The Emberlight Forest was alive.
Not in the normal, "trees and birds and cute forest vibes" kind of way no. This forest breathed.
The air shimmered faintly with red motes, and the trees hummed, as if their roots whispered secrets to the ground.
Every now and then, the bark of an ancient oak would flare with faint orange light, like a heartbeat pulsing through wood.
Ghost stopped at the edge of the trail and blinked. "Okay, who turned the forest into a lava lamp?"
Eldric adjusted his robes, frowning. "Emberlight Forest is rich with elemental mana. Fire and life blend here. Be cautious it's beautiful, but deadly."
Lira stepped ahead of them, scanning the fog. "Deadly is becoming our theme."
"Yeah," Ghost muttered, hopping onto her shoulder. "Can't wait for the sequel: 'The Duck Who Died Again.' Bestseller, I swear."
Lira smirked faintly. "Keep joking, and it might come true."
"Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"You already are."
"Noted."
They ventured deeper. The deeper they went, the stranger things became.
Plants glowed faintly in blues and reds. Small fire wisps floated lazily between branches, like living lanterns. The air smelled faintly of spice and smoke.
"Okay," Ghost said finally. "This is the part of the video game where the background music changes and you know something bad's about to happen."
Eldric didn't look up. "Consider it your tutorial."
"Yeah, and tutorials usually end with explosions."
"Then be ready."
They reached a clearing where the light turned amber and soft. Ghost hopped off Lira's shoulder, waddling toward a shallow pool reflecting the fiery canopy above.
For once, he was quiet. The world here didn't feel hostile just… old.
"Y'know," he murmured, "for a world full of monsters, sometimes it's actually kind of… peaceful."
Lira watched him, surprised by his tone. "You miss your world?"
He blinked. "Sometimes. Mostly the snacks. And Wi-Fi. Definitely Wi-Fi."
He tilted his head. "But maybe this isn't so bad. I mean, if I'm gonna start over… might as well start somewhere that looks like a painting."
Eldric gave him a sidelong glance. "You're adapting faster than most humans I've met."
"Yeah, well," Ghost said, fluffing his feathers proudly, "ducks are known for emotional intelligence."
"Are they?"
"Now they are."
The peaceful moment didn't last.
A low growl rumbled from the trees.
The grass trembled.
Something big was moving fast.
Lira drew her daggers in one smooth motion. "Positions!"
Eldric's staff flared blue. Ghost flapped into the air, small but ready, the memory of Spiritfire tingling in his chest.
The creature burst from the undergrowth a massive wolf, twice the size of any normal beast, fur the color of molten iron and eyes burning gold.
Its breath steamed like smoke.
Ghost blinked. "Oh great. Round two: Wolf Edition Deluxe."
The wolf bared its fangs, but this time… it didn't pounce.
Instead, it spoke.
"You burn… like the old flame."
Its voice was deep, rough, and echoed through the clearing like thunder.
Lira froze. Eldric's eyes widened.
Ghost hovered in midair. "...Okay. Either the fumes here are messing with me, or the wolf just talked."
"I did," the creature growled, stepping closer. "And you, little firebird, reek of something ancient."
Ghost blinked, unsure whether to be terrified or flattered. "I moisturize?"
The wolf ignored him, lowering its head until its golden eyes met his. "Tell me, spark. Where did you find the Spiritfire?"
"Uh…" Ghost flapped nervously. "Funny story. I was, you know, dying, reborn, long day"
The wolf snarled, shaking the ground. "Do not mock me, hatchling!"
"Okay! Okay! Not mocking! Just narrating under stress!"
Eldric stepped forward cautiously. "If you recognize the Spiritfire, then you must know of the Flame Guardians."
The wolf's gaze shifted toward him. "I knew one. Long ago. Before man stole their light."
Lira frowned. "You mean this power isn't natural?"
The wolf's gaze returned to Ghost. "That flame belongs to a spirit older than this forest. It chooses rarely… and burns everything unworthy."
