Sei's heart slammed against his chest, each second stretching painfully. He clenched his fists tighter.
"Who is there?" he called again, his voice echoing through the thick wilderness.
The forest stilled. Silence followed, almost suffocating. Then, something leaped out—a tiny, shimmering figure.
Sei stepped back, trying to focus. It was a small, silver-furred squirrel, but something about it was strange—it was glowing, and its eyes were a brilliant emerald green.
"Well, well… a lost little human in the woods. How very classic," the squirrel spoke, its voice laced with amusement.
Sei stumbled back, tripping over a rock and falling flat. "A… A talking squirrel!?"
The squirrel jumped onto his stomach, staring at Sei with its glowing emerald eyes. "Rude, human. I am a spirit," it declared, lazily grooming its silver fur. "But I suppose your shock is forgivable."
Sei immediately sat up. "You can… really talk?"
"Can't you hear me, boy?" it snapped. "Now, tell me, why is a human child so deep in the forest?"
Sei's shock quickly melted into curiosity. He clambered to his feet, brushing dirt off his knees. "I… I followed my dad. But I got lost. And now I don't know how to get back."
The squirrel blinked slowly, its gaze sharp. "Haha, such a foolish child. How tragic. But also… how fun."
"That's not funny, you squirrel!" Sei snapped, but his anger softened almost immediately. "Can you help me get out of this place?"
The squirrel twisted its tail, observing Sei closely. "Perhaps I can… but you are not an ordinary child, are you?"
Sei's mouth opened and then closed. How does this squirrel know? Did I do something wrong? he thought, panic seeping in.
"You don't act like a five-year-old. Who are you?" the squirrel pressed, its voice suddenly serious.
Sei's eyes widened. A talking squirrel… and it knew his secret.
"W-What do you mean?" Sei stammered, struggling to keep his voice steady.
"Don't play dumb. I know you are a reincarnated one."
Those words struck Sei like a blow. How? How could a squirrel know about him?
"What are you? How do you know about me?" Sei demanded, his voice laced with fear and confusion.
"Haha, finally asking the right questions. Names are a formality for mortals, but you may call me… Fari. I am the Elder Nature Spirit." The squirrel puffed out its tiny chest.
"Nature Spirit?" Sei repeated, his confusion deepening.
"Yes, a spirit born from pure Nature Energy. You could say I am an Herb Core given form."
"I… I don't know. My dad said I have a strange core—something called an Empty Core. And I—"
"Empty Core?" The squirrel's playful tone vanished, replaced with sharp focus. It leapt closer, its glowing eyes narrowing. "Fascinating… A Void Vessel."
"Void Vessel?" Sei echoed, even more confused.
"Those with an Empty Core are called Void Vessels—a rare blessing that harbors a curse," Fari murmured, pulling back, her voice now grave. "Tell me, boy, what do you know about this world's energy?"
"Not much. Just that people can channel Nature Energy through their cores, and different individuals have different elemental cores that allow them to channel a specific type of Nature Energy."
"Yes, but Void Vessels can channel all kinds of Nature Energy. However, they must tame them—force them into submission—or be devoured."
Sei's heart skipped a beat. "Then… can I use any power? Like flames, water, wind—everything?"
"In theory, yes," the spirit said, her voice tinged with both awe and caution. "But only if you survive their fury. Untamed Nature Energy is like a raging beast—the weak stand no chance."
Sei gulped, his fists clenching. "But… I want to be strong. No… I need to be strong."
A brief silence followed, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves. Finally, the squirrel chuckled, her tone warmer. "Ambitious, aren't you? I suppose I could help you. After all, it's been so long since I've met a Void Vessel."
"You will?!" Sei's eyes lit up. "Thank you, thank you! And nice to meet you, Fari," he grinned, his fear melting away. "I'm Sei."
"Yes, yes, I know your name, child. Now, let's get you out of this forest before a real monster decides you're a snack."
"There are monsters?!" Sei exclaimed, his shock clear.
"Yes, creatures born from corrupt Nature Energy," Fari replied nonchalantly.
Sei's smile widened. "That's amazing!"
"Shush now. You're attracting enough attention with your noisy excitement," Fari muttered, leaping forward. "Follow closely, or you'll be a tasty treat for the wrong creature."
Sei hurried after Fari, his gaze fixed on the squirrel's glowing fur, a mesmerizing sight.
"So… how do you know so much? How old are you?" Sei asked, curiosity burning in his voice.
"Foolish boy, you should never ask a lady her age," Fari snapped, her tail swishing dramatically.
"Huh, never mind," Sei mumbled, brushing the question aside. But another one gnawed at his mind. "How did you know I was reincarnated? Do you know about those higher beings?"
But his question was met with silence. Fari ignored him, her focus seemingly elsewhere.
Finally, she spoke, "Let's get out of here first. We'll continue the lessons later."
Sei squinted, a strange feeling creeping into his chest, but he stayed silent and followed.
"Won't the villagers see you?" Sei asked.
"No. Only those with a high affinity for Nature Energy can see me. As for how you can… I don't know."
"Okay, so no one's gonna see you." Sei felt a little relieved.
They finally emerged from the forest, the familiar sight of his village in the distance. But back in the dense woods, a shadowed figure watched them from afar.
The figure grinned, its form melting into the darkness. "So, he is the other one. That spirit will be a nuisance."