The following months brought Ao a great deal of both knowledge and experience—some enlightening, some… not so much, but all of it necessary. Every day was another step toward understanding the world he had been born into and spiritual energy as a whole. He listened carefully, filling in holes in his vocabulary by asking questions to his parents and reading or attempting to engage in conversation, when he could at least.
Through listening to his parents' conversations and asking them questions when he could, Ao pieced together and was informed so far that the small town where they lived sat on the outskirts of Shar, the capital of Beastshar, their home country. He also learned that many continents were ruled by kingdoms, and the one they lived on, Shar, was an exception. Shar was considered a safe zone—a neutral territory where outside forces were forbidden from waging war or interfering without explicit permission; apparently if anyone did so they would be considered an enemy to almost every kingdom that used this safe zone for supplies and trading.
This was an invaluable piece of information. It meant that for now, they were safe from external threats. However, what caught Ao's interest the most was what his parents didn't know. They admitted they had moved here from Solis years ago but were originally born in Shar. They had no knowledge of the kingdoms beyond Solis, which meant that even though they had traveled, their world was still relatively small. Ao made a mental note of this.
But it was another discovery that truly shifted his perspective.
Demi-humans.
He hadn't given much thought to his own appearance before—his coyote-like ears were always there, but in the grand scheme of things, they seemed unimportant compared to his studies. It wasn't until his mother explained the significance of their race that he finally understood.
"Demi-humans are a race of humans who share blood with spirit beasts," Koi had explained one evening as she combed through his dark hair, her fingers gentle against his scalp. "Somewhere in our bloodline, a human mated with a spirit beast, and from that union, our people were born."
The words left Ao quiet, processing the weight of them.
"It's… not something most other races accept," she added after a pause. Her voice remained soft, but it was obvious that this topic was sensitive, even for her. "To many, it's unnatural, something to be shunned. That's why we have our own isolated place here in Shar, where we can live freely, away from those who would look down on us."
Ao sat still, digesting this. So they weren't just another race. They were separated. Removed from the rest of the world, forced into isolation because of something outside their control.
"But," Koi continued, her tone brightening, "it also means we're blessed in ways others aren't. Our senses are sharper, our bodies stronger, and our spiritual control far superior to other races. We also have really high spirit capacity. It's part of who we are."
Ao reached up absentmindedly, grasping one of his ears, giving it a light tug as he thought. So that explains these stupid things.
His curiosity didn't stop there. As he grew more comfortable speaking, he began asking more questions. This not only helped him refine his speech but also revealed more about the structure of their language. In turn, he learned that this world's language had thirty letters. That revelation was an immense relief. Up until now, he had relied on sheer memory, recalling words from the books his mother read aloud to him and pretending to read when in reality, he was just repeating what he had memorized. Now that he understood the structure of the language better, he can read. Kinda. It only took him memorizing what letters he didn't know before, he already knew most of them since he basically taught himself with his odd reading method with his mom.
But with the good came the bad.. of course.
A few weeks later, the seasons changed and with that… so did his parents, at first, it was subtle. His mother seemed more tired than usual, often lying down in the afternoon, rubbing her forehead as if trying to ease a headache. Sometimes, she would excuse herself suddenly, only for Ao to hear the sounds of retching a few moments later. She was vomiting, Ao didn't notice anything amiss though, she didn't seem sick, he would've known, so he didn't understand why her condition just.. plummeted like that.
At first, he didn't think much of it, but slowly, he noticed patterns. His parents were touching each other more often—not in a casual way but in a more sexual way. His father's hands lingered on Koi's waist more frequently, his mother's tail flicking behind her whenever she leaned against him. Then the moments of affection turned into prolonged disappearances, hours where the two of them would vanish into their room.
And then… the sounds started.
At first, he assumed his mother's condition had worsened even more, but the noises were different. Not pained, but… something else entirely, please almost. Low mapns, hushed gasps, rhythmic creaking of wood that lasted longer than he ever thought possible.
It happened once. Then twice. Then it became a daily occurrence.
Ao didn't know how to process it. The first time he heard it, he'd assumed it was some weird, intimate moment between them and quickly forced himself to ignore it. But as the days passed and the occurrences only increased in frequency, Ao didn't mind it too much, this time gave him plenty of times to read or practice spiritual manipulation without seeming weird or needing to hide anything.
