Chapter 13 - Stuck like this

Hua Lang jolted awake as the shrill sound of a cell phone alarm blared from the other room, cutting through the stillness of the dingy space. The room was pitch-dark, no hint of daylight piercing through the cracks in the windows. He blinked groggily, disoriented. Where am I? Then, reality crashed down on him with gut-wrenching force.

I'm still a pig.

Yesterday, the shock of his transformation had been too much to process. He had been too exhausted, too numb to even try to make sense of it. But now, in the cold silence of morning, the full weight of his nightmare bore down on him. He stared down at his small, stubby pig legs, his heart sinking deeper with every breath.

This can't be real, he thought frantically, his pulse racing. I must be dreaming. I'll wake up. I'll wake up as myself… But as he wriggled his hooves, the sickening truth set in. He was trapped in this body—a pig's body. His human life, his goals, his identity… everything had vanished in the blink of an eye. A lump of despair formed in his chest, heavy and suffocating.

"No..." he whispered internally, a desperate plea, but all that escaped his lips was a pitiful snort. He slumped back onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "I had so many things I wanted to achieve... I was supposed to live a great life. What will happen to me now?"

Tears pricked his eyes, and he angrily shook them away. His gaze fell on Tian, the angel who was still snoring softly behind him, blissfully unaware of Hua Lang's agony. "Him! He must be the one behind this. He's the only magical being I know. He must've cursed me!" The thought filled him with fury and bitterness. He could feel his body trembling, not just from anger but from the sheer helplessness of the situation.

"I have to get out of here. I have to leave!" The thought took hold, gripping him with the force of desperation. "If I get far enough, maybe I'll change back!"

Summoning whatever strength he had, Hua Lang jumped off the bed and made a mad dash for the small main room. His heart pounded in his chest as his tiny hooves clattered across the floor. His breath came in short, frantic bursts. Freedom. He needed to find freedom. That was the only thing that mattered.

But just as he reached the door, a pair of strong hands closed around him, halting his escape.

"No! No!" Hua Lang squealed in panic, thrashing wildly. He kicked and twisted, trying to break free from the grip that held him tight. His body wriggled and squirmed with all the strength he could muster, but it was useless. He was too small, too weak.

"Let me go!" his mind screamed. But all that came out were desperate, high-pitched squeals that echoed pathetically around the room.

Lu Chen, barely awake and mildly amused, glanced down at him with a frown. "What's with you, little guy? Is this how you ran away from home? Your owners must be worried sick." He clicked his tongue in mild disapproval and gently nudged Hua Lang's nose. "Be a good piglet."

"Owners?!" Hua Lang's mind reeled in disbelief. "I don't have owners! I'm a human! A human!!" But all Lu Chen saw was a stubborn piglet squealing in defiance.

With a sigh, Lu Chen released him, assuming the pig would calm down. But Hua Lang didn't waste a second. As soon as he was free, he bolted toward the door again, determination surging through his veins. He charged at it with all his might, trying to ram his way out.

"I have to leave! I'll run, I'll run until I'm free of this curse!" His heart was thudding wildly, and his small body slammed into the door with a thud. Again, he rammed into it, but the door wouldn't budge. Frustration, fear, and despair tangled inside him, choking him with the helplessness of his situation.

"Please... let me go..." he thought desperately, his tiny frame trembling with exhaustion. But no matter how many times he tried to force his way through, the door held firm, and Hua Lang collapsed in a heap, panting from the effort. His entire body ached, but the pain in his chest—the crushing weight of his new reality—hurt far worse.

He lay there, gasping, as the world around him grew cold and unforgiving.