Silence.
Not the peaceful kind—
the kind that followed slaughter.
Eren lay against the cold stone, chest rising and falling unevenly. Every breath felt heavy, as if the air itself resisted him.
His arms trembled when he tried to move.
He stopped.
Wasting energy here meant dying later.
CORE-0 STATUS
Physiological strain: Severe
Microfractures: Detected
Gene activity: Stabilizing
Eren closed his eyes and focused on his breathing—slow, shallow, controlled.
Minutes passed.
Maybe longer.
The pressure of the Sanctuary didn't lessen, but his body began to adapt to it, inch by inch. The pain dulled from a roar to a constant ache.
He wiped the blood from his face and checked his surroundings.
No movement.
No sounds.
Only distant, echoing vibrations that reminded him he was not alone.
From the cracked ground nearby, something glimmered faintly.
Eren crawled closer and froze.
A small, irregular crystal lay embedded in the stone, pulsing weakly with heat.
He didn't touch it.
Not yet.
Instinct told him this place rewarded patience as much as courage.
"I'm still alive," he murmured.
That alone felt unreal.
Recommendation: Rest cycle complete
Next phase: Resource acquisition
Eren exhaled slowly and pushed himself to his feet.
Rest was over.