His mother's exhaustion made sense now—whatever was happening between them was draining her. His father, who was usually calm and level headed was seemingly more aggressive, only slightly, he would tell Ao to sit down with a slight tone that he usually wouldn't take or would tell Ao that he needs some space, this was not like Shiro at all. And the way Koi's voice softened even more around Shiro, the way her fingers traced small circles over his chest then to his abs absentmindedly… something about it all felt different. What in the hell is going on?.. Am I missing something!?!?
He had no answers. No books he had access to explained anything remotely related to what was going on. It was completely foreign to him.
To avoid the ever-growing... disruptions in the house, Ao developed an ability he created using what he learned about spiritual manipulation. This allowed him to block out external sounds. By mimicking the properties of wind with his spiritual energy, he could form a barrier around his ears, dulling out noise while he read. The technique wasn't perfect—it required constant focus to maintain and drained a small amount of energy over time—but it was far better than the alternative.
The moment he heard the familiar sounds starting up again, he sighed, coating his ears in the gentle, whispering energy. It was a relief. With the noise blocked, he could finally focus on the book in front of him—the well-worn spiritual manipulation manual that he had started to reread now that he could actually understand the words to see if he missed anything.
Minutes passed before the bedroom door creaked open. He glanced up, his focus briefly shifting as Koi stepped into the room.
Her clothes were in complete disarray, the fabric wrinkled and slightly askew. Her hair, usually neatly tied back and brushed, was a tangled mess cascading down her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed a deep red, and she was panting softly, her body moving with a distinct, uneven sway—almost like she was limping.
Ao stared for a moment, unsure how to process the image in front of him.
She leaned against the doorway, her dark blue eyes darkened and became hazy while catching her breath before offering him a soft, tired smile. "A-Are you... hungry, baby?" Her voice came out weaker than usual, a slight tremble to it. "I can go cook if you'd like... It's starting to become dinner time."
For a moment, Ao didn't know how to respond. He blinked, trying to figure out whether he should feel uncomfortable or simply ignore the situation entirely.
This is becoming a problem, he thought, suppressing a sigh. She did say that we were part spirit beast... I guess I need to read more about them if I want to understand this better.
Instead of answering, he simply shook his head. "No, Mama. Not hungry."
Koi's expression softened, but before she could say anything else, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her back into the bedroom.
"Ack—Shiro—!" she yelped, flailing slightly before being pulled through the door.
The last thing Ao saw was his father's smirking face as he kicked the door shut behind him.
Ao exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples before reinforcing the spiritual barrier over his ears. I'm going to need something stronger at this rate. Shaking off his thoughts, he turned back to his book, focusing once more on refining his understanding of spiritual energy manipulation.
_________
Two months passed, and Ao continued to expand his knowledge at an impressive rate. By this time, he had not only gained greater mastery over controlling his spiritual energy, but he had also learned a bit about the numbers in this world as well. They were fairly simple, it's just actually learning how to write and say each number without messing up which was the real issue.
But besides his studies, he had begun to notice something strange. Koi's body had changed.
At first, it was subtle—she moved slower, her usual relaxed, carefree walks and pace was replaced ppby careful steps. But as the weeks went on, her belly expanded at an alarming rate, rounding out in a way that couldn't be ignored. While she was seated in her wooden chair—most likely because moving had become too difficult—Ao finally decided to ask.
He waddled up to her, tilting his head curiously as he placed a small hand on her knee. "Mama… why is your belly so big?"
Koi froze.
Her already flushed cheeks darkened into a shade closer to crimson, and her dark blue eyes darted nervously toward Shiro, who stood a short distance away.
Shiro—who was normally composed and level-headed—looked just as caught off guard. His lips parted slightly as if to speak, but then he hesitated, averting his gaze like a man who had suddenly become deeply invested in the ceiling.
Ao narrowed his eyes slightly at their reactions. Weird. They don't usually react like this when I ask questions. He thought, deep down, part of him knows the answer to it. But he didn't want to believe it, it couldn't be the answer.
Koi fidgeted, her fingers twisting in her lap as she struggled to find the right words. "A-Ao... I don't know how to tell you this, but…" She swallowed, her ears twitching slightly as she cast another helpless look at Shiro.
Shiro sighed through his nose, pinching the bridge of it before glancing at his son. "Your mother is pregnant," he said bluntly.
Koi smacked his arm. "Shiro!"
"What? You were taking too long," he said with a smirk, rubbing the spot where she hit him.
