Chapter 11
The fog swallowed them.
Within minutes of entering Zone D-13, Class 1's formation collapsed.
No compass worked. No map held true.
And the whispers—soft, broken voices—echoed through the mist, calling students by name.
"Aeren… Aeren… turn around."
"This way… come closer…"
"No. Don't listen," the lead student shouted. "Stay in formation!"
But it was too late.
Aeren felt a cold wind wrap around his chest. A pull, like invisible hands.
And then—
CRACK!
The ground beneath him crumbled.
He fell.
Tumbling through a collapsing cave floor, hitting rocks, roots, and shards of crystal. Everything turned black.
When he woke up, he was alone.
No team. No gear.
His comms unit blinked red: "Signal Lost."
Above him, a jagged ceiling glowed with strange green veins. Below him, the cave floor pulsed like a living thing.
"Where… am I?"
The air here wasn't just cold—it was heavy.
Each breath felt like it scraped his lungs.
He stood up, limping, blood running down his leg.
That's when he saw it.
A creature.
Not a beast. Not like the ones from training.
This one had no face—just endless spirals of teeth where its head should be, and arms like chains melting into smoke.
It hadn't noticed him yet.
Aeren stepped back quietly. His heartbeat thundered.
Then—his foot snapped a twig.
The creature turned.
It didn't scream. It hissed—like steam and bone cracking together.
And it rushed him.
"NO!" Aeren shouted, throwing a broken metal rod in panic.
It passed through the creature. Useless.
He turned to run, but his leg gave out.
The monster was on him.
Its shadow blanketed him. Its claws raised high.
Is this it…? Is this where I die?
Then it stopped.
A glow—red and deep—surged from within Aeren's chest.
His veins burned. His vision blurred.
Something… was waking up.
The creature paused, suddenly cautious. It sniffed the air.
Aeren's eyes flashed white for a split second—then back.
The beast… backed away.
It didn't understand what it felt. But something inside Aeren was not human anymore.
Aeren, now on his knees, screamed—not in pain, but in pressure. His heart beat like a drum of war.
"Wh-what's happening to me!?"
Suddenly, the faceless monster leapt forward, ready to kill him before the change could complete.
And right then—
A huge pulse exploded from Aeren's body, like a shockwave made of crimson light.
The monster was thrown back and slammed into a wall, vanishing into the shadows.
Aeren collapsed.
The red veins faded.
But the mark remained.
On his chest, glowing faintly beneath his torn shirt, was a symbol—ancient, circular, almost… divine.
And far away, deep beneath the earth, something stirred. Something ancient. Watching. Waiting.
🩸 End of Chapter 11