Favur’s tail swung back and forth. Her cute little nose followed her curious eyes towards the forest ahead of her. Her little whiskers wrinkled alongside her nose as she turned her head in one direction and trotted to the hillside brush. There, she awaited her prey.

Catch it!

She sprung into motion, claws and teeth reaching out.

Snap!

Her maw nearly caught onto it, but the silver butterfly, her favourite and ever-elusive target, managed to fly higher into the trees and out of her reach.

Aw, it’s gone.

Favur resumed her sitting as she looked at the forest before her.

Trees rose abruptly with only a couple of underlying bushes to denominate where the grassy hills ended, and the vitality-rich forest began.

Favur’s tail swung back and forth.

But this time, the silver butterfly wasn’t reappearing no matter how long she waited.

Come back...

Left in a daze, Favur began to wonder.

How did the butterfly survive in the scary forest? Her parents had always nudged her away from the forest. But, if the silver butterfly could roam around inside, what was stopping her from doing so too?

So, when the silver butterfly finally tempted Favur by flying out, then back into the forest, Favur couldn’t resist her temptations anymore.

Her claws sunk into the undergrowth as she stalked the silver butterfly flittering along the low tree branches. Then, the silver butterfly would rise into the treetops and back down again in dazzling movements.

It travelled anywhere it wanted to, with wings that took it as high into the sky as Favur could see.

Favur was entranced.

Oh, how she wished she could fly like the silver butterfly. Why didn’t she also have silvery wings to soar with? To explore with?

Favur was in such a trance that she didn’t even notice the gleaming red eyes that stalked behind her. A small wolf, barely grown, crept behind Favur.

It inched closer with each step. Step. Step.

Snarl!

Favur’s head whipped around at the sound of the small pouncing wolf. Her legs reacted fast and scurried beneath her into a hollow log.

Yawn!

Favur made it into the log hollow; However, it wasn’t without injury. The small wolf’s claws had torn a gash into her side. Favur ignored the pain as best she could as she raced out the other end of the hollow log and back towards her den.

The den was her haven. No creature had weaselled their way in, and her parent’s sharp claws had kept out all those who tried.

Favur evaded the wolf’s gnashing teeth and ripping claws, dancing amidst the low-hanging branches and undergrowth. Her diminutive frame protected her as the small wolf charged through obstacles, clawing at her heels with each lunge.

Howl!

The resounding cry of an older wolf echoed through the forest and paused the small wolf’s chase. Then, as Favur rushed past the treeline, the small wolf’s own defeated howl rang out. Soon after, it sulked back into the forest.

Favur raced through the hillside grass, unaware that the small wolf had stopped chasing her. It wasn’t until she arrived at her den that she finally slowed.

Pain!

The gash on her side throbbed against her will, but the thought of her warm home and her parent’s healing embrace reminded Favur that the pain would fade. And never again would she explore the forest.

Favur hobbled into her den’s entrance and heard her parent’s voices.

Yawn!

YAWN!

Mother!

Favur rushed into the den.

What she saw would haunt her for a long time.

A young man with jet black hair held a horned spear pierced through her mother’s body. Her father was pinned beneath the man’s boot and squirming in pain.

Yawn!

Favur rushed at the man but was foiled as the spearhead beat Favur and her mother into the wall.

“Oh? The child returns home?”

Stab.

The man pierced through Favur’s father with his horned spear and swept his hair away from his eyes.

“Well, I’d hate for you to live without parents.”

Favur barely evaded the spearhead that pierced towards her. However, she did nibble the man’s hand enough to elicit a growling shout. Then, she felt a sharp pain in her side as the spearhead pierced into her.

Yawn!

Favur’s body ripped off the spear and collided with the dirt den wall.

Pain! Pain...

Her body was gradually losing warmth, and in her last moments, all she saw was her bloodied parents, the jet-black-haired man, and the light of the mushrooms.

Favur memorized it all: the man’s appearance, the taste of his blood, her family’s last moments in her home. She would get revenge for it all if she had the chance.

Meanwhile, the man angrily gazed at Favur before horribly smiling and bidding farewell.

“Goodbye, little fox family. Send me a postcard!”

