The darkness around Jae twisted once again.
Reality folded inward like a closing eye.
Another vision was forming.
A cold wind brushed against Jae's skin as the world reconstructed itself around him.
Forests.
Mountains.
A quiet clearing beneath an endless sky.
The voice of the Divine Flame of Curses echoed gently.
"Three years passed after Eryndor took Ellie with him."
The vision sharpened.
Two figures stood in the clearing.
"Eryndor was twenty."
"Ellie was ten."
Jae crossed his arms slowly, watching the scene.
Eryndor stood tall now.
His body was stronger, lean with muscle carved from years of training. His long dark hair flowed behind him.
Across from him stood Ellie.
A wooden sword rested in her small hands.
Her blonde hair danced with the wind.
Her black eyes were bright.
Focused.
Determined.
"Again," Eryndor said calmly.
Ellie nodded.
She adjusted her stance.
Feet planted firmly.
Back straight.
Blade aligned with her shoulders.
Perfect.
Jae blinked.
"…Wait."
The Divine Flame of Curses continued quietly.
"Surprisingly… she understood the stance immediately."
Jae's eyes widened.
"On her first try?"
Eryndor stared at her in disbelief.
It had taken him five years to perfect that stance.
Ellie had done it in a single day.
A slow sigh escaped him.
He stepped forward and placed his hand gently on her head.
"You have incredible talent."
Ellie froze.
Then her eyes exploded with excitement.
"YOU REALLY THINK SO!?"
Eryndor nodded faintly.
A rare smile touched his lips.
But that moment of peace lasted only seconds.
Because suddenly—
Eryndor's body froze.
A sinister presence had entered the forest.
His eyes snapped toward the trees.
"…"
Without hesitation, he grabbed Ellie and leapt high into the branches above.
He covered her mouth gently.
His finger moved to his lips.
Don't speak.
Ellie nodded silently.
Below them—
Something moved through the forest.
Jae felt his chest tighten as the creature emerged.
A Nightmare Yokai.
Its wings were jagged like torn shadows.
Its claws dragged across the earth.
Its face was twisted into something that barely resembled a living creature.
Black energy leaked from its body like smoke.
The monster muttered strange sounds as it walked.
"Jheigrhayeubdb… kheir… kheir…" but jae understood it.
"Kill humans kill humans" it was saying.
Ellie's eyes trembled.
Eryndor narrowed his.
"…What is it doing here?"
The creature continued walking deeper into the forest.
Minutes passed.
Then Eryndor slowly removed his hand from Ellie's mouth.
He was curious on what the yokai was doing.
Then he whispered.
"You ready for our first mission together?"
Ellie's small face turned serious.
She nodded firmly.
The two moved like shadows.
Branch to branch.
Silent.
Watching.
Following.
Five hours passed.
Finally—
The Yokai stopped.
Before them stood a massive cave carved into the mountain.
The monster walked inside.
Eryndor remained hidden on a distant tree branch.
His mind raced.
"…This could be a nest."
Too dangerous.
Too many unknowns.
He was about to turn away when—
Ellie grabbed his sleeve.
He looked down.
She stared directly into his eyes.
And then she nodded.
A single silent message.
TRUST.
Eryndor hesitated.
Then sighed.
"…Stay behind me."
They dropped from the trees and entered the cave.
Darkness swallowed them instantly.
Eryndor raised his right hand.
A flame ignited in his palm.
Red light illuminated the cavern walls.
The deeper they walked—
The colder the air became.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Then suddenly—
The cave opened into a massive underground chamber.
And what they saw…
Made even the Divine Flame tremble in eryndor body.
Thousands.
Thousands of Yokais filled the cavern floor.
They weren't fighting.
They weren't hunting.
They were kneeling.
Jae felt his blood run cold.
"…What the hell…?"
At the center of the chamber stood three figures.
Three hooded men.
Dark robes concealed their faces.
They spoke calmly among themselves.
