Ahh yep. Back again.

  I stare into the whiteness with a little pop of awareness, and there it is—the squishy, floaty, glowy nothingness I know way too well by now.

  “Lucid Reflection,” I mumble, mostly to myself, stretching my arms above my head with a yawn. “You always sneak up on me.”

  No ground. No sky. Just white everywhere, soft and endless like the world forgot how to have corners. I float a little, then twist upright, flailing just a bit before finding balance.

  “Oh—there we go. I got it. I got it. Probably.”

  I glance down out of habit, then sigh. “Right. No clothes again.”

  It’s not weird anymore. The first few times I freaked out and tried to cover everything even though no one was here. Now? Eh. Dream rules, I guess. Lucid space rules. Whatever.

  Human me feels… weirdly right. My old body—arms and legs and fingers instead of paws and claws. No fur. No tail. My hair’s longer than I remember. Or maybe I’m remembering it wrong. Either way, I look like me. The old me. The school-me.

  Kinda nice.

  I stretch again and float forward, twirling once with a grin. “Whee~”

  The glowing skill-gas is already swirling up ahead, all smoky and sparkly like fireflies made of memory. They always do that when I show up. Like they're saying hi.

  “Hi back!” I wave, then try to wink, but it probably looks like I have something in my eye. “Show me something cool this time, yeah?”

  No answer, of course. They never talk. But I swear they listen.

  I’ve been here a bunch by now. After bad fights. Good naps. Weird dreams. Always the same blank space, always the same feeling like something deep and invisible is watching quietly.

  Not scary. Just... patient.

  The mound’s still a ways off, that glowing star-field hill floating in the distance. And near it—yup, there’s the blue puddle.. That little ripple of blue, just waiting for me to poke it and see how much magic juice I’ve got now.

  “Alright then,” I say, bouncing a little on invisible nothing. “Let’s go see what my insides are made of today.”

  Alright, alright—gas is gassy as usual, all floaty and swirly and pretending to be mysterious even though I know they’re just showing off. The mound? Yep. Still a mound. A little floaty, a little glowy. Doing its best to look important.

  And the sapling?

  I drift over and crouch beside it—well—and grin. “Ohoho~ look at you, little guy. You grew!”

  The cute tiny sprout from before has a couple more leaves now, glowing faintly with this warm reddish light. Kinda makes me proud, honestly. Like I’ve been watering it with suffering or something. Wait. Is that how it works?

  I give it a gentle pat. “Keep growing, okay? I’m not done getting beat up yet.”

  Then there’s the puddle.

  I tiptoe toward it—yes, on nothing, don’t ask how—and lean over. It ripples a little when I get close, glowing blue like a sleepy eye cracked halfway open.

  “Mana status: still puddle,” I declare. “But maybe a bigger puddle than last time?”

  Then I turn back to the mound.

  Right.

  This is the part.

  “Okay okay okay,” I mumble, bouncing on my heels. “If I touch that, I might get to evolve, right? Like Nur said. Bigger. Badder. Awesomer.”

  My grin stretches wide.

  “Like Mama Wolf!”

  I march straight toward the mound—then hesitate half a step away, heart thumping like I’m about to jump off a cliff.

  “Okay but what if I turn into a weird deer instead,” I mutter. “Or like, grow an extra leg. Wait, that might be cool.”

  Still. Only one way to find out.

  I reach out, fingers buzzing with excitement and nerves and way too much curiosity.

  As soon as my fingers brush the crack running through the mound—

  Fwip.

  Everything shifts.

  The white void around me vanishes in an instant, like someone blew out a candle, and I’m left standing in total blackness.

  Not scary black though. Pretty black.

  Tiny lights flicker into view, one by one—soft and distant, like stars waking up just for me.

  “Uhhh… space?” I whisper, spinning slowly in place. “Yep. Definitely space. Space but like… magic dream space. Sparkle space.”

  It’s beautiful.

  The stars don’t just stay still—they move, swirling gently, pulsing like they’re breathing in time with something big and far away. I float again without meaning to, drifting upward just a little. Everything feels soft and huge and quiet.

  And then—

  There it is.

  A branching path appears before me, glowing lines twisting through the dark like roots made of starlight. Some are thick and bright. Others are thin and a little flickery, like they haven’t decided whether they want to exist yet.

  “Whoa,” I breathe, leaning forward. “This is so much cooler than the last time…”

  Each path seems to lead somewhere. Some kind of glowing orb or shape at the end—too far to see clearly yet, but I can feel it. Something tugging at my chest.

  “Alright,” I say, taking a deep breath and cracking my knuckles like a dork. “Let’s see if one of these turns me into Big Cool Mama Wolf.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  I take a step forward into the starlit dark, heart thudding with excitement.

  Adventure time~

  The first glowing shape flickers to life as I step closer, hovering just above the path like a little hologram.

  Gray Wolf Pup.