Ghost blinked. "So… I'm chosen?"
The wolf bared its teeth. "Or cursed."
Ghost groaned. "Great. Can't have one compliment without a death omen."
The wolf's stance lowered, muscles coiling.
Eldric's hand twitched toward his staff, but the wolf raised a paw not to strike, but to show a scar across its foreleg. The mark shimmered faintly red, shaped like a flame.
"I was once a vessel of that same fire," it said, voice quieter now. "It devoured my kin. My pack. Until I learned to cage it."
Lira's expression softened. "You controlled it?"
"For a time," the wolf said. "But every flame hungers. Every vessel breaks."
Ghost swallowed. The words hit too close.
He remembered Eldric's warning. If you lose control, it will consume you.
He looked down at his wings. "So you're saying I'm doomed."
"Not yet," the wolf replied. "There may be a path. But you are weak and the fire in you is still wild."
Lira stepped closer. "Then help him. You clearly know how."
The wolf's golden eyes softened. "You defend him. Why?"
Lira hesitated. "Because he's part of our team. Because… he's trying."
The wolf studied her, then let out a low rumble something between a growl and a laugh. "Strange… humans who protect ducks. Perhaps the world still remembers balance."
It turned to Ghost. "If you wish to master your flame, meet me where the river turns to ash. Three nights from now. If you survive the forest until then."
Ghost's eyes widened. "Wait, that sounds way too ominous! Can't we meet somewhere safer? Like, I don't know, a café?"
But the wolf was already fading into the trees, its form melting into embers and smoke until only the scent of burnt pine remained.
Silence fell.
Ghost turned to the others. "Okay, was that… normal forest behavior?"
"No," Lira said.
"Good," Ghost sighed. "Because if it was, I'm moving to a desert."
Eldric approached, eyes thoughtful. "A Spirit Wolf… I thought they were myths."
Lira sheathed her blades. "Seems this world has plenty of those."
Ghost hovered beside them, still shaken but curious. "So what now?"
Eldric folded the map. "We keep moving. Toward the river. If that creature spoke truth, it might hold the key to controlling your power."
Ghost frowned. "You sure we can trust a glowing wolf that speaks in cryptic one-liners?"
Lira shrugged. "We trusted a talking duck."
He paused. "…Okay, fair point."
They continued down the glowing trail, the forest humming around them alive, aware, and watching.
Ghost's chest still felt warm, but now it wasn't fear. It was… something else.
A sense that this fire his fire wasn't just a curse.
Maybe it was a bridge.
Between beasts, between people… between who he was, and who he was becoming.
By morning, the mist had lifted but the forest hadn't gotten any less weird.
Every few steps, something glowed, hissed, or tried to bite them.
Ghost was keeping score.
"Okay," he muttered, waddling beside Lira's boots, "that's the third plant today that tried to eat me. Do I have 'snack' written on my feathers or something?"
Lira didn't even look down. "You do talk a lot for food."
"That's hurtful."
"It's accurate."
Ghost gasped dramatically. "You wound me, woman! I'm a national treasure!"
Eldric, walking ahead with his staff tapping rhythmically, didn't even glance back. "You're a duck with a mild fire problem. Hardly a treasure."
"Correction," Ghost said, hopping over a root, "I'm a duck with charisma and a moderate fire problem. Get it right."
Lira snorted. Eldric sighed. Ghost counted that as a win.
They followed the forest stream as it curved between crimson trees. The water shimmered faintly orange under the sunlight not from reflection, but from the faint traces of fire mana running through it.
Ghost couldn't help staring.
"So this is the 'river that turns to ash,' huh? Looks pretty… un-ashy to me."
Eldric knelt beside the bank, touching the surface lightly. "The concentration of elemental fire increases the deeper it flows. Eventually, it becomes too hot for ordinary life to survive."
"Translation," Ghost said, "it's a death trap."
"Precisely."
