KiAera, still panting from the chase, froze as a new presence emerged from the smoke. At first, she didn't recognize him as anything more than another monster—a fur-covered creature with an awkward, almost hunched stance. His eyes, however, weren't filled with the same primal fury she'd seen in the Ilosphat or even the Kobolbo. There was confusion there, hesitation.

Another predator? she thought, instinctively stepping back. Her muscles tensed, ready to defend herself. The smoke, thick and swirling, made it hard to discern his full form. His fur coat gleamed oddly under the flickering flames, and he looked almost comical, like some bipedal bear that had misplaced its sense of menace. But KiAera wasn't fooled. Every creature in this twisted world seemed capable of tearing her apart if it wanted to.

Her ear tightened around GamaGen, even though the book's energy was still drained. She didn't have many options. Specter Fire had bought her a moment, but the Ilosphat wasn't down for good. And now, this thing—whatever it was—stood between her and the only path of escape.

The creature stepped forward, raising his hands—or paws—in a gesture that immediately struck her as unusual. It wasn't an aggressive move; if anything, it looked like... surrender?

"Hey! Hey, uh, don't freak out!" His voice was oddly casual for a beast. "I'm not here to eat you or anything, okay? Let's... let's take it easy."

KiAera's ears twitched, her eyes narrowing. The monster was talking. She'd seen weirder things, but it wasn't helping her trust him any more. "What do you want?" she growled, her claws slowly extending.

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

Creature: Bilpefur

APeX: [20 Units]

Attributes: [Beast]

Variant Grade: [Common]

Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

The creature—a Bilpefur, if her Insight was to be trusted—flinched slightly, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, so... This is going to sound really weird, but... I'm not actually from here. I mean, I'm a person. Or, I was. I think. Well, you know... human? From Earth?"

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KiAera's heart skipped a beat. Her grip loosened just a little, and her eyes flicked over him again, more carefully this time. He wasn't moving like the others. His stance, his speech—it was familiar. Too familiar. Her ears twitched as she processed his words.

"Human?" she repeated, incredulous. She'd been through enough to know that not everything that talked was trustworthy, but... there was something different about him. Something... mundane.

"Yeah! Human! Well, I was. Dariel. That was my name. You're—" He trailed off, squinting at her, as if trying to remember something. "You too, right? I mean... before all this?"

KiAera's mind whirled. This was the first time since arriving in this world that anyone had mentioned Earth. The cold, stark reality of her past hit her like a wave. The war, the devastation, the endless running.

"Maybe." Her voice was low, guarded. "Maybe I was."

Dariel—Bilpefur—lowered his hands slightly, sensing the tension begin to ease. "See? We're on the same side. I don't know what kind of messed-up place this is, but I'm pretty sure we're both stuck here. Probably as part of some experiment or... game."

Her eyes darkened at the word game. "You think this is a game?" she spat, her claws flexing again. "You think this is fun?"

"No! No, that's not what I meant!" Dariel backpedaled quickly, his paws raised again. "Look, I didn't mean like... fun for us. There's something bigger going on here. Something playing with us. I was just... a game programmer, before all this. I don't know why I'm here any more than you do."

KiAera's heart raced. A programmer? That explained a lot. She had dealt with techies before, people who thought they could manipulate systems like they were puzzles. She had been one. This man was no warrior. No fighter. Just someone caught up in something he didn't understand.

Her mind flickered back to GamaGen, still dormant. She thought of the strange pull of this world, the sensation that they were all being watched, played with, tested.

Lord DeNultra's games, the thought surfaced. Another pawn, just like me.

"So what's your plan, Dariel?" she asked sharply, testing the waters. "You got one, or are you just wandering around, hoping not to get eaten?"

Dariel let out a nervous chuckle. "Honestly? The second one, mostly." He rubbed his fur-covered arms. "I've been trying to avoid the bigger monsters, just like you, I guess. But... I think we should stick together. Safety in numbers, right?"

KiAera hesitated. The idea of teaming up wasn't exactly thrilling—trust didn't come easily. Not anymore. But if this Dariel was really human, really from Earth...

Behind her, the Ilosphat stirred, shaking off the last of the Spectral Flame's chill. It growled, stalking forward through the trees, regaining its deadly focus.

"Okay," KiAera said at last, her voice firm. "But if you try anything, anything at all, I'll make sure you regret it."

Dariel's face broke into a relieved smile. "Deal."

Just as the Ilosphat lunged, KiAera pivoted on her heel. "Now, run!"