For the first time since escaping the Void, Thanex walked beneath an open sky, unobstructed by floating ruins and debris.
It should have been beautiful.
Golden clouds drifted slowly across the heavens of the Divine Realm, their light pouring down upon the land like liquid sunlight.
The glow reflected across ancient marble pathways and shattered statues, painting the ruined world in warm hues that almost made the devastation look peaceful.
Almost.
Thanex did not trust it.
Not after everything he had endured.
His boots moved carefully along a cracked stone path that wound through what had once been an enormous garden.
Broken walls surrounded the area, their surfaces covered in creeping vines that shimmered faintly with unnatural colors.
Massive trees towered overhead.
Their trunks were wider than buildings, their branches spreading like the ribs of some ancient beast.
Between them grew strange flowers that glowed softly in shades of pale blue, silver, and violet.
At first glance, the garden looked alive.
Too alive.
Thanex's eyes moved constantly as he walked.
Years in the outskirts had trained his instincts well.
Beautiful places were often the most dangerous.
His muscles remained tense.
Ready.
The Void inside him stirred faintly.
Uneasy.
That alone told him something was wrong.
Thanex slowed his steps.
The wind moved gently through the branches above, causing the glowing flowers to sway softly.
Their faint light reflected across the cracked marble pathways like scattered stars.
Peaceful.
But the peace felt fake.
Manufactured.
Like a corpse painted to look alive.
Thanex crouched beside a cluster of pale blue flowers growing through a fracture in the marble floor.
The petals glowed faintly, their soft light illuminating the stone beneath them.
He studied them silently.
Beautiful.
Too beautiful.
Thanex reached out slowly.
His fingers brushed lightly against one of the petals.
The reaction was immediate.
The glowing flower collapsed.
Its delicate structure shriveled in an instant, curling inward like burnt paper. The blue glow vanished as the petals blackened and crumbled into dry dust.
Beneath the collapsed bloom sat a dark, rotten core.
Thanex narrowed his eyes.
"…Yeah."
Taint.
He straightened slowly and looked around the garden again.
Now that he knew what to look for, the signs became obvious.
The grass didn't move naturally.
Some patches of soil shifted faintly even when the wind was still.
Several flowers flickered strangely, their light dimming and brightening in irregular patterns.
Life existed here.
But it was sick.
Corrupted.
Thanex walked farther into the garden, his gaze scanning every detail.
A small stone fountain stood nearby.
Its basin had been carved from white marble long ago, decorated with intricate runes that spiraled across the edges like flowing script.
The fountain still functioned.
Water trickled gently from the mouth of a broken statue above.
At first glance it looked perfectly clean.
Crystal clear.
Thanex approached cautiously.
His reflection stared back at him from the surface.
For a moment, he almost didn't recognize himself.
His face looked sharper now.
Smoother.
The glow of cobalt energy pulsed faintly beneath the skin of his neck where the Inchor flowed through his veins.
His eyes lingered there for a moment.
Then he leaned slightly closer to the water.
Dark veins slowly spread across the surface.
Like black ink bleeding through paper.
Thanex immediately stepped back.
The water carried a faint smell.
Decay.
The realization settled quietly in his mind.
"This place is dying."
His voice sounded calm.
Matter-of-fact.
The corruption Resonants called Taint had spread throughout the Divine Realm.
Even the land itself had become infected.
Thanex looked around the garden again.
What once may have been a paradise was now little more than a beautiful corpse slowly rotting from the inside.
A faint breeze drifted through the broken statues scattered around the area.
One of them stood nearby.
It towered above the garden path, half-buried beneath creeping vines.
The statue had once depicted a divine figure.
Perhaps a god.
But time had destroyed its face completely.
Where detailed features once existed, only a smooth, hollow surface remained.
Thanex stared at it for a moment.
"Figures."
He muttered quietly.
"Even the gods disappear eventually."
No response came.