"Cool. Cool. Totally not terrifying."
By midday, they reached a shallow ravine where the river narrowed. The air shimmered faintly with heat.
Lira set down her pack. "We'll rest here until nightfall."
Eldric nodded, already drawing runes in the dirt to ward off predators. Ghost waddled closer to the river, fascinated by how the water seemed to breathe steam rising in rhythmic pulses, like a sleeping beast.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw something move.
A flicker red light behind the trees.
Ghost turned. "Uh… guys?"
Before he could say more, the light pulsed and the Spirit Wolf emerged from the mist like a walking flame. Its fur rippled like molten metal, and its eyes burned gold.
Lira immediately reached for her blades, but the wolf's voice rumbled calmly. "Peace, silver blade. I came as promised."
Eldric rose. "You… were watching us."
"Watching?" the wolf said. "Listening. The forest whispers. It told me the spark came."
Ghost tilted his head. "You really need to work on your dramatic timing. You almost gave me a heart attack."
"You have two hearts," the wolf said flatly.
Ghost blinked. "Wait, ducks have two hearts?!"
"They don't," Eldric muttered.
"Then why would he"
"Focus," Lira said sharply.
Ghost sighed. "Right, right. Focus. Ancient flaming dog training montage. Let's do this."
The wolf circled Ghost slowly. "Your flame sleeps uneasily. You stir it with panic, not purpose. Tell me, duck what do you fear?"
"Uh… drowning? Being roasted? Tax paperwork?"
"Wrong," the wolf growled. "You fear yourself."
Ghost blinked. "Okay, that's… uncomfortably accurate."
"You wield a power born of will. Yet your heart trembles. That tremor feeds chaos."
Ghost swallowed. "So what, I just… stop being scared?"
"Not stop," the wolf said. "Understand it. Fear is part of fire. Control comes from balance."
Ghost stared blankly. "You realize you sound like a fortune cookie, right?"
The wolf ignored him. "Close your eyes."
"What?"
"Do it."
Ghost hesitated then sighed and obeyed. "Alright. Eyes closed. Totally not expecting you to eat me."
"Breathe," the wolf rumbled. "Feel the warmth beneath your feathers. Do not force it listen."
Ghost inhaled slowly. The forest faded away.
He could feel it that small ember deep inside his chest, flickering softly. It wasn't angry. It wasn't wild. It was… lonely.
He frowned. "It's… sad?"
The wolf's voice came quieter. "The flame reflects you. Your doubts. Your longing. It remembers the pain of a world lost."
Ghost's breath hitched. Images flickered in his mind his old apartment, glowing monitor lights, empty instant noodle cups, the endless silence after every game ended.
He'd always thought he was fine. That solitude was his normal.
But maybe… it had always been fire waiting for air.
When he opened his eyes, small wisps of orange flame floated around him not harsh, but gentle, swirling like lazy fireflies.
Lira's eyes widened. "You're controlling it."
Eldric whispered, "Incredible…"
Ghost blinked at the floating lights. "Whoa. I did that? I did that! Look, no screaming, no burning trees"
BOOM.
One of the lights exploded in his face.
"Okay, small burning trees!"
He flapped backward, coughing smoke. Lira pinched the bridge of her nose. "Almost impressive."
"Hey," Ghost wheezed, "progress is progress."
The wolf chuckled a deep, rumbling sound. "Clumsy, but not hopeless. You learn quickly, firebird."
"Thanks," Ghost said, patting out a singed feather. "So what's next? Fireball practice? Flying lessons? Inner peace?"
The wolf's eyes gleamed. "Next, you burn without fear."
Ghost froze. "That sounds… open to dangerous interpretation."
Before he could protest, the wolf's paw slammed into the ground a wave of heat surged outward, surrounding Ghost in a circle of flame.
Lira shouted, "What are you doing?!"
"Teaching," the wolf said simply.
The fire closed around Ghost, towering higher. He could feel the pressure, the suffocating heat crawling up his wings. Panic rose like a tide.