But the language was strange.
Ancient.
The language of Yokai.
Eryndor couldn't understand it.
But Jae could.
The middle figure stepped forward.
He grabbed a woman who had been chained to a pillar.
She screamed desperately.
"Please! Please don't! I have children!"
The hooded man tilted his head slightly.
Then he spoke.
"Let the beasts enjoy themselves."
Jae's fists clenched.
"That bastard…"
The Divine Flame of Curses spoke softly.
"That one… was the contractor of the Divine Flame of the Sun."
The man snapped his fingers.
The woman was thrown into the crowd.
The Yokai surged forward.
Thousands of monsters.
Claws.
Teeth.
Hunger.
CRUNCH.
The screams lasted only seconds.
Ellie covered her mouth.
But a small sound escaped her throat.
A terrified squeak.
And that was enough.
All three hooded figures turned at once.
Their eyes locked onto the cave entrance.
"…Oh?"
The contractor of the Sun smiled slowly.
"Guests."
The Divine Flame inside Eryndor screamed.
"CONTRACTOR RUN!"
"THEY KNOW YOUR MY CONTRACTOR!"
Eryndor grabbed Ellie's hand.
"RUN!"
Behind them—
Thousands of Yokai roared and surged forward.
Eryndor formed a blazing sword in his hand.
He swung it upward.
Flames exploded across the ceiling.
The cave collapsed behind them.
But the Yokai smashed through the falling rock like wild elephants.
"Shit!"
Eryndor fired blasts of cursed flame behind him.
Dozens of monsters burned to ash.
But there were too many.
The ground trembled as the horde chased them.
Finally—
They burst out of the cave.
Fresh air hit their lungs.
But suddenly—
A massive fireball crashed between them.
BOOM.
The explosion split them apart.
Eryndor slammed into a tree on the right.
Ellie rolled across the ground to the left.
A figure slowly descended from the sky.
The contractor of the Sun.
His hood lifted slightly.
A sinister smile appeared.
He stepped toward Ellie.
His hand reached out.
But suddenly—
WHAM.
Ellie spun and kicked his wrist away.
Her movement was sharp.
Precise.
The man paused.
"…Oh?"
Behind Eryndor—
Two more figures appeared.
The contractors of Shadows and White Moon.
They attacked instantly.
Eryndor dodged one strike.
Then another.
But his attention kept shifting to Ellie.
A mistake.
The shadow contractor struck his ribs.
CRACK.
The white moon contractor followed with a punch to his chest.
Eryndor crashed through two trees.
"GAHH!"
He forced himself back up.
"Ellie!"
She stood across the battlefield.
Facing the Sun contractor alone.
He fired several blazing orbs.
Ellie dodged.
Her movements were fluid.
She closed the distance.
Sword raised.
One strike—
But suddenly—
A floating orb of sunlight appeared before her.
BOOM.
The explosion consumed her.
Her clothes burned instantly.
Her skin blackened with severe burns.
She collapsed to the ground.
Still breathing.
Still alive.
Eryndor's eyes widened.
"ELLIE!"
He tried to move.
But the shadow contractor slammed him into the ground.
The moon contractor kicked him across the battlefield.
Blood filled his mouth.
The Sun contractor grabbed Ellie by the hair.
He lifted her easily.
His smile widened as he looked toward Eryndor.
"Pathetic."
A portal of golden fire opened behind him.
Eryndor dragged himself across the ground.
"No…"
The Sun contractor stepped into the portal.
Ellie's burned body in his grip.
The shadow and moon contractors followed.
Before leaving—
The shadow contractor punched Eryndor in the stomach.
The force launched him into a tree.
His vision blurred.
The portal began closing.
Eryndor reached out desperately.
"E… Ellie…"
The portal closed.
The yokai beast came out the cave and went to ernydor to feast on him.
Silence fell over the forest.
And darkness consumed him.
Jae stood frozen inside the vision as it fades away.
His fists trembled.