Have you ever seen a hamster die of old age?

Ask any hamster owner, and they’ll tell you the most horrifying story you’ve ever heard. Drowned in a toilet, trapped in a laundry machine, electrocuted by a phone charger, or worst of all, vanished without a trace, only for the cat to look way too satisfied.

Hamsters never go peacefully.

But what if they were given intelligence? Would they finally live out their full lifespans? Or would it just make them understand how cruel their tiny existence really is?

And what if it wasn’t just the hamsters?

What if every rodent, mice, rats, guinea pigs, became smart enough to stop being prey?

Fifty years after the experiment, rodents have done more than just survive. They’ve built underground civilizations, mastered tools, and even begun whispering about a war. Because they know the truth now: the world was never made for them.

But something else changed.

Something bigger.

Because humans weren’t the only ones playing with intelligence.

The cats were watching.

And now? They aren’t just hunters. They’re rulers. Tacticians. Puppet masters. They don’t just chase their food anymore. They lure it in. And they’re so patient.

Nibble, a clueless but strangely lovable hamster, never asked to be part of this. He just wanted food, warmth, and a nice safe burrow. Instead, he’s running for his life alongside his scrappy siblings, his battle-hardened mother, and his utterly stupid but weirdly lucky guinea pig father.

Because the cats?

They don’t want food.

They want control.

And in the end, it’s not about who’s smart.

It’s about who stays prey, and who finally fights back.

"Wait... why is my cat just sitting there, staring at me?"
"Why are you looking at me like that... like you know something?"
"Wait. Why are your paws, why are they—why are they bloody?"
"...Where’s my baby?!!"

Mama always say, "If sumthin' talk first, it either a friend or da worst mistake ya ever made."


Cuz in da deep, dark tunnel, past all da busted hooman junk, sumthin' was talkin' to us.


Every fur on my body stood up. Mama's ears twitched high. Grizz's tail flicked.


"Sweek!" ("WE DA GUYS WHO BONKED A ROBOT!")


I barely saw 'em at first. Just tiny shapes, shiftin' low in da dark. Little paws. Little ears. Little eyes—not glowy like da stabby-fluffies, not red like da metal monster.


They was smaller than us—scrawny, fur messy, eyes big an' sharp. Like dey ain't seen da sun in too long. Like dey been down here forever.


Da one in da front, a brown-furred hamster wit' a lil' torn ear, narrowed his eyes.


"Squeak." ("You ain't from da tunnels.")


Mama's nose twitched. "Squeak." ("Not dese tunnels. Who are you?")


Torn-Ear crossed his arms. "Squeak." ("We da Lost Ones.")


One of da other hamsters, a chubby gray one, leaned close to Torn-Ear. "Sqeek?" ("We eat dem?")


Mama stepped forward fast."SQUEAK?!" ("EXCUSE ME?")


Torn-Ear smacked da chubby one. "Squeak!" ("No eatin'! No eattin' da new guys!")


Chubby pouted."Sqwek." ("I iz hungry...")


Mama looked horrified. I don' blame her.


Twitch whispered to me,"Sqeek." ("I dun lik dese guys.")


A skinny, twitchy hamster wit' wild-lookin' fur sniffed at Grizz.


Grizz grumbled."Ssssqueak." ("Got a problem?")


Da twitchy one grinned."Squeak." ("Nah. We like rats.")


Mama wasn't likin' dis. She squared up. "Squeak." ("Why you all livin' down here?")


"Squeak." ("Cuz up top got stabby-fluffies. Down here got less.")


Rusty perked up."Sweek?" ("But what about da robot monster?")


Torn-Ear snorted. "Squeak." ("We avoid dem.")


Mama narrowed her eyes. "Squeak." ("Well, WE had to fight one.")


Da chubby one almost fell over."Sqwek!" ("Dey fought da big metal snappy!")


Torn-Ear wiped his eye. "Squeak!" ("New guys ain't gonna last a week.")


Mama's ears flattened."Squeak." ("Watch us.")


Torn-Ear tilted his head. "Squeak?" ("Ya wanna stay?")


We couldn' go back. Da stabby-fluffies were waitin' in da Wilds.


Mama took a deep breath. "Squeak." ("For now. If we don' like it, we leave.")


Torn-Ear smirked. "Squeak." ("Good luck. No one leaves da tunnels.")


Twitch whispered to me again. "Sqeek." ("I reeeally dun like dese guys.")


Da Lost Ones led us deeper into da tunnels.


Chapter 10 - Da Lost Ones