Favur hazily saw the man crawl away. But then, her vision dimmed as more warmth escaped her.

Death? No! NO!

Favur felt life escaping her and death beckoning from behind. At that moment, something winked into existence.

Do you wish to die?

Favur couldn’t read it. She didn’t even know what it was. But she knew that she didn’t want to die. She would do, be, anything to continue living. She needed to live to enact revenge.

Conditions met for evolution. Evolution process initiated.

Favur felt a tug at her consciousness as the mushroom light began to dull. Like an illusion, twinkling lights danced around her, and a foreign warmth flooded her body, reminding her of her parent’s embrace. Eventually, the warmth faded as Favur’s consciousness let go, and her world turned dark.

Then, Favur’s life came to an end.

...

For a moment, there was nothing.

...

The next moment, a pair of fox eyes opened beneath the night sky.

Two suns overlapped in the sky. One a blazing mass of blinding light, the other a darker counterpart. As the blinding light gradually faded, the other sun cast its dimmer light across the world. The result was a beautiful sunset of magical proportions.

I’m… alive?

Favur shivered. Both at the realization and the night breeze brushing through her. Then, Favur realized it. The wind was going through her.

Favur looked around in a daze. She was in the air, as in, not touching the ground.

I’m flying!

In her bewildered state, Favur attempted a half-walk, half-fly that ended her and her twin tails face-first into a puddle.

Splash!

Her landing appeared solid until she tried to shake the water off and realized it was already going through her.

Is that me?

Favur gazed into the puddle and looked at her new appearance.

Favur’s body glowed with mysterious lavender fur like the moon, floating semi-translucent and partly in the air. It was like she ate too many Moonglow Mushrooms and started to glow like one!

It was weird to see herself. Yet, she liked this appearance much more.

Favur continued to admire herself until the watery reflection of a silver blur caught her eye.

Favur knew that fluttering silver blur all too well. It had led her away from her home and nearly caused her to be a wolf’s dinner.

Channelling some sort of inner sparkle, Favur raced into the sky. Initially, her flight was shaky. There were times when she flew too high or nearly crashed into the ground again. But, eventually, Favur caught up with the silver butterfly.

Chomp!

Huh?

Favur swallowed on instinct. At first, she thought it was the silver butterfly. But that didn’t make sense. The silver butterfly was right there, falling towards the ground.

Suddenly, something spooked Favur.

You have eaten the unique soul of a Lacuna Butterfly and gained the Sealing ability.

Favur swiped her claws at the odd sight, and it disappeared.

It’s gone!

Favur blinked multiple times and even investigated, but the odd sight had vanished. Unable to investigate anymore, Favur turned her attention to the silver butterfly’s still body.

The area around the silver butterfly wasn’t normal. The ground around it had turned hard like stone and in the same silver colour as the butterfly’s corpse.

Snarl!

Unaware of her surroundings, Favur didn’t even notice the small wolf behind her.

Again.

Ah!

This time, Favur didn’t have time to escape as the small wolf collided into her. Or rather, collided through her.

The small wolf, caught off guard by the lack of catching something physical, stumbled its steps and crash-landed on the silver butterfly.

Yip!

A pained cry followed by Favur’s snapping teeth twisted the small wolf into the ground again.

I’ve got you now!

Favur rejoiced as her teeth bit into something. Then, as the light in the small wolf’s eyes began to dim, a dim green glow escaped from its body and into Favur’s mouth with a gulp.

You have eaten the soul of a Young Wolf and gained experience.

Favur swiped away the message again but instantly regretted not investigating properly.

Instead, she began to panic at seeing the young wolf lying dead before it. Despite biting into something, her fangs hadn’t left any mark on the small wolf—only a smaller area of silvery stone puncture marks.

Moreover, the area around the silver butterfly was slowly turning the small wolf into a stone statue.

Did I do that?

Favur’s thoughts turned chaotic as she felt panic creep into her. Had she killed the small wolf? What happened to the silver butterfly? What was going on?

She took a few steps back and raced off into the forest.

Favur wished everything made sense.

Where was home? Home made sense!

Lost in the forest, looking for a way back home, Favur raced to her fox den.