Ao blinked. "Pregnant?"
Koi took a breath, nodding slowly. "Yes, sweetheart. It means you're going to have a little brother or sister soon."
Ao stared at her stomach, his small mind whirling with thoughts. Curse my luck.. I was right..
He had noticed the changes—her exhaustion, her sickness, the sudden increase in mating—but he hadn't put the pieces together until now we'll, more so in denial.
"…How?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Koi nearly choked on air, her tail fluffing up in surprise.
Shiro, for the first time in a long while, looked genuinely panicked. He turned on his heel, suddenly very interested in checking out the shelf in the corner. "Uh. Koi, you can handle this one."
Koi gawked at him. "You coward—!"
Ao watched the exchange with a blank stare. Huh? Well I guess that was a bad question, I was more so wondering why.
His mother took a long, steady breath, regaining her composure before turning back to him with a gentle, but clearly forced, smile. "Sweetie, that's… something for when you're older."
Ao wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer, but he could tell from the look on her face that pushing further wouldn't get him anywhere. Instead, he rested a small hand against her belly, feeling the faint warmth beneath her clothes. "Little brother?" he asked, tilting his head.
Koi smiled softly, placing her hand over his. "Maybe. Or a little sister. We don't know yet."
Ao nodded slowly, digesting the information. He wasn't sure how he felt about it yet. The idea of another person in the house, someone younger than him, was… strange. He had spent so much time focused on his own growth that he never considered what it would be like to have a sibling.
Ao didn't hate the idea of having a little sister or brother, but the reality of it was... inconvenient. Taking care of them, even indirectly, would be a challenge—especially at his age. It most likely meant his mother would be too busy to read to him at night anymore. His father, who was already difficult to bond with, would probably be his primary company for the foreseeable future. The thought of losing those peaceful moments with Koi made him sigh inwardly. This is gonna suck.. just when I thought I won at life and could relax, life just shows me that I don't deserve such luxuries.
He sighed inwardly. Not like I can just say no and the baby will disappear, he thought dryly. I'll just have to adapt… again.
The more he thought about it, the more questions flooded his mind. What if they don't like me? What if they're aware like I am? And what if they find out about me being conscious? I haven't even found out why I'm like this yet.. The food situation wasn't bad right now, but with another mouth to feed, it would add more strain. Their resources weren't endless, and even now, meals weren't always consistent.
It probably won't be that bad… but so much comes with it. His ear flicked absentmindedly as he mulled over the pros and cons of possibly having a sibling, the cons outweigh the pros for him at least. In an attempt to distract himself, he turned his attention outside.
Shiro was in the yard now, practicing his swordsmanship as usual. His movements were crisp, it was like watching water flow, he would swing with such a swift and smooth strike that it didn't even look like he moved from his position at times. Watching him move with such precision made Ao itch to try it himself. The thought had been lingering in his mind for months now ever since the first time he saw Shiro train.
He was still small, still weak, but waiting wasn't an option. The earlier I start, the better. He needed to plant the seeds of muscle memory now, condition his body while it was still developing. With that thought solidified, Ao got up and walked toward his father.
"Papa," he called, sounding determined while he looked up at Shiro, trying to appear serious though his big light blue eyes made him look quite the opposite. "Can you teach me how to do that?"
Shiro's blade froze mid-swing. He turned, his sharp, slitted pupils narrowing in mild surprise. It wasn't often Ao asked for things—especially something like this, at his age. Though, Ao looked absolutely adorable looking up at him like this.
Shiro sheathed his sword and crouched to meet Ao's gaze. "Absolutely not. You're one, Ao." His voice was firm but kind. "You walk really well for your age, sure, but I don't think you'd last two seconds with a sword in your hands."
Ao didn't let up. He clenched his tiny fists. "Dad, if I learn the footwork now—when I can barely walk—it'll become normal for me. Please? This will help me a lot, and there's nothing to do inside. I never get to go out."
Shiro hesitated. Ao's argument was sound. Training footwork early would condition his body better than starting at a later age. But at the same time, no child was supposed to learn swordsmanship before at least six years old—it was unheard of. With a sigh, Shiro rubbed his temple. "Just... learn how to read or something, Ao. I can't—"
A voice cut through the conversation.
"Shiro," Koi called from the garden where she was watering the plants, a smile on her lips. "Why not teach Ao a little? It wouldn't hurt. It could be a good bonding experience, and he does need some physical activity." She turned her eyes toward Ao, giving him a playful wink.