  “Oh,” I blink. “That’s… me. Right now. Makes sense. Haven’t evolved yet sooo... yeah.”

  The line extends forward—then splits.

  Like a little glowing fork in the road, but with way more sparkle.

  “Ooh, branching time!”

  I bounce on my toes and follow the first line.

  Gray Wolf Juvenile (unlocked).

  “Huh,” I mutter, tilting my head. “This one looks kinda basic. Reminds me of Brother Wolf, Big Sister Wolf, and… Bigger Sister Wolf.” I frown.

  Anyway. Boring but reliable path. Not bad, just… normal.

  I hop over to the next branch.

  Wildclaw Wolf (unlocked).

  My ears twitch. (If I had them here, which I don’t, but whatever, I feel it in my soul.)

  “Wait wait wait, isn’t this the one Papa Wolf and Uncle Wolf had? The really fast, super flippy one? With the insane lunging thing?” I grin. “That’s kinda sick…”

  Then I slide to the next path.

  Darkfang Wolf (locked).

  “Ooooh spooky.”

  I crouch down and squint at it. “Dire Wolf vibes. Mama Wolf said there was one in Zone Four, right? Never found it though. Boo.”

  The image flickers again—darker, sharper, more fangy.

  Definitely dangerous. Definitely cool. But locked.

  I puff my cheeks and drift over to the next one.

  Light Wolf (locked).

  “Wait. This is… Mama Wolf’s path?” I squint. “Why’s it locked? Is it like… a ‘be a good kid’ kind of thing?”

  I tap my chin, thinking hard.

  “Oh! Wait! She did mention something about healing magic and… warm aura… and being calm and gentle and stuff.” I stare blankly for a moment. “Huh. Yeah that’s probably why it’s locked for me. I don’t know how to do any of that.”

  Then I see it.

  The next path.

  The glow is different. Warm. Flickering red and orange, like embers dancing in a breeze.

  Cinder Wolf (unlocked).

  “Cinder…?”

  I step closer. The light flickers like it knows I’m watching.

  “As in… fire?”

  And then it hits me. My eyes go wide, a slow grin spreading across my face.

  “Wait… that means…”

  “I can spit fire?”

  I say it out loud because—honestly—how can I not?

  “Like a dragon? (Probably comes with infinite wealth)."

  I spin in place, arms flailing excitedly in the void, nearly tipping over again even though I’m not technically standing on anything. My voice echoes weirdly in the space, but I don’t care.

  “Ohhh ohhh ohhh—does that mean I can finally cook my food?!”

  I start doing a little air dance, badly.

  “No more half-frozen mushrooms! No more raw moss guts! I could roast stuff! Sizzle it! Burn the worm juice outta those gross cave beetles!”

  I point dramatically at the Cinder Wolf symbol, like I’m about to give it a thumbs-up, except I don’t because I’m still technically naked and the whole vibe would get weird.

  “Okay. Okay. I love this. I need this. I was born for this. Tessa the Fire Wolf. Tessa the Grill Master. Tessa the Toasting Terror!”

  I pause. Then snort-laugh. “Okay maybe not that one.”

  Still.

  Fire.

  Real, actual, fire.

  I bounce in place again, my entire soul vibrating with the possibilities.

  “Oh my gods I’m gonna be so annoying with this.”

  And I cannot wait.

  Without further ado—because why would I ado any further—I clap my hands together and point both fingers at the glowing symbol.

  “Alright, Cinder Wolf, let’s make some magic happen.”

  I reach out, tap it—

  And…

  Nothing.

  No fire. No explosion. No sudden transformation. Not even a sparkle.

  “...Huh?”

  I stare. Wiggle my fingers. Look around. Still naked. Still floaty. Still very much not a badass ember-flame wolf.

  “Did I… break it?”

  But then I spot it.

  The glowing path behind me—where it used to say Gray Wolf Pup—shifts. The light ripples like someone dropped a pebble into it, and the thread smoothly slides forward to connect with the Cinder Wolf branch.

  “Oh.”

  I squint.

  “Wait. Does that mean it… worked?”

  I turn around a few times just to be sure I didn’t miss some dramatic magical moment. Nope. Still stars. Still space. Still squishy mushroom memory zone.

  “Huh,” I mutter. “Guess no fireworks. Lame.”

  But I can’t help smiling.

  Because deep down, I feel it. Like a warm flicker somewhere deep in my chest. Waiting. Growing.

  I chose it.

  Cinder Wolf.

  “Tessa the fire pupper… coming soon to a battlefield near you.”

  “Well, one way to find out—” I start, already turning dramatically like I’m about to blast off into wake-up land, “—is to wake up!”

  But I pause mid-spin, one foot lifted, hair doing its floaty space-wiggle thing.

  “Wait wait wait, Tessa, you dummy,” I mutter to myself, pointing a very serious finger at my own face. “Remember what Nur said.”

