The beast let out a deafening roar, its primal scream reverberating through the clearing. Kai's heart raced, each beat feeling like a drum in his chest. The creature's glowing red eyes locked onto him with a predatory gaze that sent a chill crawling up his spine. It was massive—easily twice the size of a bear, with claws that could shred through metal and teeth like jagged daggers.
Liora stepped in front of him, her golden eyes gleaming with calm determination as she unsheathed a slender blade from the side of her waist. It shimmered in the eerie light of the forest, its surface reflecting the faint glow of the trees. But there was no fear in her expression—only focus.
"Kai, stay behind me," she said, her voice steady. "Don't make any sudden moves."
The beast took a step forward, its claws scraping against the ground, sending sparks into the air. It growled low in its throat, a warning, as if it were savoring the moment before the hunt began.
"What do we do?" Kai asked, his voice trembling despite himself. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his body refused to obey.
Liora didn't answer immediately. She was watching the creature, calculating her next move. Her stance was firm, but there was a tension in her posture that made it clear she was preparing for a battle she didn't want to fight.
"We don't have time to escape," Liora said quietly, almost to herself. "This forest is alive, Kai. And so is the beast. It's the guardian of this realm—its job is to ensure only those worthy can pass through."
Kai's mind raced as he tried to piece together the strange words. Worthy? He wasn't even sure what realm he was in. He wasn't a fighter—he was a regular university student, and now he was stuck in a place where the laws of physics seemed to bend and break, surrounded by creatures straight out of a fantasy novel.
As if to punctuate Liora's words, the beast lunged, its massive jaws snapping shut just inches from her. She sidestepped effortlessly, her blade flashing through the air as she sliced at the creature's exposed flank. The beast howled in pain, but the wound seemed to heal almost instantly, its body rippling with unnatural energy.
Kai flinched as the creature turned toward him, its gaze locking on him once again. The air thickened, as though the entire forest was holding its breath. The hum of energy that had surrounded them earlier seemed to pulse stronger now, and Kai felt something stir deep within him—a strange, unfamiliar sensation, like power awakening in his blood.
"Liora!" Kai shouted, panic rising in his throat. "It's coming for me!"
The creature's claws dug into the ground, and it charged, faster than Kai could react. His body froze, his legs refusing to move as the monster's shadow loomed over him.
In that moment, something inside Kai snapped.
A surge of energy shot through him, as if an invisible force had ignited something deep within his chest. His body moved on its own—instinctively, desperately. Before he knew what was happening, his hand was glowing with a strange, golden light. His fingers seemed to hum with an electric charge, and the air around him crackled.
He raised his hand as the creature barreled toward him, and with a single, forceful push, a burst of energy shot from his palm, slamming into the beast's chest with enough force to send it staggering back. The ground trembled under the impact, and the beast let out a sharp, guttural roar as it stumbled.
Liora's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't have time to comment. The creature recovered quickly, its fury now focused entirely on Kai. It seemed to realize that something had changed, and it wasn't pleased.
"Focus!" Liora shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "You're awakening! Don't lose control!"
Kai's heart raced, but for the first time since he'd arrived in this strange world, he didn't feel afraid. He felt alive, like he was finally tapping into something hidden inside him. The golden energy crackling around his hand felt natural, as if it was always a part of him, waiting for the right moment to surface.
The beast charged again, its fangs bared. This time, Kai didn't hesitate. He thrust his hand forward, and the energy exploded outward, not just as a burst, but as a wave—a torrent of raw power that seemed to reshape the very air around them.
The wave hit the beast head-on, sending it flying backward with a deafening crash. The creature let out a pained roar, but this time, it didn't recover as quickly. It struggled to stand, its body twitching, as if the energy from Kai's attack had disrupted something deeper inside it.
Liora stood motionless, watching him with a mixture of awe and curiosity. "You're... not just anyone, Kai. You're awakening faster than I thought."
Kai took a deep breath, still feeling the burn of the power coursing through him. The glow in his hand slowly faded, but the sensation of strength, of connection to something far greater than himself, remained.
"Wh-what was that?" Kai asked, his voice shaking as he turned to her. "I didn't... I didn't know I could do that."
Liora finally moved, her eyes never leaving him. "It's your heritage. Your bloodline. You're one of the Awakened—descendants of those who once walked between the realms."
Kai's mind spun as he tried to process her words. Awakened? Bloodline? What did any of this mean?
Before he could ask more, the ground shook again, this time with greater intensity. The beast was recovering—its massive form beginning to rise from the ground, but something else was coming. Dark clouds gathered above them, swirling in a violent storm.
Liora's eyes narrowed, and she turned to face the new threat. "It's not over. The true test has begun."
Kai barely had time to react as a massive shadow dropped from the sky, blocking out the faint sunlight above. A new enemy, more terrifying than the first, was descending.
But this time, Kai wasn't the helpless bystander. Whatever was awakening within him—whatever power he had just tapped into—it was only the beginning.
The Shifting Realm had begun to reveal its true nature, and Kai was no longer a simple university student. He was a key, and the doors to something far greater had just cracked open.
And there was no turning back.