The tired lynx butt-headed Jasper for the n-th time but still there was no reaction. It had already tried paw-hitting, face-headed and whatnot but unfortunately this did not change Jasper's condition.
Jasper was in shock after his dreadful experience and he couldn't forget the scene of the Golden Tiger gulping the Inviable Goose and killing the Obsidian Rhino in a single hit. Just imagining his death by the Golden Tiger was enough to make him stay awake for ages in fear and trepidation.
Jasper was familiar to fear. In fact, he thrived in it, but there was a time when it was different. He was just a normal scared boy who had never experienced the reality of the world.
Jasper had been kidnapped but the reason for his change in attitude towards fear had a completely different reason.
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It had been 2 years since Jasper had begun attending his master's Martial Arts Dojo and he was not the same person from before. If he were to encounter any kidnappers know then he would bash them so hard that they would have left with cracked mouth, broken hands and legs not even able to walk to the hospital on their own.
Jasper along with all the other members of the dojo were on their way to an underdeveloped forest that had miraculously survived the industrialization. The number of forest in Blue World were so few that it was considered one's good fortune if ever managed to visit a forest in their life.
All the members of the dojo were excited about this trip however Jasper did not have anyone to share his excitement. He did not know the clear reason perhaps because they were younger than them or he was very close to the master but no one ever tried to talk to him.
Jasper was only a 10 year boy but he noticed his fellow members indifference towards him.
"What kind of training would master make us do?"
"Maybe he will make us train jumping from one tree to another, to improve our jumping strength and stamina."
"No way, isn't it obvious that we are going to hunt beasts in a forest!!!"
"But, that can't be right Matt. The animals are close to extinction and hunting any of them would take us directly to jail."
"You, don't dare to go against my words. Anyway, we have the master's favorite here. We can use him to know master's thoughts."
All the kids in the bus turn towards Jasper staring at his cute and chubby face with jealousy and expectation.
Jasper felt all the gazes and turned to look back, his eyes meeting with Matt. " Go and ask Master why are we going to the forest. "
Jasper did not move immediately after Matt spoke. " Get going or I will teach you a very harsh lesson. " This made him move in fear what might happen later. He rushed to master's side and asked" Why are you taking us to a forest?"
The master answered without looking at Jasper's adorable 10 year face ," To train all of my disciples in a way that cannot be accomplished in a dojo." He scratched his chin and added, "Give a change of pace to all the students."
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They reached the forest after a few hours and followed the master to a particular location where they started setting up camps to stay at night. Jasper was just a 10 year old boy, so instead of setting up a camp for himself, he was going to sleep with the master.
This earned him earnest glares from all of his dojo members which he could only accept while shivering.
Jasper had nothing to keep him busy and wandered around the area, when he was attracted by something white about 1-2 km away from him. Curious about the reason for this phenomenon, he ran to the towards the white thing .
As, Jasper chased after the white thing, he occasionally heard rustling of leaves and chirping of crickets. There was nothing suspicious about these noises and it never occurred to him that something might be wrong with the place he was going.
No matter how much experience Jasper had , he was just a 10 year old boy with a naive and innocent mind.
Instead of the dangers that it held, he was attracted to the adventure and excitement it provided him. Perhaps that's why Jasper noticed this phenomenon while no one else did.
Jasper stood still after reaching the location waiting for something to happen, although he was not sure what exactly he was waiting for. Just as he planned of returning something passed by him faster than his eyes could register and he started chasing it
Jasper was barely able to discern what he was following but this did not stop him as he continued following the phantom. The phantom's path was irregular, taking turns here and there which also forced him to take innumerable right and left turns over and over again.
By the time Jasper looked back and realized that he was getting farther and farther away from the camp, it was already too late to regret his decision. The camp was no where to be seen and he was stranded in an unknown place. However, this was not enough to stop his chasing as he still continued with it.
A child's curiosity could never be underestimated. They are ready to do anything to fulfil their wants.
Jasper suddenly lost the phantom and became unsatisfied. He had been following the phantom with the intention of at least meeting it but know even this wish would not come true. As he head back to the camp, something appeared in his vision.
A white dress floated just above the ground without any owner, the white was so pale that the dress had definitely been bleached again and again. It moved with the wind as a simple piece of cloth.
Jasper believing it to be nothing out of the ordinary turned back but when the same white dress appeared in front of him. He was surprised. He tried changing direction but the white dress would not leave him and keep chasing after him.
Jasper started panicking as he tried many things but all of them proved to be futile and it became impossible to escape the white dress. All he managed to do was waste his energy. He was too tired and sat down on the hard ground.
"Boy, I have been observing you from the moment you entered the forest. You are too young to be venturing in this forest but that makes things easy for me."
Jasper looked around him and tried to figure out the source of the words he had just heard , but alas there was no one beside him except the white dress.
"If you are trying to find me, then come near the white dress, boy."
Jasper's eyes immediately dart towards the white stunned , never imagining a dress talk to him.
"What are you??!"
"Hmm, in simple terms mortals can understand , I am a soul trapped inside the white dress, a spectre."
"What do you want from me??!" asked Jasper paniky.
"Oh, you are a smart boy, having everything figured. Yes, I want something from you and know no one can stop me from having it."
Jasper was scared but he was also 10 year old inexperienced child, he couldn't resist when he was praised and this was true even when the praise cam from a spectre. He completely disregarded his current situation," Well, its obvious you separating me from master by appearing near me, then travelled faster than my eyes could follow making me chase after you."
"Haha boy, you are amusing and smart and I would have kept you alive but for my grand comeback to the land of living, I will have to posses your body. Its truly unfortunate that you have die so pathetically, but it can't be helped."
"What?"
"Yes, you must be wondering why you must die, so let me tell give you a parting gift by telling you my story.
I was once feared by everyone and went by the title ' White-Dressed Witch'. By the way I am a woman if you were wondering, its just that gender becomes meaningless after you become a spectre. Oh, How I miss my feminine body.
So where was I , yes my story, I was once a normal girl born in a family of witches. Only you could never be normal if you were born in a witch family.
Due to my ability of being able to use a rare type of magic, my close relatives killed my family and tried to obtain it by killing me. Of course, I understood I had to fight back otherwise my life would never me in my control and so did I fought.
The first time I used my magic, it was an absolute blood bath. I ended up killing my treacherous relatives along with the whole village. The kick you get from killing another is just out of this world. I became intoxicated with this feeling and with everything dear to me gone, there was nothing to tie me or stop me from what I wanted to do.
I have killed thousands of people using my white magic and now that I have locked on to you as my target, there is no escape for you, boy. Say your farewells in your afterlife because your life ends here. Goodbye."
The spectre known as the ' White-Dressed Witch' entered Jasper's body.