The shadowy forest was empty—no pursuers in sight, contrary to Yang Yang's fears.
*"Ahhh—!"* She screamed as she ran, forgetting how exhausted she was mere moments ago.
*"Stop that! You're going to deafen me!"* The sudden voice sounded again, as if its owner stood right beside her.
Yang Yang's mind flooded with horror stories—forest murders, ghostly apparitions from movies. Trembling, she skidded to a halt.
*"Elders, ancestors, gods and goddesses—Buddha, Guanyin, Allah, Jesus—I'm just passing through! I mean no disrespect! If you were wronged, go haunt whoever hurt you! I'm innocent! I've never killed anyone! Don't even look at me! I'm scrawny, weak, barely any meat, low on energy, full of bad vibes—eating me won't do you any good! Waaah…!"*
Her panicked rambling devolved into sobs as she instinctively began conjuring ice-tear stones again.
*"Seriously? I just asked a question. Was that necessary?"* A white blur dropped from above, landing in front of her—and promptly scared the already exhausted Yang Yang into fainting.
When she came to, her surroundings were unfamiliar. Not the treehouse. Where was she?
*"Ahhh! Ghost—!"* Memory rushed back. She bolted upright, scanning wildly—but no bloodied specter in white loomed. Only Xiao Bai, sitting calmly on the grass, watching her.
*"Maybe I wasn't tasty enough and it left? Xiao Bai, let's go! This place is haunted!"* Convinced the danger had passed, she scooped up the little creature and hurried onward.
The warmth of Xiao Bai's small, soft body soothed her nerves—until it spoke.
*"I'm the 'Xiao Bai' you're talking to. Could you *not* overreact?"*
Yang Yang froze. Her hands locked around the now-talking creature. Brain empty. Breath gone. Motionless.
*"Hey!"* Xiao Bai's loudest-ever shout snapped her back. Gasping, she gulped air like a drowning woman.
Once her lungs recovered, she faced reality:
*"I just got scared unconscious by a talking puppy. If anyone ever finds out, dentists would make a fortune fixing all the teeth people laughed out! How stupid! Magic exists here—of course animals can talk! Ugh, I'm dumber than a rock!"*
Angry, she glared at the culprit. *"This is your fault! Why talk *now*? We're fleeing! In a creepy forest! Who knows how many ghosts are here? You *had* to pick the worst moment! What good does scaring me do? After I *brought* you with me! This is how you repay me?"*
She paused mid-rant, a thought striking her. *"Wait—how *can* you talk?"*
Xiao Bai rolled its eyes. *"Did I ever say I *couldn't*? You never asked."*
*"Then why stay quiet until now?"* Yang Yang crossed her arms.
*"Because the barrier's ahead. I needed to know—do you *really* want to leave like this? If we cross together, they'll sense it. If you go alone, they won't notice… yet."* Its gaze held something odd—hesitation? Hope? Worry?
*"They'd find out anyway. The Sacred Pearl's gone—no hiding that. But if Xiao Bai knows things… and talks… having a smart, talking dog beats wandering clueless!"*
Softening, she stroked its head. *"I wouldn't leave you! We stick together, okay? …Unless we die. Then we'll figure it out. But hey—they won't ambush us at the barrier, right?"* She hastily changed the subject, avoiding thoughts of canine lifespans.
*"They'll only sense the breach, not our location. Stay cautious, and we'll slip by. Besides, you're not exactly a big target yet."*
Yang Yang missed the last remark's implication, too busy cheering internally. *"As long as they don't drag me back! Time to explore! Maybe find that spatial mage from Carina's notes—could I really go home?"*
She stepped through the barrier effortlessly, hope sparkling in her eyes. Ahead lay the unknown—while behind, unnoticed, the Phoenix Pouch flickered once.
In that instant, two forces took note: the elders within the barrier… and something far older, lurking deep in the mountains.
*Blessing or curse? Only Yang Yang's journey would tell.*
As she trekked on, the forest dimmed abruptly. Peering up, she saw only tangled branches—no sun, just slivers of light.
*"Please don't rain. I didn't pack an umbrella…"* She missed Xiao Bai's sudden gleeful look.
Her legs, lead-heavy, finally demanded rest. Settling on a log, she shared a pastry with Xiao Bai—in exchange for its life story.
*"I'm Carina's familiar. Born with her, raised with her. She never knew her parents. Neither did I. She loved tinkering—mastered every spell our kin knew, even rare ones from old texts. Sometimes she sneaked beyond the barrier. Alone—after our first try got us caught. Solo trips lasted three, four days. She'd return with odd trinkets, recipes learned from humans or other races. Then, one day, she started studying spatial magic. Said it'd let her cross worlds, find her parents. She left more often after that, came back exhausted but with strange gems. Years passed. She succeeded—opened a rift. Watched a stray gem vanish into it, kissed my head… and stepped through. But soon after, she fell back out. As her familiar, I *felt* it—her body wasn't hers anymore. Since your soul took root in it, you're connected somehow. You're weird, but not evil. So… I don't totally hate you."*
Yang Yang flicked its nose. *"After all I've done—sneaking you food, sharing my bed, bringing snacks, even taking you *fleeing*—and you 'don't totally hate' me? Rude!"*
*"And don't call me Carina,"* she added, tapping her chin. *"From now on, I'm… Sophie! Yes, Sophie! If this world has magic, maybe I'll find a Howl!"*
**Will she?**