The moment Cid touched the mark—
The ocean went still.
Not calm.
Still.
Like the world itself was holding its breath.
The massive creature beneath the ship stopped moving. Its glowing eye locked onto him, ancient and unreadable.
Cid couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
Then the voice came again—clearer this time.
—Those who accept power without restraint… will be consumed by it.—
The creature blinked once.
And then it sank.
Slowly. Deliberately.
Until the ocean swallowed it whole.
The pressure vanished. The ship creaked back to life. Air rushed into Cid's lungs as he collapsed to the floor.
Silence filled the deck.
Everyone was staring at him.
Some in awe.
Some in fear.
Some in something far worse.
Ava stood above him, her expression unreadable.
"…I hope you can forgive us," she said quietly. "But this is for humanity."
Cid tried to respond—
But darkness took him before he could speak.
Cid woke to noise.
Loud. Chaotic. Alive.
Voices cheering. Metal clanging. The distant roar of something massive.
His eyes opened slowly.
Wood.
A wooden ceiling. Rough. Unfamiliar.
"You're awake."
Cid turned his head. Ava stood nearby, arms crossed, watching him carefully.
"…How long?" he asked, voice dry.
"Two days," she said.
Cid's heart skipped. "Two—?"
"We've reached the continent."
He pushed himself up slightly. Pain shot through his body.
"The entrance," she added.
Cid frowned. "Entrance?"
Ava studied him for a moment—like she was deciding how much to say.
Then she spoke.
"The continent is divided into sections. Twenty-four in total. Each one… larger than entire countries."
Cid blinked.
"Think of them as levels," she continued. "You cannot move forward until you clear the one you're in."
Silence hung between them.
Cid shook his head. "Why are you telling me this? I'm here for labor. I'm not a fighter."
Ava's gaze dropped briefly to his throat.
"The plan has changed."
Cid stiffened. "What do you mean?"
"You're awakened," she said simply.
He clenched his fists.
Images flashed in his mind—
The mark.
The creature.
The voice.
"You've heard the stories," Ava continued. "People who came here and returned stronger. Richer. Different."
Cid looked away.
"And if I don't?"
Ava's voice softened—but not kindly.
"Then you mine crystals… and hope someone else finds a cure before your mother runs out of time."
That hit.
Hard.
Cid swallowed.
If I fight… I might die.
If I don't… she might never wake up.
"…I'm not a combatant," he muttered.
"You won't be alone," Ava said. "Nations have formed guilds here. You'll be trained."
She paused.
"In your case… you'll be fighting for something more important than most."
Cid closed his eyes.
His mother's face.
Her voice.
Her smile.
"…Fine," he said quietly. "I'll do it."
Ava nodded once. "Good."
She turned toward the door.
"Come. I'll show you the first section."
Cid swung his legs off the bed, still unsteady.
But as he followed her, something gnawed at the back of his mind.
A feeling he couldn't shake.
Ava wasn't just helping him.
She was watching him.
Measuring him.
Like he was something she didn't fully understand…
—or something she intended to use.
Cid clenched his jaw.
I don't trust her.
A voice echoed faintly in his mind.
—Remember why you're here.—
He exhaled slowly.
"…I'm doing this for you, Mom."