Familiar

Suddenly, an unknown force yanked Ivy forward, pulling her toward the katana. Before she could resist, her hand wrapped around the hilt. 

"Ugh…" A sharp, searing pain shot through her palm as deep wounds split open. Blood spilled, staining the ancient blade. 

"My Lady!" Anya's panicked voice rang out. She lunged forward, trying to pull Ivy away, but the force struck back, hurling her against the wall. The impact was brutal—her body slumped to the floor, motionless. 

"Anya!" Ivy's heart pounded, panic momentarily breaking through her defiance. She tried to wrench her hand free, but the katana's grip was unrelenting. "Let go of me!" she screamed, jerking her arm in desperation. The struggle only made it worse. The blade dug deeper, carving fresh wounds into her skin. Agony erupted through her nerves, and she let out a guttural cry. 

Her breaths came in ragged gasps, but through the haze of pain, a fire burned in her eyes. 

"I don't know what you are," she spat through gritted teeth, "but if you think I'm going to let you consume me, you're dead wrong." Her voice darkened, every word dripping with cold, lethal intent. "I will kill you." 

And she meant every single word. 

She might be trapped in the frail body of Lady Ivy, a girl deemed weak and pathetic, but she was still Ivy Reed. There was nothing and no one she couldn't destroy. 

A soft, amused chuckle echoed through the air. 

"My, my… what a terrifying little human you are." 

Ivy's breath hitched. 

The voice didn't belong to anyone in the room. It came from the katana itself. 

Before her eyes, the weapon shimmered, the blade morphing into light. From the glow emerged a tiny, human-like figure with nine flowing tails and fox-like ears. Her doll-like eyes sparkled with mischief, her pouty lips curled into a smirk. 

Ivy's fingers twitched against the katana's hilt. "What the hell are you?" 

The creature hovered closer, tilting her head as if studying Ivy. "You know," she mused, "I've encountered many humans before, but none have ever dared to threaten me." A wicked grin spread across her face. "Well… none have ever lived to threaten me. But let's not get into that." She giggled, her tails swishing behind her. 

Ivy held her gaze, unfazed. "And you are?" 

The fox-like creature recoiled, seemingly offended. "You gullible human! How do you not recognize me?" She puffed out her chest. "I am the great Veyra—the female spirit of the nine-tailed fox!" 

Ivy blinked. "The what now?" 

Veyra's face twisted in horror. "Oh my God! You really don't know who I am?" 

Ivy shook her head. 

Veyra gawked at her. "But surely you've at least heard of the legendary nine-tailed fox spirit?" 

Another shake of the head. 

A dramatic gasp left Veyra's lips. "Those ungrateful humans! After everything the nine-tailed did for them… first they betray it, and now they erase all knowledge of it?" Her voice wavered with emotion, a single tear glistening before she wiped it away. 

Despite herself, Ivy was intrigued. "What do you mean? Did the nine-tailed fox actually help humans?" 

Veyra let out a long, exasperated sigh. She floated over to the katana's pedestal and perched atop it, crossing her legs. 

"Help humans?" she scoffed. "The nine-tailed fox spirit is one of the reasons your kind even exists today." 

Ivy frowned. "Explain." 

Veyra flicked her tail, settling into a storytelling tone. "I'm sure you've heard about the great war between humans and magic beasts, haven't you?" 

Ivy nodded. 

"Good. Then you should know that before humans had magic, the nine-tailed fox spirit—along with a few others—stood as humanity's last defense when the first magic beast gate opened. For a time, the spirits fought alongside humans, protecting them from extinction." 

Ivy listened intently. 

"But as the war raged on, the other spirits grew weary. They saw no benefit in aiding a race so weak and helpless. One by one, they abandoned the humans." Veyra's golden eyes darkened. "It was the nine-tailed who convinced them to stay. And when that failed, it proposed a compromise—it suggested the spirits bestow gifts upon the humans instead." 

Ivy's mind reeled. "Wait… Are you saying the magic attributes we have today are gifts from the spirits?" 

"Exactly." Veyra smirked. "The first to give their blessings were the elemental spirits. The elders of each element selected four humans and granted them extraordinary abilities. I believe they went on to call themselves the Great Four or something equally pretentious." 

Ivy's thoughts raced. "So… magic didn't evolve? It was bestowed?" 

"Yes," Veyra confirmed. "And it wasn't just the elementals. Other spirits followed, granting unique abilities to humans they deemed worthy." 

Ivy's stomach twisted. If this was true, why wasn't it recorded in history books? "Did humans know spirits were responsible for magic?" 

A bitter smile curled on Veyra's lips. "No. As far as humans know, magic simply manifested one day—right after the spirits abandoned them." 

Ivy's hands clenched into fists. "Then why did they betray the nine-tailed?" 

Veyra's expression hardened. "Because it was too powerful." 

Ivy's pulse quickened. 

"Once humans no longer needed its help, they feared what it could do. So they conspired—along with the jealous spirits that despised it—and sealed it away." Her voice dropped, a deep sorrow lacing her words. "It was too strong to be sealed as a whole, so they split it into two entities—the male spirit and the female spirit." 

A heavy silence hung between them. 

Ivy's voice was soft when she asked, "Do you know where the male spirit is?" 

Veyra shook her head. "No. He's probably trapped somewhere, just as I was." 

Ivy's gaze drifted down to her still-bleeding hand. "Then… how did you get unsealed? I was told this katana was cursed. So why am I not dead?" 

Veyra's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Oh, you will be if you don't do something about that." She gestured to Ivy's wounds. "Even you can't survive that much blood loss." 

Ivy narrowed her eyes. "Even me?" There was something odd about the way she phrased it, but she let it slide. 

"Anyway," Veyra continued, stretching lazily. "Before you pass out, let's form a contract. Lucky you, human—I'm willing to grant you the honor of having me as your familiar." 

Ivy arched a brow. "Why me? I'm nothing special. Just a weak noble with no magic attribute whatsoever." 

Veyra smirked. "Sure, if you say so. But my instincts tell me you're the right choice. Besides…" Her tails flicked mischievously. "No human has ever dared to threaten me. Well—" she giggled, "no human has ever lived to threaten me." 

Ivy didn't hesitate. Having Veyra as her familiar was an undeniable advantage. 

And so, the contract was formed. 

But the blood loss was too much. 

As the world blurred, her body gave in. 

Darkness consumed her. 

And Ivy blacked out.