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SOUL SPACE

The vibrations surrounding them finally subsided, leaving behind an eerie stillness. The Golden Trunk, once a beacon of vibrant light, had dimmed to a hazy mirage.

Cortana and the soul reached out, their hands passing through the shimmering outline as if it were nothing more than smoke.

They exchanged a worried glance, then closed their eyes, focusing their combined energy on reconnecting with the trunk.

They could still feel the connection,

but it stretched impossibly far.

The soul's form began to shimmer, mirroring the fading trunk.

He lifted his arms, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Am I disappearing too?" he asked, his voice tinged with fear.

"No, you're not." Cortana assured him, her voice shaky as she watched him fade.

She reached out, her fingers grasping at empty space. His form dissolved, leaving behind an unsettling silence.

Panic seized Cortana. Unlike the illusory Golden Trunk, which had simply faded into the background, the soul had vanished completely.

She spun around, desperately trying to find him.

"Where are you?"

she cried, her voice echoing in the silent soul space. She focused on their connection, but all she sensed was a suffocating, impenetrable darkness.

Just as despair began to grip her, she heard the soul's voice

faint but clear, within her mind.

'Fuck, it's dark' he said.

Cortana let out a sigh of relief, the tension draining from her shoulders.

The soul's voice continued

'Is anybody there? Wait, I can't talk. I can't even move this body. Cortana, this is scary as f*ck!'

Cortana struggled to hold back her laughter, knowing it was only a matter of time before he fully reconnected.

"Pfft," she managed, her lips twitching.

'Okay, stop laughing. Even if you hold it back, I can hear it in your mind,'

the soul said, his voice laced with exasperation.

"'Help me out here!'"

Despite having her incredible abilities and even some of her memories, he was still an ordinary human at heart. He was terrified, thrown into an unknown, and his fear was reasonable.

"Okay, okay. Just relax. Try to breathe, if you can,"

Cortana said, settling down, her own calm a stark contrast to his panic.

'If you can?' he thought, her voice barely audible in his mind.

As Cortana already noticed that he couldn't even breathe.

"Looks like you can't. Hmm, I think I have an idea, but you need to make sure you're in a body."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

'Yeah, I'm sure my soul is in a body. I just can't figure out what's happening. I can't even move. I just wish I was back there with you rather than here' he thought, his mind replaying the beauty of the golden roots

and their shared bond.

Cortana felt a pang of sympathy for his longing. Then, as if summoned by his thoughts, the soul materialized in front of her. They looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.

"Looks like whenever you focus, you can come back here. Now, go back there and see if anything changes,"

Cortana said, hoping this would finally solve the mystery.

"To that dark place? Oh, hell nah" the soul protested.

Cortana held his gaze, unwavering.

He sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid it. He disappeared again.

'Yet, it's still the same. Still alive' he thought.

"It's confirmed. You're being reborn again"

Cortana said, her voice laced with a hint of playful sarcasm, though she couldn't hide the sadness she felt at still being without a physical form.

"Yeah, again," the soul sighed.

He knelt before her, taking her hand, trying to comfort her.

"Don't worry, I'm going to help you get a body, no matter what it takes." He was determined.

Cortana rolled her eyes at his impulsive nature and extreme thinking, but a small smile played on her lips. She was touched by his unwavering dedication.

She lowered her head, making the soul think she was distressed. But then she looked up again, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Thanks, I'm willing to wait," she said.

"After all," Cortana continued, a playful glint in her eyes

"I don't want to act like a child, like you're about to do." Her laughter rang out, echoing through the strange, silent space.

The soul groaned inwardly, already picturing himself acting like a helpless infant, feigning ignorance and dependence. It might work for other reincarnated souls, but not with Cortana watching his every move. He knew she'd see right through it. Then, a common fantasy scenario flashed through his mind.

"Well, maybe there's a chance I'm born an orphan," he said, his voice tinged with resignation.

He didn't mean to wish harm upon anyone; he still respected his past mother for her love and care. He just wanted a fresh start, a chance to avoid the awkwardness of having to explain his unusual circumstances to a family.

Cortana stood, her hand resting on her hip, the other pointing at him accusingly.

"Hey now, that's low, even for you. Wishing for something like that to happen is like wishing for something bad to happen to the parents who are going to love and care for you."

The soul slumped, knowing he'd made a mistake. He tried to explain himself, but Cortana was already shaking her head, her voice firm but laced with understanding.

