Otto lay unconscious on the bed of a small room. Beside him, someone watched intently; their eyes, a vivid red, examined him with unsettling calm, as though weighing his very existence.
⏤ "Hey… my sister said you can talk," ⏤ murmured a serene, emotionless voice.
Otto opened his eyes slowly. His head lifted as if it were far too heavy for his frail body. Turning toward the voice, he distinguished a boy his own age, staring down at him with cutting coldness.
⏤ …
Otto did not reply. A chill ran through his feathers; the sensation was as if, at any moment, that boy could kill him without hesitation. The silence thickened until the boy opened his mouth, about to speak—only to be interrupted by a sharp smack to the head.
⏤ "What are you doing here? It's time you take your sister something to eat," ⏤ said Ellisse's grandmother, her tone scolding.
The boy said nothing. He turned calmly and left the room.
⏤ "Good… you're awake. Tell me, what is it you want from my granddaughter?" ⏤ asked the old woman, her voice suddenly stern enough to freeze the air.
⏤ "W-what?" ⏤ Otto was startled by the question, though he soon understood the reason behind it. ⏤ "She saved my life… so I suppose I want to repay the favor," ⏤ he answered, unsure even of his own words.
⏤ "I see… She's a kind girl, but also naive and clumsy. No matter how many times I warn her, she keeps getting herself into trouble," ⏤ the woman said, irritation seeping into her voice.
Otto was taken aback by the bluntness with which she spoke about her own granddaughter.
⏤ "Y-yes, I think so too," ⏤ he replied in a trembling voice. ⏤ "And… where is Ellisse?" ⏤ he asked, trying to change the subject.
⏤ "Elli is working. If you want to see her, go with Argier."
⏤ "R-right away," ⏤ Otto answered, unsure if it was a suggestion or a command.
As he walked, he made a few guesses: that Argier must be the same boy from earlier. Just remembering him sent shivers down his little bird body.
Upon leaving the cabin, Otto discovered he was in a small countryside village. Wooden houses lined the paths, and along the cobblestone streets, the occasional carriage passed by. The scene was peaceful, comforting—something rarely seen in his original world.
But…
What truly unsettled him was the crowd. Never before had he been surrounded by so many people. With Ellisse, interaction had been simple, but now his chest tightened and his throat closed. His anxiety spiked as several curious villagers approached him. His breathing grew ragged, his flapping clumsy and erratic. A woman reached out her hand, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
⏤ "What a cute little bird," ⏤ she said, stroking his feathers gently.
⏤ "It's true… I really am a parrot now…" ⏤ Otto murmured with a strange sense of relief.
⏤ "Huh? Whaaaat?!" ⏤ the woman cried, recoiling at once. Her scream spread like fire through the villagers, who erupted into chaos.
⏤ "It's a magical bird!" ⏤ exclaimed a farmer in awe.
Within seconds, a crowd had gathered around Otto. And though he no longer bore the social anxiety of a human, the weight of so many stares overwhelmed him all the same. Then, from within the mob, someone seized him roughly, lifting him as though he were nothing more than an object.
⏤ "Hey, noisy bird, what do you think you're doing?" ⏤ Argier held Otto by one wing, as if he were a filthy rag. ⏤ "Grandma warned me something like this might happen… but I didn't expect you to be this stupid," ⏤ he said with clear disappointment.
Otto, dizzy and dazed, could do nothing but listen to the scolding without protest.
⏃⏃⏃⏃⏅
Far away, deep in a vast jungle, a hooded figure staggered forward, their steps weak and faltering, as if their strength were nearly spent.
In the distance, their violet eyes widened like gems as they spotted a walled village. A faint smile curved across their lips.