Ares limped through the ruins, his body aching from the battle with the spider. The dim glow of bioluminescent fungi cast eerie shadows along the cracked stone walls, illuminating symbols carved deep into the surface. The air was thick with dust, but beneath it, there was something else—a faint pulse, rhythmic and steady.

  Then he saw it.

  A massive structure stood at the heart of the ruins, partially collapsed but still exuding an undeniable presence. At its center, an object pulsed with a faint glow. It was embedded into a fractured pedestal, tendrils of unknown material connecting it to the surrounding architecture. The light within it flickered weakly, as if struggling to stay alive.

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  System: [Unclassified energy source detected. Attempting analysis...] [ERROR]

  Ares stepped closer. The air around the device felt different—denser, heavier, yet strangely familiar. A subtle pressure settled on his skin, not painful but noticeable.

  System: [Energy signature partially matches unidentified organ. Further analysis required]

  His heart pounded. The unidentified organ—the same one producing the energy he’d used for fire. Was this device related to it?

  He reached out cautiously. The closer his hand got, the more he could feel it—something faint but undeniable, like a whisper in the back of his mind.

  Then—

  System: [WARNING—Unclassified field interaction detected. Biological response unknown. Proceed with caution]

  His body was weak, his mind exhausted, but this place—this ruined facility—held answers.

  And he was going to find them.