By the time the fire disappeared behind them, the world had changed.
The air was cooler, the ground softer, and the scent of ash had been replaced by damp earth and leaves. But for Nime, nothing felt better.
Every step hurt. His legs dragged through the forest, heavy and unresponsive, like they didn't belong to him anymore. His throat was dry, his chest tight, and the silence around him pressed in from all sides.
Ahead, the lion walked without slowing. Not once.
"...Are you ever going to stop?" Nime muttered.
No answer. Nime frowned. "You can talk, right? Or was that a one-time miracle?"
Still nothing.
His irritation grew. He bent down, picked up a small stone, and tossed it forward. It bounced harmlessly off the lion's back.
The lion stopped.
Slowly, it turned its head. Golden eyes met his.
Nime stiffened immediately. "…Okay, maybe that was a bad idea."
The lion stared at him for a long second before speaking. "If you have something to say, say it properly."
Nime blinked. "So you were ignoring me."
"I was deciding whether you were worth answering."
"…Wow."
The lion turned fully now, settling into a seated position with quiet authority. "You are alive. That is already more than most."
"Encouraging," Nime said dryly. "Really boosts confidence."
"It is not meant to."
Nime let out a tired sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "So what now? You said you're my guardian… which sounds important, by the way. What does that actually mean?"
The lion studied him for a moment before replying. "It means you will train."
Nime's expression fell instantly. "…You're joking."
"I do not joke."
"I just lost my family," Nime said, his voice tightening. "Maybe give me a day? Or food? Or literally anything that isn't suffering?"
"You will have all of that," the lion replied calmly, "after you earn it."
"…You're actually serious."
"Yes."
Nime stared at him, then looked around the empty forest like someone hoping for a hidden camera. "…This is a scam."
"It is survival."
The lion rose to his full height again. "Stand properly."
"I am standing."
"Stand properly."
Nime straightened reluctantly, wincing as his body protested. "…Okay. I'm standing properly. Now what?"
The lion's eyes sharpened slightly. "Release your energy."
Nime paused. "…My what?"
"Your energy."
"I don't have that."
"You do."
"I really don't."
"You do."
Nime dragged a hand down his face. "…This is going to be a long day, isn't it?"
"For you," the lion said, "a long life."
"…That doesn't sound comforting."
"Focus," the lion ordered. "Close your eyes. Look inward. Find it."
Nime hesitated, then slowly shut his eyes.
At first, there was nothing—just darkness, pain, and exhaustion.
"…I don't feel anything," he said after a moment.
"Then look deeper."
"I am looking deeper."
"Not enough."
Nime's patience snapped. "What does that even mean?!"
The answer came instantly.
Impact.
A heavy force slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward. The air was ripped from his lungs as he crashed into the ground, rolling across dirt and leaves. For a second, he couldn't breathe.
"…What… was that?!" he gasped, clutching his chest.
The lion approached him without urgency. "Correction."
"Correction?! You almost killed me!"
"If that nearly killed you, then you are weaker than I thought."
"…You're insane."
"Stand."
"No."
"Stand."
"…No."
The lion raised one massive paw.
"WAIT—okay! I'm up! I'm up!"
Nime scrambled to his feet, wobbling slightly.
"Good," the lion said. "Again."
Nime stared at him in disbelief. "…You hit me and now you want me to meditate?!"
"I want you to survive."
"…Same thing, apparently."
He took a shaky breath and closed his eyes again. This time, he forced himself to focus—past the pain, past the fear, past the memory of flames and screams.
Deeper.
And then—
Something flickered.
Small. Unstable. But there.
"…Wait…"
The feeling grew for just a second—
And exploded.
A burst of energy erupted from his body, kicking up dust and shaking the ground beneath his feet.
Nime's eyes snapped open. "…Did I just—?"
The energy vanished as quickly as it came.
Silence returned.
Nime stared at his hands, breathing heavily. "I did it… I actually did it!"
The excitement in his voice was real. Bright. Alive.
The lion watched him quietly. "For a moment."
Nime's smile twitched. "…You always do that."
"That moment is the truth," the lion continued. "Not your weakness. Not your fear. That."
Nime frowned slightly. "Then why can't I control it?"
"Because it does not belong to your control yet."
The words settled uneasily.
"…Then what do I do?"
"You endure it."
"…That sounds like a bad plan."
"It is the only one."
Nime opened his mouth to argue—then his stomach growled loudly.
He froze.
The lion looked at him.
"…Right," Nime muttered. "About that survival thing… does it include food?"
"There is a river nearby."
"…Please don't say raw."
"Raw."
Nime closed his eyes in pain. "…This is where my life truly falls apart."
"You will adapt."
"I don't want to adapt!"
"You will."
"…I hate you."
"You will hate me more tomorrow."
Nime groaned. "There's a tomorrow?!"
The lion turned and began walking again. "Move."
Nime hesitated for a second, then followed, muttering complaints under his breath.
But despite everything—despite the pain, the hunger, the fear—a small part of him felt different.
That spark…
It hadn't been a lie.
—
Far away, beyond the reach of light, something stirred.
It had felt it.
That brief surge. That unstable power.
"…So the vessel has awakened."
—
Back in the forest, Nime shivered. "…Why do I feel like something just noticed me?"
The lion didn't stop walking. "…Because it did."
"…You couldn't have lied just once?!"
—
The training had begun.
And it would not be kind.
---
End of Chapter 2