Crawling through lands already explored, bathed in the grace of the Moon and serenaded by the whispering winds of the night, the creature — ever evolving— moved toward the settlement of the two-legged beings, from which the dog it had recently devoured had once come.
Until then, it lived many lives: diurnal birds caught while they slept in their nests, snakes that slithered too close, rats, worms.
Though these creatures did not hold memories as complex as the four-legged one before them, the entity remained fascinated by their stories. Each life was of immeasurable value — and through them, it learned more about what life was, gaining abilities it once lacked.
In its nature, it was something akin to a chimera.
At last, after much wandering, it saw from afar strange things: stones shaped into odd forms, topped with wood in certain places.
It noticed some beings still awake, even at that late of a hour — a curious sight, for the forest had long fallen silent. All except for the predators. Were they among them?
Following this primitive logic, the being chose to proceed with caution.
Gliding low against the earth, it instinctively adopted the posture of a snake. Its body shifted into what its unconscious mind believed best suited for the moment. Swiftly, it slithered into one of those clusters of materials — which, to it, held no meaning.
Inside, it saw the dwellers lying atop wooden structures, sleeping. Strange. Did they gather inside these clusters to rest? It still lacked the full comprehension and words to shape or articulate its thoughts, even to itself.
So it climbed, burrowing into the straw-thatched ceiling above. From there — a lesson it had learned from birds — it had the upper vantage. From above, one sees more.
And so, it watched.
It studied the few figures that passed below, searching for a face it longed to find. Its sight had sharpened now; distinguishing features was relatively easy.
Though it understood the concept of sleep, it did not feel tired. And it wondered why. So it stayed awake, waiting for the dawn.
As the Sun rose, more people emerged from their shelters and wandered the streets. The noise grew with time, intriguing the creature. Unlike the jungle, these beings rarely seemed hostile to one another.
Then, at last, among many faces, it saw him — the one it sought.
It waited until dusk and followed him quietly. Its translucent body and noiseless movement kept it hidden from the few who still lingered outside. It tracked his scent, even without a "nose".
Sticking close to structures, it moved through shadows, avoiding the strange wooden pillars that bore fire on top. Those objects disrupted its concealment.
Eventually, it arrived at the place where the man met with two others. It slipped in after them, through a crack in the door.
Creeping into a corner, it watched the familiar face unleash violence upon the two others — one smaller in stature, the other fragile, yet tall. A bizarre sight.
Shrieks, pained moans, sounds of suffering echoed — yet the aggressor did not stop.
After a long time, silence fell. The three laid down. Two together on a wooden slab, the third separated by a wall. Why didn't they sleep huddled, like dogs did? Strange.
Anxious, the creature moved toward the room of the smaller human.
Calmly, while he slept, it climbed onto the child's body and began to shift, enveloping him — from the fabric on his skin to the tips of his toes, all was consumed, muffling his screams beneath the natural form of the being that had overtaken him.
And of all the lives the creature had absorbed, this one was the most profound.
So rich, so complex, it left the entity paralyzed.
Its body frozen, its mind unraveling — processing new meanings, emotions and experiences.
So, it lived, once again.