The oppressive silence was his first challenge, a weight that muted all sound and thickened the air. Kaito stood motionless in the security office, his heart racing wildly in his chest. The pitch-black void outside the one-way window felt like an absence where reality should exist.
Yet, he fought against the urge to panic. Panic would lead to errors, so he concentrated on maintaining a steady breath and a clear mind.
[NIGHT CYCLE: 6 DAYS REMAINING.]
The LuminaDrive's announcement hit him like a chill of stark reality. He was trapped in this metal box for six long days, with only a dim emergency light and a sleeping Lumenkin for company.
His priority was Auri; she was his only tool and ally. A malfunctioning ally was of no use. He glanced at her, curled up and gently breathing on the desk. Her stamina read 16/30 and was slowly recharging. "Slow" wasn't good enough.
He needed more light.
Exiting the security office, he navigated the dim corridors lit by the faint glow of emergency lights. The main console was unresponsive, but the backup Lumen-Cell still had some power. He had sparked it; perhaps he could give it more purpose.
Kneeling beside the protected box, he traced the conduits to the main console. It was a straightforward power grid, and he could redirect the meager energy left. He just needed a focus. Checking his pockets, he found his phone was dead, but the charging cable remained. Although modern technology in an ancient setting, its fundamental principles were unaffected.
He stripped the ends of the cable, connecting one to a diagnostic port on the Lumen-Cell and the other to a power input on the main console's primary screen. It was a risky, makeshift hack born from desperation.
After locating the manual override again, he turned it a quarter-turn. A spark flew, the smell of ozone filled the air, and the main console screen flickered to life. The entire system didn't boot fully, but it funneled all 1.7% of the cell's remaining energy to that single screen, illuminating it as a bright, white panel of light.
Not quite sunlight, but definitely brighter than the red emergency lights.
He carried the glowing screen back to the security office and set it up on the desk. The light illuminated Auri, prompting her to stir through their bond.
[AURIWREN STA: 18/30]
[LUM RECHARGE: ACTIVE (MODERATE)]
Much better. Now, he needed food and water; surviving six days on ration bars wasn't feasible.
With the console's brightness guiding him, he explored the pyramid with renewed confidence. Behind a heavy blast door, he found a hydroponics bay filled with decaying plants and dry nutrient tubes, but not everything was lost. In one corner, nourished by a drip from a condensation collector, was a patch of glowing blue-green moss. From it sprouted a few pale, crystalline fruits.
He carefully touched one, and the LuminaDrive provided an analysis.
[OBJECT: LUMEN-MELON]
[TYPE: FLORA (LUMEN-INFUSED)]
[EFFECT: RESTORES 5 STA. MINOR LUMEN RECHARGE.]
[WARNING: EXCESS CONSUMPTION CAUSES LIGHT SENSITIVITY.]
It was edible. He took his time eating one. It had no flavor, resembling gritty water, but offered a slight energy boost. Next, he found the water reclamation unit next to it, a complex system of filters and condensers. After some effort, he got it running and collected a small bottle of clean, sterile water—just enough.
The next day, he allowed Auri to recover under the bright console light. By the time the artificial "morning" of his second day in captivity arrived, her stamina was almost fully restored.
[AURIWREN STA: 28/30]
"Ready for some reconnaissance?" he thought.
Auri chirped, her light vibrant and strong. She took off from his shoulder, a golden scout flitting through the dim red corridors.
They explored the upper levels of the pyramid, which Kaito now realized functioned as a self-contained habitat. They found the barracks, where everything appeared frozen in time, with beds made and personal belongings still scattered on desks. He stumbled across a datapad with a long-dead battery that held one last diary entry.
'Day 4 of the final cycle. The sky is wrong. The sun is weak. The scientists claim the Black Sprawl is advancing. We've sealed the Day-Pyramid. They say the internal light can last for a year. They say help is on the way. I don't trust them. All I hear are the screams from the city at night.'
The chilling words sent a shiver down Kaito's spine. This place wasn't merely a game; it was a tomb filled with echoes of the past.
His curiosity about the outside world ignited a fierce need within him. He had to confront what lay beyond. Upon reaching the security station, he found the main terminal inactive; however, one rugged monitor connected to an external camera with a reliable power source remained functional—a last line of defense.
After successfully powering it on, the screen flickered to life, revealing a plaza outside the pyramid, engulfed in complete darkness. Just as he was about to lose hope, a shape emerged.
It wasn't a living creature. Instead, it was a mass of shadows and malice, slithering across the ground like spilled ink. Formless and shifting, it moved with silent yet terrifying grace, pausing as if it sensed the air near the pyramid's entrance.
A cold dread washed over Kaito, a fear he hadn't felt since he arrived. This was a Nocturnal, the hunter of the dark.
He remained still, observing as the creature eventually lost interest and faded back into the suffocating darkness. Slumping into the chair, his mind raced. Venturing into that darkness would be a death wish. Though Auri was strong, her level was still only 5; that entity was something else entirely.
He glanced at the datapad and the haunting diary entry he had read. 'They say the internal light can last for a year.' He surveyed his makeshift console screen, the few Lumen-melons he had gathered, and the water bottle. He was established, had resources, and time on his side.
A slow, dangerous grin spread across his face. The previous inhabitants had hidden and waited for rescue, suffering as victims.
He wouldn't become a victim.
He had six days—six days of uninterrupted time. He wouldn't just survive; he would prepare, train, and turn this tomb into his personal dojo. When the sun finally returned, he would emerge stronger.
Six days. It was an opportunity.