"I'm sure you want to go back, so I'll help you," the half-beast said.
"Why do you think I'm from a different world? And why would you want to help me?" Toni questioned, clutching the cup. "You don't even know me."
The half-beast looked down, his eyes seemingly showing a mixture of sadness and guilt. After a long pause, he responded.
"It's not safe for humans here. I know. My mother was once human," he stated tersely.
Toni inhaled in spite of herself. She caught the oddity in the half-beast's words. Did it mean...
"What do you mean by 'once human?" she couldn't stop herself from asking. "What happened to her?"
After another pause, the half-beast sighed. He then indicated for Toni to take a seat on the bed. Although she was reluctant, her curiosity overcame her wariness. Still concealing the cup in her hand, Toni sat on the edge of the bed, as the half-beast pulled over a small stool and sat a little ways away from her.
"The inhabitants of this world...kidnap humans from your world. They turn the humans into their own kind to propagate their species. The humans...have no choice," the half-beast haltingly stated. "You need to go back before someone finds you."
"Turn the humans into..." Toni shuddered in spite of herself. "So how do I know you're not going to...change me into something?"
"As I said, my mother was once human. She never accepted what happened to her, she always wanted to go back," the half-beast answered. "I don't want that to happen to you."
Toni sat there, dumbfounded. A few days ago she was just a college student trying to make ends meet. Now she was in some strange world where she could be transformed into some weird creature just for another creature to get her pregnant. Why her?
"I will return later," the half-beast stood up, sensing Toni's emotional state. "Please try to eat something," he suggested before exiting the room.
"Wait...what is your name?" Toni asked before the door closed. The half-beast paused.
"Mesu," the half-beast replied, and closed the door.
Toni didn't know how long she sat there, but the stew had long gone cold. Standing up, she decided to...