LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 4: The Encounter with Kira
When Cale arrived at the garden, he let go of Ameri's hand and turned to her with a mischievous smile.
—Sister, let's play hide and seek! I'll hide, and you find me. But no cheating, okay? Hehe. Count to 200. Bye!
Ameri watched as her little brother dashed toward the trees, sighing before turning toward a tree trunk and beginning to count aloud.
Cale ran deeper into the dense forest, where the trees clustered together as if guarding hidden secrets. Finding a spot among the roots of a large tree, he sat down, waiting patiently for Ameri to finish counting. However, as always happened during games like these, an inconvenient thought crossed his mind.
—Why do I always need to pee the moment I hide?
With a resigned sigh, Cale stood up and wandered deeper into the woods, searching for a suitable place to take care of his urgent need. After walking for a while, he found a small clearing with a good view of the surroundings. Deciding it was perfect, he unfastened his pants and relieved himself.
As he finished, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He felt someone watching him. He quickly turned around and saw small yellow ears with a light blue stripe peeking out timidly from behind a tree. Hastily buttoning his pants, he approached with curiosity.
Standing on two legs in front of him was a tiny fox, staring at him curiously. Without hesitation, Cale crouched down, mimicking the animal's posture, and observed it closely. The fox's fur was unlike anything he had ever seen: a yellow base, white paws and neck, and blue stripes not only on its ears but also along its cheeks. Its bright blue eyes shimmered with intelligence and a hint of emotion that was hard to define.
For several long seconds, they silently studied each other as if trying to understand one another. Suddenly, the fox spun on its paws and darted into the forest. Without thinking, Cale chased after it.
The small fox stopped in front of the entrance of a cave. It turned and gazed at Cale intently. Then, it lifted a paw into the air, and a cloud began to form above them. The sky darkened rapidly, and the rumble of thunder filled the air. Before he could react, a bolt of lightning struck Cale directly.
The impact sent him sprawling to the ground. His clothes were covered in mud, torn from the force of the strike, but he quickly scrambled back to his feet, his heart pounding.
—Wait! —he called out, stumbling forward—. I don't want to hurt you! I was just curious about where you were going.
The fox didn't give him a chance to react before summoning another lightning bolt, knocking Cale down once more. Collapsing into the mud, aching all over, he whispered softly,
—I felt… something special between us. Like we're connected somehow.
The fox slowly lowered its paw, the crackling thunder ceasing. Cale, still trembling, took a careful step forward until he was face-to-face with the creature. He reached out a hand, allowing the small fox to decide whether to approach. At first, the fox hesitated, its blue eyes wary. But after a few tense moments, it relaxed.
With a sigh of relief, Cale let himself fall to the ground, gently placing the fox onto his lap. Stroking its soft fur, he smiled.
—You've been living in this cave all alone, huh? How about coming to live with me? We could play and explore together. I promise you'll have a warm family. What do you say?
The little fox stared at him for a few more seconds before nodding and letting out a soft, approving howl.
—Hehe, you're so cute! Well then, from today, your name will be Kira, the Thunder Fox. Do you like it?
Kira howled happily in response, but at that exact moment, both of them felt a sharp pain in their chests.
Before Cale could understand what was happening, he and Kira collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
When Cale opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the cold cave floor, Kira resting on his chest. The fox stirred at the same time, shaking its head slightly. Letting out a weak chuckle, Cale muttered,
—So this must be the soul contract the goddess mentioned… —He smirked—. If it weren't for passing out, I bet it would've hurt like hell.
With Kira still in his arms, Cale got up and began his journey back home, having no idea how long he had been unconscious. When he reached the garden, he was met with a chaotic scene—servants running frantically, searching for something.
One of them spotted him first and shouted,
—The young master is here!
Immediately, a crowd of servants rushed toward him, eyes wide with worry. Seeing his mud-covered, tattered clothes and the tiny fox in his arms, they were alarmed. Some reached to take Kira away, but Cale refused to let go.
Eventually, the servants led the young master back inside the mansion, where a doctor examined him. The diagnosis was clear: Cale needed two months of rest to fully recover.
However, he knew that the worst part was yet to come—facing the wrath of his sister and father.
When he entered the drawing room with Kira still in his arms, he found Ameri and his father sitting on the sofa, both wearing severe expressions. Cale sat down across from them, preparing himself for the longest scolding of his life. Ameri, arms crossed, glared at him.
—What were you thinking, disappearing for so long?! —she demanded.
—Do you know how worried we were?! —Henri added, his voice firm.
—You're not leaving my sight until you've fully recovered! —Ameri declared, her eyes burning with determination—. That way, you won't do anything reckless again!
After what felt like hours of scolding, their attention finally turned to the small fox nestled in Cale's lap.
—And who's this? —Henri asked, raising an eyebrow.
Cale, not wanting to go into too much detail, smiled innocently.
—He's a contracted spirit. I've decided that he'll live with me.
Henri paused in thought.
—Your mother had a similar ability, though she could only hear spirits occasionally…
Ameri, her earlier anger forgotten, picked up Kira and began playing with him.
That night, Cale realized something—his bed would no longer be just his own.
And, to his surprise, he absolutely loved the idea.