"Stop!" he gasped. "It's it's too much!"
"Control it!" the wolf roared. "Or it will control you!"
Ghost's vision blurred. His feathers crackled. Every instinct screamed to run, but somewhere deeper, something else whispered: breathe.
He forced himself to inhale slow, steady.
The flames trembled… and then began to shrink.
His heartbeat slowed. His mind cleared.
The fire bent to him folding inward, gentle and alive, until it pulsed faintly around his body like a soft aura.
Lira's eyes widened. "He… did it."
Eldric stared, speechless. "He balanced it."
Ghost opened one eye, panting. "Did I win… or die?"
"Neither," the wolf said. "You learned."
Ghost wobbled, exhausted. "Cool… cool… can we make it a weekly lesson instead of daily near-death experiences?"
The wolf smiled faint and proud. "Perhaps. If you survive the next trial."
Ghost's eyes widened. "Next what now?!"
But the wolf was already fading again, its form dissolving into ash and light. Only its voice lingered:
"Remember, little flame every spark has a shadow."
Silence fell again. Only the river's hiss broke it.
Lira approached, crouching beside Ghost. "You okay?"
He grinned weakly. "Define okay. My feathers are smoking, my soul's confused, but yeah… I think I'm glowing."
She smiled faintly. "You are."
Eldric looked down at him. "You've taken your first step as a true mage."
Ghost blinked. "Wait. Does that mean I can officially say 'I'm a wizard, quack' now?"
"No," Eldric said flatly.
"Too late, I already did!"
As the sun set over Emberlight, Ghost lay back against a rock, staring at the sky through the glowing canopy.
He felt something new inside not just power, but peace.
For the first time since dying, he didn't feel lost.
He felt alive.
That night, the forest slept uneasily.
A faint ember still flickered where the Spirit Wolf had stood, glowing dimly beside the river. Ghost sat near it, staring into the light as if it might whisper answers.
Lira and Eldric were asleep nearby or pretending to be. Eldric snored like someone casting a sleep spell on himself, and Lira slept with a dagger in her hand, because apparently that was her version of a bedtime teddy bear.
Ghost sighed, watching his reflection ripple in the orange glow.
"Man," he whispered to no one, "you really outdid yourself this time."
He thought back to the world he left behind the constant buzz of screens, the cold flicker of monitors, the fake achievements that meant nothing when the game shut down.
He'd spent his life chasing progress bars. Leveling up. Grinding.
And now… here he was again. Grinding for his life.
"Maybe I was born for this," he said softly. "Born to respawn, huh?"
A faint notification blinked before his eyes.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Emotional resonance detected.
Title Unlocked: "Burnout Soul."
Effect: Fire-type skills gain +10% power when emotionally unstable.
Ghost squinted. "Wait emotionally unstable is a buff now?!"
The system didn't answer.
He sighed again. "Figures. My greatest power is anxiety."
A faint rustle made him turn.
Lira was awake, watching him from the other side of the campfire. Her hair was down now less warrior, more human.
"You couldn't sleep either?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Kinda hard to relax after nearly becoming roast dinner."
She chuckled quietly. "You handled yourself well today."
"Handled is generous. I mostly screamed and hoped the fire listened."
"Still," she said, poking the ashes with a stick, "you faced fear head-on. That's rare."
Ghost tilted his head. "You're surprisingly nice when you're not threatening to step on me."
"I can fix that," she said dryly.
He smiled. "There she is."
They sat in silence for a while, just listening to the night. The stars shimmered like cracks in the sky countless and close, as if the heavens were watching.
Lira finally said, "You remind me of someone I used to know. A friend from my old guild."
Ghost blinked. "Guild? Like, adventure guild or gamer guild?"
"The first one," she said, smirking. "You really are from another world, huh?"
"Yeah. My world had no magic, no wolves made of fire… just bills, bad bosses, and battle passes."
