Spirit Silhouette

The next morning, the sun was just beginning to push back the twilight, casting long, sleepy shadows through the trees as Ao set out for his expedition—his first real hunt. His small pack rested snugly against his back, and the small dagger hung at his side. Shiro had insisted he go alone, to gain experience in both combat and survival. Whatever Shiro intended to teach him, it was clear that this was more than just a lesson in swordsmanship.

Koi had been less enthusiastic. She had spent the entire morning fussing over Ao, double-checking his pack, smoothing his hair, and pulling him into endless hugs. Her instincts screamed to keep him close, it was her 'motherly instincts' as they called it, but Shiro's steady presence reassured her. It was only for a day, after all. And Ao needed this—needed the chance to prove to himself that he could handle what was to come.

"You only need to bring back dinner," Shiro had said, his tone was calm as he ruffled Ao's hair. "Show me you have the stomach for it. The skill. Sometimes, being a hunter means bringing home a meal. Sometimes, it means surviving the night. Either way, you'll learn something valuable."

Ao hadn't entirely understood the lesson behind it, but he went along with it anyway. His curiosity overrode his uncertainty.

The day before, after Shiro explained the origins of Sword styles to him, Ao had spent hours poring over the Beast Encyclopedia, trying to memorize the local wildlife. He learned the name of the forest—The Kyran Woods—and what creatures called it home. As long as he stayed within the shallow areas of the forest and avoided the steep cliff that marked the deeper wilds, he would be fine. The cliff was the boundary, the unspoken line that separated the manageable dangers from the true threats—spirit beasts and whatever else lurked deeper in the 'dead zone' as they called it.

He packed carefully, prioritizing what he might need. Bread, a small skin of clean water, a sturdy water bottle, a simple dagger, an extra knife for emergencies, The Beast encyclopedia and some cloth in case he needed to make a makeshift shelter. His preparations were good in his eyes, it's not like he chose toys or anything, he chose whatever would prove the most useful in said environment. He knew the worst he might face would be wolves or perhaps a bear, but he was confident that he could avoid them. He had read about their habits, learned their tracks, and understood how to move without drawing attention.

The moment he crossed the edge of their small yard and stepped into the treeline, Ao activated both Air and Water Signature. His movements became swift and fluid, his feet barely brushing the ground as he moved. The wind seemed to part around him, and the earth beneath his steps remained undisturbed. His breathing was steady, his senses open to the world around him.

The woods were quiet.

Too quiet.

Ao's ears twitched, his instincts wanted him to turn back, but he figured it was because this was uncharted territory, something his body wasn't used to and decided to keep going. He had expected to see rabbits darting through the underbrush, birds flitting between the branches, or even the occasional squirrel peeking out from its burrow. But the forest felt still—like everything small was hiding or something similar to it.

He crouched low, his fingers brushed the ground, feeling the soft moss and damp soil, aiming to gauge the type of environment he was in. His eyes darted around, searching for signs of life—fresh tracks, disturbed leaves, anything to indicate he wasn't alone.

Nothing.

It was odd, but not alarming—yet.

Maybe the animals were still sleeping. The sun was only just beginning to climb, and the coolness of the morning might have kept them in their burrows. Still, Ao moved cautiously, keeping his footsteps light and his breathing soft to avoid scaring what prey he could find and prevent drawing attention to anything unwanted.

He knew how to track. He had read about it, practiced in the yard, following Koi's and Shiro's trails through the grass for a few hours to get a good grasp on how to do it. He knew what rabbit droppings looked like, how to spot a hidden nest, and where to find the small game trails that twisted through the woods.

But here, those trails seemed... deserted.

Ao's grip on his dagger tightened slightly. His other hand remained free, fingers flexing as he prepared to channel spiritual energy if needed. His training had taught him that awareness was often the first weapon of a hunter, well more so his paranoia. Knowing the lay of the land, understanding the rhythm of the wild—those were skills just as important as wielding a blade.

He continued forward, deeper into the woods, his body gliding effortlessly over the forest ground. He moved like a ghost, gliding over the grass, being careful not to disturb the environment or even leave tracks, outside of the tracks he left to find his way back home, of course.

He had only been gone for an hour and a half, almost two, but already, Ao started to realize something that he hadn't considered before now. This wasn't just a test—it was real. If he failed, there would be no second chances. He had to bring something back. He had to prove to Shiro—and to himself—that he could do this.

The silence continued, pressing against his ears. He paused beneath a large oak, its gnarled roots twisting through the earth. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the area, searching for movement.

Where are the animals, literally seeing anything would be better than this silence?

His gut made him feel that he would soon regret thinking that.

Ao activated his Spirit Sight, his irises glowing faintly as the world shifted into hues of energy. He moved purposefully, making sure to take advantage of his small size and lightweight, blending with the underbrush. He found a sturdy tree, its bark rough under his fingertips, and climbed quickly. His muscles were still young and not used to such movement, even with the enhancements he got from the signatures, it still required just a tiny bit of effort to get onto the tree, then again, it was his first time climbing one. From this vantage point, he could see further into the woods, his spirit sight casting an ethereal glow over everything.

I'm only one year old, Ao thought, his mind was searching and taking into account everything he had seen so far, trying to piece it all together.. Even with Respira and Spirit Cycle, I'm not that strong. My endurance is higher than most kids my age, but I need to pick my battles carefully.

He knew his limits. Wolves were off-limits. They hunted in packs, their physical strength far exceeding his own. Even if he could use spiritual energy to enhance his body, one misstep against a pack would mean the end. Bears, too, were a no-go—he had no illusions about his chances against such raw power.

