Rin, Eve, and Lisa followed the Elders through the heavy doors, their footsteps echoing in the corridor.

The air was cool and damp, and the sounds of growls and snarls grew louder with each step. They arrived at a large chamber, lined with reinforced cages. Inside each one, a different monster paced restlessly, their eyes glowing an eerie blue.

In one enclosure, a creature that looked like a cross between a wolf and a lizard paced back and forth, its scaly skin glistening under the dim light. Its eyes darted around the room, never settling on any one thing for more than a second.

In another cage, a beast that resembled a massive, mutated bear lumbered around, its fur matted and tangled. The bear's claws, each one as long as a human finger, scraped against the metal bars of its prison.

A third monster, a hybrid of a snake and a bird, coiled itself around the branches of a dead tree that had been placed inside its enclosure. Its feathers were a sickly, mottled gray, and its eyes burned with the same eerie blue light that seemed to be a common thread among all the creatures.

"Whoa," Rin whispered, taking in the sight. "I've never seen creatures like these before."

Lisa stepped closer to one of the cages, her healer's instincts kicking in. The monster inside was a strange amalgamation of a lion and a serpent, its body covered in shimmering scales and a mane of golden fur. But what caught Lisa's attention were the glowing blue veins that pulsed beneath its skin.

"Look at these markings," she said, pointing to the veins. "They're not natural. It's like they're being infused with some kind of energy."

As Lisa approached the cage, the creature suddenly lunged forward, slamming against the bars with a ferocious roar. Lisa jumped back, startled by the violent outburst.

"Careful!" one of the Elders warned. "They're extremely aggressive."

Eve flew closer, her eyes narrowing as she examined the monster's skin patterns.

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "I've seen markings like these before. In Essence class, back at the academy."

Rin turned to her.

"I... must have slept through that class, heh. What do you mean?"

"Well, it's hard to say for sure," Eve replied, "but it almost looks like these monsters are being possessed by something. Like their bodies are being controlled by an outside force."

As they moved further into the chamber, Rin's gaze was drawn to one creature in particular. It was a yariko, a bird-like creature with the head and body of a lizard. She'd seen it before with Xhez.

The yariko's feathers were a deep, iridescent blue, and its eyes shone with an intelligence that set it apart from the other monsters.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

[Right... Xhez had said these things were harmless.]

Rin walked towards the yariko's cage. One of the Elders rushed forward, trying to stop her.

"Wait!" he called out. "That one is among the most dangerous. It's already killed three of our best handlers."

"Huh?" Rin raised a brow at him, before turning back toward the yariko. "I... don't think so."

So, she kept going.

To everyone's surprise, the beast remained calm, its gaze locked with Rin's. Slowly, cautiously, Rin reached out and placed her hand on the yariko's head, right between its glowing blue eyes.

The yariko let out a soft cry, leaning into Rin's touch.

Rin let out a sigh of relief.

[Well, I didn't get my hand bitten off. Nice.]

"This is a boy," Rin stated.

"How do you know?" Eve asked, eyes wide and curious.

"Xhez told me. She said male yarikos' bodies are all one color, while females are two."

"Oh, wow."

The Elders and Rin's companions watched in stunned silence, hardly daring to breathe.

"How...how is this possible?" one of the Elders whispered, his voice trembling with awe.

Rin stroked the yariko's feathers gently with a little smile.

Then, she felt something.

Her Essence.

For the first time, she could actually feel the "transaction" happening. The one she'd discovered was always automatically occurring.

She could feel her own Essence slipping into the yariko. And, perhaps more surprisingly, it didn't feel that bad.

"It's okay," she murmured softly to the yariko. "We're here to help."

As Rin continued to comfort the beast, it gradually lowered itself until it was resting on the floor. Rin's hand followed it the whole way.

"Wait, look!" Lisa said, jogging up to the cage.

Rin's eyes widened.

The yariko's blue veins were beginning to dim, the glow lessening in intensity.

Lisa, eyes shimmering with curiosity, declared:

"I-I think you're purifying it!"

"I..." Rin kept petting it. "I think you might be right."

---

About ten minutes passed, with Rin's hand still resting on the yariko's head. The group watched in awe as the glowing blue veins gradually faded, until they had completely disappeared.

The yariko's eyes, once filled with that eerie blue light, now shone with a calm, natural intelligence. It let out a soft, contented chirp, nuzzling into Rin's palm.

"Incredible," one of the Elders breathed, stepping closer to the cage. "How did you manage to do that?"

Rin looked up, meeting the Elder's gaze with a thoughtful expression.

"It's... something I discovered recently," she began, trying to find the right words. "Apparently, I have this ability to passively exchange Essence with those around me. It's like a constant give and take, happening without me even realizing it."

The Elder's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and intrigue flashing across his face.

"Fascinating," he murmured, stroking his beard. "There must be more to this. Your gift, it could be the key to understanding what's happening here."

He paused, considering his next words carefully.

"Rin, I would like to invite you to speak with one of our shamans. They are well-versed in matters of Essence. Perhaps they could shed some light on your unique ability."

Rin nodded.

"I appreciate the offer, and I'll definitely take you up on that. But first, we need to find out how these creatures got like this in the first place."

She gestured to the yariko, now resting peacefully in its cage.

"You see, yarikos aren't native to this area. They're usually found in the east, at least as far as I know, far from here."

The Elder's brow furrowed, a look of confusion crossing his face.

"What are you suggesting?"

Rin took a deep breath, her mind racing with possibilities.

"I'm saying that this yariko was probably brought here. It didn't just wander into Cardana on its own."

She looked around at the other cages, taking in the strange, twisted forms of the monsters within.

"Whatever's happening, it may not be completely natural. Someone, or something, could be behind this."