The air vibrated. A deep, almost inaudible hum settled over the chamber, less a sound than a pressure on the eardrums, the palpable sensation that something essential had mutated. The young woman, sitting cross-legged on the floor, observed the hologram with a concentration that unsettled Sebastian. It wasn't a look of bewilderment, or even simple curiosity. It was… anticipation. As if she knew exactly what was going to happen. As if she had been waiting for it.
Sebastian looked away, a chill running down his spine. The rustic cloth shirt she had lent him, too tight for his frame, with the exposed skin of her shoulder gleaming with a light sweat, was a detail Sebastian couldn't help but notice. The way the fabric strained across her chest, subtly outlining the curve of her breasts, was a constant distraction. it revealed more skin than he considered decorous. The gentle curve of her bare shoulder. The delicate line of her collarbone, so fragile. He averted his gaze, almost abruptly, a sudden heat flooding his cheeks, an uncomfortable mixture of embarrassment and… something else. Something unspeakable, something he refused to name.
Focus, he demanded of himself, forcing his attention back to the hologram.
The young woman, aware of Sebastian's inner turmoil but not showing it openly, reached out a hand. Her fingers, stained with dirt and a dark substance he preferred to ignore, glided over the luminous surface without actually touching it, tracing the four options: Monsters, Traps, Treasures, Shop.
She paused on "Monsters."
The young woman moved her hand, stopping over the image of a praying mantis.
But not an ordinary mantis.
A colossal mantis.
A creature of vibrant emerald green, with forelegs that were sharp scythes, faceted eyes that seemed to possess an ancient wisdom, and a triangular head that swayed slowly, as if weighing its prey.
Below the image, a glyph: an intricate symbol, unknown to Sebastian, but emanating a sense of power, of value.
Sebastian swallowed hard. He didn't understand the meaning, but he sensed that this symbol, whatever it was, was crucial.
The young woman brought her finger closer to the image.
And, this time, pressed it.
The hologram flickered.
The image of the mantis vanished.
And, in its place, a message appeared.
"Creating creature…"
And, below it, a glowing bar.
A bar that was filling slowly, very slowly, with a greenish light.
Sebastian watched the bar, fascinated. Creating? What exactly did "creating" mean? Weren't the creatures supposed to be… "summoned"?
But he didn't have time to dwell on it.
The bar was filling up.
And, with each fraction of progress, Sebastian could feel the tension in the chamber intensifying.
How the air became heavier.
How the scent of damp earth and… something else, something indefinable but disturbing, became more pronounced. A smell of moss, of sap, of primordial life.
The young woman, beside him, remained still, but not completely impassive. With one hand, she gently stroked Sebastian's arm, an almost imperceptible gesture, but one that sent a wave of warmth and reassurance through him. Her face, pale under the orb's light, showed a serenity that contrasted with Sebastian's growing unease.
How can she be so calm?, he thought, feeling an icy sweat run down his back. But at least she's touching me.
And then, the bar filled completely.
The hologram went dark.
The orb fluctuated.
And, in front of them, something began to take shape.
It wasn't a sudden appearance. It was a gradual, almost organic process.
First, a mist. A dense, greenish mist that emanated from the floor, as if the very stone were exhaling an ancient breath.
Then, silhouettes. Vague, shifting forms that twisted and mutated within the mist.
And finally, the creature.
The giant praying mantis.
It emerged from the mist with a majestic slowness, like an ancient deity awakening from a long slumber.
Its body, immense, was such an intense emerald green that it seemed to radiate its own light. Its forelegs, longer than Sebastian's torso, were living scythes, sharp as obsidian razors. Its triangular head moved smoothly from side to side, observing its surroundings with its enormous faceted eyes, amber eyes that seemed to pierce Sebastian to his very soul.
Sebastian instinctively recoiled, stumbling over his own feet. Fear, pure, atavistic, flooded him completely. He wanted to scream. He wanted to run. He wanted to vanish.
But he couldn't.
He was paralyzed.
Hypnotized by the creature.
By its beauty.
By its monstrosity.
The mantis extended its forelegs, unfolding them as if they were membranous wings.
And it made a sound.
A high-pitched, screeching sound, like metal being torn.
A sound that wasn't a threat.
A sound that was… something else.
A greeting.
The young woman, smiling slightly at Sebastian, as if to reassure him, rose from the floor with feline grace.
She approached the mantis, slowly, cautiously.
And held out a hand.
Sebastian held his breath.
What was she doing?
But the mantis didn't attack her.
It simply tilted its triangular head and brushed the young woman's hand with its antennae.
A gentle gesture.
Delicate.
Completely unexpected.
The young woman smiled, this time more openly, and looked at the mantis with a mixture of analysis and approval. She studied its proportions, the length of its legs, the brightness of its eyes, as if she were evaluating the quality of a work of art. She nodded slightly, satisfied with what she saw.
Then, she turned her gaze back to Sebastian, and smiled at him warmly. A warm, comforting smile that melted some of the ice that gripped his heart. She took his hand, interlacing her fingers with his, and squeezed gently. A gesture of connection, of complicity, that told him, without words, that they were in this together.
The young woman, with a slight nod of her head, indicated to the mantis to follow her.
The mantis, obediently, followed the young woman, moving with a surprising elegance for a creature of its size.
Sebastian, feeling the warmth of the young woman's hand in his, swallowed hard. Where were they going? What were they going to do?
He didn't know.
But something told him he had to follow them.
He followed the young woman and the mantis, keeping a safe distance, but without letting go of her hand.
He didn't know what to expect.
He didn't know what was going to happen.
But he knew he had to be there.
With her.