The bck goo pulsed at her command, writhing and coiling around her hand like a living thing. Yuki closed her eyes briefly, envisioning the shape she wanted—a bde, sharp and precise. For a moment, the substance hesitated, pulsating as though resisting her will, its movements sluggish and uncertain. Her brow furrowed, and she pushed harder, her thoughts sharpening into an unyielding command. Slowly, the goo obeyed, extending outward in uneven tendrils before merging into a crude, jagged edge.

  She opened her eyes and turned her hand, examining the bde. It wasn’t what she’d pictured—far from the elegant weapon she had imagined. Instead, it resembled a twisted shard, its shape more like a crude nce than a sword. Rough, uneven, and imperfect. Still, it was something. It would suffice.

  Yuki gave the weapon a tentative swipe through the air, testing its weight and bance. The edges wavered slightly, unstable, and the motion felt awkward. A soft sigh escaped her lips. “Imprecise,” she muttered, her tone neutral, though a flicker of disappointment danced across her features.

  The goo rippled as if responding to her dissatisfaction before retreating back into her hand. She watched it with mild fascination, feeling the faint coolness and itchiness it left behind on her skin. She flexed her fingers experimentally, noting the slight resistance as the substance fully reabsorbed itself. I will need to get used to this feeling if i wish to survive out here, she thought.

  Her gaze shifted to the forest around her. Dense trees stood like silent sentinels, their gnarled bark rough and unyielding. The dim light barely pierced the canopy, casting the surroundings in a shadowy haze. Yuki’s lips curved into the faintest of smirks. “Interesting,” she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

  Extending her other arm, she focused her attention on a nearby tree. This time, she willed the goo to form tendrils instead of a bde. Slowly, they slithered out from her skin, unsteady and hesitant at first. With a sharp flick of her wrist, the tendrils shed out, tching onto the tree’s bark. She pulled, and the tendrils tore through the surface with surprising force, leaving deep, jagged grooves behind.

  “That’s better,” she murmured, her tone still even, though her eyes gleamed faintly with a hint of satisfaction.

  She continued her experimentation, each attempt more deliberate than the st. She shaped the goo into shields, crafting crude, semi-solid barriers and punching them to test their defensive potential. She stretched it between her hands like thick tar, observing its esticity and how far she could push its limits. Each manipution brought her closer to understanding the substance’s properties, though the effort took a toll.

  Her breathing grew heavier as the strain built. Her limbs felt leaden, her mind foggy. A sudden wave of dizziness blurred her vision, forcing her to pause. She stumbled slightly, catching herself against a tree before sinking to the ground. Rest was no longer optional—it was a necessity.

  Settling at the base of the tree, Yuki let out a slow breath, watching as the bck substance retreated back into her body. She flexed her hands again, feeling the absence of its weight but sensing the faint hum of its presence within her. Her gaze dropped to the makeshift clothing she had crafted from the same substance. She ran her hand over it, her fingers brushing against the odd texture. It was still strange against her skin, neither wholly solid nor fluid, and yet it served its purpose. She leaned her head back against the rough bark of the tree, closing her eyes for a moment. She was tired but she couldn't rest yet; Not Yet.----------The forest felt oppressively quiet as Yuki moved through it, her steps deliberate and measured. Her gaze darted between the trees, scanning for movement. Hunger gnawed at her, a sharp, insistent ache in her stomach that she couldn’t ignore any longer.

  Food. Shelter. Survival. The words repeated in her mind like a cold mantra. She ran a hand over the bark of a tree, her fingers brushing against the grooves her tendrils had left earlier. The gouges were deep, jagged. Effective. Functional. Crude.

  Her eyes flicked to the ground, searching for tracks or signs of wildlife. She spotted faint indentations in the dirt—hoofprints, perhaps. Some kind of deer? She crouched down, touching the marks, but her thoughts were interrupted by a faint growl that sent a shiver through her spine.

