The forest stretched endlessly beneath the pale glow of an unfamiliar moon, its rugged landscape bathed in shifting shadows. Towering pines loomed over jagged rock formations, their gnarled branches swaying in the restless wind. The air was cool but carried no scent, no signs of human presence—only an eerie stillness that gnawed at the edges of my awareness. Something felt unnatural about this place. I wasn’t alone. The first thing that caught my attention was a stag, standing atop a crumbling ridge, its massive silver antlers glowing faintly. Its body wavered at the edges, like mist caught between solid and ethereal states. The moment I noticed it, its pale, luminous eyes locked onto me—not with fear, but something far worse. Recognition. Before I could fully process what that meant, the stag turned and vanished into the trees, its hooves never once touching the ground. I barely had time to react before something else flickered in my peripheral vision. A fox-like creature perched on a low rock, its sleek, shadowy fur blending seamlessly into the darkness. At first, I thought its golden eyes were glowing—until I realized there were nine of them. They blinked in sequence, slow and deliberate, as if it were studying me. A sharp pulse of unease shot through me, and I instinctively floated backward—except I had no control over my movement yet. Instead of a smooth retreat, I wobbled violently through the air, barely managing to steady myself before making an even bigger fool of myself in front of the horrifying eldritch fox. The creature’s ears flicked, amused, before it simply vanished into the shadows. I stared at the spot where it had been, my glow flickering with barely contained frustration. “What the fuck is up with this pla-” I turned sharply, searching for anything normal, only to be greeted by a cluster of birds erupting from the canopy above. Their wings shimmered with iridescent light as they disappeared into the night sky, dissolving mid-flight like ink fading into water. I didn’t even bother reacting this time. I was beyond shock. At this point, I was done. Dragging my focus away from the supernatural wildlife, I floated forward, concentrating on something else entirely—the strange, pulsating energy coursing through me. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before, raw and untamed, coiling beneath my awareness like an unseen current. The moment I focused on it, the air around me tensed. A gust of wind howled through the clearing, whipping through the trees with startling force. Leaves tore from branches. The ground trembled beneath me. The sudden shift sent a cold pulse of realization through me. I did that? I tried taking a deep breath to collect my thoughts so far, only to be met with a somewhat surprising revelation—I had no mouth...or head, or body, or legs, or any human body part. The thought settled deep in my mind, refusing to let go. I had been floating around, refusing to acknowledge the truth, but I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I had no body. No hands. No voice, no breath, no weight. I was just… here. **Existing.** I had to find something—**anything**—that could show me what I had become. Gliding forward, I scanned my surroundings, searching for a reflective surface. The forest was dim, bathed in silver light from the enormous moon above. The jagged rocks jutting from the ground were dull and rough, offering nothing but their uneven, shadowed forms. The trees were ancient and gnarled, their bark cracked and dry, completely useless for what I needed. I floated past a small stream, but the water was shallow and rippling, distorting everything it reflected. Useless. A little farther ahead, nestled between two large boulders, a still pool of water rested at the base of a rocky incline. Its surface was dark, untouched by wind, reflecting the sky with perfect clarity. That would do. I drifted closer, my glow casting faint golden ripples across the water’s surface. Slowly, I tilted downward, peering into the reflection. And there it was. A small orb of light, no bigger than a baseball, hovered above the water. It pulsed softly, its golden glow flickering like a weak ember. No eyes. No face. Nothing that remotely resembled the person I had once been. Just light. I stared at it. It stared back. I wobbled slightly. The orb wobbled too. I flickered. It flickered back. "...Oh, you have got to be kidding me." I said softly to myself, my voice cracking a bit. "WHAT THE FUCK EVEN AM I?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Dying had been bad enough. It had been agonizing, terrifying, and final—or at least, it should have been. Instead, I had barely clung to my sanity in whatever broken afterlife I had been trapped in, only to be spat back out into the world as... this. A tiny, flickering orb. No body, no breath, no voice that carried past my own mind. Nothing that even resembled the person I had once been. That thought sent another sharp pulse of frustration through me. My glow flared, flickering wildly as I turned away from the water. I needed to feel something—anything—to prove to myself that I wasn’t just some fragile wisp floating through the dark. I spotted a massive tree nearby, its bark rough and ancient, with deep grooves running along its surface. Without hesitation, I launched myself toward it. I hit it dead-on. Nothing. No impact. No resistance. No pain. I tried again, throwing myself forward with more force, but the result was the same. My form bounced back, weightless, like a balloon hitting a wall. A slow, horrible realization crawled over me. I couldn’t touch anything. I couldn’t feel anything. I hovered in place for a long moment before rage surged through me again, stronger this time, more desperate. I charged the tree a third time, then a fourth, ramming myself into the