THIS BEAST-TAMER IS A LITTLE STRANGE

That same night the cavern was silent save for the occasional distant drip of water, the faint rustle of shifting fabric as Malzahir stirred in his sleep, and the steady rhythm of Kain’s own breathing.

He watched Malzahir’s still form carefully, ensuring there was no sign of resistance. There wouldn’t be. Bea’s threads had already burrowed deep into his mind, latching onto his mind with a vice grip, ensuring that he wouldn’t wake up for what was about to happen next. Without the bond of a beast tamer, Malzahir had no defense against it. No instincts to warn him. No passive resistance to fight it off.

It was an unsettling vulnerability.

Serena’s gaze was already on Kain. He didn’t need to look to know it. However, while he didn’t want Malzahir or anyone else to know he could absorb core fragments—lest he be mistaken for an abyssal like before—Serena already knew he had this ability, so he didn’t feel the need to have her ‘go to sleep’ too. But even if he had tried, there’s no guarantee he’d be able to put someone with her capabilities to sleep anyways.

Kain let out a quiet breath, his fingers brushing against the space ring as he retrieved the violet fragment.

The moment it touched his palm, a familiar pulse of energy rippled through him. It was like slipping into cold water—jarring, yet exhilarating. The hunger stirred immediately, and it took all of his self restraint not to groan in pain at how fiercely uncomfortable the feeling was.

‘Take it.’

The whisper in his mind was more urgent this time, sharper, more insistent. Kain didn’t resist any longer. He sat cross-legged, centering himself as he pressed the fragment to his chest and let the energy flow into him.

A deep tremor rolled through his body as the core’s essence surged forward, threading through his veins like liquid fire. It was stronger than before. More potent. He could feel Pangea reaching out instinctively, devouring the energy as if it had been starved for it.

His fingers clenched. His jaw tightened. His breath came in short, controlled bursts as he forced himself to regulate the flow. Too much at once could be dangerous. He knew that instinctively. But the deeper he sank into the sensation, the harder it became to pull back. It was intoxicating, this feeling of restoration, of power flooding what felt like the deepest areas of his soul.

The violet energy surged towards Pangea, with Kain trying his best to not make the planet too overwhelmed by the sudden influx of power.

The cracked, dried-out areas of the planet began to burst with renewed vitality, veins of purple energy coursing through its crust, sealing the fractures with an almost unnatural smoothness. Trees that had withered to brittle husks now stood tall and ancient, their leaves shimmering with a luster that had never existed before—even before the planet’s energy was first drained.

Lakes, once murky and stagnant, became crystalline, reflecting the sky like polished glass.

New rivers formed, carving fresh paths through the land barren portions of land as if reshaping the very bones of the planet. Wildlife stirred, some creatures evolving directly without any added materials as if adjusting to an unseen force that has raised their life level.

Roaarr

Mountain ranges shook and massive tsunamis were formed as the various top creatures on the planet—the apex predators—awoke from their long slumbers.

Aurem, in particular, flew high above the planet, his radiant golden body making sure his presence was imprinted in the minds of all the creatures below in case his prolonged absence made some weaker newcomers, born in his absence, forget the strength of his claws and want to take over his authority.

Eventually, Pangea was not only restored to its original appearance, it went even further beyond that. It was as though it had been reborn anew, stronger, more vibrant, and yet… something felt wrong.

Somewhere in the haze, he felt Serena’s piercing gaze harden.

“You should slow down,” she said evenly. Not an order. A simple observation.

Kain exhaled sharply through his nose, forcing himself to loosen his grip on the fragment. He could feel sweat beading at his temple, his body trembling faintly from the strain. She was right. He was taking in too much too quickly. More than he even needed, really.

“I’m fine.” His voice was steadier than he expected, but there was a raw edge to it.

Serena didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she studied him in that quiet, knowing way of hers before finally looking away. She wouldn’t interfere. Not yet, at least.

The energy within him continued to pulse, though it had settled into a slow, steady rhythm. Pangea was absorbing it greedily, rebuilding itself, and even going a step further. But beneath that hunger, something else stirred. A presence. A whisper of something not entirely under his control.

But despite the fact that Pangea had long fully healed, the feeling of hunger did not diminish at all. If anything, the hunger that lurked beneath the surface felt more distinct. More aware.

Kain frowned slightly. He had always assumed the hunger was simply Pangea’s instinct to seek out resources to mend its fractured existence. But now he was wondering if that instinctual need to devour wasn’t out of necessity—perhaps it was just its nature.

And perhaps, now that it had been fed so well, it would no longer be satisfied with mere survival—it wanted to be full. Satiated.

Before he could contemplate further, the steady flow of energy slowed and then stopped.

His fingers brushed over the now-dulled fragment. Its glow had faded, the majority of its energy siphoned away. He tucked the empty husk into his storage ring, exhaling slowly.

Serena stood and stretched, no longer feeling the need to keep watch with his task done. She cast him one last unreadable glance before turning going to the area of the cavern she’d set out her mattress.

Kain, however, remained still. His hands flexed involuntarily, an unfamiliar unease creeping into his mind.

Pangea had been restored, and yet, as his connection to it deepened, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it may not be as much under his control as he’d always believed.

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