One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

The jungle was quiet, but the air around us buzzed with an unspoken intensity.

Selene's green eyes were locked onto mine, watching—waiting—for my reaction.

But I had too many questions swirling in my mind.

Not just about her, but about myself.

She said I was "evolving." That I wasn't the first. That there was something inside me, something that was waking up.

But what the hell was it?

Shira broke the silence. "You're not explaining anything." Her hand gripped her sword hilt tighter. "And I don't trust people who play mind games."

Selene smirked. "That's because you're looking for simple answers, swordswoman." She turned her gaze back to me. "But Ardan already knows, don't you?"

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You felt it," she said. "In the fight. The way you moved. The way time slowed for you. That wasn't just instinct."

I froze.

Because she was right.

When I fought the beast, something took over. My body knew where to move, how to react—before I even thought about it.

It was unnatural.

And terrifying.

Selene stepped closer, her golden-marked hand lifting slightly. "This power inside us… it isn't something you can ignore. The more you resist it, the stronger it pulls. You've felt that too, haven't you?"

The burning sensation in my palm flared again.

I gritted my teeth.

Shira looked at me, eyes filled with concern. "Ardan?"

Smoker exhaled smoke, his expression unreadable.

I took a deep breath. "Let's say you're right," I said slowly. "Let's say there is something inside me waking up. What do I do about it?"

Selene's smirk widened.

"You make a choice," she said. "You either master it—or let it consume you."

I clenched my fists.

A choice.

Like I even had one.

Before I could speak, the ground rumbled beneath us.

A low growl echoed through the jungle.

Shira immediately drew her blade, eyes scanning the darkness. "Another one?"

Smoker grunted, shifting his jitte. "Tch. No rest for the wicked, huh?"

Selene, however, didn't react. She simply watched me.

As if she was waiting for me to realize something.

And then, it hit me.

The vibration in the air.

The way the jungle hushed in fear.

This wasn't just another beast.

It was something stronger.

Something that had sensed me.

And it was coming.

Selene whispered, almost too softly to hear—

"Let's see if you're ready, Ardan."