Pain...
Unbearable pain.
It tore through my entire body, radiating from every fiber of my being. It was too much… far too much.
But my arms—my arms hurt the most. A deep, bone-searing agony spread through them, as if my very skeleton was being reshaped. The pain was so intense that I instinctively knew something was happening to them. Whatever was inside that egg, its arms must have been of critical importance to its survival.
A terrifying thought crossed my mind—what if I hadn't taken the Serenity Pill? If this was the pain with it, how much worse would it have been without? The idea alone sent a chill down my spine, covering my skin in goosebumps.
I had no idea how much time passed. Hours? Days? My mind had gone blank, consumed entirely by pain. But eventually—slowly, agonizingly—it began to fade. My body felt different, profoundly changed. Especially my arms. They were no longer the same as before.
I hesitated before finally opening my eyes.
A glowing screen hovered in front of me, floating in midair.
[Name: Lucius Frost]
[Age: 15]
[Race: Spiritborn]
[Bond: Orchid Ice Mantis (Anomaly Detected)]
[Skills: None]
I blinked.
A mantis? My spiritual creature was an Orchid Mantis? But not just any Orchid Mantis—it had an affinity for Ice.
My breath hitched.
I had gambled on a mystery egg, risking everything for the unknown… and I had won. The Great Black Wasp, the safe choice, couldn't even compare. A huge grin spread across my face. I had an Elemental Beast from the start.
But one detail stood out.
Anomaly Detected.
What did that mean? Was there something wrong with my mantis—no, with me?
Before I could dwell on it, a sudden, deafening noise erupted from outside my capsule.
A fight?
Why was there a battle happening in the Awakening Chamber? This place was supposed to be completely secure, guarded against any possible threats. My mind raced, piecing together the only possible explanation.
A Defect.
The word sent a shiver through me.
Defects were Spiritborn who had lost control of their bodies to their spiritual creatures. When a creature's willpower overwhelmed its bonder's, it could take over completely. Sometimes, this wasn't dangerous—but if the bonded creature was a fierce predator, the results could be catastrophic.
Even experienced Spiritborn could fall victim to this, unleashing their spiritual creatures upon the world. That's why students were always advised—almost forbidden—from bonding with creatures that didn't align with their natural affinities. A compatible creature would never turn against its bonder. But one with a different affinity? It might resist, struggle… and if the bonder ever weakened, it would seize control.
I had to get out.
Frantically, I searched for the release button inside my capsule. The battle outside grew louder—things crashing, shattering, and… slithering?
My breath caught.
Slithering.
There was only one person I knew who had bonded with a snake.
Lucy.
My stomach dropped.
Was she fighting the Defect… or was she the Defect?
A sinking feeling settled in my chest. I had only known her for a day, but she felt like my first real friend in this new world. I didn't want to lose her—not like this.
Finally, my fingers brushed against the release button in the corner of the capsule. I pressed it, and the hatch hissed open. The sounds of battle became clearer, the chaos now right in front of me.
Only then did I notice something different about myself.
My arms.
They were white, sleek, almost chitinous—and they weren't human anymore. Instead, they were razor-sharp, scythe-like limbs.
I barely had time to register the change. My body moved on instinct, slipping stealthily out of the capsule, faster than ever before. Agile, silent, deadly.
The first thing I saw was ruins.
The chamber was wrecked. Capsules—highly valuable, incredibly expensive capsules—had been destroyed beyond repair. Whoever was responsible would be paying for this for a lifetime.
Then, I saw her.
Lucy.
Her body had transformed. She no longer had legs—instead, a long, crimson-scaled serpent tail extended from her abdomen. Her hair, the same bright red as her scales, flowed wildly. She looked like Medusa, though without the writhing snake hair.
But she wasn't the only one.
Facing her was a boy—tall, lean, with brown hair and blood-red eyes. His hands weren't hands at all. They were paws.
I stepped forward cautiously, my heart pounding. If Lucy had lost control, then…
I swallowed hard.
"Lucy… is that you?"
My voice wavered slightly. If she was a Defect, I would have to fight her—or worse.
---
[Lucy's POV]
I stood in a battlefield of blood and ruin.
The boy in front of me had killed.
When I had awakened, the scene around me was horrifying—corpses, shattered capsules, blood staining the floor.
This boy—this Defect—had slaughtered students while they were still in their capsules, helpless as they transformed.
And now, he was trying to kill me.
I had fought him for thirty, maybe forty minutes. Blow for blow. Neither of us could overpower the other.
And still, no Teachers had arrived.
Where were they? Weren't they supposed to be protecting us from accidents like this? This shouldn't have happened in the first place!
Just as frustration boiled over inside me, I heard a voice—a soothing, familiar voice.
I turned.
And there he was.
Lucius.
A wave of joy crashed over me.