Darkness. Infinite, suffocating darkness.
Shawn's consciousness drifted, submerged in an abyss so deep it felt like he had been swallowed by the void itself. His mind swayed in a trance, barely holding onto the thin thread of awareness. Coldness seeped into his bones, gnawing at his flesh like an unseen predator. He had fallen. The mountain had consumed him, and now, he was nothing more than a ghost wandering the precipice of death.
Then, a voice—soft, melodic, yet eerily unfamiliar—pierced through the silence.
"Wake up, dummy."
It was a girl's voice.
Shawn's eyelids fluttered, a painful throbbing gnawing at his skull. His body, weak and battered from the fall, screamed in protest as he stirred. He tried to move but found himself floating in an ethereal space, surrounded by a vast sea of luminescent blue particles. His breath hitched, confusion lacing his every thought.
"Finally awake?" the voice teased again. "I was beginning to think you'd stay unconscious forever."
Shawn's eyes snapped open completely. His gaze darted around, searching for the source of the voice. "Who—who are you?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
A faint giggle. "Took you long enough to notice me."
Suddenly, the space around him shifted, and in front of him materialized a floating, radiant orb. The core. But unlike before, it pulsed with life, swirling with tiny strands of golden and silver energy, like a miniature cosmos trapped within a crystalline shell.
"I've been here the whole time," the voice continued, now coming directly from the core. "Observing. Waiting."
Shawn frowned. "You were silent. The whole time. Why now?"
The core flickered. "Because now you need me."
Silence stretched between them. Shawn's mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. He had been swallowed by a mountain, yet he wasn't crushed. He was floating in a strange void, talking to a sentient core that had been inside him all along.
Shawn let out a breath. "Alright, then. Who—what—are you?"
A hum vibrated from the core. "I am... uncertain."
Shawn raised an eyebrow. "Uncertain?"
"I know that I am your core," it responded, a hint of playfulness in its voice. "I know I have been inside you since the moment you arrived in this world. But my existence is... fragmented. Incomplete."
Shawn mulled over the words. "Then what do I call you?"
"Call me?" The core pulsed, as if pondering the thought. "I never had a name."
Shawn smirked. "Then I'll give you one." He paused for a moment before settling on a name that seemed to resonate with the energy around him. "Elaris."
A soft hum, almost like a sigh of contentment, echoed from the core. "Elaris… I like it."
A chuckle escaped Shawn's lips. "Good. So, Elaris, what exactly do you know about me?"
Silence.
Then, the core responded, but this time, its voice was layered with something deeper, something ancient. "Everything."
A chill crawled down Shawn's spine. "Everything?"
"I see your past. Your death. Your regrets. Your anger," Elaris whispered. "I know who you were, Shawn. And I know why you're here."
Shawn's breath hitched. He clenched his fists. "Then tell me. Why am I here?"
Elaris remained silent for a moment before answering. "That... I do not know."
Shawn exhaled sharply. He had expected as much. Still, the realization that this core, this being, had access to his memories unsettled him.
He shook his head. "Fine. But why did you stay silent all this time?"
A mischievous hum. "I wanted to see if you were worth talking to."
Shawn rolled his eyes. "And?"
A soft laugh. "You passed."
A smirk tugged at Shawn's lips. "Glad to know I made the cut."
" But do not think I have forgotten about you wanting to take over my body. Hope your ambitions have died out." Grimmed Shawn.
The two fell into a comfortable silence. Shawn closed his eyes briefly, absorbing everything that had just transpired. This was only the beginning. There was more to Elaris than she let on, and more to his existence in this world than he had yet to uncover.
For now, though, he had taken the first step.
"So," he said, looking at the swirling core before him. "What's next?"
Elaris pulsed, her voice carrying a newfound excitement. "Now? Now we survive."
A grin spread across Shawn's face. "Sounds good to me."
And just like that, his journey into the unknown truly began.
Shawn's arm burned with searing pain as the mysterious mark upon it pulsed, illuminating the dark cavern with an eerie glow. His breath hitched as he clutched his wrist, trying to suppress the overwhelming sensation. The mark was calling him, pulling him toward an unknown destination deep within the belly of the mountain. He had no choice but to follow.
Elaris, the core, hummed softly in his mind. "It appears you are being summoned, Shawn. The mountain holds more secrets than you realize."
"I noticed," Shawn muttered, sweat forming on his brow as he pressed forward through the winding passageways. Stalactites hung like the fangs of a beast from the ceiling, while strange mineral deposits gleamed along the cave walls. Occasional gusts of wind howled through unseen crevices, whispering secrets long forgotten. The deeper he went, the more otherworldly the air felt, heavy with ancient power.
Then, the air shifted.
A crushing weight pressed down on Shawn's body. His knees buckled, his breath hitched, and his vision blurred under the suffocating force. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to run, to turn back, but his body refused to move. It was as if space itself had turned against him.
A deep, guttural growl echoed through the cavern. The pressure increased tenfold, forcing Shawn onto all fours. He gasped, his heart pounding like a war drum as he felt an overwhelming presence—a predator beyond anything he had ever encountered.
From the shadows, a massive figure emerged. Its form was shrouded in darkness, but Shawn could make out its monstrous features. A hulking beast, at least four meters tall, its body covered in gleaming obsidian scales that reflected the dim light like black mirrors. Twin crimson eyes glowed with terrifying intelligence. The beast's body rippled with raw power, its limbs thick and sturdy, ending in razor-sharp claws that could tear through stone as if it were paper. Massive horns curved back from its skull, crackling with streaks of blue lightning.
Shawn's throat tightened. This wasn't just any beast. This was an Ascendant Beast, a creature that had transcended normal limitations, possessing intelligence equal to or greater than humans. A predator among predators. An apex in the chain of beast.
The beast let out a low, rumbling chuckle, its maw parting to reveal rows of jagged teeth. The cavern walls trembled as it spoke, its voice deep and ancient.
"A mere mortal dares tread this sacred ground?"
Shawn gritted his teeth, forcing himself to lift his head. The air felt heavier with each passing second, pressing down on him like an invisible hand crushing his existence. His lungs burned. He could barely breathe.
He was going to die.
The pressure suddenly ceased.
Shawn coughed violently, gasping for air as he fell to his knees. He lifted his gaze just in time to witness something that defied all logic.
The beast's body shimmered, its monstrous form melting like liquid shadow. Its limbs twisted and shrank, its scales retracting into smooth skin. The horns receded, the lightning dissipated, and before Shawn stood a man—tall and imposing, appearing no older than fifty. His hair was jet black, streaked with silver, and his piercing eyes retained the same crimson glow as before. Draped in regal dark robes, the man exuded an aura of absolute authority.
Shawn's entire body trembled as he stared, unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
"Beasts can… transform?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
The man smirked, his gaze filled with amusement. "You know nothing of this world, child."
Shawn swallowed hard. This was beyond anything he had ever imagined. If beasts could take human form, how many of them were already walking among humans? How many of them had infiltrated society, hidden in plain sight?
Fear crept into his heart.
He was trapped in a cavern with a being that could end him in an instant.
And he had no way out.