The screams didn't last long.
They never did.
Kael slowed as he approached the source—not because he was cautious…
But because he already knew.
"…Too late."
The shadows stretched ahead of him, slipping between broken walls and warped structures—scouting.
Then—
They stopped.
Not from fear.
From resistance.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…Another one."
Not a creature.
A participant.
Alive.
He stepped into the open.
The scene revealed itself.
A boy.
Around his age.
Breathing hard.
Standing over what used to be a creature—its body still twitching, dissolving into fragments of light instead of shadow.
Different.
A system user.
Not like him.
The boy turned sharply.
His hand lifted instantly.
A blade of condensed wind formed around it.
Unstable.
But dangerous.
"Don't move!"
Kael didn't.
Not because he was told—
But because he was observing.
"…You can see me," Kael said calmly.
The boy's expression tightened.
"Of course I can see you—what kind of—"
He stopped.
His eyes shifted.
To Kael's shadows.
They weren't normal.
They moved too much.
Too alive.
"…You're not normal."
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"Neither are you."
Silence.
The air pulsed again.
Stronger this time.
The boy swallowed.
"…How many?"
Kael answered without hesitation.
"Five."
The boy's eyes widened slightly.
"…So you can tell too."
Not a guess.
A confirmation.
Kael stepped forward.
Slow.
Measured.
The wind around the boy's arm sharpened instantly.
"Don't come closer!"
Kael stopped again.
Then—
"…What's your ability?"
The question hit differently.
Not curiosity.
Assessment.
The boy hesitated.
Then—
"…Air."
Kael nodded once.
"Offense focused."
The boy frowned.
"How can you tell?"
Kael didn't answer that.
Instead—
"Name."
A pause.
"…Riven."
Kael repeated it once.
Quietly.
Locking it in.
Then—
"Kael."
The shadows around him shifted slightly.
Acknowledging.
Riven noticed.
And that's when—
The ground trembled.
Both of them felt it.
Instantly.
Not subtle.
Not distant.
Something big.
Something wrong.
Riven's voice dropped.
"…That's not normal."
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…No."
The buildings ahead—
Collapsed inward.
Not falling.
Folding.
Like paper being crushed.
And from within—
Something emerged.
Not humanoid.
Not even close.
Too many limbs.
Too much mass.
Its body constantly reshaping—like it couldn't decide what it was.
And at its center—
An eye.
Not physical.
But present.
Watching.
Both of them.
"…Irregular," Kael muttered.
The creature moved—
And the world lagged behind it.
Riven took a step back.
"…We can't fight that."
Kael stepped forward.
"…We can."
Riven snapped his head toward him.
"Are you insane?!"
Kael's shadows expanded.
Hungry.
"…No."
His voice dropped.
Cold.
"I'm evolving."