Supernatural: Reincarnated into the Hunt

Dean stood straight, his face serious, as he reloaded his shotgun. "No more talking. We need to find its lair and see if Haley's brother is still alive. The Wendigo's dead, but if Tommy's not, time's running out." His voice was sharp and urgent, cutting through the heavy air. Sam and Ash nodded, their expressions growing serious as they focused on the task ahead.

Sam scanned the forest floor carefully, his eyes narrowing as he studied the ground. The Wendigo's tracks were messy, with claw marks and crushed leaves everywhere, but a clear trail headed in one direction. He crouched and pointed to the faint claw marks leading west. "Here," he said quietly. "Looks like it was heading this way before we caught up to it."

Dean moved beside him, studying the path. His face was grim. "That fits. They usually keep their victims in their lair."

Ash gripped his machete tightly, his face hard. "Lucky isn't a word I'd use tonight, but yeah, let's move. We can't waste time standing here."

The three hurried forward, their steps quick and careful. The trail led them deeper into the dark forest. The tall trees above blocked what little moonlight there was, making it harder to see. The air felt heavier with every step, and the silence was broken only by the rustle of leaves or a branch snapping underfoot. Sam held his shotgun ready, alert for any danger.

After several tense minutes, Dean stopped suddenly and raised a hand to signal the others. Up ahead, he spotted a rocky hill partly hidden by thick bushes. At the bottom, there was a narrow opening. He pointed at it. "There," he said in a low voice. "That's got to be its lair."

Sam nodded. "We need to be careful. There could be traps or other surprises inside. We don't know what we're walking into."

Ash frowned, gripping his machete tighter. "Only one way to find out. Let's not give anything in there a chance to surprise us."

Dean led the way, moving cautiously toward the cave. He signaled for the others to follow quietly. The entrance was small, forcing them to crouch as they went in. The air inside was damp and cold, and a horrible smell hit them immediately. Ash gagged. "Smells like death in here," he muttered.

"Let's hope it's not Tommy," Dean replied grimly, his voice barely above a whisper.

As they went deeper, the tunnel widened into a larger space. Their flashlights lit up the jagged walls and cast eerie shadows. The sound of dripping water echoed around them. The floor was scattered with bones, torn clothes, and bits of fur—proof of the Wendigo's gruesome habits.

Sam's flashlight caught a bloodstained spot near a messy pile of sticks and leaves.

Dean clenched his jaw and scanned the area. "Tommy should be close. Spread out and look, but stay alert. If there's anything still alive in here, it won't be friendly."

They moved carefully, their flashlights sweeping the cavern. Ash stopped suddenly near a dark corner. His flashlight caught a faint movement. "Over here!" he called softly, his voice urgent.

Sam and Dean rushed to him, their weapons ready. In the shadows, tied up and badly beaten, was Tommy. He was alive but terrified, his eyes wide as he stared at them. "Tommy!" Dean said, kneeling beside him. He quickly cut the ropes around Tommy's wrists and ankles.

---

Meanwhile, James sat against a tree with Haley, Ben, and the unconscious Joy nearby. He had recovered enough to stop feeling faint, though he still felt tired. He was thankful Haley hadn't asked him any questions about his abilities because he wasn't ready to explain something he barely understood himself.

Haley was comforting her frightened brother when she suddenly looked at James. "Thanks for saving Ben... and I'm sorry if I acted like a b*tch before," she said, her voice quiet but sincere.

James looked at her, his face calm. "If it was someone close to me trapped out there, I'd have acted the same way. Maybe even worse," he admitted honestly.

Haley nodded, her gaze dropping for a moment. Then she spoke softly, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about what happened today... or about the blue fire. Not a word."

James smiled faintly, appreciating her promise. "Well, even if you did, no one would believe you. They'd just think you're insane."

Haley gave a small, humorless smile, but they didn't say anything more after that. James was glad for the silence. It gave him a moment to gather his thoughts and think about everything that had happened.

He closed his eyes briefly and focused on his system panel, which appeared in his mind.

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System Panel

Name: James Bennett

Constitution: 1.7

Principle: Essence Sovereignty Level 2 (71/1000) exp

Essence Energy: (425/1000) units

Essence Regeneration Rate: 50 per minute

Abilities

1. Essence Sense (Basic)

{62/100}

2. Essence Shield (Basic)

{14/100}

3. Essence Strike (Basic)

{2/100}

4. Essence Absorption (Basic)

{15/100}

5. Essence Flame (Basic)

{95/100}

6. Essence Guard (Basic)

{05/100}

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His first real hunt had been much harder than he'd expected. He had absorbed the essence of thirty ghosts, which gave him some strength, but it had felt overwhelming, almost like he had taken too much. His body had struggled to handle it, leaving him struggling in the toilet.

'I don't want to feel that way again,' he thought to himself, remembering yesterday.

James noticed something he hadn't before—his Constitution stat, now at 1.7, had dropped after he absorbed the thirty spirits. It had been 1.9 earlier.

