it into a makeshift pressure bandage to stop the bleeding.

   After a moment, the flow of blood slowed, then stopped entirely.

   “There we go,” I said, gently patting the puppy’s head. “All done. You’re going to be okay.”

   The puppy looked up at me, and then, as if it understood, it slowly crawled onto my knee. I watched, surprised, as it curled up on my lap, letting out a contented sigh before closing its eyes. Within moments, it had fallen asleep, its tiny body rising and falling with each steady breath.

   I sat there, watching the firelight dance across the puppy’s fur, feeling an odd sense of calm. I hadn’t exactly planned on getting company tonight. But here it was, asleep on my knee like I was the safest place in the world.

   As the fire crackled, my thoughts drifted back to Zephyra. I couldn’t help but remember that look on her face when I left, that glimmer of something—sadness, maybe? Regret? A pang of confusion tugged at me.

   "Why did you look at me like that?" I asked silently.

   But after a moment, I shook the thought from my mind. I’d deal with it tomorrow. Tonight I am too tired to think, I need to rest.

   I decided to leave my problems for tomorrow's me.