Episode 2: Grandmother's Deathbed Secret: I'm Not Human
761 Words
Grandmother is the closest person to Lin Xiaoman. She's the only one who never thought her love of fruit was strange.
When her parents fought about her pica when she was little, grandmother always protected her, buying her boxes and baskets of fruit. "Our Xiaoman loves to eat, that's a blessing, not a sickness," she'd say, patting her head gently.
Lin Xiaoman buys a train ticket that night and heads back to her hometown early the next morning.
The hospital room smells strongly of disinfectant. Grandmother lies in the bed, barely breathing. But when she sees Lin Xiaoman, her cloudy eyes light up with a spark. She grabs Lin Xiaoman's hand with surprising strength, so tight it hurts.
"Xiaoman... you're here..." Her voice is weak, but there's an unshakable determination in it.
She sends everyone else out of the room. When it's just the two of them, she leans close to Lin Xiaoman's ear and whispers with all her remaining strength:
"Xiaoman... you're not a freak... you're the last pure-blood descendant of the Fresh Fruit Elf Clan... we were born to eat fresh fruits, not grains or meat... you can eat so much because your blood is pure..."
Lin Xiaoman freezes. She thinks her grandmother is delirious from fever. "Grandma, what are you talking about? What elf clan? Are you feeling okay?"
Grandmother coughs, gripping her hand tighter, her knuckles turning white. "I'm not delirious... this world... isn't just ordinary humans... those who eat meat are the Blood Beast Clan... those who eat grains are the Earth Grain Clan... those who eat seafood are the Ocean Water Clan... those who eat metal are the Sharp Metal Clan... just like the zodiac signs, humans were never just one type..."
"Our Fresh Fruit Elf Clan is the royal family of all plant-based races. We feed on fresh fruits, absorb the life force of heaven and earth. The more we eat, the stronger we get... pure-blood descendants are born once every hundred years..."
"Xiaoman, I've protected you for twenty years... now it's time for you to know... your identity can't be hidden anymore... those beast races have been hunting pure-blood elves for centuries... they will come for you... they want to eat you..."
Before she can finish her sentence, the hospital window shatters with a deafening crash!
Glass shards fly everywhere. A strong smell of blood fills the room, making Lin Xiaoman cough.
A two-meter-tall man with bulging muscles breaks through the glass. He's wearing a black tank top, his arms covered in terrifying beast tattoos. His eyes are red like blood, and he stares at Lin Xiaoman like a predator who just found his prey. A low, beast-like growl rumbles in his throat.
"Found it... the pure-blood Fresh Fruit Elf... right here!"
The man reeks of blood and raw meat. He holds a bloody butcher knife in his hand, and blood drips slowly from the blade onto the floor. He takes a step forward, and the floor creaks under his weight. The greed in his eyes is almost tangible, like he's looking at a priceless treasure.
Lin Xiaoman instinctively steps in front of her grandmother, every hair on her body standing on end. Even though he looks incredibly strong, she doesn't feel afraid. Instead, a strange anger rises in her chest, and her fingertips tingle, like something is about to burst out of her skin.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Lin Xiaoman's voice is surprisingly steady. She even takes a step toward him, not away.
The man grins, showing sharp, pointed teeth. Saliva drips from his mouth. "What do I want? I want to take you back! A pure-blood Fresh Fruit Elf—your whole body is full of life essence. Eat you, and my berserk ability will max out instantly!"
"I'm from the Blood Beast Clan. We eat meat and drink blood. We were born to be the natural enemies of you vegetarian elves!"
Blood Beast Clan!
Her grandmother's words explode in Lin Xiaoman's mind. It's all true. She wasn't delirious. There really are these clans. There really is a hidden world.
The man lunges at her, his butcher knife flashing in the light, aiming straight for her chest! He moves so fast he's almost a blur!
At the last possible second, her grandmother suddenly uses all her strength to grab a bunch of bananas from the bedside table and throws them at Lin Xiaoman, screaming with the last of her breath:
"Xiaoman! Eat! Eat the fruit! That's how you awaken your bloodline! All our power is in the fruit!"
- Writer
