The Last Primal

As if the world had suddenly came to a halt, looking forward to something grand, there was an eerie silence. A strenuous calm before the storm. 

The new core inside Number 3 reached its capacity, but the expected reaction didn't happen. Even the glowing veinous system, the complex halo of the carved out paths had slowly begun to fade away.

A second passed and nothing happened. Then another. Then another.

Then, suddenly, it finally happened.

The fading glow regained its luster, the halo suddenly turned incredibly vibrant, continuing to gain its momentum with each passing second.

In an instant, the body was swallowed by the all-powering golden luster, forming a long, rounded, casket-like cocoon over the body.

Still, that wasn't the end of the process. The casket wobbled, as ripples of energy traversed the surface like the ocean would under a heavy, violent storm. The shape of the cocoon slowly changed, the casket growing smaller and smaller whilst the top began to slowly protrude, reaching towards the sky.

In mere seconds the usual form of a standing egg-shaped cocoon could be seen, shining in its recognizable golden brilliance, with a faint humming sound coming from its depths. The occasional contraction could be seen, telling that whilst they couldn't peek inside, no matter how hard anybody would try or skills they would use, the forbidden godly taboo, an impossible evolution was taking place.

Of course, Aiden tried his best to take a peak, but regardless of what he attempted, he couldn't pass beneath the solidified scaly golden shell.

A faint life sign was all he could make out; Number 3, his Master was fine, and alive, though her state was impossible to tell.

'[Don't worry. You did everything you could, the rest is up to her. The ritual was successful.]' Enya's calming tone resounded in his mind, though even she failed to ease his worry, calm his nerves.

'When will she emerge? What will she turn into? Is what I did the right thing to do?' Question after question emerged inside Aiden's head, the uncertainty of the situation continued to test his mettle, he was already beginning to question his choice. 

Was it really okay to force something on her, change her from the core, and potentially turn her into a monstrosity against her will? Wouldn't what he just did put him on the same level as those monstrous entities, or the rest of the gods that toyed with the mortals of this world?

Still, the other option was even more dreadful. Turning the woman he looked up to and held as one of the most important people in his life becomes a helpless cripple just to watch her slowly rot away in her own self misery and pity would probably be a fate worse than just to leave her to die. For that fate, death would actually truly be the salvation she would be hoping for.

He could only sigh and wait for the moment when the evolution would be completed and Number 3 would emerge before any of Aiden's questions would receive a potential answer.

'[I don't have an answer for any of these questions Aiden. At best I can give you a rough estimate, basing it on Galina's case.]' Enya's voice pulled Aiden out of his thoughts. 

'That's fine.' He answered with a shrug. 'Just tell, what to expect.' He added. 

While waiting for her system guide's response, Aiden turned his attention towards Gupta. A small smile emerged on his face as he saw a small subsection of muddy huts hastily put together closer to the lake: The Skinks have already picked a spot to settle down.

Although it was good to see that the new settlers were accepted by the 'locals', it still surprised him that everything happened so fast. It was only half a day ago when the little lizard people were sent over, yet they already created their own commune making it already taking the shape of the outside world's Slums district. 

'I guess, I should talk to them at some point and ask what they really wish for. From the looks of it, a swamp is probably what they would feel the best at.' He muttered with a small, thin smile stretching across his face.

Before his thoughts could take him further, however, Enya's voice pulled him away once more.

'[At the very least this phase should take a full day, just like with Galina's case….]'

'That go-'

Before Aiden could finish and sigh with relief, Enya continued.

'[…However, it is more than likely that this process would take more, much more than that.]'

'How much more do you think?' The grave, serious tone, began to scare and startle Aiden. He thought that the worse was already over, but Enya's next words almost made him fall back on the ground listlessly.

'[Again, this is just an estimation that I made with the help of the system…] Enya gave a reminder once again, giving a slight pause in her response before finally revealing what Aiden was equally as hoping and dreaded to hear.

'[It could be a few more days, or weeks, months… Or worse…]'

Aiden was already shocked beyond belief. With a shaking gaze, he measured the calm, occasionally pulsating, roughly a meter tall egg as he continued with a sigh.

'How much worse can it possibly be?! Years? Decades? Centuries? NEVER?!'

'[…Years, Aiden. Years. The system can't give a proper estimate as there's no data ever gathered to go by. We aren't even sure what will come out of the shell, we can only hope that it wouldn't be a grotesque amalgamation without any consciousness, but hopefully the woman you were hoping to save. The best you can do is to keep the egg safe and have someone to watch over it.]' Enya responded, giving a few breaths' time for Aiden to process her words, before adding a bit more to her words.

'[As the shell is currently in the plane that belongs solely to you, you can be at ease, knowing it is safe. Have some of these locals you took under your wing guard and watch over it, and report to those that have a connection with you.]'

Listening to everything, Aiden wasn't sure what he should be feeling now. For a brief moment, he felt relieved knowing that the threat was resolved and Number 3 was no longer in immediate danger.

Yet, the uncertainty of the situation, this evolution was something that they couldn't prepare for, they were in the dark. 

For one, there was no evolutionary path to follow, to base any guesses on. What was happening was something that even the system's seemingly limitless database of knowledge, something that Aiden was sure transcended the limits of the world of Eora and probably encompassed millions of years of life crossing over countless worlds… It still drew blanks in terms of this specific case.

That was what truly bothered Aiden, making him turn reckless. Adding to the thought that, like Enya, half-jokingly blurted, that the creature that would emerge, wouldn't just be not human, but not even conscious sentient entity, but some mindless amalgamation…

Aiden could only helplessly sigh, glancing over the golden egg with a worried, distressed look, and hope that her beloved Master would be able to fight and go Against the Overwhelming Odds.

Just one last time.