Kael's days had taken on a rhythm. Morning brought Minor Teleport drills, followed by a small meal, then cautious exploration. Evening meant Omni-Vision training, the most mentally draining part of his routine. He was still no closer to finding other people, but he was learning. Every day, a little more.
By now, the world felt less alien, though no less wild.
He had just finished mapping out a shallow ravine when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
Something was watching him.
Kael turned slowly.
At first, he saw nothing.
Then it stepped from the shadows between two crumbled stone pillars.
A creature—huge and low-slung—moved with musclebound grace. Its body was covered in black and grey striped fur, the pattern like smeared ink on storm clouds. It had the lean frame of a wolf but the heavy limbs and coiled power of a tiger. Its eyes glowed a deep amber, and its fangs were visible even with its mouth closed.
Kael's heart thudded.
The beast snarled, a low sound that made his skin crawl.
He didn't know what rank it was, or what it could do—but it was clearly magical. He could feel the pressure in the air around it. Denser. Heavier.
Instinct screamed at him to run, but logic kept him rooted.
He slowly raised his hands, trying not to make any sudden moves. "I don't want to fight."
The creature didn't care.
It charged.
Kael dove sideways, tucking into a roll, scrambling up just as the beast's claws raked the dirt where he had stood. He pointed at a large stone and triggered Minor Teleport.
It blinked into the creature's path—barely enough to make it flinch.
He teleported a stick next, angled like a spike—but it bounced off the beast's thick fur. No effect.
It lunged again.
Kael hurled himself behind a fallen log, heart pounding.
He had no weapon. No real magic. Just Minor Teleport and a shaky grip on Omni-Vision.
The creature circled the log. It was playing with him.
Kael picked up a handful of pebbles and began blinking them into the beast's eyes one at a time. It roared, furious, pawing at its face.
That gave him a moment.
He ran.
Branches tore at his skin. The beast crashed through the forest behind him, relentless.
Kael spotted a narrow ravine and jumped. He barely made the edge, slipping in the mud and slamming into a tree on the far side.
Pain lit up his shoulder. He felt warm blood trickling down his arm.
The creature skidded to a halt on the other side. It growled but didn't jump. Maybe it couldn't. Maybe it wouldn't risk the fall.
After a long, tense stare, it backed into the woods and vanished.
Kael remained still for a long time.
Eventually, the morning light broke through and the air lightened.
He let out a shaky breath and stood.
He was alive. Barely. But alive.
He touched the earth again and whispered, "I need to be stronger."
This world was no game. It had rules, predators, and danger beyond anything he had faced before.
He hadn't survived cancer.
But he had survived death.
And he wasn't going to waste that second chance.