For a long moment, Aren couldn't move.
The ground still pulsed faintly with golden light, like the crater itself was breathing through him. His skin shimmered with thin traces of starlight that refused to fade, even as the dust settled around him.
His fingers trembled as he lifted them to his face. "So… this is what glowing like a light bulb feels like. Fantastic. Guess I'm half lantern now."
The moment of levity didn't last. The voice—the one inside his mind—returned, soft yet resonant, like starlight translated into sound.
[System Integration: 83% Complete.]
[Physique: Primal Genesis – Active.]
[Bloodline Identified: Stellar Origin Sequence.]
[Evolution Node – Awakened: 1/12.]
Aren blinked, staring into the faint text glowing before his eyes. "Wait, wait—this is real? Not a dream? I have… a system?!"
[Affirmative.]
The word carried weight. It vibrated through his bones, through the very air, making the stars above shimmer faintly in response.
Aren's breath hitched. For the first time, he felt the world around him—the pull of gravity, the hum of atoms, the warmth of radiation that tickled his senses like sunlight whispering through glass.
He could feel the planet breathing.
[Physique Activation Detected.]
[The Primal Genesis Physique allows synchronization with natural Astralis currents. Efficiency: 4.2%.]
[Stellar Bloodline grants limited manipulation of Astral Flame—designated: Stellar Flame.]
He stared, wide-eyed. "So… I can control cosmic fire? Cool. Cool cool cool. Totally normal. I'm basically a walking sun now."
A low hum echoed through his chest. His heart beat once—then twice—and a faint spark ignited above his palm.
It wasn't just light. It was alive. Pale gold with hints of amethyst, flickering like a newborn star.
The crater illuminated again. Aren could feel its warmth—but it didn't burn. It welcomed him, as if the cosmos itself had found its missing piece.
"Okay," he whispered, a smile tugging at his lips. "If this is the start of going insane… I'm all in."
[System Calibration Complete.]
[Welcome, Aren Vale. Designation: Primal Evolver.]
For the first time in his life, he didn't feel powerless.
He felt infinite.