Shiro's expression tightened. He really didn't want to teach a one-year-old something as complex as swordsmanship. "Honey, let's think this through. Ao is one—"
Koi's knowing smirk widened. "Oh? So I guess that means no fun tonight?" she mused sweetly, tapping a finger against her lips. "I mean, if he can't have fun, why should you~?"
Shiro immediately straightened, clearing his throat. His serious expression melted into a much more agreeable one. "Alright then!" he declared with sudden enthusiasm. "Ao, let's get started with some swordsmanship!"
Ao blinked. That was… fast.
Shiro grinned, but then his expression turned sharp. "But—on one condition."
Ao tilted his head. "What condition?"
Shiro's smirk widened. "This isn't for the weak. If you want me to take this seriously, you need to prove you're serious about it too." He stood up, rolling his shoulders before tapping a hand against his chest. "You have to have to fight me."
Koi's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Shiro—" she started, but before she could finish, Ao's voice cut through her protest.
"Deal."
Koi's mouth hung slightly open. Her little boy—not even two years old—was standing there, accepting a fight against his father like it was nothing. She couldn't tell if she was more horrified or proud.
Shiro, on the other hand, grinned, his sharp features lighting up with approval. This kid's got guts. He expected hesitation, reluctance—maybe even an attempt to weasel out of it. But Ao didn't hesitate. He stood his ground, his small frame barely reaching Shiro's knee, but his posture carried confidence far beyond his age.
Ao tilted his head slightly, thinking. "But this would be a massacre for me... Are there rules to this?" he asked, looking up at his towering father with his light blue eyes.
Shiro nodded, resting his hands on his hips. He liked the fact that Ao wasn't backing down, but he also wasn't blindly rushing in. Smart. That's my boy. "Yeah, simple rule," Shiro said, tapping his right foot against the ground. "All you need to do is make me move my right foot. Just one step."
Ao blinked, his small ears twitching slightly as he processed the information. Just making his foot move? That doesn't sound hard... but there's no way it's gonna be that simple. If it was, he wouldn't suggest it. Which means… His eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing the situation. He's probably gonna beat the heck out of me first. Unless...
His gaze snapped back up to his father. "Is anything allowed?"
Shiro let out a chuckle, crossing his arms. "Yes. Dirt, rocks, sticks, whatever you can find. I won't mind."
Ao smiled. Perfect. If anything was allowed, then spirit manipulation was on the table. His father would undoubtedly underestimate him. That alone was an advantage. He could work with this. "Alright," Ao nodded, grinning, his small tail twitching behind him. "I accept."
Shiro smirked at his enthusiasm. "Good. And just so you know..." He glanced down at the ground, scanning for something, then crouched and picked up a small twig. Tossing it into the air, he caught it with ease. "...I'll only be using this."
Koi let out a deep, weary sigh as she shook her head. She knew there was no stopping them now. "Boys will be boys," she muttered, rubbing her temple before retreating to the wooden chair nearby, far too exhausted to intervene. She shot Shiro a look. "Be careful around the garden," she warned. "And don't hurt my baby."
Shiro winked at her, his grin never faltering. "I won't," he assured her. "I'm just gonna rough him up a bit."
Koi groaned softly, knowing that was not as reassuring as he thought it was.
Shiro straightened his back, shifting into position. His right foot remained firmly planted in its spot while his left moved back, his stance solid. He held the twig in front of him with one hand, while the other rested behind his back. His entire demeanor shifted—his playful smirk faded, replaced with focused intensity. His slitted pupils locked onto Ao like a predator eyeing its prey.
Ao gulped, this was it. His first real fight. And against Shiro, no less. He was bound to fail.
And yet…
A slow grin stretched across his face. Hiding his powers now would be pointless. If he pulled this off, he could just chalk it up to dumb luck. He took a deep breath and scanned the ground, looking for a sturdy enough twig. He found one, slightly thicker than Shiro's, and lifted it up, mirroring his father's stance.
Shiro raised an eyebrow, amused. Look at that. Kid's already mimicking my stance.
Ao's stance was wobbly, his hands still unfamiliar with holding a weapon—even a makeshift one—but his eyes never looked away from Shiro, locking onto him like his locked onto Ao's.
Koi took a breath and raised her arm before swinging it down.
"Begin!"