NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: An Unexpected Encounter
Nyanko Sakura's legs finally gave out, and she collapsed on the riverbank, her chest heaving with exhaustion. The adrenaline that had fueled her escape was now replaced with a bone-deep fatigue. She lay there, staring up at the night sky, trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.
Just as her eyes began to close, she heard a rustling sound nearby. Her ears perked up, and her body tensed. "Not again," she thought, her fear returning. She forced herself to stay still, her heart pounding in her chest as she listened intently.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a large, shadowy figure moving toward the river. Her mind raced with possibilities another monster, a human, or something worse? But as the figure came into the moonlight, she saw it clearly for the first time. It was a massive brown bear, its fur glistening in the silver light.
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. In her world, bears didn't exist. She had heard stories from other monsters about creatures like this, but she had never seen one herself. "What is that?" she wondered, her curiosity momentarily overpowering her fear.
The bear lumbered to the river's edge, paying no attention to Sakura. It dipped its large paws into the water and began to scoop out fish, its movements slow and deliberate. Sakura watched in awe as the bear caught fish with ease, bringing them to the bank and devouring them.
"Is it going to attack me?" she thought, her body still tense. But the bear seemed completely uninterested in her presence. It was focused solely on its meal, its massive jaws crunching through the fish with a contented rumble.
Sakura remained perfectly still, her red eyes fixed on the bear. "Maybe if I don't move, it won't notice me," she thought, trying to keep her breathing steady. The bear continued to fish, occasionally glancing around but never looking directly at her.
After a while, the bear finished its meal and stood up, shaking its fur. It lumbered away from the riverbank, leaving behind several uneaten fish. Sakura watched it disappear into the trees, her body still frozen in place. "It's leaving," she thought, relief flooding through her. "I'm safe."
Once the bear was out of sight, Sakura slowly sat up, her muscles aching from tension and exhaustion. She glanced at the fish the bear had left behind, her stomach growling once more. "Food," she thought, a small smile forming on her lips. "I guess even in this world, there are small blessings."
She carefully crawled to the fish, her eyes scanning the area for any other potential threats. The fish were fresh, their scales shimmering in the moonlight. "I should eat before something else comes," she decided, picking up one of the fish.
As she sat by the riverbank, eating the fish, Sakura's mind wandered back to the bear. "It's so different from anything in my world," she thought. "But it didn't seem dangerous, at least not to me." She pondered the differences between this world and her own, the strange and unexpected encounters she had faced.
Finishing her meal, Sakura felt a bit more at ease. The bear's appearance had been a shock, but it had also provided her with food and a moment of respite. "Maybe not everything in this world is out to get me," she mused, her red eyes reflecting the moonlight.
With her hunger sated and her body a bit more rested, Sakura knew she needed to keep moving. The memory of the wolf howls still lingered in her mind, a reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows. She stood up, brushing off the dirt from her clothes, and picked up the gun and map.
"I have to stay strong," she told herself, her resolve renewed. "I have to survive." She took a deep breath, feeling a mix of fear and determination. The journey ahead was still uncertain, but she was ready to face whatever came her way.
As she walked along the riverbank, her thoughts were filled with the strange and wondrous creatures of this new world. She didn't know what lay ahead, but she was prepared to face it with all the strength and courage she could muster. She was Nyanko Sakura, a survivor in a world of shadows and mysteries, and she would not give up.