I gently placed the teddy bear beside Raquel, letting it rest against his pillow so it would be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.

‘It’ll be a nice surprise to wake up to,’ I thought softly.

His fever had thankfully started to ease. I stayed by his side for a little while longer, monitoring his temperature until I was confident he was past the worst of it. Then, I rose and wandered toward the kitchen.

As always, the space was bare—a plain wooden table, a few wild fruits we’d gathered the day before, and a single small knife. No pots, no pans, not even a fire pit. Just silence and scarcity.

He needs meat... real food. Raquel was still a growing boy. He needed proper nourishment—protein, fat, energy—to get stronger, to grow. I wonder if he can run fast and long enough to escape this damn forest.

After what I overheard from that man, it’s clear—this place is a ticking time bomb. I don’t know anything about this world, but I’m certain of one thing: anywhere is better than waiting in this lonely cottage for the day they decide to kill him.

We already have fruits for breakfast, and I can’t really go anywhere without Raquel’s permission… I don’t want to wake him up either…

With nothing else to do, I decided to go back to reading the book Raquel’s mother left him. Then suddenly, while reading the book, I saw the image of the earth spirit. It was an earth spirit that has already went through the first evolution – a Loamie.

As I read, a realization took root.

As I read, I’ve learned a lot about spirits. It seems that this world is made up of spirits, and that spirits have a ranking system. Every time they evolve, they are called by a different title. For that spirit from earlier, he was a Loamie ranking, just a rank ahead from their basic form.

But when it came to Guardian Spirits... the pages fell silent.

“Unlike Elemental Spirits, Guardian Spirits do not support this world. They simply exist. Their origins and births are unknown—known only to the Ruler of Spirits.”

That was all it said.

‘Could it be... that Guardian Spirits are summoned from another world?’

I don’t have any other reference except for myself here so I can’t really guarantee. But the fact that the people of this world don’t know where they come from, is perhaps because they were never born in this place? …or it could also be just because they don’t have enough research materials to find out the truth…

The book clarified something else too. Despite the title, Guardian Spirits weren’t necessarily guardians in the parental sense. It was just a name. And since they didn’t support the world like Elementals, each Guardian Spirit was entirely unique in form and ability.

Then… what is mine?

So far, all I’ve been able to do is float, pass through walls, lift heavy things, and function without food or sleep.

Is being a ghost my special ability?

‘Useful, sure… but… ehhh, isn’t that kind of lame?’

I sighed. ‘We’re in a world of magic, and this is all I get?! I was hoping I could use some cool magic! At least, something useful enough to protect Raquel.’

.

.

.

“Nghhh…” Raquel stirred.

“You’re awake?” I asked gently, slicing up the remaining fruits and placing them on a large leaf.

“Hmmm?” he mumbled, still groggy, eyes barely open as he remained curled under the blanket.

“Does your body still hurt?”

“No…” he said, slowly pushing himself up.

I turned toward him, but stopped mid-sentence. His gaze wasn’t on me. He was staring at the teddy bear I had placed beside him.

“Sister… what is this?”

“It’s a teddy bear,” I said with a smile. “I thought you might like it.”

His eyes widened. “Is… is this for me?”

I nodded. “That’s right. Now eat breakfast first. Then you can play with him all you want.”

Without another word, he hugged the bear close to his chest and shuffled to the table, where he began to eat.

“Does anything still hurt?” I asked again.

He paused, stretched a little, then looked at me with bright eyes and shook his head. I reached over and patted his head.

Seeing him this lively, after everything that happened yesterday... Bringing that teddy bear was the right choice.

After breakfast, he started playing with the bear—stroking its arms, talking to it softly. While he was occupied, I gently asked for his permission to fly around the forest for a bit.

He froze, then clung to my sleeve.

“Don’t go…” he murmured.

“I’ll be back in an hour, I promise. There’s something important I need to check.”

Still unsure, he held my sleeve tighter.

I knelt beside him and reassured him again, pointing to the teddy bear. “Tibbo will be here with you. He’ll take my place for a little while, okay?”

He looked at the bear, then back at me.

“Just for an hour… Promise?”

I nodded and raised my pinky. “Promise.”

He hesitated, confused at the gesture, but copied me anyway. Our fingers locked.

“I’ll be back in exactly one hour.”

I stood, gave his hair one last pat, and phased out through the window, taking flight over the trees.

The moment I gained altitude, a blue screen blinked into view—it wasn’t an herb this time, but a timer, counting down from one hour.

Is this the world’s way of holding me to my promise? Yeah, yeah, I get it.

I darted through the sky, searching for a safe path out of the forest. But the deeper I went, the more apparent it became—there was nothing. No houses, no farms, no distant lights.

Is this entire place private land? Why is no one else here?

Time dwindled. One minute left.

Just then, the familiar red string materialized, wrapping gently around my index finger. The reminder.

If I don’t return in time, the string pulls me back. Got it.

I flew back swiftly.

Raquel was exactly where I’d left him, sitting quietly, holding Tibbo tightly in his arms.

“Raquel, I’m back.”

He jumped up and ran to me, hugging me tight.

“Sorry… Did you wait long? I came back in exactly an hour,” I said.

He said nothing—just held on tighter.

“…Alright, alright. I’m sorry for being away too long. Come on, let’s eat the rest of the fruits for lunch, okay?”

He nodded and took a seat, holding onto my sleeve as he ate.

Now that I think about it, this is the first time I left Raquel’s side completely while his awake. It must have scared him since he’s been living in this place for over 2 years already all by himself.

‘It’s amazing enough that he let me go without crying…’ was what I thought when I saw Tibbo—his fur slightly damp. He really did try to be strong...

I sat beside him and gently patted his head.

“I’ll always be by your side, Raquel. I promise.”

And without saying a word, he simply nodded.