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

I sat there, my breathing still unsteady. The vision of Asmora burned itself into my mind—so vivid, so real.

I knew now.

It wasn't just some ancient legend.

It was a part of me.

But why?

And what had been taken from me?

shira's voice snapped me back. "Ardan, we need to move. Now."

I blinked, still dazed. "What?"

She grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. "The ruins—something's happening."

I turned my gaze back to the carvings. The symbols were glowing, pulsing in an eerie golden light. The ground beneath us rumbled, the air growing thicker, charged with an unseen energy.

Smoker took a deep drag of his cigar before tossing it aside. "Whatever you did, kid, I think you just woke something up."

And then—

BOOM!

A massive force erupted from the ruins, knocking us backward. Dust and debris filled the air. I shielded my eyes just in time to see—

Chains.

Thick, black chains burst from the carvings, writhing like living serpents. They lashed through the air, coiling around the ruins, the jungle—

And us.

One wrapped around my wrist.

A jolt of pain shot through me.

It wasn't just physical.

It felt like it was sinking into my very soul.

"You were never meant to return."

The whisper from before echoed in my mind.

I gritted my teeth.

No.

Not this time.

With all my strength, I pulled against the chain, feeling something deep inside me awaken.

And then—

The chains broke.

Not just mine.

All of them.

The ruins shuddered, the carvings dimmed, and the presence—whatever had been watching—vanished.

shira and Smoker stared at me.

"What… the hell… was that?" shira asked, her voice breathless.

I flexed my fingers. The pain was gone, but something had changed.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I think…"

I looked down at my hand.

A mark had appeared on my skin—glowing faintly, the same golden hue as the carvings.

"...I think it's just the beginning."