  I clear my throat and mimic her voice, all cool and snarky and Nur-y:

  ‘Don’t rush it, moron. Check your skills first. What are you gonna do, wake up and explode?’

  I flinch. “Okay, yeah, valid point.”

  I spin back toward the swirling gas clouds—the skill wisps. They’re still floating around, looking extra smug now. Like they knew I was gonna bolt without checking.

  “Alright, alright,” I say, shuffling over. “Let’s see what kinda spicy gifts I’ve got now…”

  The gas responds immediately. One of the thicker wisps drifts close, glowing with a reddish-orange shimmer, pulsing in time with something that definitely feels warmer than before.

  “Oooh… fire vibes confirmed.”

  I reach out to touch it—nervous and excited and still a little giddy.

  “C’mon, skill magic thingy,” I whisper. “Show me what this fire pup can do.”

  As soon as my hand touches the glowing wisp—

  Fwump.

  The scene turns black again.

  Here we gooo~

  Images start popping up one by one in front of me, like little floating windows in a game, each one glowing with that same fire-tinted warmth. I squint at the first one and read it out loud with my best announcer voice:

  Flame Fang – Where I bite things but now it’s hot! Like, actually hot—sometimes stuff sizzles when I chomp. Pretty cool, huh?

  “Ohhh my gosh that means I can bite AND cook at the same time—dual purpose!”

  Scorch Claw – My claws leave these tiny little ember trails when I swipe. If something’s dry or flammable… oops! It might catch fire! Not my fault, probably.

  “Okay but imagine carving your name into a tree and it just catches fire. That's like... accidental graffiti.”

  Ignition Pounce – THIS ONE’S AWESOME! I jump real hard it explodes!, And when I land it’s like—foosh!—another burst of heat explodes around me! It’s like fire trampoline but meaner.

  “Oh I’m gonna use this everywhere. On enemies. On doors. On puddles. Probably on Goldy by accident.”

  Heated Howl – I still do the barky-yelly thing, but now it comes out all wavy and hot. I can make little flickers of fire or do a weird scream that kinda shakes the air like hot pavement!

  “Hot bark attack?! That’s like… auditory fire punches! Yes, please.”

  Overheat Rush – Okay so THIS is when I kinda superheat myself! My body gets all hot and tingly, steam comes off my fur, and I go zoom—like really fast—and hit way harder! But I can’t keep it up for too long or I get dizzy and flop over like a cooked potato...

  “…A cooked potato. That’s fair. Worth it.”

  Instinctual Flow – This one’s still here! Still dodging and zooming and swoosh-swoosh fighting like I was born for it! Even though I trip on rocks when I’m not fighting...

  “Aww, my classic! I love this one. It’s like my brain shuts off but in a good way!”

  I float there, arms crossed, grinning way too hard for someone who’s technically not wearing anything in a void.

  “Okay. Okay. I am definitely ready to be the coolest fire wolf in the cave.”

  I pause.

  “…After a nap, though.”

  One last look at the glowing skills.

  Then—deep breath—I let myself fall backward, ready to wake up.

  Time to see if I’m crispy yet.

  But wait.

  Wait wait wait.

  I freeze mid-float, my arms flailing a little as I stop myself from dream-falling out of the Lucid Reflection.

  “Hold on. Something’s missing.”

  I scroll back through the skills with frantic finger-waggling, eyes darting over each one like I missed a hidden fireball button.

  Bite—check. Claw—check. Jump boom—check. Screamy bark—check. Steamy zoom—double check.

  Then it hits me.

  My eyes go wide. My mouth drops open in pure, offended betrayal.

  “Where’s the fire breath!?”

  I throw my arms up at the glowing void like it owes me answers. “Hello?! I signed up for Cinder Wolf! That’s fire! That’s like—breathing fire! Like a dragon! (Probably also came with a song of life)"

  I twist in place, spinning in circles now, totally scandalized. “You gave me spicy teeth and ember paws and even a hot bark but not the breath thing?! That’s like giving someone a birthday cake and forgetting the frosting!”

  I fold my arms and pout in full dramatic fashion.

  “How am I supposed to be a legendary flaming wolf-dragon queen if I can’t even do a proper fire burp?! What if I need to toast something from a distance? What if I want to dramatically roar and have flames come out?”

  I float there, huffing. “Unbelievable.”

  Then pause. Eyes narrow.

  “...Maybe it’s like an upgrade thing? Or hidden? Or maybe I gotta unlock it by eating charcoal or something weird?”

  My pout slowly turns into squinty suspicion.

  “I will find a way to breathe fire,” I mumble darkly. “Even if I have to set my own tongue on fire.”

  And with that extremely safe and rational promise, I sigh and finally let myself sink.

  “Alright... now I’ll wake up.”

  The void begins to blur. The stars fade. Time to see if the world’s ready for Cinder Tessa. Fire breath or not.

  End of Chapter 33