Dark.Dark.Dark.
Everything was darkness, an endless mantle without borders or shapes. Jay floated in that silent space, suspended in a void that did not hurt… but did not comfort either. There was no cold or heat, no wind or ground. It was as if his body were trapped in a dream without images, drifting in a universe that had decided to extinguish all its lights.
For a moment, Jay believed he had simply ceased to exist.
Slowly, he opened his eyes—or thought he did—though nothing changed in that absolute darkness.
"Where am I…? Did I die…?" he whispered, letting the doubt escape his lips.
But before that question could vanish into nothingness, a roar resounded.
A deep, heavy, irritating roar.
The sound reverberated in all directions like an echo trapped inside a steel cube. It coursed through his chest, his arms, his entire soul. It was a roar that came not from a single point, but from everywhere at once, as if the darkness itself were emitting it.
Then, a voice rose behind the roar. The voice of the elemental jaguar.
"You are a reckless Earthling," it said, half scolding, half contemptuous. "Despite having the soul of one of mother's descendants, you are weak. You cannot even save your own body. Aren't you ashamed to dishonor such an ancient soul?"
Jay turned his head slowly, as if his neck were made of lead. And there they were.
Two feline eyes, immense, crimson red, floating in the blackness like burning rubies.
Only the eyes. Nothing else. Watching him without blinking, without moving, without pause.
Jay felt no pain. No fear. Only a deep hollow… and disappointment.
How was it possible that his brother, missing for years, had reached this world, rescued him, and he… simply fell? It was shameful. A cruel mockery of fate.
The jaguar spoke again, its voice like a human growl.
"I should incinerate you right now," it said with irritation. "If I don't, it's only because it goes against mother's rules."
Jay clenched his fists and, without looking away from those floating eyes, muttered:
"So… I died?"
His voice carried rage, sadness, impotence, failure. It carried too much for someone who only wanted to keep a promise, protect a girl, and understand why his brother was there.
If he had died… Had he lost everything? Had he lost Nekotina? Daru… again?
The jaguar answered with a tone almost mocking.
"Unfortunately not," it said with a snort. "You are still alive."
Jay let out a sigh. Not exactly of relief, but a lost sigh, as if the breath had escaped on its own.
"Then… where am I? What is this place?" he asked, frustration heavy in his voice.
The jaguar laughed, a dry laugh, almost human but too rough.
"You are in your subconscious," it replied with a smug air. "You should thank me. You're alive because of me. If this were an animated series, not even a full episode would have passed since you arrived in this world, and already you depend on me! How disappointing."
Jay raised an eyebrow, even within the darkness.
"Yeah, yeah… whatever you say, cosmic cat," he growled with sarcasm. "Can you send me back to reality?"
The jaguar's eyes flickered with annoyance.
"Hey, hey. Is that how you speak to the soul that just saved you? You're insolent… and ill-mannered."
Suddenly, everything changed.
The darkness ignited.
As if someone had thrown a spark into the void, flames erupted from nowhere, surrounding everything in a sea of red and gold. It was living fire, fire that breathed, that danced, that screamed its existence. It seemed as though Jay and the jaguar were standing in the heart of the sun.
The heat did not burn. But it weighed. As if the air itself vibrated around them.
In the midst of that blazing inferno, the jaguar's crimson eyes shone even brighter.
"We will meet again soon," it said, its deep voice rumbling like thunder at the center of the world. "Descendant."
And the flames consumed everything.
As if the fire had decided to devour the darkness— and Jay along with it.
Jay felt something warm touch the surface of his consciousness. It wasn't light. It wasn't sound. It was simply… life.
With clumsy effort, as if his eyelids weighed two kilos of wet potatoes, he slowly opened them.
The world appeared in blurry fragments. Shadows, faded colors, a figure… And then, that figure took shape.
It was a face he knew all too well. Small, fragile, with wolf ears atop her head and a gray tail that barely moved behind her.
Nekotina.
Her expression was heavy with something Jay recognized instantly: worry… and sadness. A deep, silent sadness, the kind only carried by those who have already lost too much.
Her gray eyes watched him without blinking, trembling slightly, as if she feared he would vanish if she closed her eyes for even a second longer.
"…gh…" Jay barely managed to release a hoarse sound.
The air was thick, his body heavy, but even so, he managed to curve his lips just a little. It was a weak smile, almost invisible… but real.
Nekotina's eyes widened slightly. Her gray pupils gleamed, as if that small smile had been the spark she needed to keep from collapsing.
"Welcome home…" she said softly.
As she spoke, her gray tail moved just a little, as if trying to express relief but not daring fully. Her voice trembled, not from fear, but from the fragility of someone who had nearly lost the last thing she had.
Jay looked at her more clearly. He understood the shadow behind those eyes. Nekotina had watched her two brothers die, devoured before her, and the mere thought of losing another… was breaking her inside.
She took a small step forward, as if afraid to come too close and break him, but also afraid to step back and lose him again.
"…Jay…" she whispered, pressing her lips together, holding back emotions that knotted in her throat.
Jay wanted to respond. He wanted to say he was fine, that he wouldn't leave, that she didn't need to worry… but no voice came. His body still refused to obey.
He could only look at her. Look into those gray eyes filled with pain and hope. Look at that fragile smile fighting to stay alive.
And though Jay said nothing, Nekotina understood. She felt it.
Her expression softened. A faint, faint smile formed on her lips… like the weak light of a candle in the dark.
She tilted her head slightly, letting her gray ears lean forward.
"Truly…" she said in a trembling whisper, holding back a sob, "…I'm glad you came back."
Jay blinked slowly. He couldn't move much more. But with that single gesture, Nekotina seemed to regain a little strength.
Her small hand, trembling, reached for Jay's. She took it carefully. Fearfully. As if she might break him with just a touch.
