As Kealix's eye locked with the serpent's, a sudden tightness gripped his chest. It wasn't fear—at least, not the kind that warned of danger or death. It was anticipation. Heavy. Charged. Like standing on the edge of something vast and unknowable.
He couldn't move. Not because he was paralyzed, but because something in him refused to break the connection. The serpent's gaze held him firm—majestic, ancient, and unblinking. Whatever it was doing, whatever it wanted, it had found its focus in him.
And Kealix... couldn't look away.
Leo and Thalia stood at a distance, watching in tense silence. But neither made a move. They didn't speak. They didn't interfere. Maybe they knew there was nothing they could do.
Seconds passed. Then longer. Still, the eye contact remained—unwavering, profound.
Then the serpent shifted.
It was a slow movement, graceful and silent, like a current sliding beneath the water's surface. Its enormous body drifted forward, scales shimmering in the moonlight with every slight motion. Closer and closer it came—toward his shoulder. Toward the place where Frost's mark lay dormant.
Kealix didn't flinch. His breath caught, but his body remained still, as though instinct told him not to run, not to resist. The serpent lowered its head toward the tattoo—his tattoo. The mark of the wolf.
For a moment, it simply stared. Observing. Confirming.
Then, without warning, energy began to pulse from the serpent's body.
A soft, radiant light—bright azure, almost crystalline—began to emanate from its form. It drifted outward, curling and winding like strands of liquid light, until it touched his skin. And when it did—when that energy reached his shoulder—it wasn't cold or invasive.
It was warm. Comforting. Like stepping into sunlit water after a bitter night.
Kealix's eye widened. He felt the aether move—inside him. Flowing through the tattoo, which now glowed brighter and brighter with each passing second. The wolf's mark shimmered beneath the water, illuminated with a brilliance that hadn't been there before.
Is it sending aether to Frost? he thought, dazed. That has to be what it's doing.
But why? How?
Still, he didn't resist. It didn't feel like something he needed to fear. In fact, it almost felt... familiar.
The transfer lasted only a few heartbeats longer—then the serpent pulled back, the light fading as it did.
It lingered for a final moment, its deep, ancient gaze locked onto Kealix once more. There was something in that look—something that passed between them without words. A message. A warning. A farewell.
Take care of him.
Then the creature turned, gliding back across the lake's surface and sinking beneath the water with the same reverence it had emerged with. The silence returned, but it wasn't empty. It hummed with a strange weight—like the world had just shifted slightly on its axis.
Kealix remained motionless, his skin tingling, the mark on his shoulder still faintly glowing. His thoughts were a whirlpool of confusion and awe.
That serpent... it knew about Frost, he thought slowly. It had to. It wasn't just looking at me—it was looking at him. Can Mystical beasts sense each other? Even when one's dormant?
"Heeey!" Leo's voice cracked through the silence, startling Kealix. He turned to see him jogging over, kicking up soft splashes from the shoreline.
Leo's brow was furrowed, his voice sharp with urgency. "What the hell was that? Why did the serpent suddenly give you some of its aether?"
Kealix blinked, still half-submerged in the lake, his mind catching up with everything that had just happened. "So… that was aether?" he asked, his tone dazed, almost distracted.
Leo stopped a few feet away, hands on his hips as he gave him a look that straddled the line between concern and exasperation. "Are you serious right now?" he asked, sighing loudly. "You really are hopeless, man."
Despite himself, Kealix let out a short, tired laugh. Not because it was funny—but because the alternative was trying to make sense of a moment that felt too big to process.
Something had changed.
Maybe he'd gotten stronger. Maybe Frost was one step closer to evolution now.
Kealix couldn't say for sure. He felt different, but he had no idea what had truly changed.
All he knew was that something had shifted—and that he didn't have the tools to understand it yet. Whatever this connection between him and the serpent was... whatever had passed between them… it was completely foreign to him.
He let out a slow, frustrated sigh, dragging a hand down his damp face.
It sucks, he thought bitterly. But there's no other way around it. I don't know enough to even guess what's going on. No real theories, no foundation to work from. Just guesswork.
And in this world—guesswork could get you killed.
With a shake of his head, Kealix stepped out of the water, the cool night air raising goosebumps along his arms. He spotted the towel Thalia had left for him, draped over a nearby rock alongside a neatly folded set of clothes. He muttered a quiet thanks under his breath—more to her foresight than anything else—then grabbed the towel and began drying off.
His body felt... lighter. Not in the physical sense, but something inside him was looser. Less restrained.
Once dry, he reached for the clothes and began pulling them on.
At first, he noticed the fabric hung off him awkwardly. The sleeves drooped. The pants bunched oddly at the waist. He gave a half-hearted laugh. Too big. Not surprising—they weren't tailored for him, after all.
But then, as he finished slipping the tunic over his shoulders, the fit began to change. Subtly, almost imperceptibly, the fabric tightened. Smoothed. Shrunk. Within seconds, it felt like the clothes had been made just for him.
Kealix blinked and looked down at himself. "...Okay. That's new."
He caught his reflection in the water and gave an awkward, amused smile.
The outfit was striking. It resembled the kind of light armor an assassin might wear—streamlined, sleek, built for movement. The fabric was a worn, weathered white, a far cry from Frost's pristine tones, but it still carried that same sense of quiet elegance. Soft plating covered critical areas—shoulders, hips, ankles—places easy to strike or bite. And then there was the hooded cloak attached at the collar, similarly aged and faded, with a tattered hem that told stories of prior use.
