SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES-Chapter 174: Returning To The Realm

The moment he stood up, a distant boom rolled through the realm like thunder.

He felt the energy within the realm had almost doubled now, even more concentrated than the thick Youm in Yumaris.

So this is the result of all the Youm I was absorbing this whole time.

"I wonder if it will change me much in the real world if I cultivate here. I'll test it later."

Mai, he called out, but heard no response.

He could feel her presence, but it was far. Toward the thunderclap.

A wolf appeared before him and whimpered. It was larger than the usual size he was used to, and signalled for him to follow.

It turned toward the source of the booming thunder, and he was now more worried than ever.

He looked in the opposite direction of the thunder, remembering it as where he was the last time he came in.

But now, there was something else in the realm.

Something else had occupied Mai again.

I don't like this

As if in response, the thunder boomed again; this time, the sound reverberated in the ground, shaking it slightly.

Sparks of unstable flames burst from the cracks around and danced along the edges of his vision, bright and erratic.

The Youm here was unusually reactive, way too reactive, and it made him uncomfortable. It didn't hurt him, but he didn't like the fact that everything here happened without him willing it.

I need to gain full control of this place like Mai.

He didn't like feeling like a stranger in his own realm.

Darkness swirled under his feet, and he floated off the ground.

It exploded like flames beneath him, shooting him in the direction of the thunder.

The wolf tried to keep up, but was left behind, watching as its master went off.

It took him several minutes, and when he arrived, he was more than confused to find hundreds of wolves gathered around, sitting with their tails wagging gleefully.

None of them paid him any attention as he approached, fully invested in the drama that was unfolding before their eyes.

And when Aramith finally saw what it was they were all focused on, he couldn't believe it.

"Get back here!" Mai screamed.

It was the first time he heard her shout, and the sound was very odd.

Her voice was loud, yet soft; the thunder rolled with her shout. And the ground spread with tremors. Almost like an earthquake, but just subtle.

Flames burst out of the ground in random areas, but none appeared near them or any of the wolves. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

She floated a few inches off the ground, trying to catch a small wolf that kept dodging her.

The wolf looked almost ridiculous, letting out tiny, defiant barks as it dodged Mai.

Its body was covered in red marks that were similar to his wolf form, spreading along its limbs and chest. a small mark pulsed on its forehead.

This intrigued him very much as none of the wolves he'd summoned ever came with any marks.

And none of them were also in a young form like this.

It raised its butt, wagging its tail playfully as it barked at Mai, taunting her.

"Just stay still!"

When she reached it and was about to catch it, red lines appeared under its paws, and it slid right past her like lightning.

"Ugh! What is wrong with you?"

"Bark!"

"Shut up and come here!"

"Bark Bark!"

She approached it again, preparing to catch it.

"If he comes back here and sees this, how will I explain to him that I avoided him because a puppy was—"

"Bark." It slid past her again and jumped onto her head before jumping down.

"Stop!'

Aramith couldn't believe what he was hearing.

All this time...I couldn't get back in here for so long, just because Mai was chasing a puppy?

The puppy suddenly sniffed the air and turned to him.

Aramith paused.

The puppy barked again, excitedly this time, striking a playful pose, then suddenly ran to him.

"Don't run away," Mai gave chase.

It leaped into his arms while barking excitedly.

He caught it before it landed on his face, holding it away from his face as it tried to lick him.

All the wolves, now aware of his presence, suddenly dipped their heads, forcing their tails to go rigid.

Mai didn't know how to react, seeing Aramith there.

She never expected him to make an unannounced appearance, and to catch what she'd spent so long trying to catch.

"Who's this?" Aramith asked before Mai could say anything.

She calmed herself down. He doesn't know I was forcing him out this whole time. She felt relieved at the thought.

"She came from the crystal we found last time," Mai replied.

Aramith looked at the puppy in his hand, taking note of the markings on its body and how oddly heavy it felt.

It feels like I'm carrying a grown wolf. How is it like this?

He frowned a little. Something about the energy here… it wasn't just playful. This small wolf carried a trace of power he didn't recognize.

Familiar, yes. From where? He wasn't sure.

He crouched slightly, inspecting the red lines beneath its paws. They weren't random. He could even feel them connected to the realm. If he focused, he could almost feel the resonance of his own energy reflected in them, but twisted.

"Does it have another form?" he asked. "It feels very heavy."

Mai didn't know how heavy it was, as she'd never held it before.

"This is how it looked the first time it appeared," she replied, then, looking at the bowing wolves, she added, "It has your essence on it, so all your wolves respect it as much as they do you. That's why none of them decided to catch it for me."

She glared at the nearest wolf, causing it to sink lower and whimper.

Aramith was surprised but didn't show it.

I didn't know she could get mad.

"Stupid dog," Mai muttered, then quickly covered her mouth and glanced at Aramith.

Aramith pretended not to hear to save her the embarrassment.

The puppy turned to her all of a sudden and barked her name.

"Mai! Mai!"

Aramith was surprised, and Mai was annoyed, starting to hate her name.

"Don't call me like we're friends. You let me chase you for almost three years, and you want me to just pretend we're friends?"

She realized her mistake too late. Aramith's surprise was obvious.

Three years? That's how long she chased it? No wonder she's in such a mood.

He looked at it. What have you done to my Mai?

Mai's ears twitched as she watched him raise an eyebrow. Three years of chasing this little troublemaker, and now he's acting like it's all ordinary. She gritted her teeth, half amused, half annoyed, but a small smile tugged at her lips.

The light glowed under its paws again, and it slipped through Aramith's hands, leaping into the air towards Mai.

"Don't you dare!"

But it dared to latch onto her face and lick her.

Mai suffered before peeling it off her face, and she proceeded to berate it for a full minute, saying what she'd wanted to say for the past two and a half years. She paused, looking at its happy face.

"You didn't even hear a word I said."

It wagged its tail happily, then jumped down.

"Don't run away!" Mai shouted. The puppy darted between them again, leaping into Aramith's arms before wriggling free and bounding back toward her.

Again and again it darted between them, red markings under its paws glowing faintly.Mai chased, cursing and scolding.

Finally, it settled on her head, then she sat on the ground next to Aramith.

"I'm really sorry," she apologized, holding in her hands.

"You don't have to be." He looked at the puppy on her head, "If it's here, then it's part of me," he added, though unsure of what role this puppy had in all this.

It noticed his look and barked.

He allowed himself a smile, happy that it wasn't anything dangerous that prevented him from entering his realm, and that Mai was safe and sound.

Mai apologized that she hadn't been paying him any attention this whole time, as she was occupied with the puppy.

She was currently unaware of what had been happening while she was 'busy'.

Aramith took his time and explained everything that had happened so far.

He felt so comfortable talking to her; he narrated everything without skipping any details.

Even Mozrael's quiet moment with him.

"So you're going against Kesha," Mai mused.

Aramith didn't say anything, ignoring the puppy that latched onto his shoulder, licking him.

He'd learned to ignore it, rather than fully focus on it. This made it easier to control it.

With the puppy finally settling, Aramith could relax some more. The energy hummed softly now, steadying under Mai's control.

He glanced at Mai, who was brushing stray fur from her face, and realized he could finally explain everything without interruption.

How long should I stay here without causing alarm, he thought.