The roar came again.
It tore through the jungle like thunder ripping open the sky—low, furious, alive. The sound vibrated in Lumo's bones before her mind could catch up, and instinct seized her in a cold, brutal grip.
Run.
She didn't think. She ran.
Branches whipped against her arms and face as she pushed through the undergrowth, breath tearing from her lungs in sharp, panicked gasps. Roots clawed at her feet, leaves slick with moisture slid beneath her boots. Behind her, the roar echoed again—closer this time.
Too close.
Her heart slammed wildly against her ribs. It's coming. It's coming for me.
The jungle blurred. Her legs burned, muscles screaming, fear driving her forward long after reason vanished. Another sound followed—the heavy crushing of foliage, something massive forcing its way through the forest without slowing.
She glanced back.
That was the mistake.
Her foot caught on a hidden root. The world lurched. She fell hard, the breath exploding from her chest as she struck the ground. Pain flared through her knees and palms. Mud smeared her skin. Leaves clung to her hair.
She tried to rise.
Her body trembled violently and refused to obey.
"No—no, please—" The words barely escaped her lips.
The sound was unmistakable now. Slow. Deliberate. Heavy breathing. The snapping of branches just beyond the trees. Whatever hunted her was no longer rushing.
It was approaching.
The bushes in front of her began to move.
Leaves shuddered. Vines slid aside as if pushed by an invisible force. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, and a presence filled the air—ancient, overwhelming, powerful enough to make the jungle itself fall silent.
Lumo's fear peaked.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
This is it.
Footsteps—or paws—stopped inches from her. She felt warm breath wash over her face, smelled earth and iron and something wild beyond words.
Nothing happened.
Seconds passed.
Her chest heaved as she waited for pain, for claws, for the end.
Instead—something touched her.
Gentle.
Her forehead pressed against something solid and warm. Fur—thick, coarse, alive. A quiet strength radiated through it, steady and immeasurable.
Her eyes flew open.
A massive wolf stood before her, taller than any beast she had ever imagined. Its fur was silver-gray streaked with shadow, eyes glowing like twin moons caught in midnight. Power rolled off it in waves, bending the air around its form.
Fenrir.
Or perhaps Fenrisulfr—the name rose unbidden, instinctive and absolute.
The wolf lowered its massive head and pressed its forehead to hers.
The jungle vanished.
Darkness swallowed her consciousness, replaced by a vast inner space—endless, starless, silent. Then a voice echoed through her mind, clear and emotionless, yet impossibly real.
"Successfully awakened."
Lumo gasped, but no sound came.
"Taming King System initializing."
Golden light surged around her consciousness, symbols and unfamiliar words flickering like fragments of a language she almost understood.
"Host confirmed: Lumo Sparkwhistle."
"Unique bond detected: Primordial Beast — Fenrisulfr."
"Status: Incomplete memory. Emotional state: Extreme fear."
"What… is this?" she thought desperately.
The wolf's presence surrounded her, vast and calm, ancient patience wrapped around her panic like a shield.
"Do not fear," the voice continued.
"You have been chosen."
The darkness shattered.
Lumo collapsed backward, gasping, hands clawing at the earth as reality rushed back into her senses. The jungle returned—the heat, the smells, the sounds—but something had changed.
She was no longer alone.
Fenrir stood before her, watching her with eyes filled not with hunger, but recognition.
Her hands trembled as she slowly pushed herself upright. "You…" Her voice cracked. "You were going to kill me."
The wolf tilted its head slightly.
A deep, resonant voice echoed—not in her ears, but inside her mind.
"No, Little Light."
"I came to wake you."
Shock stole her breath.
"I can hear you," she whispered.
"Because you are the Taming King."
The words sent a chill down her spine.
She looked at her hands. The golden glow returned, stronger now, steady instead of frantic. It answered her heartbeat, warm and obedient.
"I don't remember who I am," she said quietly. "I don't remember anything."
Fenrir stepped closer, towering yet protective, his presence driving the jungle back.
"You will," he replied.
"And when you do—this world will remember you too."
Lumo Sparkwhistle stared into the eyes of the legendary wolf, fear still trembling inside her—but beneath it, something new stirred.
Power.
Destiny.
And a bond that could never be undone.