And there, in the dim light of the room and the silence that wrapped around them, Jay felt something like an embrace… even though neither of them moved more than a few centimeters.
A silent welcome. A fragile welcome. A warm welcome.
A welcome home.
After several minutes, Jay felt his body could move with ease.
"What… what happened?" Jay said, moving his hand in disbelief, as if he were touching something unreal. "Did I… heal?"
His body still felt bad, yes. It hurt. But the wound, the blood he had lost… it was impossible that he was still alive.
He remained silent for a moment, trying to understand. What had happened after the chaos in the clearing? His brother Daru was no longer in front of him. Was it an illusion? Or had he simply… disappeared?
"I don't know what's going on, but I have to get up… even if…" he whispered, the phrase sounding simple, as if standing up were easy.
But then, something blocked his movement. A familiar gray tail wrapped around him, soft yet firm.
Nekotina stared at him, holding his hand with both of hers, her ears slightly tilted back, her expression serious. It was a silent, clear message: don't even think about getting up.
Jay only looked at her, forcing a laugh, trying to keep calm. His mind spun and spun, struggling to make sense of everything that had happened.
And suddenly, a thought slipped from his mouth, almost unintentionally:
"You used to be cold with me… and now you're protecting me like a mother with her cubs, aren't you?" he said, with a small smile, trying to ease the tension.
Nekotina blushed immediately, her cheeks flushed a deep red, almost like fire. Her tail moved slightly, as if reflecting her embarrassment.
Jay looked at her for a moment, a little surprised by her reaction. He thought he had touched on something delicate too quickly.
Wow… I didn't expect this to happen so soon…
He had always read that, in stories of other worlds, there was a young girl who ended up growing attached to the protagonist. Cliché, yes, but it was something Jay had secretly hoped would happen someday.
And now… it had happened so quickly. But despite everything, a pleasant warmth rose in his chest. He was happy it had.
Jay sighed softly, still lying down, letting Nekotina keep her position above him. The cool night air drifted through the branches, and the moonlight painted shadows across their faces. Everything seemed calm, yet his heart still beat strongly—between surprise, relief, and a sweet sense of closeness.
"…thank you, Nekotina," Jay murmured, barely audible, as the moon bathed the scene in its silver light.
The girl only lowered her gaze, her ears and tail moving slightly, unable to respond with words, but conveying everything she felt through her silent presence.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened slowly, and a soft laugh filled the air. It wasn't just any laugh; it was strangely familiar, so much like Jay's that for a moment it left him paralyzed. It was calmer, more mature, but carried that same playful tone he could recognize among a thousand voices.
Jay opened his eyes slowly, as if his eyelids weighed tons, and what he saw made his breath stop for an instant. Before him stood a familiar figure, someone who seemed to have stepped directly out of his earliest memories, but with subtle, unsettling changes: the figure's black hair now had red streaks that gleamed in the dim light of the room, and his eyes were a deep, intense red—like wine—each gaze containing centuries of untold stories.
For a moment, Jay hesitated. "Is… is that my brother?" he murmured to himself, feeling his heart pound so hard it seemed to echo through the entire room. "Or… is it just an improved copy of him?"
The figure advanced with soft yet confident steps, the air shifting with each movement of his long coat. Then, with a clear, relaxed voice, he said: "What's the matter, wolf? Cat got your tongue?" His smile was light, teasing, but carried a hint of authority that demanded attention.
Jay needed no further confirmation. Every fiber of his being, every memory, every emotion locked in his chest screamed the truth: it was him. It was his brother, Daru Eicker. Even without sharing a surname, the tone, the cadence, and the quiet strength in his voice were unmistakable.
Nekotina, at Jay's side, watched the scene with a mix of disbelief and distrust. Her wolf ears and tail tensed slightly, her gray eyes fixed on Daru with intensity, and for a moment her gaze seemed to ask: "What does this mean? Who is this man, really?"
Daru noticed Nekotina's expression and gave a nervous, light smile, as if aware he was stirring suspicion but with no intention of causing fear. His red eyes softened slightly as he looked at Jay, his younger brother, who still blinked in confusion and fascination.
Jay, despite the shock, finally managed to let out a broken laugh—a mix of relief and pent-up emotion. His shoulders relaxed, and though he still trembled a little, he felt the tension of days, weeks, and months slowly begin to release.
The atmosphere in the room was strange, almost poetic. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the scene faintly, reflecting the red streaks in Daru's hair and the gray fur of Nekotina. Every shadow seemed to move gently with them, as if the very space acknowledged the importance of the moment. The wind stirred the curtains slightly, letting cool air brush their faces, while the small room filled with a respectful silence, broken only by their breathing and Daru's restrained laugh.
Finally, Jay managed to speak, his voice still trembling but heavy with emotion: "D… Daru…" The words seemed to rise from the deepest part of his chest, as if each syllable were a buried memory finally finding release. "I can't… I can't believe it…"
Daru stepped closer, softening his expression, and said as he raised his hand slightly: "I told you I'd get here, you little idiot," he joked, but warmth filled his eyes and his voice. "Don't worry, I'm here now."
Nekotina, seeing the interaction, let out a small sigh, her posture easing, though her eyes still reflected caution and concern. Jay, looking at them both, finally managed a faint smile. For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt a moment of calm—an instant where everything seemed to fit, even if only briefly.
"Welcome home," Nekotina said, her voice low but firm, while her gray tail swayed gently behind her and her ears tilted slightly back, showing both relief and affection.
Jay looked at her, his eyes shining with contained emotion, and answered with a small smile that barely broke through his disbelief and happiness. For a moment, all the fear, all the exhaustion, all the confusion dissolved—replaced by the warmth of those dear to him in this strange and dangerous world.