Chapter 10: The Awakening

The forest was alive with the sounds of battle as Alex and his team moved deeper into the thick foliage. Their task was simple enough defeat as many Mitrill Beasts as they could. The team that claimed the most kills would emerge victorious. But simplicity didn't always mean ease. So far, they had only encountered thirteen Mitrill Beasts, managing to defeat five of them. It wasn't nearly enough to win, and tension was beginning to settle in among his teammates.

As they moved through the forest, Alex could feel his discomfort growing. His skin prickled, first with heat, then with an icy chill that shot down his spine. He tried to ignore it, but the strange sensations kept coming in waves, making it harder to focus. At random intervals, mysterious markings would flicker to life across his body dark, jagged symbols that appeared and vanished before he could get a good look at them. It was unnerving.

He didn't want to be here in the first place. His team didn't even know about his lack of a Tay. They probably assumed he'd bonded with some creature in secret, but the truth was, he had yet to bond with any Tay at all. It felt like a heavy secret weighing him down. Not contributing to the kills suited him just fine less attention on him meant less chance of them realizing something was wrong. But now, with his body acting up, all he could think about was how badly he wanted to leave.

His teammates had been more focused, cutting through the beasts with precision, but Alex felt like dead weight. Every step he took seemed to make him more aware of the strange sensations coursing through his body. He didn't say anything to the others, not wanting to seem weak, but with every passing minute, it became harder to ignore. His skin burned, then froze, and the marks that flickered on his arms pulsed with a dull energy that made him want to scream.

"We need more kills," one of his teammates, Garret, muttered, scanning the treeline with frustration. "Five won't cut it. We're falling behind."

"Yeah, we need to move faster if we want to stand a chance," another teammate, Liana, agreed. Her Magic Tay floated beside her, its wings shimmering with light as it scouted the area for more Mitrill Beasts.

Alex forced himself to keep moving with them, though his legs felt heavier with each step. Sweat dripped down his back, mixing with the strange chills that wouldn't stop crawling over his skin. He didn't know how much longer he could endure this.

Then, out of nowhere, the markings on his body flared to life, this time brighter and more intense than before. A sudden surge of energy rushed through him, causing him to stumble, grabbing a nearby tree for balance. His breath hitched, and he looked down at his arms. The dark symbols glowed ominously before fading once again. It was like something was trying to claw its way out of him, something ancient and unfamiliar.

Liana noticed him lagging behind. "Alex, you okay?"

He waved her off, forcing a grin. "Yeah, I'm fine."

But he wasn't. Every muscle in his body screamed for relief, his mind clouded by an overwhelming sense of dread. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening to him, something beyond his control. And worse, he had no idea what it was.

Suddenly, Garret called out, his voice sharp and filled with excitement. "There! More Mitrill Beasts! Let's take them down!"

Three Mitrill Beasts emerged from the dense brush, their silvery skin gleaming under the dappled sunlight. They were massive creatures, all muscle and fury, but Alex's team had dealt with them before. Liana's Magic Tay immediately flew into action, casting a shimmering barrier around them as Garret's Wind Tay sliced through the air with deadly precision.

As they fought, Alex stayed back, gripping his head as the strange sensations grew stronger. His vision blurred, his pulse pounding in his ears. He knew he should help—should contribute—but something inside him wouldn't let him. His body felt like it was fighting itself, like he was on the edge of something dangerous.

Despite his lack of effort, his team was making incredible progress. Within a short span of time, they managed to defeat the three beasts, bringing their total to eight. It was impressive, given the challenge they faced, but for Alex, none of it mattered.

The longer he stood there, the more his body betrayed him. The heat, the cold, the strange markings—they were all signals of something he couldn't understand. He wanted out. He needed to get away from this place, away from the forest, away from whatever was happening to him.

As his teammates regrouped, panting but triumphant, Alex found himself sinking deeper into his own confusion. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he knew one thing for sure—something was coming. Something he wasn't prepared for.

And it terrified him.

Suddenly, a surge of energy exploded within Alex, unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was as though every nerve in his body had caught fire, but instead of pain, it filled him with raw power. His vision blurred, and the strange markings on his skin flared once more—this time glowing so brightly that his teammates turned to stare.

He clutched his chest, gasping for breath, as the overwhelming sensation coursed through him. His heart raced, and for a moment, it felt like his entire body was going to break apart from the inside. But then, just as quickly as it came, the energy settled, simmering beneath his skin, leaving him feeling more alive than ever before.

It was then that Alex realized something had changed—something massive. He could feel a presence within him, deep and steady, like a heartbeat that wasn't his own. But there was no Tay in sight, no creature appearing at his side. Yet... something had definitely happened. The discomfort, the heat, the chills—all of it made sense now.

The Tay egg that had bonded with him in secret had finally hatched.

It didn't reveal itself physically—there was no sign of a Tay standing beside him like his classmates had. But Alex knew. He could feel it, deep in his bones, in the air around him. The bond had formed, whether he could see the Tay or not.

He took a step back, breathing hard, trying to process this new sensation. The power inside him hummed, a quiet but constant reminder that the egg was no longer dormant. For a brief moment, he wondered if this was the reason the other Tay had avoided him. Maybe they had sensed this hidden bond, something so rare and powerful that it had to stay concealed.

"Alex!" Garret called out, snapping him back to reality. His teammates were watching him, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern. "Are you okay? What was that?"

Alex forced a smile, still feeling the strange energy pulsing within him. "I'm fine... just a little tired." He wasn't ready to explain, not even sure how to put what had happened into words. Besides, there was no Tay to show for it yet nothing that would make sense to them.

But deep inside, Alex knew. The egg had hatched, and whatever Tay was now bound to him was far more powerful than anything he had ever imagined. He just had to wait. Wait for it to reveal itself when the time was right.

And when it did, Alex had a feeling that everything would change.