Bears don't need an explanation, he mused, a small smirk twitching at his lips, though it was more of one out of the sheer stupidity of even trying to fight a bear.. One swipe, and it's over.

But that left smaller prey—rabbits, squirrels, maybe a wild pheasant if he was lucky. His spirit sight revealed faint trails of energy, wisps that moved low to the ground, likely left by small creatures moving through the brush. He focused, narrowing his vision to filter out the noise of the forest, isolating those faint blue traces.

Stay safe. Stay smart. If I do this right, I'll be back home by dinner.

He had been careful on his way in, marking trees with small scratches from his dagger. Each mark was a subtle arrow pointing back toward the direction of home. He had counted his steps, gauged the distance between each mark, ensuring he never wandered too far. It was a technique he had read about—how seasoned hunters never lost their way.

The Kyran Woods stretched endlessly in every direction, at least it self that way to Ao, he doesn't know the exact length of the woods, so it was like an ant walking into a mansion to him. But Ao remained calm, regardless, he didn't come into the wilderness ignorant, far from it.. He had prepared for this. He had read about the behaviors of animals, the safest paths, the signs of danger.

From his perch, he spotted movement—a soft, flickering blue aura at the base of a thicket. He squinted, enhancing his spirit sight, and recognized the shape of a small rabbit. Its ears twitched, its nose moving as it nibbled on the fresh greens of the forest floor.

Perfect.

Ao's breathing became slow and deliberate. Ao's small hand rose, his palm facing the rabbit. His fingers trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the weight of the act he was about to commit. He wasn't a killer—had never taken a life before. But this was a test, one he needed to pass. His father had sent him out here not just to hunt but to prove he could stomach what it meant to survive.

He compressed his spiritual energy into a tight, glowing ball, barely the size of a marble, he wanted to give the creature a painless death, the spiritual energy would be quick and the impact would kill it instantly, so it was the most humane way possible Ao could think of. The rabbit's movements were predictable, each hop a gentle arc, it was fast, no doubt, but its guard was down, that was his advantage. He tracked its path, his Spirit Sight guiding him as he calculated the exact moment to strike.

Just as it jumps... when its momentum peaks... it won't be able to change direction...

His eyes narrowed, and with a soft exhale, he released the energy. The compressed ball shot forward, a streak of pale blue light, it was like a bullet of pure energy with how quickly it shot off. The forest ruffled only slightly from the sudden gust from the quick shot..

But the rabbit vanished.

Ao's eyes widened, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. The energy ball sailed through empty space, impacting the dirt with a muted thud. Leaves lifted slightly from the shockwave, but the rabbit was gone.

What the hell? Where did it go? How did it move that fast? He thought as he scanned the area, his Spirit Sight expanding to its limit. The soft glow of his vision revealed nothing—no trace of the rabbit's aura. His sight wasn't perfect, but within thirty meters, he should have seen something. A blur of movement, a fading trace of spiritual energy—anything.

I'm not getting down from this spot... His instincts clawed at him, a deep, primal warning. I'm too close to home for this...

He steadied his breathing, his small fingers gripping the bark of the tree until the rough edges bit into his skin. The world around him felt heavy, like the air had thickened, pressing against his skin. He searched for any sign, any residual energy trail. His Spirit Sight picked up the faintest wisps—pale blue, almost invisible, hanging in the air like smoke.

But something was wrong.

The spiritual residue didn't behave normally. Instead of a flowing trail, it appeared in sharp, disconnected patches. It was as if the rabbit had moved so fast that the energy couldn't fully detach from its body, leaving only stuttering echoes in the air.

Ao's heart hammered in his chest, his ribs a tight cage. He tracked the residuals with his eyes, his vision sharpening as he followed the erratic path. The wisps zigzagged, each patch further from the last, leading him to a nearby tree.

And there, splattered against the rough bark, was the rabbit's head with the body nowhere to be seen.

Its small, round eyes were still open, clouded and empty. The tiny mouth was frozen mid-chew, a small leaf hanging from its teeth. Blood and fur matted the tree, a crimson spray that stood stark against the mossy wood. The head was crushed, as if something had slammed it against the trunk before it even had the time to react. Strings of viscera hung like wet threads, clinging to the bark in sickly strands.

Ao's stomach churned. His hand flew to his mouth, his small fingers digging into his cheeks as he fought the bile rising in his throat. His vision wavered, the edges darkening as fear coiled around his gut.

What the hell did that? I need to go. I need to get home...

But then, realization struck him with the force of a hammer. The residuals—the spiritual energy left in the air—it wasn't from the rabbit.

It was from whatever killed it.

His pulse quickened, his breaths coming in shallow, uneven bursts. The forest around him, once a quiet, living place, had turned hostile. The trees no longer offered cover but stood as sentinels, twisted and dark. The shadows seemed deeper, pooling at the bases of the trunks like ink.

Ao's limbs locked, his muscles frozen by the icy grip of survival instinct. His Spirit Sight pulsed, every flicker of light, every shift of energy, a potential threat. His ears rang, the sound of his own blood rushing through his veins overpowering the soft hum of the woods.

Don't move. Don't breathe.

He couldn't even blink. His body remained perfectly still, the only movement the slow, controlled expansion of his chest. He could feel it now—something else in the woods. A presence. Heavy. Predatory.

His Spirit Sight caught the faintest disturbance—a ripple, like a stone dropped into still water. It moved through the underbrush, a low, undulating shape that absorbed the light around it. Its aura was not a soft blue or green but a sickly purple, edged with black, like rot spreading through a wound.

It was a spirit beast.