If the outfit had been black, it would've been perfect for stealth. The white gave it a strange duality—visible, yet ghostlike. Almost ceremonial.
Kealix gave a small chuckle and shook his head. "Of course it fits now. Why wouldn't it?"
Surprised? Not really. Strange things had been happening since the day this all started. This was just one more mystery on the pile.
Probably another aether thing, he thought, letting a gentle smile pull at his lips. I'll ask Leo or Thalia about it later. They'll know.
He flexed his arms and turned slightly, testing the gear. It was light—easy to move in. Almost like wearing a second skin.
He paused before leaving, taking one last glance around the area where he'd just stood. His eyes scanned the grass, the rock, the edge of the water. No footprints left behind. No marks. Just stillness and the faint ripple where the serpent had disappeared.
He sighed again—this time softer—and turned toward the others.
Leo and Thalia weren't far. He could hear their quiet murmurs, waiting patiently for him to return. His new allies.
No—his first allies.
And right now, with so many questions circling in his mind and so few answers, they were the only people he could rely on.
Kealix started walking, the cloak catching gently in the breeze behind him. Aether, mystical beasts, shifting armor—it was all too much to wrap his head around right now.
But step by step, he was getting closer.
Even if he didn't understand the path just yet.
"Hey, Keal! You're just in time to eat with us!" Leo's voice boomed across the lakeside as Kealix approached their camp.
Kealix blinked at the new nickname, but a soft smile tugged at his lips. Leo's energy was... well, contagious. And honestly, comforting.
He's always this lively, huh? Kealix thought, the tension he hadn't realized he was carrying slowly easing out of his shoulders. That simple greeting—so casual, so warm—felt like a rope pulling him back to solid ground. After everything that had just happened, he welcomed it.
He stepped closer, his eyes scanning the setup they had built by the lake. A large fire crackled warmly, its orange light painting flickering shadows on the trees nearby. Sparks rose like dancing fireflies into the night sky, vanishing into the dark. Suspended over the fire, rotating slowly on a spit, was the roasted body of the pale creature—what had once looked monstrous now smelled... heavenly. Its skin had turned a rich, golden brown, glistening from the juices seeping out as it cooked.
"Seems like you did a good job roasting it, huh?" Kealix said as he drew nearer, then raised an eyebrow. "Also... why did you suddenly call me 'Keal'?"
Leo turned toward him with a proud grin, chest puffed out slightly like he'd just invented something revolutionary. "'Cause it's easier to say, of course!"
Kealix gave him an awkward chuckle, unsure how to respond to that. There wasn't really a counterargument, not one that would change Leo's mind anyway.
"Either way," Leo continued, gesturing toward Kealix's outfit with an appreciative nod, "glad to see the shifting clothes fit you. The white actually looks good on you—kind of contrasts well with your black hair."
Kealix lowered his gaze briefly to the clothes, running his fingers over the soft, enchanted fabric. "Thanks," he replied simply, then looked back at Leo.
Leo was still grinning, arms crossed, radiating strength even without his armor. The man was big—easily the size of a professional bodybuilder—but somehow still felt more like a giant kid than a hardened warrior.
He's definitely going to take most of the food, isn't he... Kealix thought, staring warily at the sizzling meat. He could already imagine Leo devouring half the spit on his own. Why does he look hungrier than me? I'm the one who hasn't eaten in days...
Almost on cue, Thalia's voice chimed in from across the fire, calm and sharp like a whipcrack. "The meat's ready. We can eat now." She paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "And Leo—don't eat everything yourself this time. We have a guest. And technically," she added, glancing briefly at Kealix, "this is his kill. Even if he didn't slay it directly, we found it near him. That counts."
Leo groaned dramatically, throwing his hands up. "Yeah, yeah..."
Kealix's gaze drifted to the meat again. Now that the fire's heat wasn't overwhelming, the smell hit him full force—rich, smoky, slightly sweet. His stomach twisted and growled so loudly he swore Thalia might have heard it.
It's been... how long since I've eaten anything solid? he wondered, licking his dry lips. His body felt like it was crying out for sustenance, not just from hunger, but from exhaustion and strain.
Thalia expertly removed the meat from the spit with a dagger, slicing off portions with careful precision. The meat pulled apart effortlessly, steam curling into the cool air. She handed each of them a piece on a flat piece of bark—roughly cut but functional.
Kealix didn't hesitate.
He bit into it, expecting nothing more than something edible.
But the moment the meat touched his tongue, his eyes widened. His jaw froze mid-chew.
It was... incredible.
Juicy, tender, and rich with flavor he couldn't place. It wasn't just roasted meat—it had depth, a kind of natural seasoning that didn't seem possible. Slightly sweet, smoky, and savory all at once. It felt like energy was pouring into his body with every bite.
"This is…" he started, staring at the meat with awe. "...This is amazing. What kind of creature was this?"
Thalia answered. "a worm tiger, the Pale, vaguely feline, aggressive as hell. But apparently tasty, creatures" She took a bite of her own and nodded approvingly.
Kealix didn't respond. He was already halfway through his piece, devouring it like a starving animal. He didn't even care how undignified it looked. Every bite made him feel more alive, more real.
Across the fire, Leo was chewing loudly, already eyeing the second helping.
Thalia sighed. "Leo, please—pace yourself."
Kealix laughed quietly to himself, letting the warmth of the fire, the taste of the food, and the company of these strange new allies wrap around him like a second cloak.
He didn't understand much about the world he'd stepped into.
But this?
This felt like a start.