And it was much closer than it should have been.
Not just closer.
Cracked.
Veins of silver light ran across its surface like fractures in glass, pulsing slowly… like a heartbeat.
Souro pushed himself up.
The grass beneath him shimmered faintly, each blade glowing at the tips as if dipped in starlight. The air felt thinner here. Sharper. Every breath burned cold in his lungs.
He looked down at his wrist.
The crescent mark.
It wasn't just glowing.
It was moving.
Like liquid light trapped beneath his skin.
A distant howl echoed across the plains.
Not an animal.
Something deeper.
Something wrong.
A notification flickered in front of him.
[Welcome to Elarion – The Forsaken Hemisphere]
[You have been chosen as a Variable.]
[Survival Probability: 12%]
Souro stared at the words.
"Variable…?"
The wind stopped.
Completely.
The silver grass froze mid-sway.
Even the broken moon above dimmed slightly.
Then the ground trembled.
Far on the horizon, something rose from the darkness.
At first, it looked like a mountain.
Then it moved.
Too many limbs.
Too many joints bending the wrong way.
Its silhouette blocked out part of the cracked moon.
Another notification appeared.
[Warning: Lunar Aberration Detected]
[Threat Level: Catastrophic]
Souro's heart pounded.
"I just got here…"
The crescent mark burned.
Pain shot up his arm — but it wasn't ordinary pain.
It felt like something unlocking.
A whisper brushed against his thoughts.
You are not meant to fight like the others.
Silver mist gathered around his feet.
The grass beneath him withered instantly.
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Rejection Field]
The creature's many eyes opened at once.
And they were all staring at him.