"You need to stop running away from things just because they're hard. I know you didn't mean it like that, and I know what you're thinking, but it's worse because you haven't even considered the consequences of your actions."

The soul hung his head in shame. Cortana didn't need to berate him. She knew they might spend an eternity together, and he needed to grow, to learn from his mistakes.

She began to lecture him, her voice gentle but firm.

"I know you. I know you'll always pick the easiest path, you're lazy at heart. But you need to understand, this life is a second chance for both of us."

The soul knew she was right. He couldn't argue.

He reached out, taking her pointing finger in his hand.

"I'll try."

he promised. "No, I'll change. It might take a long time, it might be hard, but I will."

Cortana's expression softened.

She knew he meant it. He was still a work in progress, but he was willing to learn.

Their journey was just beginning.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

Korea, Baekdu-daegan

A woman moved through the dense forest, her eyes scanning the undergrowth with a determined glint. She was searching for something, something she knew was hidden in the heart of this ancient mountain.

"I'm pretty sure this is where that Little Yama Kitsune was staying," she murmured to herself.

The woman was Bai Ling, though she had adopted the human name Areum Baekryeong, a disguise she wore to blend seamlessly with the mortal world. As she moved deeper into the forest, she felt an aura that was unique; she thought it was connected to the Yama Kitsune.

"Interesting," she whispered.

"A half-human, half-gumiho."

Meanwhile, on the summit of the mountain, a man stood gazing at the breathtaking panorama. Lee Rang, lost in memories of the time he spent there with his brother, couldn't help but feel a pang of longing. Beside him, Kim Yoo-ri, his gumiho companion, watched him with a quiet understanding.

"Yoo-ri, let's go," he said, his voice laced with a wistful undertone.

"It's time to meet my brother."

He turned, ready to head down the mountain, but something stopped him in his tracks. A woman, bathed in an otherworldly aura, stood beside them, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

Lee Rang's pupils constricted, his eyes widening in alarm. The woman's aura was… powerful. More powerful than his brother's, he realized with a surge of icy fear.

His left hand, instinctively reacting to the danger, transformed into a sharp, dangerous claw. He pulled Yoo-ri close, shielding her with his body.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice barely a whisper.

Yoo-ri, a fierce protector, mirrored his actions, her hand turning into a claw as she snarled at the newcomer.

"I'm going to ask you the same question," she said.

Areum smiled, her nine white tails swaying around her, a mesmerizing dance of power and grace.

"Calm down, little fox," she said to Yoo-ri, making Yoo-ri stop her movements. A gumiho, a lesser fox spirit, was instinctively deferential to the more powerful Areum.

Then, she turned her gaze upon Lee Rang, who was frozen in place, a mixture of shock and terror in his eyes.

He remembered his brother's words, a chilling warning that had always lingered in the back of his mind.

"Lee Rang," his brother, Lee Yeon, had said, his voice tinged with somber urgency,

"There are many supernatural creatures and monsters in the world. Most are weak, but the strongest ones are hard to find. They've learned to blend into human society." He had taken a sip of his drink before continuing.

"But then, there are monsters so old, so strong, they usually do not care about anything but when they find something interesting and find you first."

Lee Yeon had stared at his brother, his eyes filled with a heavy sadness.

"Lee Rang, if you ever see a nine-tailed white kitsune, run! Run as fast as you can. Run until that ahjumma can't catch you. Otherwise, even if you're dead, I can't save you. She will take your soul."

The memory sent a wave of chills down

Lee Rang's spine.

"I thought it was just a story to scare me," he whispered, his voice barely a breath.

"A Seishin Kitsune…"

"Oh, it seems you know me quite well," Areum said, her smile turning into a predatory grin.

Lee Rang, taking a step back, afraid, continued to point a trembling finger at Areum.

"You! You stay away from me, you ahjumma!" He turned to flee, his instinct for survival kicking in.

Areum's grin twitched and faltered, replaced by a flicker of annoyance.

"Looks like you're his brother," she said, a dangerous edge creeping into her voice.

"Ahjumma, Interesting." Her fingers cracked, the sound amplified by the silence of the mountaintop.

"But it seems your brother never taught you any manners. Let me teach you instead."

With a flick of her wrist, she vanished, reappearing beside Lee Rang in a flash of movement. The shock, the terror, the sheer disbelief on his face were a testament to the speed and power of her attack.

"No, no, you- Ahhhh!"

The scream of a terrified half-human, half-gumiho echoed through the mountain, a sound that would forever be etched into the memory of the creatures in Baekdu-daegan.