The morning light poured through the dense canopy like liquid gold, warming Kael's face as he stirred awake. His body was aching in all the right places—the kind of soreness that told him he was alive and kicking. The faint pulse of golden energy beneath his skin gave him a buzz of reassurance. Evolution was working, and so was he.
Stretching, Kael rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced around the cave where the tribe had taken refuge the night before. Suri and several other tribe members were already awake, their curious eyes watching him like he was some kind of weird god-child who had fallen from the sky.
Kael groaned. "Alright, new day, new challenge. Today's goal: figure out how to make fire without accidentally blowing myself up."
He stood and limped over to a pile of dry sticks, twigs, and some flat stones that seemed to be their best bet for creating sparks. It wasn't like he'd never tried starting a fire before, but surviving prehistoric Earth was definitely not his usual kind of challenge.
Picking up two stones, he struck them together awkwardly. Sparks flew—mostly missing the dry tinder. His fingers quickly became raw and sore from the repeated effort.
"Seriously, prehistoric humans, how did you guys make this look so easy? Did you have a tutorial video or something?"
The tribe watched silently for a moment, then Suri giggled, clutching her stomach and pointing at him. "Funny man," she said in their language, which Kael was slowly starting to understand through context.
Determined not to be outdone by a bunch of early humans, Kael took a deep breath and tried again. This time, the stones sparked brighter, and a tiny flicker of flame caught on the dry grass. He froze, wide-eyed, willing it to grow. The flame danced and flickered, then died.
The tribe burst into applause, and Kael gave them a victorious grin. "See? Evolutionary Emperor knows how to start a fire. Now, where's my marshmallow?"
They all laughed, the tension easing in the small cave. Kael could feel the weight of being an outsider slowly lifting with every small connection he made.
But fire wasn't the only thing he needed to learn.
Later that morning, Kael accompanied Suri and a few tribe members on a foraging trip. They moved through the thick jungle, collecting roots, berries, and strange fruits. Kael was careful not to pick anything that looked poisonous—or spicy.
Of course, that was wishful thinking.
At one point, Kael plucked a bright red berry from a bush and popped it into his mouth before realizing his mistake. The instant heat hit his tongue and throat, and his eyes watered uncontrollably.
He coughed and sputtered, spitting the fruit out into his hand. "Note to self: prehistoric berries are apparently hot enough to start a forest fire in my mouth."
Suri giggled again, shaking her head.
"Don't worry," she said, pointing toward the river. "Water."
Kael practically sprinted to the riverbank, dipping his face into the cool water and gulping it down like it was the best drink of his life.
The tribe's laughter followed him, but he didn't mind. It was nice to feel like one of them, even if he was still the weirdo who talked to himself and looked like he was from another planet.
As they gathered their food, a sudden tremor shook the ground. Birds exploded into the sky, shrieking in alarm.
Kael's gaze snapped toward the source—a massive shadow moving swiftly between the trees.
"Uh-oh," he muttered. "Guess lesson two is running really fast and hoping for the best."
The tribe scattered, screams rising in panic. Kael instinctively stepped forward, positioning himself between the humans and the approaching threat.
From the underbrush emerged a massive creature—a snarling, scaled beast with glistening teeth and eyes that burned with primal fury. It was bigger than any dinosaur Kael had seen so far and looked downright pissed.
Kael's heart pounded as adrenaline surged through his veins.
"This one's got a death wish," he muttered, cracking his knuckles.
The beast charged, and Kael ducked just in time to avoid a deadly swipe. The ground shook beneath him as it slammed its heavy paws into the dirt.
Kael lunged forward, swinging a punch that connected solidly with the beast's snout. The creature howled in pain but was far from finished.
The fight was a chaotic blur—dodges, blocks, swipes, and the occasional stumble. Kael felt himself pushed to his limits, but with every near-death experience, he felt that familiar pulse—the golden glow that spread like wildfire through his body, hardening him, sharpening his senses.
He caught his breath and grinned despite the danger. "Okay, evolution, I see you. Let's do this."
With renewed vigor, Kael fought like a man possessed, his strikes more precise and powerful. The creature staggered and then fell, defeated.
The tribe erupted in cheers, rushing to Kael's side. Suri smiled brightly, clasping his hand in gratitude.
Kael looked around at the frightened but hopeful faces and felt a warmth that had nothing to do with his powers.
Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't alone in this prehistoric nightmare.
That night, Kael sat by the fire, muscles sore but spirit strong. He stared up at the stars, wondering what cosmic joke had thrown him here—and what his purpose really was.
He didn't have answers yet, but one thing was clear:
He would survive.
No matter how many times he had to die.