The ground cracked open wider. Dust and black sparks shot into the air as the titan of a beast rose from the rift. Its body was carved out of stone and sinew, its hide laced with glowing seams like molten rivers. Four horns jutted from its skull, each dripping sparks of red lightning. Its jaw unhinged wider than it should have, rows of obsidian teeth glistening wet.
It leaned forward, claws tearing deep grooves in the ground, and let out a roar that made the air itself bend. The sound wasn't just noise. It was language.
Lucian's eyes flickered gold for an instant. His Omnilingualism stirred. The sound wasn't a roar to him anymore—it was a voice. A word. A curse.
"Intruders."
The beast's voice echoed in his mind, heavy as stone dragged across iron.
Lucy narrowed her eyes. "It… spoke?"
Lucian didn't flinch. He raised his blade and answered, calm and sharp. "It said we don't belong here."
