The flames faded, leaving behind the scent of scorched karma and purged evil.
The boy—barely standing—stared up at his savior. Dirt smudged his face, and a fresh bruise bloomed near his cheek, but his eyes—those eyes burned with the fire of someone who refused to break.
Lord Fluffy, now in his borrowed human form, stepped closer, his gaze softening.
"What's your name?" he asked gently.
The boy blinked, confused.
"I… I don't know," he muttered. "I remember waking up, chasing someone through the forest. They… they took my sister. I tried to stop them. I failed."
His fists clenched, trembling. "She screamed once. I followed the sound… then everything went black."
Lord Fluffy paused.
Something inside him stirred—a divine ember resonating with the boy's pain.
A name echoed in his memory, though he hadn't heard it in centuries. A name from his time before he was shattered into fragments and sealed in a chicken's body.
Jinho.
He looked down at the boy and said, "Then until you remember your name… I'll give you one. Jiho."
"Jiho…?" the boy whispered.
"It means wisdom and flame. It suits you."
Jiho nodded slowly, as if the name filled an empty part of his soul.
"Why… why did you help me?" he asked. "You don't even know me…"
Jinho knelt down, his hand glowing faintly with healing flame as he touched Jiho's shoulder.
"Because you didn't give up, even when you had no strength left. You chose to protect something precious… even when you were powerless."
The boy's eyes filled with silent tears.
"Do you want to save your sister?" Jinho asked softly.
Jiho's voice trembled. "More than anything."
Jinho stood, letting the wind whip through his crimson hair, a faint smile on his lips.
"Then become my disciple. I will protect you… teach you… and give you the power to burn down any fate that stands in your way."
> [System Notice: Disciple Pact Formed]
Disciple: Jiho
Status: Bound by Flame Oath
Loyalty: 92%
Hidden Quest Unlocked: Rescue the Twin Flame
Jiho knelt before him, bowing low.
"Please… accept me, Master."
Jinho reached out, placing a hand on Jiho's head. A gentle warmth surged through the boy's veins, awakening something dormant.
A faint golden feather shimmered briefly on his back—his hidden potential beginning to stir.
"The path won't be easy," Jinho said, "but from now on, you won't walk it alone."
Somewhere deep in the forest, a shadow stirred.
And the girl with Jiho's eyes… opened hers in a cage of iron and flame.