The darkness moved.
Not one.
Not two.
Dozens.
Shapes crawled out from behind the pillars—distorted forms flickering in and out of reality.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
They rushed him.
All at once.
"…Yeah," Kael muttered under his breath.
"That figures."
His stance lowered.
His body still felt heavy.
Unstable.
But his eyes—focused.
"Alright…"
A faint current sparked across his hands.
"Let's go."
The first creature reached him.
Kael stepped forward—
Not back.
His hand shot out, energy surging through his arm.
CRACK.
The impact tore through the creature's form, destabilizing it instantly.
It collapsed into fragments—
And Kael released it immediately.
"Not absorbing that again…"
The second hit him from the side.
Too fast.
THUD.
Kael staggered, barely keeping his balance as another claw scraped across his shoulder.
Pain flared.
"—Tch!"
He turned—
Struck again.
Energy burst outward, tearing through two more creatures at once.
But more came.
They didn't hesitate.
I didn't think so.
Just attacked.
Kael's breathing grew heavier.
His movements are slower.
One step off—
And a claw ripped across his side.
Blood.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.
"System—any advice would be great right now!"
"Multiple targets detected."
"No kidding!"
"Recommendation: area-based energy discharge."
Kael froze for half a second.
"You mean… like before?"
The uncontrolled explosion.
The overload.
"Controlled output advised."
"Yeah… that's the problem."
Another creature lunged.
Kael ducked—barely.
His body screamed in protest.
He couldn't keep this up.
Not like this.
"Fine…"
He stepped back, creating space.
His breathing slowed.
His focus narrowed.
"One shot…"
The core pulsed faintly.
Weak—but responsive.
Kael closed his eyes for a split second.
Feeling it.
The energy.
Not forcing it.
Guiding it.
The creatures closed in.
Surrounding him.
Too late to run.
Kael's eyes snapped open.
"Now."
He slammed his foot into the ground—
And released everything.
BOOM.
A wave of energy burst outward in all directions.
Not chaotic.
Not wild.
Controlled—
Barely.
The swarm was caught in it instantly.
Their forms flickered violently as the energy tore through them.
One by one—
They broke apart.
Dissolving into nothing.
Silence fell.
The room stilled.
Kael stood at the center.
Breathing hard.
His body was shaking.
Then—
He dropped to one knee.
"—!"
Pain surged through him again.
Not from the creatures.
From himself.
"Energy depletion… critical."
The system's voice echoed.
"Yeah…" Kael muttered weakly.
"I figured…"
His vision blurred.
Darkness creeping in again.
But before he could collapse—
The platform behind him lit up again.
Brighter than before.
The symbols surged with light.
"Reactivation… progressing."
The system spoke.
Kael forced his head up slightly.
"What… does that mean…?"
The answer came—
"Outpost… awakening."
The ground trembled beneath him.
Deeper than before.
Something inside the structure—
Was coming online.
Something… ancient.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly despite the exhaustion.
"…Great."
Because if this place was waking up—
Then whatever else was inside it…
I would be waking up too.