One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

I took a deep breath, forcing my racing heart to slow.

The Elder's words echoed in my mind.

"Because of you."

That didn't make sense.

I wasn't some chosen hero.

I wasn't some ancient being.

I was just—

Just me.

Shira shifted beside me, gripping her dagger like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

"Enough riddles," she snapped. "If you know something, tell us. Now."

The Elder regarded her for a long moment.

Then, with a tired sigh, he spoke.

"This place is older than time itself. Older than the world you know."

His gaze locked onto mine.

"And so are you."

I felt my breath hitch.

What?

A Forgotten Past

I shook my head.

"No. That's impossible."

The Elder remained silent.

His eyes, however, told me something else.

Something worse.

Shira looked between us, confused.

"Wait—are you saying Ardan is... what? Some kind of ancient relic?"

The Elder didn't smile.

"Not a relic. A remnant."

My throat went dry.

"Remnant of what?"

The Elder's next words sent a chill through my bones.

"Of something that was meant to stay dead."

I took a step back.

No.

This had to be some kind of trick.

A lie.

A test.

But deep inside me—

Something stirred.

A memory?

A dream?

A nightmare?

I didn't know.

But for the first time since coming to this world...

I was afraid of who I really was.

The Warning

"You were not meant to awaken," the Elder continued.

"The Watchers came for you, not to destroy—"

He paused.

"But to seal you once more."

The air around us grew heavy.

Like the jungle itself was listening.

Shira's knuckles turned white around her dagger.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with something I didn't recognize.

Doubt.

"Ardan," she whispered. "Is that true?"

I didn't know what to say.

I didn't even know what to believe.

But then—

A sound.

Low.

Rumbling.

The ground beneath us trembled.

The Elder's eyes widened slightly.

"...They are coming."

And just like that—

The conversation was over.

Because something far worse than the Watchers had just awakened.

And this time—

It wasn't coming to test us.

It was coming to consume us.