Spirit Silhouette

Ao lay crumpled against the cold, soft earth. His body trembled, every muscle had been overworked, every bone was aching. His skin bore the bruises, cuts, burns, despite ao coating his body in earth signature and using Respira and Spirit cycle, his body was still a one-year old's body being tossed, crashed into rocks, taking shockwaves face first, etc.

The Tachi loomed over him, a creature of nightmare. Its fur shimmered with a sickly red hue; its jaws unhinged to reveal rows of serrated fangs. The ball of flame grew in its throat. The heat washed over Ao's face, dry and biting, making his tears evaporate almost as soon as they formed.

He couldn't move. His legs felt like lead, his arms weak and useless by his sides. His spiritual reserves were almost gone, even though he was taking in spiritual energy from the environment and making it his own by moving it through his body. The beast rushed at him constantly, giving him less and less time to take in a proper amount of spiritual energy. Also, his belly was empty, more than ever since Respira had been helping him, restoring his condition but not the nutrients needed.

A soft whimper escaped his lips, a sound more animal than human. He wanted to speak, to cry out, but his voice was lost, exhausted, more focused on trying to breathe than scream. His small fingers dug into the dirt, clenching around broken twigs and damp leaves, the only thing he could hold onto as the world seemed to close in around him as his vision began to tunnel.

I can't… I can't do this…

His mind became nothing but thoughts and images. His mother's face, soft and warm, her eyes bright dark blue eyes filled with love. Her gentle hands as she brushed back his hair, her voice reading his books at night. His father's rough chuckles, the way he moved with the sword so swiftly, the pride he had in his eyes when Ao took his first steps, when he spoke his first word.

I wanted to make you proud… I wanted to be strong…

Tears slipped down his cheeks, mingling with the dirt and blood. He was too young to feel this way—to feel the weight of the world pressing down on him, but the real height of his situation and predicament was now becoming fully apparent to him.

If I die… will they even find me? Will they know how hard I tried?

He squeezed his eyes shut, the world blurring into shadows and light behind his lids. His breath hitched, and the softest of sobs escaped him.

Mom… I'm sorry. I couldn't make it back. I was too weak. I thought… I thought I could do it, but I was wrong. I'm just a kid. I'm scared. I don't want to go.

The flame in the Tachi's mouth grew, the edges of its maw glowing bright-hot. Ao felt the heat prickling his skin, his instincts screaming at him to move, to fight, to do something—anything. But his body betrayed him, his limbs heavy, his spirit too dim to ignite.

Dad… I wanted to learn from you. I wanted to be strong like you. You said I was a warrior, but… I'm not. I'm just a scared little boy. Please don't be disappointed. I tried. I really tried.

His fingers twitched, his hand moving almost of its own accord. His palm turned outwards, pointing at the beast purely out of instinct. His mind was a haze, his spirit dimmed but his body refused to give up, it begun to try and compress his spiritual energy into the only attack it knew.

I don't want to die. Not yet. Not like this.

Without conscious thought, his body reached for the spiritual energy around him. But not in the way he always had—not by drawing it into himself, not by using his own essence as a conduit, Since Respira wasn't active to draw spiritual energy into his body or Spirit Cycle active to push it through also pushing negative spiritual energy out. hee pulled directly from the world around him, not turning the spiritual energy into his own, but instead, keeping it in its purest form, condensing the spiritual energy from the environment into a ball.

Blue flames sparked in his palm.

The Tachi's growl faltered, its eyes widening in what could only be described as fear. The beast reared back, its flame in its throat dissipating into embers as its focus shattered.

Ao didn't see it. His vision was gone, his consciousness slipping as he blacked out. But the flame remained, spiritual energy that pulsed with a life of its own.

And then it exploded.

The forest shook. Birds erupted from the canopy; their cries lost in the roar of the detonation. The ground buckled, the trees shivering as the wave of blue flames swept through them. The Tachi was thrown back, its massive body slamming into the earth, its fur singed.

Silence.

