After countless trials and failures, Shad Darc finally began making progress in controlling Energy Flow through organic materials that had once belonged to living creatures.
The progress was slow—much slower than he had expected.
Considering how quickly everything had developed since his arrival in this world, the difficulty almost felt reassuring. His strength, healing, and understanding of Energy Flow had advanced at an unusual pace. Perhaps things were finally beginning to follow a more natural rhythm.
That thought gave him a faint sense of urgency.
If everything continued progressing too easily, he suspected he might overlook something important. Growth should come with obstacles. Otherwise, how could he determine whether his improvements were genuine or simply the result of some unseen influence?
Regardless, progress was still progress.
And as his understanding of Energy Flow expanded, so did the number of questions he had about its nature.
One discovery had particularly caught his attention.
When properly controlled, Energy Flow seemed to produce a stronger effect in organic materials that had once belonged to living creatures than in inorganic materials. However, Shad had not yet conducted enough experiments to determine the exact difference between the two.
He possessed a theory.
What he lacked was sufficient evidence.
'It's like giving money to someone who already has enough.'
Shad considered the comparison for a moment before changing his mind.
"Or perhaps it's the difference between a naturally talented person and someone who relies entirely on hard work."
He continued walking while holding one of the horns.
"Or the difference between something with greater potential and something with less potential."
He paused, then drew a slow breath and organized his thoughts.
"In this case, inorganic materials would have less potential, while organic materials would have more."
His eyes narrowed as the idea began to take shape.
"So, Energy Flow raises the potential of inorganic materials toward the level of organic materials. For organic materials, however, it strengthens the foundation that already exists."
He stopped.
The thought ended there.
"Damn it."
He had been close to understanding something, but the idea had slipped away before he could fully grasp it.
Another question immediately took its place.
'If that's true, why is it easier to use Energy Flow on myself than on other organic materials? I'm organic too.'
The absurdity of the thought made him chuckle quietly.
Before he could explore it further, the Bored Observer spoke.
"Probably because you're a complete organism, and your internal systems are already connected and functioning together. The horns, on the other hand, are only a small part of an entire body. Do you understand now?"
"Hmm."
Shad rubbed his chin.
"That explanation makes some sense. Since I'm a complete organism, everything within me is connected, allowing Energy Flow to circulate more freely. The horns, however, are no longer connected to the rest of the creature."
"Exactly."
The Bored Observer continued in the same indifferent tone.
"Because they are separated from their original body, they may no longer allow Energy Flow to circulate freely. That could also explain why you're having difficulty controlling it through them. You don't belong to the body they came from."
The identity paused.
"Of course, that's only my speculation. And don't ask me how I know, because I don't know how I know."
Shad stopped walking.
For a while, he said nothing.
His mind had become strangely quiet as he considered the explanation. Then he asked a question he already knew the answer to.
'Were you always this intelligent?'
"Of course," the Bored Observer replied plainly.
Then it asked:
"Why do you ask?"
The question created an uncomfortable silence.
Shad already knew what the identity would say, and the identity seemed to know what he was thinking. Although the Bored Observer was merely one aspect of his own mind, its responses often felt too independent, too complete.
At times, his identities seemed less like fragments of his personality and more like living beings sharing his consciousness.
"Because it feels less like you understand these things through reasoning and more like you've experienced them somewhere."
The forest remained quiet around him. Only the distant chirping of birds disturbed the silence.
After a while, the Bored Observer answered.
"Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't."
Its tone remained calm.
"You, of all people, should understand that our existence confuses even us. We are a mystery to ourselves."
The final words lingered in Shad's mind.
"A mystery to ourselves."
Something about the statement resonated with him.
A faint discomfort rose within his chest, followed by the vague sensation that something buried in his mind was trying to surface. Memories he had assumed were forgotten seemed to shift behind the walls of his consciousness.
Shad immediately abandoned the conversation.
He did not want to investigate it.
Not yet.
Without another word, he continued walking through the strange forest while maintaining his Energy Flow training. He practiced channeling energy into the horns, observing how it moved through their material and testing different methods of control.
Another hour passed.
The cold atmosphere gradually changed as the light began to fade. The forest grew warmer, and the fog reflected the dim glow of the approaching night.
Shad looked up.
Above the enormous trees, the nine stars shone through the darkening sky, arranged in their familiar circular formation. Eight of them appeared full, while the remaining star displayed a crescent shape.
The sight was beautiful.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Shad allowed himself to appreciate its scenery without immediately analyzing it for threats or survival value.
His gaze settled on the crescent star.
Something about it drew him in.
He could not explain the sensation, but he felt a strange sense of familiarity—a subtle kinship that seemed stronger than what he felt toward the other eight stars.
As he continued looking at it, a small smile formed on his face.
He did not notice it at first.
When he finally did, the expression had already faded.
*Why do I feel connected to that one?*
No answer came.
Night eventually settled over the forest.
Shad could have stopped to search for shelter, but he chose to continue moving. Ever since he had noticed the crescent star, an unfamiliar urgency had begun pushing him forward.
It was not fear.
It was closer to an instinctive conviction that something lay ahead of him—something vast, important, and possibly waiting for his arrival.
He did not know whether the feeling came from the star, the forest, or something within himself.
But it made him want to move faster.
Shad continued through the now-warmer forest, never allowing his training to stop. Even while walking, he practiced directing Energy Flow through the horns and observing the energy surrounding him.
Eventually, he reached a particular point in the forest.
He stopped.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Well, what do we have here?"