'Maybe this is the system's way of telling me not to over-absorb the spirits,' he thought, feeling uneasy about the change. Over absorbing the spirits had increased his exp, but it seemed to have a cost he hadn't expected.

'Perhaps there's a balance I need to maintain,' James concluded. He decided to keep an eye on his Constitution whenever he used Essence Absorption. If overusing the ability could weaken him, he would need to be more careful. The system still had many unknowns, but one thing was clear: being reckless could lead to problems.

James looked closely at the system panel. Even after absorbing thirty ghosts, his progress felt small. The system showed that he had only earned 60 EXP, which wasn't much.

He sighed quietly. 'This is going to take forever,' he thought.

He closed the system panel with a thought and leaned his head back against the tree, looking up at the night sky. The forest was eerily quiet now, as if the earlier chaos had never happened. He knew Dean, Sam, and Ash were still in the cave, hopefully rescuing Tommy. Thinking about the brothers and their resolve brought a small smile to James' face. He admired how far they were willing to go to save someone they didn't even know.

Haley's voice broke the silence. "You okay?" she asked softly.

James turned his head slightly to meet her gaze. She was sitting a little distance away, holding Ben close. Her earlier frustration had faded, replaced by quiet gratitude and maybe even understanding.

"Yeah," James replied after a moment. "Just tired. It's been a long day."

Haley nodded. "You and me both."

As Haley finished speaking, her gaze shifted toward the direction she had been watching anxiously. Her eyes widened as she spotted movement in the shadows. Four figures emerged from the forest, the faint light of the moon revealing Dean, Sam, Ash, and Tommy. Dean was supporting Tommy, who was limping but very much alive.

"Tommy!" Haley cried, her voice breaking with emotion. She jumped to her feet, running toward them as relief washed over her face.

James, who had been sitting quietly, exhaled deeply. The flickering blue flames around him, which had been steadily consuming his energy, vanished as he waved his hand. The air instantly felt less heavy. Though his energy reserves weren't fully replenished, he felt steady enough to keep going.

Haley reached her brother and threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her face. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered, her voice shaking. Tommy hugged her back, weak but grateful to be alive. Dean stepped back, allowing them their moment, his sharp eyes scanning the woods for any remaining danger.

As the group approached, Sam and Ash broke away from the reunion and headed toward James. Dean followed after a moment, his expression a mix of exhaustion and curiosity.

Sam spoke first, his tone cautious but concerned. "How are you feeling, James? You look better than you did earlier."

James gave a small shrug, his lips twitching in a faint, tired smile. "I'm alright now. Just needed some time to recover."

Sam hesitated, his brow furrowing as he glanced at Dean and Ash before continuing. "What was that? The flames… and what happened to you earlier? It looked like something more than just exhaustion."

James sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it if I know," he said honestly, his voice tinged with frustration.

James cleared his throat and gestured toward the unconscious man still tied up nearby. "We should get out of here before Roy wakes up."

"Agreed," Dean said firmly. "Let's move."

The group gathered their things and began the trek back out of the woods. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to lift as they got closer to the road, though the fatigue of the night's events weighed heavily on all of them. Haley stayed close to Tommy, supporting him when his steps faltered. James walked at the back of the group, his ability continuously scanning the dark forest to ensure nothing followed them.

When they finally reached the edge of the woods, Haley turned to the group, her eyes shining with gratitude. "I don't know how to thank you all enough," she said sincerely. "You saved my brother—and me. I'll never forget this."

Tommy, though visibly weak, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, thank you. All of you. I owe you my life."

Dean gave a curt nod, brushing off the thanks as he usually did. "Just make sure to stick to safer trails next time," he said gruffly, though his tone was lighter than usual.

Haley sighed softly, her earlier fear and tension finally easing. With one last wave, she, Ben and Tommy headed off, presumably toward the nearest hospital. The group watched them leave, the siblings leaning on each other for support.

As soon as they were out of sight, Dean turned toward the Impala. "Alright, let's head back to the motel. I need a shower and about three hours of sleep."

Sam smirked. "Only three? You're slacking."

As they drove back to town, James and Ash told the brothers about their encounter with thirty spirits in the manor. Both Dean and Sam had varying expressions as they heard the story.

When they arrived at the motel, James stretched as he got out of the car, his stomach growling audibly. "Alright," he announced, clapping his hands together. "Today's lunch is on me. Let's find the best restaurant in town and eat the most amazing meal we can get."

Dean raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You sure about that? We don't usually go for 'fine dining.' Burgers and beer are more our style."

"Doesn't matter," James said with a grin. "After a night like this, I think we've earned it."

Ash chimed in, already heading toward his room to grab a clean shirt. "I'm not arguing with free food. Let's do it."

Sam gave a small laugh, shaking his head. "Alright, James. You're on. Just don't regret it when Dean orders half the menu."

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