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

The ground shook violently, sending cracks through the ancient ruins.

I staggered, barely keeping my balance.

Something was coming.

Something huge.

The Elder took a step back, his expression unreadable.

"This is what I feared," he muttered.

I clenched my fists.

"What the hell is happening?"

The rumbling grew louder.

And then—

The ground split open.

A massive, gaping hole formed beneath the ruins, swallowing what little remained of the temple.

From its depths, a dark mist began to rise—thick, unnatural, suffocating.

My instincts screamed at me to run.

But I couldn't.

I was rooted in place.

Because from the abyss—

It emerged.

The Awakening

A massive, shadowy form rose from the darkness.

It had no true shape.

One moment, it resembled a monstrous, clawed beast.

The next, it shifted—warping, twisting into something far worse.

And its eyes—

Glowing. Watching. Remembering.

Shira gritted her teeth.

"What the hell is that!?"

The Elder's voice was grim.

"A fragment."

Shira glanced at him sharply. "A fragment of what?"

The Elder didn't answer.

But I knew.

A fragment of me.

Because the moment I saw it—

Something inside me recognized it.

Memories. Whispers. Shadows of something long lost.

And then—

It spoke.

"You... finally return."

The voice wasn't loud.

But it echoed inside my skull, reverberating through my bones.

I staggered, gasping for air.

Pain flared in my chest—

Like something was trying to rip its way out of me.

Shira grabbed my arm. "Ardan!"

I barely heard her.

Because the creature—

The fragment—

Was reaching for me.

The Elder's Choice

Before it could touch me, the Elder moved.

With a single gesture, symbols of golden light erupted around us.

The mist shrank away, recoiling from the glow.

The creature let out a low growl, halting its advance.

The Elder exhaled slowly.

"Go," he ordered. "Now."

Shira hesitated.

"But—"

"NOW."

I didn't argue.

We ran.

Through the ruins, through the jungle, away from the abyss.

The Elder stayed behind.

Holding the fragment back.

And as I glanced back one last time—

I saw it.

The creature—

Smiling.

And deep inside me—

Something smiled back.