Just the quiet rustling of corrupted plants.
Then—
A sound.
Soft.
Barely noticeable.
Thanex froze instantly.
His body reacted before his mind fully processed the noise.
He slid silently behind a collapsed pillar and lowered himself toward the ground.
Stillness returned to the garden.
Too much stillness.
The rustling came again.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Thanex leaned carefully against the edge of the pillar and peeked around the stone.
Something moved between the distant trees.
A shape.
Low to the ground.
Its body blended perfectly with the dark shadows between the trunks.
But its eyes…
Its eyes glowed faintly red.
Thanex's breathing slowed.
The creature stepped forward.
At first glance, it looked like a wolf.
But the illusion quickly broke apart.
Its limbs were far too long.
The joints bent at unnatural angles as it moved.
Jagged bone spikes erupted from its back like a crown of broken blades.
And its mouth…
Its mouth stretched far wider than any wolf's jaw should allow.
Rows of crooked black teeth lined the inside.
The creature sniffed the air.
Searching.
Thanex remained perfectly still.
Even his heartbeat slowed as he controlled his breathing.
The Void inside him pulsed faintly.
If that thing noticed him now…
A fight would be unavoidable.
And he had no idea how strong it was.
The monster moved slowly across the garden path.
Its claws scraped softly against the cracked marble as it prowled.
Careful.
Patient.
A hunter.
Thanex watched it from the shadows.
Several long moments passed.
Neither of them moved.
Then the creature stopped.
Its head tilted slightly.
Directly toward the pillar where Thanex hid.
Thanex felt his pulse quicken.
The monster's nose twitched.
Damn.
It caught my scent.
Slowly, the creature lowered its body.
Muscles tensed beneath its corrupted skin.
Hunting stance.
Thanex exhaled quietly.
"So much for avoiding this."
The creature lunged.
Thanex moved instantly.
His body rolled across the ground just as the monster slammed into the pillar behind him.
Stone exploded into fragments under the impact.
Dust filled the air.
The creature twisted around immediately.
Its red eyes locked onto him.
Up close…
It looked far worse.
Black veins pulsed beneath its skin like living parasites.
Dark smoke leaked slowly from the corners of its mouth.
Corruption had eaten away at whatever this creature once was.
Thanex stood slowly.
His hand reached behind him.
He grabbed the broken spear strapped across his back.
The weapon was crude.
Just a sharpened metal rod he had scavenged from the ruins earlier.
But it was balanced enough to kill with.
The monster growled.
Low.
Threatening.
It began circling him.
Thanex mirrored its movements.
Neither rushed.
Both waited.
Both studied the other carefully.
Thanex's thoughts sharpened.
Alright…
Fast.
Strong.
But reckless.
Corruption made creatures aggressive.
Aggression created openings.
The monster attacked first.
Its claws sliced toward his chest.
Thanex twisted sideways.
The strike missed him by inches.
His spear moved instantly.
He drove the sharpened rod forward with everything he had.
The metal pierced deep into the monster's shoulder.
The creature howled in fury.
Its body slammed into him with brutal force.
Thanex was thrown several feet across the stone path.
Pain exploded through his ribs as he hit the ground hard.
The monster charged again.
Too fast.
Its jaws snapped toward his head.
Thanex rolled desperately.
The teeth closed with a loud crack inches from his skull.
He scrambled back onto his feet.
Breathing heavy.
Alright…
Definitely stronger than me.
The creature snarled and paced slowly.
Blood dripped from the wound in its shoulder.
But the injury had only made it more furious.
Thanex tightened his grip on the spear.
His thoughts raced.
Too strong.
Too aggressive.
But also predictable.
The corruption had turned it into something wild.
Something impulsive.
And impulsive predators made mistakes.
Thanex steadied his breathing.
He had survived the Void.
He refused to die in a garden.
The monster lunged again.
And this time—
Thanex stepped forward to meet it.