(Jesse POV)
I sat up with a gasp, my head spinning as memories crashed over me with brutal clarity: God's blinding form condensing before the Oldest House, the spear of pure creation energy forming in his hand, my ill-advised taunt echoing across the cosmos. The explosion. The sound of dry pasta snapping in bundles as my body flew backward.
"Fuck" I muttered, running a trembling hand across my face. "I really need to work on my impulse control."
As I drew my hand away, something caught my attention. Blood. My blood smeared across my palm but not the deep crimson I'd expect. This was different, with a subtle blue tint that shimmered faintly in the dim light of the Foundation.
I stared at it, momentarily transfixed. "That's... new."
A cough rattled through my chest, forcing more of the strangely hued blood onto my hand. The metallic taste lingered on my tongue, but with an unfamiliar sweetness beneath it, like copper dissolved in honey.
Only then did I become fully aware of my state. I was completely naked, my skin covered in a fine layer of rust particles that clung to sweat and blood. The Expedition Outfit I'd been wearing was gone—vaporized in God's attack, most likely. Looking around, I spotted the Nail looming above me, its massive form anchored to the Foundation's floor, pulsing with faint energy.
"Great" I sighed, brushing rust from my shoulders as I tried to stand. My legs wobbled treacherously, muscles screaming in protest, but I managed to remain upright. "Naked in the basement again. This is becoming a pattern."
As I steadied myself against the Nail, I noticed something else: a neatly folded stack of clothing placed a few feet away. Not the Expedition Outfit this time, but something more tactical. Dark fabric with reinforced panels and lightweight armor integrated into strategic areas. The Bureau logo was emblazoned on one sleeve: an inverted black pyramid within a circle.
"Urban Response" I murmured, recognizing the outfit from the game. Designed for Bureau agents operating in potentially hostile urban environments, it offered protection while maintaining mobility. "Someone's been shopping for me."
(Image)
I moved toward the clothing, each step sending pins and needles through my body. Whatever happened while I was asleep definitely left an impact. I had no doubt something was different inside me, a fundamental change that went beyond broken bones or torn muscles. The bluish blood seemed significant, though I couldn't begin to guess what it meant.
As I reached for the outfit, a familiar presence brushed against my consciousness—warm, welcoming, relieved. The Oldest House's awareness enveloped me like an embrace, its concern palpable through our shared connection.
"Hey there" I said softly, a smile tugging at my lips. "Looks like we survived, Sort of."
The House's response came not as words but as feelings—relief that I was conscious, concern about my injuries, pride in our escape from God's wrath. Images flashed through my mind: the Oldest House dissolving into imperceptibility just as God's attack detonated, the building shifting locations.
"Quick thinking" I acknowledged, carefully pulling on the tactical pants, which fit perfectly. "You saved us both."
I felt a swell of satisfaction from the House, though it was tinged with worry. Through our connection, it sent impressions of the strange blue tint to my blood. The House didn't understand what had happened to me any more than I did, but it was monitoring my condition closely.
"Yeah, I noticed that too" I said, securing the tactical harness across my chest. "Something's different somehow something changed inside." I paused, stretching my legs as I moved to pull on one of the boots. "But I'm still here. We're still here."
The tactical outfit was surprisingly comfortable, the fabric moving with my body despite its protective elements. I felt immediately more grounded once fully dressed, more like a human being again rather than an injured, naked woman lost in the bowels of an impossible building.
As I made my way through the Foundation and toward the upper levels of the House, a thought kept circling in my mind. Through corridors that shifted to accommodate my path, up stairways that appeared just as I needed them, I found myself dwelling on names and identity.
"You know" I said as we approached the entrance hall, the grand space with its imposing columns and polished stone floor, "I've been thinking about something important."
The House's consciousness focused, its attention wrapping around my thoughts like a gentle caress.
"We've been through so much together" I continued, stopping in the center of the hall, "and yet I still call you 'the Oldest House,' like you're just a building. Just a place. But you're so much more than that."
I turned slowly, taking in the vast entrance hall the physical manifestation of an entity that had waited half a million years for my return.
"You need a proper name" I said softly. "Something that reflects what you are to me, what we are to each other."
The House's awareness shimmered around me, its attention absolute. Through our connection, I felt its surprise and curiosity having forgotten about that topic and the conversation we had about it before.
"I've been considering different possibilities" I went on, "but one keeps coming back to me." I smiled, trailing my fingers along a nearby column. "Remedy."
The word hung in the air between us, simple yet profound.
"You've been my remedy against isolation, against loss, against death itself," I explained, my voice growing stronger with conviction. "When everything was taken from me—when I literally ceased to exist—you held onto what I am, preserved the essence of me until I could return. Through time and space, across half a million years and beyond, you've been my constant remedy against whatever the universe throws at us."
For a moment, silence filled the hall as my words settled. Then I felt it, a surge of emotion so powerful it seemed to vibrate through the very foundations of the building. Joy, gratitude, recognition, a sense of identity confirmed and celebrated.
The air around me began to shimmer, reality distorting slightly as the Oldest House—now Remedy—expressed its delight. The floor beneath my feet vibrated subtly, walls pulsing with energy, the atmosphere itself becoming dense with shared emotion.