She frowned slightly. "Battle… what?"
"Never mind," he said quickly. "Long story. Mostly involves frustration and capitalism."
Her gaze softened. "Do you ever wish you could go back?"
Ghost hesitated. He'd never really asked himself that.
He thought about his old apartment the quiet hum of the fridge, the glow of the screen, the feeling that he was waiting for something that never came.
"…No," he said finally. "There wasn't much there to miss. I think… I'd rather make something here worth staying for."
Lira smiled faintly. "Then you'd better survive long enough to do that, Ghost."
He puffed his feathers proudly. "Please, I'm basically immortal now."
"Right. The same immortal who tripped on a rock yesterday?"
"That rock was strategically placed!"
She laughed a soft, genuine laugh that carried through the trees.
Ghost looked at her for a long moment.
It hit him that, for the first time since he'd died, someone was laughing with him not at him.
By dawn, the trio was back on the road.
Eldric walked ahead, muttering incantations under his breath like a man arguing with invisible accountants. Lira kept scanning the treeline. And Ghost… well, Ghost was trying to balance on Lira's shoulder again.
"Come on, you're tall, it's like free transport!"
"No."
"Pretty please? My webbed feet are not optimized for hiking."
"Walk, bird."
He groaned, hopping off. "This is discrimination against poultry."
They reached a clearing by midday, where the trees gave way to open grassland and in the distance, shimmering like a mirage, stood the walls of Ardentia.
Ghost's eyes widened. "Whoa. That's the capital? It looks like someone copy-pasted a fantasy castle from every game I've ever played."
Eldric smirked faintly. "Ardentia is the heart of magic and commerce in this realm. Try not to set it on fire."
"No promises."
Lira sighed. "Definitely promises."
As they approached, the air shifted thick with energy, noise, and something Ghost couldn't quite place.
He stopped suddenly. The world around him dimmed.
A faint buzz filled his ears familiar, mechanical.
A voice echoed faintly, like static.
"...Player… 47… reconnecting..."
Ghost froze. His feathers bristled.
"What… what was that?" he whispered.
The others turned. "What?" Lira asked.
"You didn't hear that?"
"Hear what?" Eldric frowned.
The sound faded, but the words burned in his head.
Player 47.
His heart pounded. No way. That couldn't be real.
This was supposed to be another world not a simulation. Right?
He forced a shaky laugh. "Probably just hunger. You know, hallucinating… breakfast."
But even as he spoke, the system window flickered strangely static creeping along its edges.
[SYSTEM ERROR]
Data Fragment Detected: Origin Code // Tokyo_47.exe
Would you like to recover memory? [Yes/No]
His pulse stopped.
He looked at it, then quickly blinked it away. "Nope. Nope. We're not doing that today."
Lira glanced back. "You good?"
"Totally. Just mentally stable and definitely not glitching out."
Eldric gave him a suspicious look. "You're glowing again."
"Oh, great. Emotional instability buff, round two!"
As they entered the bustling gates of Ardentia, Ghost tried to shake it off the flicker, the voice, the creeping thought that maybe… his death hadn't been random.
Every corner of the city pulsed with life mages bargaining over glowing crystals, beastfolk shouting prices, airships floating above spires of marble and flame.
Ghost's eyes sparkled. "This is amazing! It's like… fantasy Tokyo!"
Lira grinned. "Welcome to Ardentia, Ghost. Try not to explode."
He puffed his chest. "Please. I'm a professional now."
A second later, his tail caught on fire from a passing forge spark.
"AAAAH! NEVER MIND!"
Lira smacked him with a wet cloth. "Professional, huh?"
"Shut up!"
Eldric sighed. "This is going to be a long stay."
But behind the laughter, Ghost couldn't shake the unease growing inside him.
He could feel it that tiny glitch, whispering in the corner of his vision.
A reminder that his story wasn't just fantasy.
Somewhere, somehow, someone or something still remembered Player 47.
And soon… it might come looking.