trunk with everything I had. The outcome never changed. The tree remained unmoved, my form barely registered the collision, and the world continued on as if I wasn’t even there. The realization sank deeper, colder. I had no body. No weight. No voice. No hands to grip or touch, no breath to steady myself, no pulse to remind me that I still existed in some way beyond just awareness. For a moment, I just floated in place. I could cry, scream, and thrash around all I wanted but it didn't change the fact of what I was. I had to focus on a clear mission: find Tsagi. Even to myself, it seemed impossible. What are the chances that he ended up here? Would he even recognize me in this state? No, I brushed my thoughts off to the side. Starting now, my only mission is to find him and nothing else. Maybe this spirit body is a blessing in disguise, seeing as I can't take physical damage. Call it cope or an attempt to make myself feel better, but goddamn was it working. Suddenly, a shadow shot through the trees. Leaves and dust spiraled in its wake, branches bending violently as something moved toward me at impossible speed. I barely had time to process what I was seeing before the blur came to a sharp halt, landing lightly on a rocky ledge a few feet away. Long, white hair cascaded down her back, shifting as the wind from my energy surge rushed past her. The strands flicked in and out of the moonlight, glowing faintly like silver thread. Her golden eyes locked onto me immediately, but it wasn’t the sharp stare of someone looking at a threat—more like I was being analyzed. That's when I took notice of the pure, white wolf ears perched at the top of her head. *A cosplayer? Wait no, what would a cosplayer be doing out here?* I barely had time to process that before my gaze dropped lower, following the subtle movement behind her. A tail. A very large, very real, fluffy white tail, flicking back and forth as if she were both on edge and mildly irritated. The motion was almost dog-like, though there was nothing friendly about the way she stood. She looked like she was about to get blown away by a hurricane or something. Suddenly, she dashed faster than any normal person I've ever seen and appeared not too far in front of me. Now, with the moonlight, I could get a closer look at her clothes: Now, with the moonlight shining down, I could finally get a clearer look at her clothes. She wore a sleeveless, black and white zip-up jacket, snug but clearly built for movement, with silver accents lining the seams. A faint insignia, resembling a stylized wolf’s head, was stitched onto her chest, barely visible in the dim light. The jacket’s high collar framed her neck, giving her a slightly intimidating air. Her lower half was covered in form-fitting black tights, reinforced with belts and sleek, segmented leg armor that molded perfectly to her shape—protective but flexible, allowing for unrestricted movement. She wore black, lightweight boots, sturdy but built for speed, the soles designed to absorb impact without slowing her down. Wait, how the hell do I know all this stuff? What am I- "What kind of spirit produces such energy?" the strange woman said, effortlessly appearing behind me. I jerked violently, my glow pulsing in shock. How the hell did she get behind me so fast? I hadn’t seen her move. Hadn’t heard a single footstep. One moment, she had been standing in front of me, and the next—she was right at my back. I spun around—or at least, I tried to, considering I had no actual body to turn with. Instead, my little orb-self just wobbled mid-air, flickering erratically as I struggled to process what just happened. She was leaning in slightly, her large, blue eyes gleaming with something between amusement and curiosity as her tail flicked, slow and deliberate. The air grew tense as I awaited her next move. Did she perceive me as a threat? If she did, how as I going to defend myself? Shit, I might be in bigger trouble than I realized. Then, out of nowhere and faster than I could anticipated, she grabbed me and began bouncing me up and down like a beach ball. "How the hell do I turn you off...." she muttered to herself, her tone a low growl. "How is it even producing so much *wind*?!" The wind howled louder with each bounce, whipping through the clearing like a brewing storm. Leaves tore from branches, dust spiraled into the air, and the ground itself trembled beneath us. And still—she kept bouncing me. "How the hell do I turn you off?" she muttered again, her tone sharper now, her ears twitching in growing agitation. "H-Hey, stop—!" BOUNCE. "Seriously, cut it ou—!" BOUNCEBOUNCE. "I SWEAR TO GOD—!" BOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCE. The moment the words left my mouth, everything stopped. No bouncing. No wind. Just an abrupt, terrifying stillness. The girl’s grip on me tightened, fingers pressing in as if suddenly aware of what she was holding. Her blue eyes, which had been filled with mild irritation just seconds ago, widened in something far worse. Her ears stood rigid, tail bristling, and for the first time since I had met her, she looked genuinely shaken. She blinked in confusion, still trying to process everything. “Wait… hold on…” Her voice was shaky, and she held the me closer. “You can _talk_!?” she finally shouted, her ears stiffening as if to emphasize her point. "Y-Yes, I've been trying to get you to put me down!" She flinched at my tone but quickly regained her flustered state. “B-but… you’re a Spirit! Spirits don’t… they don’t _talk_! They just hover around, minding their own business, not…” Her voice trailed off, and she pressed her face me. “Are you even a Spirit?” "YES, I AM! Please just let me go...." The girl blinked again, finally snapping out of whatever mental spiral she had been going through. "...Oh." Her grip on me relaxed