"This is your true enemy. Not the monsters outside, but the ghosts of your past. Face them… or die here."
Spiritfang said softly to Joe.
Time stopped. Joe stared at his own reflection—it was grinning, filled with fear and anger.
"That's not me anymore… I won't run anymore."
Joe whispered to himself.
Inside the Spirit Realm, he would begin the inner battle—a storm of emotions, of his former self, tragedy, anger, and fear. Here, he must rebuild his reason to live again. To fight. To prove that he is the Bearer of the Aura Flame.
"Do not forget, Bearer. There are no systems here. No weapons, no help. Your enemy is your own fear, your weakness. The one who will question now is not me… it's you."
Spiritfang reminded Joe.
Joe closed his eyes, and when he opened them, a new scene greeted him. The white surroundings were replaced by a dark forest, the blinding sunlight gone, now thick with trees—Narra and other plants—and in the distance, he saw a village he recognized: Irigán Village.
"Irigán...?" he muttered in confusion.
He had returned to the Irigán he once left. The trees were drying and burning, the birds no longer sang, and at every corner of the forest were screams of fear, cries in succession. At the center of it all lay a body—his grandfather, Lolo Elmir. Bloody. Motionless.
"Lolo! Lolo, wait for me! I'll save you!" Joe cried out.
He ran, but a sudden pain in his chest stopped him. He couldn't move. His grandfather's eyes stared back at him—but there was no soul behind them.
"Joe... Are you running away? Or did you just run?"
His grandfather's voice came from his own lips.
Joe froze. Each question from his grandfather struck him deep. He couldn't answer. He tried to stand, but his feet were bound by memories and fears.
"I don't know... What should I do?" he said to himself, confused and overwhelmed.
But the forest did not let him go so easily. The trees, the wind—they all screamed a truth he could no longer ignore. A painful question.
"Why? Why can't I leave this place?"
His eyes swelled with tears.
Spiritfang approached and said…
"You are here to learn what it truly means to be the Bearer. Not through strength, but through purpose. Your past, your memories—your fear—they block your power. Unless you accept your past, you cannot move forward."
Amidst it all, rain continued to pour down on the forest. Each drop hitting Joe's heart like a cruel reminder—that he was the cause of his grandfather's death. The fear that he was never enough.
As the wind howled around them, Spiritfang asked Joe:
"One question, Bearer—Is this who you want to be? A coward? A frightened soul who only sleeps and flees? Or are you a warrior, one who faces fear to overcome every trial?"
Joe pulled himself away from the haunting memories and looked around. He couldn't move. He couldn't go on. Every angle of the forest stood like walls—questions and grief buried deep.
In an instant, everything changed. A light exploded from within Joe, followed by voices of questions and anger erupting from his heart—all his worries, all the countless regrets—bursting into the sky.
Spiritfang raised her voice:
"That is where your power lies, Bearer. Not in anger. Not in fear. You must let go of the weakness in your heart."
Joe rose, finding strength despite everything. He did not fight with the rage given by the past, but with a calm voice of acceptance—the true strength that no past can change.
After the final trial, a quiet stillness settled over the land. Spiritfang showed him that the real battle was within his heart and mind.
"Your fear is not hidden, Bearer. Your purpose—your true strength—cannot be discovered until you accept your past. But today, you chose to fight. And that is enough."
Spiritfang spoke gently to Joe.
Slowly, the light faded from around Joe. He once again felt the wind, the earth beneath his skin. He was lying now beneath a Narra tree. He looked up and saw the leaves gently swaying with the breeze.
"...I'm alive?" he whispered to himself.
He sat up—his body still sore, but there was a different kind of warmth surrounding him—not fatigue, but a fire slowly lighting within. And in front of him, Spiritfang reappeared—now in the form of a wolf, but her eyes remained the same—bright, deep, and full of wisdom.
Spiritfang (with a slight smile in her voice):
"You survived in your own fire. I have passed the seal of the Aura Flame to you, Bearer."
TING!
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
> [New Title Acquired:] Bearer of the Aura Flame
>[Passive Skill Unlocked:] Red Aura Flame – Boosts Focus Sync, Mental Resistance when under emotional pressure and can create fire.
>[Affinity Established:] Spiritfang – Soulbound Companion
>[Map Update:] Mt. Makiling Spirit Core Unlocked
Joe's eyes widened. His chest felt like it was ablaze, but it wasn't burning—it was peaceful.
"Thank you… Spiritfang."
Joe softly said with a smile.
"This is only the beginning. Now, you must face the world—not as a frightened creature, but as a Bearer."
Spiritfang said gently.
The cold wind seemed to calm. The moon emerged from the clouds, casting its light on the two of them.
Then, slowly, Spiritfang approached—still watching him carefully. Until… she sniffed his hand. And for the first time, he felt warmth in her cold breath.
In his final breath before sleep, he felt—he was no longer alone.
The next morning.
Joe slowly opened his eyes. The pain of his wounds and bruises was gone. He lay still for a few seconds before remembering everything.
"The wolf…"
He looked around—and there she was.
Spiritfang was lying a short distance away, but her eyes were open. Awake. Quiet. Watching him.
She was no longer feral.
The growl of her fangs was gone. The cold anger in the air had vanished. Her presence… was calm. Like a guardian.
Joe approached slowly. No weapons. No hesitation.
"If you want to follow me, that's fine," he said softly. "But I won't force you."
He stopped in front of Spiritfang. She sat up—eye to eye, the two of them. And in that moment, something passed between them. No words. No noise.
Inside Joe, he felt a warmth—not from the air, but from his chest. As if… he had been accepted.
Then suddenly, a system prompt appeared on his chest.
TING!
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: SOUL PACT INITIATED]
>[Pact Status:] FORMED
>[Kinship Link:] ACTIVE
>[Entity:] Spiritfang – MYTHICAL VARIANT (Enchanted Direwolf)
>[Recognition:] Kin acknowledged by target entity
>[Trust Level:] HIGH
>[Loyalty:] 100%
>[Bond Sync:] 100%
>[System Advisory:]
Subject Joe is now marked as Kin by Spiritfang.
He would no longer journey alone to save this world.
Because now, Spiritfang would be with him on this mission.