It wasn't a voice, much less a cry for help. It was more like a primitive instinct that arose from the depths of his being.
Dismayed, he ate what was left of the fruit in one bite and stood up. His shadow was cast twice on the ground due to the two suns in the sky.
'It's energy. Calem energy.'
He tried to look for something different in the area, such as a shadow or some kind of dry plant, but there was nothing special, just a flat, lonely desert horizon stretching out endlessly.
'Where? Where is it coming from?'
First of all, is it possible for Calem energy to exist in other worlds or dimensions? Apparently so, because otherwise, how do the Aberrations cross the portals? Not everything can be the work of the asteroid on Terra, right?
'That's right!'
With that in mind, an idea came to him, exploding in his mind in a moment of enlightenment.
'Where there is energy, there are portals.'
On Terra, this has been happening since the Impact. So why wouldn't it be the same in other dimensions? If Calem energy is present on the planet, portals open, and the Aberrations cross over to conquer the other side, why wouldn't the same phenomenon happen here?
Thinking about it that way, the existence of Portal Aberrations already makes sense. Although, rather than an open secret, it is a theory accepted by today's greatest researchers, so Nova didn't discover anything special.
'And where there are portals, there is—.'
There is a chance to return home.
Nova didn't hesitate. With a relaxed smile, he took his belongings and carried them on his back. He set off on his journey to where the energy is strongest.
'To know where I should go, I must first feel the wind, then what makes up the wind. In the end, I will be able to know where the energy comes from.'
If an Empath concentrates hard enough, they can tell which direction the Calem continent is in, the place where the energy is most concentrated. That is where the asteroid rests; where the power arises.
That's exactly what Nova thought. From the direction of the wind, he frowned in concentration. He focused directly on feeling the gentle, fiery wind dancing through the atmosphere. He deepened his perception from that point until he could sense something creeping through the air.
'There you are.'
Following the feeling that looms before him, he found the way. Now he must quicken his pace and move forward.
He walked faster this time, in a fixed direction across the desert plain. The soles of his boots were melted on the surface. His skin, once white and pale, is red, almost brown, from the sun's rays. He is dirty, stained with blood, and parts of his clothing are torn from his fight against the Tentacle Aberration. But overall, Nova is better than ever.
The only thing that kept running through his mind was the moment he encountered that cadaverous being.
As the days passed, that memory faded, but it was always there. The face of that being, the place where it was, and everything it said.
'The guy with the skull face knows my name. It seems like he knows everything about me.'
He didn't take enough time to think about it after waking up, as he was more focused on knowing that he was alive thanks to his memory and his convenient skill to manipulate seeds and turn them into all kinds of plants.
'His face is starting to blur in my memories.'
Nova sighed.
'Well, whether you know something about me or not, it doesn't matter to me. What matters to me now is what can be useful to me and what can't.'
If the skeleton ghost is not useful, it is not worth thinking about, as remembering it only hinders Nova's journey. It is better to ignore the memory and move forward.
Two more days of travel passed. The bag of fruit was getting smaller, but there was no reason to complain, as something different could already be seen in the distance.
'Is that a rock? A building?'
It looked like a small black rock in the distance, but it could just as easily be something else. In any case, that thing was still very far away, almost imperceptible on the flat horizon. If it was something related to an unknown civilization, it was better to be prepared. No one knew what kind of Aberrations existed in this world.
He was cautious, but also quick.
He walked and walked tirelessly, dragging his boots over the sand with every step. Hot sweat dripped down his forehead, and the weight of the shell shield and fruit slowed him down. But he didn't give up.
He moved forward. He moved forward. And he didn't die.
'It's okay. I can do this. It's not as hard as it looks.'
It's just putting one foot in front of the other. Even if you're tired, you'll keep moving forward. Your survival instinct will drive you forward, because your brain doesn't want you to die. It's natural, a simple perception of human beings and all living creatures that exist.
Survival above all else. It's something far removed from feeling and not feeling; that's why Nova keeps moving forward without stopping.
More hours passed on the journey. There shouldn't be anything strange this time, but in this world nothing makes sense. Or maybe it does, it's just that this poor human's perception is only linked to that of his own planet.
As the hours passed, the big sun and the small sun finally sank below the horizon for the first time in nine days. In a few minutes, darkness devoured the sand like a hungry beast, spreading across this side of the planet like a huge wave.
He looked up at the sky, surprised by how different this world was.
'Night. Is this what night is like in this place?'
It was dark, completely dark. There was not a single star in the sky, let alone any cosmic dust or other celestial bodies that generate even the slightest bit of light.
Nova could see absolutely nothing. He closed his eyes and opened them again. It was the same. Absolute darkness.
'There is no moon.'
Why would there be a moon in a place where there is not a single drop of water or stars? This world is too cruel.
'So, darkness is all there is for me tonight?'
That seemed to be the case.
Accepting his fate with discouragement, and with a disappointed sigh, he placed his shell on the ground. Not as a protective chair, but as a makeshift shield. He clung to his cane, digging it into the sand, and took out his communicator.
The screen glowed, showing a little light.
'The light from this thing isn't enough.'
