The crackling of fire… broke the silence of the night.
Kashikari sat inside the small cabin, resting on an old chair. His eyes were fixed on the flames—yet he wasn't really looking at anything.
His mind… was elsewhere.
Jinwi.
He couldn't see it anymore.But he could feel it.
As if it stood just behind his shoulder—an unseen presence.Silent… yet deeply unsettling.
"Shyrak…"
The voice… echoed.
Kashikari flinched.
That wasn't a thought.
That… wasn't his.
"Be careful…"
He clenched his teeth.
"What are you saying…" he muttered.
No answer came.
Only… that strange feeling remained.
"Vrassik… is waiting…"
For a moment, his breath caught.
He didn't know what those words meant.
But his instincts… told him it wasn't something good.
"Stop it," he said, sharper this time."You're not making any sense."
Silence.
Then…
Nothing but the fire again.
"You're talking to it."
Kashikari lifted his head.
Dorum.
He stood by the door, his old eyes searching beneath their usual calm.
"No…" Kashikari said.
But his voice was weak.
Unconvincing.
Dorum stepped inside slowly and sat across from him.
The firelight split his face in two.
Half light.Half shadow.
"I'm old, Kai," he said calmly."I can understand things… even without words."
Kashikari said nothing.
"There is something inside you."
Jinwi pulsed faintly.
"And that thing…" Dorum narrowed his eyes,"…is not just power."
Kashikari's gaze hardened.
But he stayed silent.
Dorum took a deep breath.
"The people here see you as different," he said."Stronger. More resilient."
A brief pause.
"But they don't know what it is."
Kashikari spoke slowly:
"And it's better if they don't."
Dorum nodded slightly.
"Yes," he said."Because in these lands… those who are different don't live long."
The cabin suddenly felt smaller.
The fire flickered.
Kashikari closed his eyes.
Jinwi's presence… was there.
Constant.
Silent.
Waiting.
"Learn to hide your power," Dorum said."Being strong alone is not enough."
Kashikari opened his eyes.
"What about control?" he asked.
Dorum smiled faintly.
But there was weight behind it.
"Control…" he said."That's the hardest part."
The next morning.
The forest… felt wrong.
Usually filled with birdsong, the air was now almost completely silent.
The wind was there.
But life… wasn't.
Kashikari moved forward slowly.
The ground was soft beneath his feet.
But the feeling inside him… grew heavier.
Something was wrong.
Jinwi trembled again.
"Careful…"
Kashikari stopped.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
Trees.Shadows.Silence.
Then—
Movement.
"Hey."
Kashikari turned instantly.
Three figures.
Black armor.
Symbols he didn't recognize.
Their faces hidden behind masks.
But their aura…
Dangerous.
"So… it's you," one of them said.
His voice sounded metallic.
Kashikari didn't respond.
But his body tensed.
His instincts screamed:
Run.
But he didn't.
One of them stepped forward.
"We've been looking for you."
Kashikari frowned.
"For me?"
"Yes," the man said.
"Or… what's inside you."
A brief silence.
Then—
Attack.
Everything happened at once.
But in that moment…
Jinwi shone.
An invisible wave spread outward.
BOOM
An aura.
It wrapped around Kashikari.
Transparent… yet heavy.
Like an invisible wall.
The attacks struck—
But couldn't reach him.
The men hesitated.
"What… is this?" one muttered.
Kashikari didn't know either.
But he felt it.
This… was protecting him.
For the first time…
Jinwi revealed itself.
Kashikari exhaled slowly.
His eyes darkened.
"Stay away from me."
His tone had changed.
The men stepped back.
But they didn't leave.
"This is only the beginning…" one of them said.
And just like they came…
They vanished.
Silence returned.
But this time…
It was heavier.
Kashikari stood still.
His heart was pounding.
Jinwi…
Was slowly fading.
But now he knew.
This power…
Was not his alone.
And there were those who wanted it.
Far away…
Something was awakening.
And this…
Was only the beginning. 🔥