Dawn came thin and gray, bleeding into the Riverside Sanctuary like water through gauze. The palisade clicked and settled as the wind swept over it, the river mist curling low across the cobblestones. Smoke from the night's fire still hung in the air, tinged with metal and blood.
Ethan crossed the square, hand brushing the rough timber of the wall. The others were already gathered near the brazier — the glow painting tired faces in soft orange light.
Lena crouched with a scavenged whiteboard balanced on her knee, already sketching shifts and supply notes. Marcus stood with his hammer across his shoulders, silent and solid. Keith knelt between his lion and tiger, both beasts half-dozing, tails twitching in rhythm. Kira sat on the hood of a wrecked car, knife spinning between her fingers. Ravi scribbled in his notebook, muttering equations to himself.
Maya huddled with her coat pulled tight. Darren sat upright with his spear across his lap, every movement deliberate now, the old tremor gone. Tina was nearest the fire, Jamie curled against her side, Ellie between her two dogs — the husky's frost-glinting fur and the Alsatian's amber eyes keeping silent watch. Caleb leaned on the gate, pale but steady, keeping lookout on the fog-veiled street.
The barrier above shimmered faintly, a heartbeat in the air. Then came the cold voice of the system:
> [Global Countdown: 3 hours until beast mutation.]
The words cut through the quiet like glass breaking.
No one looked away from them.
Lena straightened. "Three hours. If anyone's evolved and hasn't locked it in yet, you do it now. I don't want surprises when the world shifts again."
Marcus snorted. "We're doing a roll call now?"
"Clarity," Ethan said. "We're not just surviving anymore — we're building something. If we don't know what we can do, we can't protect each other."
He turned toward those whose light burned new beneath their skin. "Maya. Tina. Keith. Darren. You four saw something change. Tell us what you chose."
---
Maya
Maya hesitated, her hands twisting the edge of her coat. "Three choices. Siren. Echo Weaver. Resonant Veil."
Her voice trembled, but she kept going. "Siren sounded like control… forcing emotions. Echo Weaver was illusion through sound. I don't want to trick people. So I picked Resonant Veil. It's… more about shielding and disorienting. I can dampen fear, shake enemies, even put them off balance for a few seconds."
She lifted a hand, humming softly. The air rippled — not loud, just warped, like heat waves bending light. Marcus winced, pressing a hand to his ear. Ravi's pencil rolled off his knee.
She stopped instantly. "Sorry!"
Ethan smiled faintly. "Don't be. That could save lives."
A faint overlay shimmered above her head:
> Maya – Evolution I: Resonant Veil (Unlocked)
— Veil Pulse: Cone of vibration causing disorientation. Essence drain scales with radius.
— Harmonic Calm: Dulls fear and panic within a small radius.
— Counter-Resonance: Short burst that interrupts charging foes.
Kira gave a quiet smirk. "Good. Maybe next time they'll stumble instead of scream."
Maya exhaled shakily, her shoulders lowering an inch.
---
Tina
Tina brushed soot from her hands, then stood, keeping one arm around Jamie. "Mine was between Ward-Mother and Sanctum Keeper. I picked Sanctum."
She drew a breath — and warmth spilled from her like sunlight through open shutters. The air grew easier to breathe, the ache in Ethan's limbs softening. Even the lion at Keith's feet gave a low, contented rumble.
> Tina – Evolution I: Sanctum Keeper (Unlocked)
— Hearthlight Aura: Allies nearby resist fear and pain; minor wounds knit faster.
— Circle of Hands: A quick defensive ward that grows stronger when shielding children.
— Anchor's Blessing: Strengthens Gene Warden effects within her aura.
Marcus blinked as his hammer's hum quieted. "Feels like standing near a campfire."
Tina smiled faintly. "That's the idea. We can't fight if we're broken inside."
---
Keith
Keith rose next. His beasts followed in eerie sync — the lion's mane brushing his arm, the tiger's low growl rumbling like distant thunder.
"The system offered me Apex Bond or Pack Master." His voice was rough, but steady. "Apex would've made one of them stronger. Pack Master… expands the bond. Five total, all linked, all growing together. I chose Pack Master."
He looked down at the two great cats, pride flickering beneath the exhaustion. "Now they share senses with me — what one sees, I feel. What one fears, I know. When I find new beasts, they'll join the same thread. But if one dies…" His voice dropped. "I'll feel that too."
> Keith – Evolution I: Pack Master (Unlocked)
— Linked Instinct: Sensory and emotional sync across the bonded pack.
— Unified Hunt: Coordination bonus; pack attacks in near-perfect timing.
— Beast Conduit: Partial essence transfer between Pack Master and beasts.
Ravi stared, half fascinated, half unnerved. "Five creatures moving as one. That's… terrifying efficiency."
Keith shrugged. "It's family. Just not the kind I started with."
Ethan met his gaze. "When the time comes, I can keep your bonds clean — if corruption tries to take them."
Keith nodded once, solemn. "Then we hunt together."
---
Darren
The spear rested against Darren's shoulder like it had always belonged there. His eyes, once full of fear, now held a calm focus.
"I had three options," he said quietly. "Phalanx. Hunter's Reach. Spear Saint. Phalanx was defense — shields and formations. Hunter's Reach was range. I picked Spear Saint."
He stood, took a step forward, and thrust. The tip blurred — faster than any of them expected — and the air split with a sharp crack.
> Darren – Evolution I: Spear Saint (First Stance) (Unlocked)
— Line-Through: Thrust pierces multiple targets in a straight path.
— Anchor Stance: Allies behind gain stability; pushes don't stagger the line.
— Cut the Angle: Precision bonus against sidesteps and feints.
Marcus gave a low whistle. "Didn't know you had that in you."
Darren smiled faintly. "Neither did I."
Ethan felt something stir at that — quiet pride, hard-earned. The man who once shook holding a spear now stood like stone.
---
The Four Lights
Lena stepped forward, crossing her arms. "Four new evolutions. Four new pillars."
She pointed as she spoke: "Maya controls the chaos. Tina steadies morale. Keith builds our beasts into an army. Darren holds the line."
She met Ethan's eyes last. "You're still the center. The Warden who keeps us stitched together."
Ethan nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping across the group — the firelight reflecting in faces he hadn't known weeks ago but now couldn't imagine losing.
Beyond the wall, the mist thickened. The river whispered under its own breath.
> [Global Countdown: 2 hours, 47 minutes.]
"Three hours or less," Lena said quietly. "That's what we've got."
Marcus rolled his shoulders, hammer humming faintly. "Then we build. Then we test. Before everything out there grows fangs."
Ethan's silver threads stirred, sensing the tension in the air — and the pull of something deeper waiting beyond the river.
He gripped the scarf tied at his belt — the last piece of his sister — and looked toward the fog where the zoo lay hidden.
"Let the gods watch," he murmured. "We'll give them something worth watching."