It would serve as a flashlight, but it wouldn't be worth it because the light emitted by the screen is very dim compared to the darkness. It would even be better to walk blindly than to use up the communicator's little battery.
'What should I do next? Walk blindly?'
With energy perception, and considering that the entire area is flat and deserted, Nova could walk calmly without stumbling. He would shorten the journey considerably by doing so.
However, here came the most chilling question of all.
'I might be fine if I walk blindly, but how long will the night last?'
The small sun takes approximately 42 hours to appear, while the large sun would take much longer. Maybe twice or three times as long. Nova hasn't had a chance to calculate that part.
'The night will last almost two days...'
He frowned, a little impatient.
'Will there be nighttime Aberrations?'
Such a simple idea that sounds chilling and distant, but not impossible.
'That would be a big problem. Should I leave? Should I stay and rest?'
Stay or move forward. Once again, this dilemma arises. If Nova stays, it is likely that an Aberration like the one before or a completely new one will appear. He was already too lucky in the last few days that another strange Sand Octopus did not appear.
Even if he moves forward, the odds are the same, but he would shorten the path.
Personally, the best decision was already clear.
'I don't even know why I'm thinking about it so much. I'm going to hell!'
He stood up. With difficulty, he equipped his belongings and gripped his staff tightly.
'If anything appears, I'll beat it to death with this stick! I also have seeds! I'll blow them up like I did with the other jerk!'
With courage, stupidity, or enough calm, Nova walked in the dark.
The journey was more difficult this time. The boy thought he wouldn't trip over anything, but he discovered that the sand is malleable on the surface, and if you step wrong, you can end up kissing the ground.
He learned the hard way, after four falls, that he had to learn to walk blindly. He kept that in mind in the moments that followed.
The hours passed without incident. Sometimes, Nova would stop to catch his breath and then continue on. The cold of the night was not a problem either. In fact, the weather right now is mild. It is neither cold nor hot.
That is certainly strange, but from then on, the journey was calm and quiet.
'I wish I had someone with me.'
A very selfish thought, but a necessary one. Not having gone mad before is a great feat, but it hasn't been long enough to consider that possibility. Having someone else there would have been good. At least talking about anything would be calming for anyone.
How many hours have passed? Ten? Nova checked his communicator. A little over twelve hours had passed since he decided to move forward. The darkness remained total.
'Is it much longer?'
Much longer...
Sometimes, Nova smiled calmly as he looked at the background on the communicator's glass screen. It was a photograph of Adelaide, Viktor, and himself as a child, holding a green egg the size of a child's head.
He stared at the image in silence as he moved forward. The deathly silence of this place is too depressing when there is no one around to make noise.
Then he understood how much he misses his home. Even though he may not be able to feel like others, Nova also has a heart.
'Will I be able to return?'
His eyes became empty in the light and the image. However, the dim light illuminating his face caused something to stare at him from the darkness.
Nova didn't notice it at first. He turned off his communicator and kept walking, but when he heard a growl behind him, he immediately turned around and sharpened his senses.
'Huh. I knew it. It was too good to be true.'
Something walked around him. The sand moved with the slight movements of four limbs constantly brushing the ground.
Nova raised his guard. He had the shell covering his back and the stick to cover his face. So it's okay. But what kind of Aberration wants to attack him? Its footsteps don't sound like those of a large, heavy monster.
He waited for a few seconds, raising his guard. Then it happened.
Something lunged at him and pushed him hard into the sand. As he covered himself with the stick, his back hit the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs for a moment. It took him a while to realize that the beast lying on top of him wanted to bite his face, as its growls and chewing teeth were very close to his eyes.
The Aberration wasn't very heavy, but it was strong enough to force the boy to protect himself with everything he had.
'Damn... It's so strong...'
With no other choice, he activated his Spectrum. The yellow, almost golden aura covered his entire body. His strength increased along with the capabilities of his Spectrum, giving him the ability to defend himself.
Taking advantage of his own momentary buff, Nova pushed the staff upward with all his strength. The Aberration seemed to recoil into the darkness, falling onto the sand and letting out a groan of pain as it fell.
Taking advantage of this moment, Nova took out his communicator and illuminated the scene.
What he saw made him lose all hope.
"Oh, man..."
It wasn't just one, or two. There were about fifty damn dark-coated four-legged beasts!
They looked like dogs, but they weren't. Each had four legs, but the composition of their bodies was like black mist that blurred in the light of the communicator. They had horns coiled on their heads, with sharp black teeth in their elongated snouts. They had no eyes, but for some reason they could see.
All the beasts growled and stared Nova in the eyes. They weren't very big, as he had already seen, being only half the height of an average man, but there were so many of them!
'I think there's only one thing I can do at a time like this…'
They all thought the same thing.
'I'm getting out of here!'
He ran in the opposite direction with all his might. Sand got into his boots with every step, but that matters little when you're being chased by fifty hungry monsters.
It took him a while to realize that the herd of Aberrations was running at the same speed as him. When he shone his communicator light, there were only a few meters between them.
'Damn it! Why didn't they send me another killer octopus?!'
This is going to be a very long night.