I made my way back to the place where I first fell. What greeted me was the same dark, lifeless cave. Nothing had changed, then my gaze drifted to a corner. The spot where I once hid after gaining consciousness.
A bitter laugh escaped me. This place was a witness to my weakness. Now… I am back. And I am not the same snail who cowered in fear. This time I am stronger, ready to step out…ready to face whatever is waiting above.
"What are you dawdling there, snail?"
Nysera's cold voice pulled me back. I let out a small breath and smiled wryly.
"You really know how to bring me back, Sera."
She glanced at me briefly. A soft hum escaped her before she looked forward again and continued walking.
"…Thank you." My voice was low, but I know she heard it.
I quickened my pace, taking longer strides to catch up to Sera and the twins. So this is it.
The life I'll be living from now on.
"We're almost at the exit," Sera said, leading the way.
I nodded. It's good that we're close. Wait…exit?
"There's an entrance?"
Sera looked at me like I had just said something stupid.
Then she sighed. "Yes. But only if the Queen Mother allows it."
I see. So that's how it works. We continued walking, following the faint purple glow that guided our path forward. Sera suddenly stopped after walking for about twenty minutes. She stared at the front, scrutinizing. I looked at the front and all I saw was a dark cave path.
" Why did you stop Sera? "
She didn't talk or utter any response. So I decided to step forward, planning to lead the way. Before I could even take five steps, something tugged at my clothes. I turned and saw Sera and the twins. They were pulling me back. I stared at them, stunned.
" Brother, you're so impatient." Aevryn said, holding my left hand.
" Brother, stay still. " Caelumir said as he hugged my right leg.
I turned to Sera, hoping for an explanation, but she just rolled her eyes on me. This woman really loves doing that, but she is the boss here. So I stayed put and waited. After a few minutes, Nysera finally gave the signal.
The twins were the first to dash forward.
"Hey—wait! No running!" I called out, hurrying after them. "You need to stay with us. We don't know what's out there."
The two looked at me with their big eyes and pouty lips, as if I bullied them.But this is not something I could compromise on. I experienced it first hand the horror of the world outside this cave and I don't even have the power to fight those behemoths if they are captured or worse eaten.
" Listen to brother, alright?" I said in a firm voice.
Their bright expressions dimmed and just like that, I caved. With a sigh, I picked them both up, one in each arm.
"We don't know what's waiting out there," I muttered. "There are a lot of ugly creatures outside. If they catch you…"
I leaned closer and tapped their noses lightly. "…you might turn ugly too." They blinked. Then giggled when I kissed their noses.
"I don't want my babies to be ugly," I added with a soft sigh. "You're the prettiest and most handsome babies in the whole sea."
I lowered my voice. "It'll break your brother's heart if you both become ugly."
They both touched my cheeks gently.
"We listen to brother," Aevryn said seriously.
"We don't want brother to be sad," Caelumir added.
My chest tightened.
"…Good."
Before I knew it, I was covering their faces in kisses again. They laughed and snuggled closer as I held them, their warmth grounding me as we continued forward.
Moments later, we reached the entrance of the cave. It was still covered with rocks, but I could squeeze through if I returned to my snail form. I glanced at Nysera.
"It's safer if you all stay in the satchel."
She didn't argue. The three of them transformed, their bodies shrinking back into their original clam forms and I placed them inside the satchel carefully.
I looked towards the entrance, my heart racing from fear but also excitement…to explore more and discover this new world.
I closed my eyes and focused on Gene S. Slowly my body transformed into my origin form, a snail. Then I crawled toward the narrow opening in between, forcing my way through the rocks.
Then I noticed slow. I'm too slow. Every movement felt heavy, dragging. I know snails weren't fast, but this is too slow for a world that is full of danger.
"Vex, is there a gene that will let me move faster?"
[ Searching…]
Silence.
[ Yes. There is such a gene. Gene L - Locomotion. ]
" Nice, I need that one. So, how do I unlock it? "
[ Unlocking it needs Sustained Movement Stress. ]
[ You must move continuously over long distances or repeatedly escape danger ]
I clicked my tongue.
"So basically, I have to suffer in this form first."
[ You may attempt: prolonged travel, predator evasion, or forced repositioning in combat. ]
"You want me to fight like this?" I scoffed.
"But I already escaped predators before I fell into the cave."
[ That did not qualify. ]
A pause.
[ You relied on Burst. Not your natural locomotion. ]
"…Huh. I'd be dead if I didn't use Burst back then."
Silence.
[ … ]
I sighed and continued pushing my way through the rubble. When I finally emerged from the cave, which I think took days. I finally saw the open sea.
The moment I saw it. I froze. Sunlight filtered through the water, scattering across everything. Corals stretched out in every direction, glowing in reds, blues, violets… colors I couldn't even name.
Fish darted past. Seahorses drifted lazily. A frogfish? A crab with tentacles? A shrimp head…in a fish body? I didn't have time to notice any of this before.
Back then, I was running for my life. But now "This is…Beautiful." I let out a small, incredulous laugh. I stared at everything as if it were normal.
Maybe not…or maybe it is. But one thing is clear this is my world now. Before I could fully take it in—
"Quick. Transform into your human form and hide."
Nysera's voice cut through, sharp and urgent. I didn't hesitate. My body moved without thinking and I dove straight into the sand, burying myself completely, everything except my eyes.
[ You're embarrassing. ]
I bit my lip.
"I panicked, alright?"
"There's nowhere to hide here. Just sand, the cave, and corals. None of those can hide me in human form."
[ … ]
I clicked my tongue, trying to ignore the heat rising to my face.
[ … ]
As I was about to ask Nysera why she said that, the sand trembled. The bright surroundings dimmed, as if the sun above had suddenly been swallowed by clouds.
Then I saw them. The three behemoth creatures I will never forget.
The first was a spider-like creature with only four thick legs supporting a single massive body. At its front, six small blue bead-like eyes formed a circle, with a larger one at the center. It had no visible mouth, but from underneath, I could faintly make out a small opening. Its body was layered with shell-like growths and barnacles, rough and uneven, giving it an ancient, unmoving presence.
The second was shaped like a star, its body spread wide with multiple arms. Along each arm were glowing blue orbs, while five larger bead-like eyes rested near its center, one slightly bigger than the others. Beneath it… hundreds of thick, black tentacles writhed slowly, shifting like a mass of living shadows.
The last crawled forward on four massive limbs, its dark, ridged body lined with jagged spikes. Clusters of glowing blue eyes were embedded across its back, each staring in a different direction. Its wide maw stretched open, revealing rows of uneven, needle-like teeth as water dripped from its jaws.
Seeing them I wanted to shout " Why are they still here? "