The wind rustled through the trees of Hell Forest. Ryu, barely conscious, heard the voice again—this time, not in the air... but inside.
Ryu: (blinking)Wait... are you talking inside my head?
Yizo: (calm)Yes. Our souls are now connected. I can speak to you directly, without voice or breath. I see what you see, feel what you feel. I can even walk through your memories if I wish.
It's how the bond works—between a dragon and its host.
Ryu: (tense)...My memories?
Suddenly, the images strike like daggers—his best friend's skull shattered mid-laugh, his mother's body swaying in firelight. The world spins. He clutches his head, trembling.
Yizo:Don't fight it. The memory is already part of you.
That... massacre—it shattered who you were. And yet, you lived.Your body absorbed a storm of mana that should've torn you apart.Any other human would have broken—mind, soul, everything. You didn't. That's what drew me to you.
Ryu says nothing. His face is pale, his hands shaking. A silent storm brews behind his red eyes.
Yizo:But surviving isn't enough.
If you want to wield power, you'll need more than pain and hate. You'll need control, discipline... and a body that doesn't fall apart the next time mana surges.
Ryu: (quietly)Then... teach me.
He stares ahead—face still haunted, but voice steady.
Then everything fades to black. He collapses.
Yizo:Huh?Oi! What just—?Kid? Hey! Wake up! WAKE UP!
No reaction. Ryu lies face down in the dirt... and snores.
Yizo: (muttering darkly)I swear, I'll roast him like a marshmallow one day. Looks half-dead, and he sleeps like nothing's wrong.
The dragon's voice echoes into silence. Ryu doesn't even twitch.
[Ten Hours Later – Night]The moon glows pale through Hell Forest's twisted canopy.
Ryu slowly blinks awake, groggy and dazed. He sits up, rubbing his eyes.
Ryu: (yawning)You're still here...
Yizo: (dryly)Of course I am.You're my host now. We're stuck like blood on steel.
Ryu:...I need food.
He wanders off through the forest, stomach growling. Then—snap. Something in the bushes. Movement. Another. Then ten Horned Rabbits lunge at him.
Ryu: (yelling)WHY IS EVERYTHING TRYING TO KILL ME?!
He sprints through trees as if they're chasing him. Even a flower hisses. He screams.
Yizo: (laughing deeply)Ahahahaha! Watching you run is entertaining. You've got the survival instincts of a blind rabbit.
Yizo:Welcome to Hell Forest—where even shadows bite.No mercy. No order. Just hunger. And you?You're a snack.
Ryu:Time to become a vegetarian...
He picks a mushroom and bites it.
Yizo:I really wouldn't eat th—
Too late. Ryu drops to his knees, vomiting what looks like baby mushrooms that wriggle in the dirt.
Ryu:Ugh... this is GARBAGE!
He kicks one away, retching.
Yizo:You just consumed a Sproutling Nest Mother. That thing probably laid eggs in your throat.
Ryu glares at the tree. The tree glares back.
Yizo:Rest.Tomorrow, we begin.You'll learn to survive this forest... or it'll claim you.