The beast struggled to its feet, its legs trembling, its tails dragging against the ground. It cast one last, wary glance at the boy, the ember of blue still lingering in the air. It turned and vanished into the shadows, the forest swallowing it whole.

The air hung heavy with the acrid smell of charred earth and singed fur. The blue flames that had erupted from Ao's small palm had left their mark on the clearing, scorching the earth and leaving trails of smoke that curled into the canopy.

Shiro appeared out of nowhere, seemingly teleported, one moment he wasn't there, the next he was. His presence was a wall, one that even the spirit beast seemed to respect. His steps were soft against the brittle leaves as he approached Ao's still form.

"So, what's your thoughts on him?" Shiro's voice was low, steady. There was no accusation, only a question.

The Tachi, its bloodlust and spiritual aura lessened out of respect for Shiro, shook itself once more. The last remnants of the blue flames dissipated, and its fur settled, only slightly marred by the burns that had already begun to heal. The creature's tails twitched, venomous spikes retracting as it lowered its head in a sign of submission.

"He's impressive," the Tachi rumbled, its voice a deep growl layered with a strange, melodic undertone. It spoke in its bestial tongue, a language of spirit beasts, but Shiro understood every word. "This manling—is he truly as young as you say?"

"Yeah." Shiro's response was clipped, his focus never wavering from his son, checking his condition.

The Tachi sat back on its haunches, considering Ao with a contemplative tilt of its head. "Most pups his age wouldn't have lasted a breath against me. Granted, I held back—only using one technique each of fire and wind—but still… He knew no true techniques, no mastery of his element, and yet he endured. Even my father would be impressed." It glanced back at Shiro, an almost sheepish expression crossing its sharp features. "And you know that's no small praise, given your history with him."

Shiro's lips twitched in a brief smirk. "Yeah, your old man never did know when to admit he was impressed. Always thought I was cheating somehow."

The spirit beast chuckled, a sound like stones rolling in a stream. "Your family isn't normal. First white flames, and now blue? What are you all, really? for each of you to be born with an essence element is… something"

Shiro shrugged. "Just survivors. Nothing more." He knelt beside Ao, his large hands surprisingly gentle as he lifted his son's small, battered form into his arms. His touch sparked white flames, soft and warm, that cascaded over Ao's body, knitting wounds and easing bruises. The boy's breathing steadied, his small chest rising and falling with a rhythm that brought a wash of relief over Shiro's stoic features.

The Tachi's eyes widened slightly at the display, its spiked tails curling close to its body. "I'm glad I didn't test your patience. Hurting your son further would be… unwise."

"I'm sure you're smarter than that," Shiro replied, his tone light but the edge beneath it sharp enough to cut. "If he'd been killed, well... you and your father would be the first to pay dearly for it, then your territory, then every single forest I see..." Shiro said curtly, as if he was simply stating the obvious instead of making a threat.

The Tachi's smile wavered, a hint of fear threading through its demeanor. "Of course. I value my life, thank you." It hesitated, then added, "Still, the manling is something special. I'll come by, teach him how to harness his spiritual energy properly. He's raw talent, but raw is still dangerous without direction. Self-taught or not, he deserves to learn the correct way. Will he be, okay? I didn't go too hard on him, did I?"

Shiro nodded, his expression softening as he looked at Ao. The boy's face, streaked with dirt and blood, still held a serene expression. His tail, small and fluffy, lay limp against his leg, and Shiro used his own tail to gently brush away the grime on Ao's cheek. "He's just exhausted. After everything, only four hours have passed. He thinks he failed, but he doesn't realize he's already won."

The Tachi tilted its head, curiosity evident. "What do you mean?"

Shiro stood, cradling Ao against his chest. His tail wrapped protectively around the boy, a soft furred blanket against the cold. "I sent him deeper into your territory for a reason. Not because I doubted him, but because I needed to see if he'd break. If he'd give up. He didn't. Even when his body was failing him, even when the world was crashing down—he stood up. He fought back; he's meant to be a hunter..."