The chamber vibrated with an almost palpable hum as the cracks in the cocoon deepened. Jagged streaks of golden light seeped through the fractures, pulsating like a heartbeat. Shen Mu instinctively stepped back, his eyes narrowing as the artifact in his hand vibrated faintly. He could feel the energy building, a crescendo of power that threatened to erupt.
Mei Lin inched closer to him, blade at the ready and stance tensed. Her breathing was shallow and tense; only someone like Shen Mu could detect that tension.
She wasn't scared, not even yet—but she was wary, certainly.
"What's in there, is waking up," she murmured to herself, focusing her gaze on the cocoon.
Shen Mu did not say a word. His thoughts were preoccupied by the warnings coming in every other minute from the system.
Caution: High-energy anomaly detected. Probability of hostile activation: 73%.
The system's voice sounded boringly measured, maddeningly vague. Shen Mu's fingers wrapped tighter around the artifact. His knuckles showed white. He despised this feeling: the uncertainty of not knowing whether to fight or flee. But one thing he did know: there was no running from this.
The cocoon finally broke, and the sound was deafening, like the roar of a mountain falling. Pieces of glowing material disintegrated in mid-air, leaving behind a figure wreathed in golden light.
Shen Mu could hardly think for a moment. The creature was humanoid in shape but, in every other sense, it was otherworldly. Translucent skin glowed with veins of golden energy, and the eyes burned like twin suns. Standing nearly seven feet tall, it had an aura of power so overwhelming that Shen Mu felt his knees threaten to buckle.
Is that… a person?" Mei Lin whispered, her voice barely audible.
Shen Mu shook his head slowly. "I don't think so."
The figure moved, and the air around it rippled. It tilted its head, as if observing them. When it spoke, its voice resonated with a layered echo, each word reverberating in the chamber.
"I. am awake.
The simple declaration sent a chill down Shen Mu's spine. The system was already buzzing with activity, trying to analyze the entity.
Warning: Entity classification unknown. Power levels exceed current database parameters.
Shen Mu's pulse quickened. For the system to fail at classification meant this being was unlike anything it had encountered. Not a mutation, not a remnant of humanity, but something entirely new.
Mei Lin stepped forward, her sword glinting in the dim light. "Who are you? What are you?"
The being's glowing eyes turned to her. Its expression was unreadable. "Names… are fleeting. I am what remains."
"Of what?" Shen Mu asked, his voice steady despite the unease roiling in his gut.
The entity's gaze shifted to him, and in that instant, Shen Mu felt an unbearable weight pressing on his mind. It was as if the creature's very presence was trying to peer into his soul, to unravel every secret he held.
"Of those who came before," it said.
Shen Mu steeled himself, facing its attention despite the tempest in his head. It had come first? What's that supposed to be? He crumpled his fists, shoving against his very fear and doubt.
But Mei Lin waited not. "I don't like it," she declared sharply enough. "This is a potentially destructive thing: it should now be destroyed if this thing was something dangerous which was going to get out of control and cause even greater problems
The being tilted its head slightly, almost as if amused. "Destroy me? You misunderstand." Its golden eyes flickered brighter. "I do not bring destruction. I bring knowledge."
Shen Mu's instincts screamed at him. Something was off. The system wasn't labeling the entity as an immediate threat, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. He needed to approach this carefully.
"What kind of knowledge?" he asked cautiously.
But the being didn't respond directly. Instead, it raised a hand, the fingers faintly glowing.
And then the world shifted.
They were in the underground chamber one moment and somewhere else totally the next. Shen Mu blinked, the breath catching in his chest as he gazed out at the scene before him.
A vast, ravaged landscape as far as one could see; twisted metal towers jutted out of the ground like the broken bones, their surfaces black and scarred, and the burning sky was colored with an unnatural red hue of streaked lightning that did not strike the earth but crackled endlessly in the air. The very air was stinking of ash and decay so that it's hard to breathe.
"What… what is this?" Mei Lin whispered, her voice laced with incredulity.
Shen Mu's jaw clenched. "An illusion? A memory?"
The creature stood still, its glowing eyes scanning the horizon. "This is what awaits. The end of your world."
Shen Mu felt a cold sweat break out across his back. The end? He clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing.
System alert: Reality shift detected. Probability of catastrophic event: 87%.
The voice was calm, but the weight of the statement was crushing. Whatever they were seeing wasn't just a vision. It was a potential future—one that was disturbingly real.
Mei Lin stepped closer to the entity, her sword still raised. "If this is some kind of trick—"
"This is no trick," the entity interrupted. Its voice was softer now, almost sorrowful. "This is the truth. Your world teeters on the edge of annihilation. And unless you act, this is what will come to pass."
Shen Mu's mind was racing. He didn't trust the entity, but the system's analysis told a drastic truth: The probability of disaster was startlingly high. Was this being telling the truth?
"How do you know this?" he demanded.
The entity turned its gaze to him once more. "Because I have seen it. I was there when the seeds of destruction were sown. I was there when the first cracks appeared in your reality."
Mei Lin frowned. "You're saying you caused this?"
"No," the entity replied. "I am merely a witness. But I hold the knowledge you need to stop it."
Shen Mu's heart was racing. The creature's words sounded credible, but the truth couldn't be proved in any way. And if such a thing existed to even be speaking the truth at all, it was not an opportunity to disregard.
"What is the knowledge?" he asked, again and again.
The creature gave no immediate reply. It drew its radiant hand out, held it forth. "Come close, take my hand and you will see".
Shen Mu hesitated. The warnings in his head seemed to repeat like a mantra: be careful. But the burden of what may be the future—the scarred terrain, the flaming skies—pulled on him. He needed to make up his mind.
Mei Lin's voice came sharp behind him. "Don't trust it, Shen Mu. This could be a trap."
Shen Mu glanced at her, then back at the entity. His mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts. But deep down, he knew one thing: if he didn't take this chance, he might never get another.
Steeling himself, he reached out and grasped the entity's hand.
The moment their hands touched, a surge of energy shot through him, and the world went dark.