slightly, but instead of opening her hands, she grinned. I flickered nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky. "Please let me go..." Her mischievous, wolfish grin stretched across her face, and her blue eyes sparked with something downright evil. "You’re way too weird to let go now," she said cheerfully. "W-Wha-" Before I could blink, she took out a small glass container and dropped me inside. I hit the bottom with a soft bounce, my glow flickering erratically as I struggled to register the sheer audacity of what had just happened. Did she just— I floated up, pressing against the glass. "You can't be serious...." I said, dumbfounded. "D-Did you just JAR me?!" The girl snickered, tapping the lid shut with one clawed finger. "Sure did." "Please let me out!" She held the jar up, tilting it slightly as she inspected me with obnoxious curiosity. "You fit perfectly in there! You're my little talking flashlight now!" This is was terrible, not the fact that I was trapped in a small jar, but the realization that I was just...so unable to defend myself. There was nothing I could literally do; what was even the point of reincarnation if I was just gonna be trapped as a tiny, defenseless spirit? Before I could sink too deep into that existential crisis, the girl suddenly took off, moving effortlessly through the forest with the kind of grace and speed that made my stomach lurch. And, to my absolute horror, she was actually using me as a flashlight. She held the jar casually in front of her, my glow illuminating the path ahead as she leapt over rocks, dodged low-hanging branches, and sprinted effortlessly through the uneven terrain. The way she moved was almost inhuman—fluid, powerful, precise. And the worst part? She was humming. Like she was on a casual evening stroll. As she vaulted over a fallen tree trunk, she tapped lightly on the glass with her claw. "Hey, little spirit," she called, her tone way too casual for someone who had just committed spirit theft. I flickered irritably. "What?" She grinned, ears twitching. "Got a name?" Something lurched inside me, a sudden, sharp pull—like a wire had been snapped clean in half, right before I could grab hold of it. It wasn’t painful, exactly, but it left behind a strange, hollow absence. A feeling like I had reached for something that should have been there, something fundamental—only to find nothing. I tried again, grasping for a name, a word, anything—but it was like trying to hold onto mist. I had all my memories intact, of course, but for some reason it was like someone cut out any mention of my name from my own memories. I pulsed weakly. "...I don’t know." The girl’s ears perked up in amused surprise. "You don’t know?" I flickered uneasily. "I— I think I had one before, but now it’s just... gone." The girl made a 'huh, that's weird' face, but my situation didn't seem to faze her too much. She went deep into thought before a sly grin came across her face. "How about I give you a name?" I flickered hesitantly. "I… I don’t know if that’s necessary." Sylverwulf’s ears twitched, and her grin widened. "Oh, come on. You don’t have a name, so I might as well give you one." I barely had time to protest before she suddenly leapt onto a tree branch, using it as a springboard to launch herself through the air. The force sent my glowing form rattling inside the jar, my light pulsing erratically with every jolt. "Can you at least stop moving while we talk?!" I flickered, my voice laced with mild panic. "Nope," she said breezily, landing gracefully on another branch before kicking off again. "I’ve got places to be. And a new talking flashlight to show off." The girl hummed to herself, clearly enjoying my suffering, before her blue eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Alright. I got it. Your name is.... Yani? Nah... Yupi? OOH, Your new name will be Yuru!" It wasn't a bad name, to be honest. I couldn't really complain anyway, I literally forgot my own name. "Does that mean anything?" I asked. The girl shook her head. "You just look like a Yuru," "What the hell does that even mean?" She shrugged and giggled, maneuvering through some canopies with graceful ease. As she did, I thought to myself, "Maybe it isn't so bad". The girl didn't seem to have any crazy intentions with me besides being a living flashlight, maybe I could start this life being her familiar or something. "I forgot to ask, what is your name?" I asked. The girl answered without looking at me. "It's Sylverwulf," she said. "And your name is Yuru!" I sighed nervously. "Yeah, I got that," I said. "Where are you taking me?" Sylverwulf giggled, jumping and landing on a thick branch. She tapped the glass in a coy fashion as she tried to stifle more laughter. "I got friends that'll freak out once I show you off..." I dimmed slightly. "That’s… not reassuring." Sylverwulf snickered, her ears twitching in amusement as she effortlessly vaulted to another branch, her tail flicking playfully behind her. She held the small jar up slightly, tilting it so I could see her smug expression through the glass. "Oh, relax," she said, grinning. "They’ll love you." I flickered warily. "Yeah, the same way people like looking at circus freaks..." She burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking as she leapt gracefully onto a boulder before kicking off again. "Man, you’re funny. I think I’m gonna keep you." I flared indignantly. "I am NOT some pet you can just keep!" "Sure you are," she teased. "You glow, you talk, you fit in my hand. Pretty sure you’re, like, the perfect pet." I groaned. "You're like a familiar headache," She grinned wider. "And you’re officially my little spirit buddy. Don’t worry, Yuru, I’ll take good care of you." I sighed in defeat, flickering faintly. This was definitely not how I thought my second life would start.