The cave swallowed sound, swallowing even my breathing into a hush thick as velvet. My footsteps crunched over broken crystal and moss, every step sending pulses of mana up through my feet. Shadows slid along the walls, flickering in the ember-glow of my veins.
I'd been in plenty of dungeons in games, but nothing had ever prepared me for the real thing. The System's warnings pinged occasionally —[Mana Instability: High], [Unknown Entity Detected]— but I tuned them out. If I died here, at least it wouldn't be from inattention. It'd be because I was too stubborn to say no to a good, old-fashioned death wish.
The air got colder. The cave narrowed and then opened again, as if the world's mouth was swallowing me whole. I stopped short, spear raised, every muscle tense. Because in the center of a hollow, ringed by jagged black crystals, sat…
An egg.
Not just any egg. This thing radiated mana like a dying star, shadows bleeding from its shell in slow pulses. The shell shimmered, black as night, lined with ember-orange cracks that pulsed in time with my own heartbeat. The System didn't know what to do with it my HUD flickered, error codes scrolling past.
I crouched, lowering my spear but not letting go. "Of course. The murder-cave has a murder-egg."
The closer I got, the more the pressure built. It was like being watched, weighed, judged and found wanting. My skin prickled. My horns tingled. My veins blazed with ember-light.
Then the egg moved. Just a tremor enough to send a spiderweb of shadows crawling up the crystals around it. A psychic pressure slammed into me, dropping me to one knee. Fear? Hunger? Loneliness? I couldn't tell it was all tangled together, raw and desperate.
I reached out, against every instinct screaming at me to run. My clawed fingers brushed the shell. It was hot. Alive.
A pulse of mana hit me like a punch to the chest. My vision whited out. The world shrank to a void and a single, desperate heartbeat.
—Connection Established—
Pain. Hunger. Cold. Loneliness so deep it carved holes in my soul. And under it, curiosity. A tiny, flickering light. The egg's mind unfurled against mine, searching, probing, then—
Imprint.
I gasped, stumbling back, but the feeling didn't break. Something was inside my head now. Something small, fierce, and terrified. It clung to me like a drowning child.
[IMPRINT COMPLETE: SHADOW DRAGON HATCHLING]
[Bond Established: Pet → Companion]
[Warning: Mana Instability Detected. Hatchling at risk.]
I dropped to one knee, breathing hard. The egg rocked violently. Ember cracks spread, light bleeding into the darkness. The crystals around us hummed, and for a hot second I was sure the entire cave was about to explode.
"Shit. Okay. Hang on."
I pressed my hands to the shell, pouring what little mana I could muster into it. The bond flared painful, raw, but stabilizing. The System pinged: [Mana Transfer: Accepted]. The cracks sealed. The egg stilled, then pulsed with a soft, contented glow.
I slumped, drained. But I was alive. The egg was alive. And somehow, I was now the proud parent of a mana-addicted shadow dragon.
Because my life wasn't weird enough already.
Something moved in the darkness behind me. I spun, spear up, adrenaline burning through the exhaustion. One of the crystals taller than the rest shifted, its facets catching the ember glow of my veins. For a moment, I saw eyes reflected in the crystal's surface. My own? Or something watching from further in?
Nothing. The shadows thickened, then settled. I wasn't alone, but whatever else haunted this place, it seemed content to let me go this time.
I gathered the egg, cradling it awkwardly in one arm, and made my way out. The cave somehow felt different now, the oppressive pressure easing, the mana currents flowing less violently around me. As if the cave itself had released a breath it hadn't known it was holding.
Outside, night had fallen. The swamp pressed close, all mist and bioluminescent fungi. I paused, letting my eyes adjust, the egg's warmth a small comfort against the chill. The forest itself seemed to lean away from me, paths opening under my feet as I walked.
Aetheria's presence brushed my mind. Curious. Amused. Maybe a little jealous? The wind picked up, carrying the scent of rain and ozone.
"Yeah, yeah. I found a dragon egg. No, you can't have it."
The wind ruffled my hair in what I could only interpret as a pout.
Halfway back to my lean-to, something stalked me a shadow beast, drawn by the lingering mana. I heard it before I saw it: a wet, rattling growl, the snap of branches under padded paws. I spun, holding the egg close, spear leveled. The beast a mass of fur, teeth, and too many eyes lunged. My veins flared. Shadows bent.
I didn't think. Instinct took over. Ember light poured from my skin, shadow lashing out, swatting the beast back. It yelped, stumbling away, half-blinded by the afterglow. I didn't chase it. I just kept moving, my heart hammering as the egg pulsed in my arms, oddly soothed by the chaos.
Back at my lean-to, I set up a nest of moss and scavenged cloth. The egg pulsed, shadows coiling protectively. I settled beside it, too tired to even make a fire. My veins dimmed, ember light fading as sleep dragged me under.
The night was restless. Dreams flickered through my mind scenes of darkness and fire, of wings unfolding in endless shadow. The egg's presence pressed against my thoughts, hungry and lonely but no longer afraid.
I woke to rain, pattering gently on the makeshift roof. The egg rocked. The cracks glowed brighter. Thunder rumbled distantly. Somewhere in the forest, something howled, but the sound seemed to curl away from my shelter, unwilling to trespass.
The System pinged: [Mana Surge Detected. Hatchling Awakening Imminent.]
I sat up, heartbeat thundering. The egg rocked again, harder this time. A spiderweb of ember cracks split the shell. Shadows spilled out, coiling around my hands, not cold but protective. I whispered, "Go on. It's safe now."
The shell shattered. Darkness exploded, then condensed, swirling into a tiny, shivering shape in the nest. A hatchling—barely the size of a cat, all black scales and ember-orange eyes stared up at me, blinking. Its wings were too big for its body; its tail lashed anxiously, shadow magic flickering from its claws.
It let out a noise somewhere between a squeak and a growl. Then, with desperate awkwardness, it crawled onto my lap and pressed its head to my chest. The bond flared hot, raw, and unexpectedly gentle.
[Companion Bond Strengthened]
I stroked its scales, feeling the mana thrum under my hand. "Hey there, little disaster. Welcome to the swamp."
The hatchling purred, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through my bones. Its shadows wrapped around us both. For the first time since dying on Earth, I felt something like hope a fragile, ember-bright thing, as new as the dawn.
The next day, the swamp was different. The shadows seemed to watch me with new respect or wariness. The hatchling followed everywhere, stumbling over its own tail, devouring leftover mushrooms and mana-rich moss. When a crystal arachnid wandered too close, the hatchling hissed, shadows flaring, and the monster scuttled away.
Aetheria sulked in the weather: sudden rain, then bursts of sunlight. I rolled my eyes. "Jealousy doesn't suit you, planet-girl."
The wind shivered, carrying laughter and a promise of mischief.
That night, the hatchling curled up at my side, wings draped over my arm. The System pinged one last time:
[Bond Evolving: New Growth Unlocked]
I closed my eyes, the hatchling's breathing lulling me toward sleep. Outside, the swamp shifted and muttered, but for now, I was home.
Tomorrow, the world would come for us both.
But tonight, we were safe. And that was enough.