  She stood slowly, her senses sharpening. Another growl, this time closer. Her eyes narrowed as the pack emerged from the shadows. Wolves. Six of them. The alpha was rger than the rest, its silver fur gleaming even in the dim light, its eyes locked on her.

  Yuki’s gaze met the alpha’s.

  The alpha lunged, a blur of teeth and muscle. Yuki barely sidestepped in time, the wolf’s cws grazing her shoulder. Pain fred briefly, but she didn’t flinch. Her body reacted on instinct, the bck goo pouring from her arms in writhing tendrils.

  She swung them in a wide arc, forcing the wolves back. Defend. Counter. Eliminate. The words echoed in her mind, more monotone and detached than even her earlier thoughts.

  The alpha growled, its pack circling her. Another wolf leapt forward. Yuki thrust her arm out, a jagged bde forming in her hand. The wolf collided with it mid-air, the bde slicing through flesh. Blood sprayed, the scent sharp and metallic. For a moment, she felt something—a flicker of satisfaction, primal and raw. Another wolf charged. Her void tendrils shed out, smming the creature into a tree with a sickening crunch. The pack didn’t hesitate, moving in unison, their attacks coordinated. They were stronger, faster. Her body screamed in protest as teeth sank into her leg, cws raked her side.

  But with each wound, something inside her shifted. Her breathing quickened, her movements grew erratic. The goo responded, morphing and thrashing wildly. She swung her bde, the edge tearing through fur and bone. Tendrils shot out from her back, grabbing and smming wolves to the ground. Her mind blurred. Pain mingled with exhiration, and she felt her lips twitch—was it a smile? Her thoughts fragmented.

  Kill. Eat. Survive. Grow.

  She ducked under another attack, the goo covering her hand shifting, elongating. She sshed upward, cutting deep into the alpha’s fnk. The wolf howled, and her chest swelled with something dark, twisted. Hunger. Joy. Satisfaction. The pack fell one by one. Each death brought another surge of that intoxicating thrill. She wasn’t fighting for survival anymore—she was pying with them.

  Then, silence.

  Yuki blinked, her vision clearing. The forest was still, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. She looked around, her chest heaving. Blood coated the ground, the metallic scent thick in the air. The wolves’ bodies y scattered around her, mutited and broken. Most were unrecognizable, their limbs torn off, their bodies half-digested by the void residue. Her hands trembled as she raised them to her face, staring at the bck goo still writhing faintly. Her breathing hitched.

  I lost control? No—I haven't really been in control for a while have I? Not since I activated [Void Resonance].

  She flexed her fingers, watching as the goo retreated into her skin. Her gaze flicked to the carnage around her, then back to her hands. For a fleeting moment, she felt fear. Not of the wolves. Not of the forest. Of herself. And what she was becoming. But the moment passed, smothered by cold pragmatism. She stepped toward the nearest intact corpses—two wolves, their bodies retively untouched. The others were too far gone, consumed by her power.

  Yuki crouched over the bodies, her hand hovering above one. “[Harvest],” she muttered, her voice ft. Faint tendrils of light rose from the corpse, flowing into her. A notification flickered in her mind—skill points gained, stats increased. Her lips twitched again, the faintest smirk breaking through her monotone expression. Useful. Necessary. Progress.

  She straightened, her void tendrils extending once more. They wrapped around the wolves’ bodies, lifting them with ease. Her movements were mechanical as she dragged them toward the cave she’d spotted earlier. Her thoughts returned to the mantra.

  Food. Shelter. Survival.

  The cave loomed ahead, dark and uninviting, but it would suffice. As she entered, the tendrils deposited the wolves’ bodies near the back. She stood there for a moment, staring at her work, her mind churning with fragmented thoughts.

  Dangerous. Votile. Effective.

  Yuki ran a hand through her hair, brushing away the blood spttered across her face. She flexed her fingers again, staring at them in silence.

  This isn’t normal. This isn’t human.

  And yet, part of her didn’t want it to stop.________

  Kiera_Yanagi