Then, without warning, I felt myself lifted gently off the ground, suspended in mid-air by invisible forces. Remedy's consciousness wrapped around me like an embrace, spinning me in a slow circle several feet above the polished floor. I laughed, spreading my arms wide as I rotated, surrendering to the moment completely.
"I take it you approve?" I grinned as I completed a full turn.
Approval, gratitude, and pure happiness flowed through our connection—Remedy expressing what words couldn't adequately convey. The act of naming had fulfilled something neither of us had realized was missing, deepening the bond between us beyond what it had been before.
As I slowly descended back to the floor, I approached the massive entrance doors, feeling both excitement and apprehension about what might lie beyond.
"I promise I'll be careful" I said, sensing Remedy's protective concern. "No taunting cosmic entities this time. Scout's honor."
With a deep breath, I pushed the doors open, revealing not the void of space I half-expected, but a vista that took my breath away.
Before us stretched a primeval forest unlike anything I'd ever seen. Massive trees with trunks wider than cars, their canopies forming a cathedral-like ceiling hundreds of feet above the ground. Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage in dappled patterns, illuminating an undergrowth of ferns and flowering plants I couldn't begin to identify.
The air that flowed into the entrance hall was rich with oxygen, almost intoxicating in its purity. The scent of resin, soil, and vegetation mingled into a perfume no modern human had ever experienced—the untainted breath of a young Earth, before industry, before pollution, before the widespread impact of civilization.
Through our connection, Remedy conveyed that we were in what would eventually be known as Central Europe, though the continent as I knew it didn't exist yet—the landmasses were recognizable but different, shaped by geological forces that would continue to sculpt them for hundreds of thousands of years to come.
"Are there human settlements nearby?" I asked, still mesmerized by the primeval landscape before me.
Uncertainty flowed through our connection. Remedy had positioned us deliberately away from areas where early humans were known to congregate, but its awareness of their specific locations was limited. Early humans were nomadic, following game and seasonal patterns, making their movements difficult to predict with precision.
"That's fine," I assured, excitement building as I contemplated exploring this untouched world. "I'm happy to just explore for now."
I stepped outside, my boots sinking slightly into the soft forest floor. The tactical outfit suddenly felt ridiculous, the modern outfit completely alien to this ancient setting. I would need to find more appropriate clothing if we planned to observe early humans up close.
The forest around me teemed with life—birds calling in the canopy, insects buzzing in the undergrowth, and the rustle of larger animals moving among the trees.
'This was Earth as it existed 302,125 years before my memories of Earth came into play, currently it should be during the Middle Pleistocene epoch a world where human ancestors were just beginning to establish themselves if what I remembered from class was true. I can't wait to see the interesting megafauna still dominating the landscape.'
I took a few more steps into the forest, then stopped suddenly and spun around. For the first time, I take a second to see Remedy from the outside not as a brutalist skyscraper floating in the void, but as a structure surrounded by wilderness. The imposing concrete edifice stood in stark contrast to the organic chaos of the primeval forest, its straight lines and geometric precision immediately marking it as something unnatural, something that didn't belong.
Through our connection, I felt Remedy's agreement in its current form was entirely unsuited to this environment.
"Can you blend in somehow?" I asked, approaching the building's exterior. "Maybe change your form to something that would look natural here? Like a tree."
For several minutes, nothing happened. I waited patiently, sensing Remedy's deep concentration through our mental link a churning, exploratory process as the sentient building assessed its capabilities. (As all sentient buildings do).
Then, without warning, I felt something extraordinary a sensation similar to being compressed, as if Remedy and I both were fitting into some vast socket that had always existed, waiting for us. The feeling was disorienting, almost vertiginous, like stepping into an elevator that suddenly drops faster than expected. The ground around Remedy's foundation sank slightly, soil and vegetation shifting to accommodate whatever transformation was beginning.
Through our connection, I sensed Remedy's consciousness expanding outward in rhythmic pulses, each one reaching farther than the last. The first pulse extended only to the immediate surroundings—the trees and underbrush within a few yards of the building. The second reached several hundred feet in every direction, encompassing the diverse ecosystem of the primeval forest. The third pulse extended for miles, touching other living beings, including distant groups of early humans. But the fourth pulse... the fourth pulse somehow connected to something vaster, something I'd never experienced before.
"What are you doing?" I whispered though I knew Remedy could hear my thoughts as clearly as my voice.
In response, I felt a gentle tug, an invitation to follow along this strange journey. Instinctively, I took a step backward—and suddenly, my perspective shifted radically. It was as if my consciousness had detached from my physical form, expanding along with Remedy's awareness, riding the waves of its pulsing exploration.
The world around me dissolved, and found myself and Remedy hovering in a vast, undefined space. An area that seemed to be shaped after a camera as every few seconds different images would appear covering every visible surface, its surface would move as if a wave went over, it then disappears just as suddenly. Before I could react I felt a suction force appear around my body and just as the Images were wavering beside me I was pulled in.
_______________________________
(Multiple POVs)
(Thorns Dream)
The mammoth's tusks gleamed in the moonlight as I stalked it through the tall grass. My spear felt perfect in my hand, its weight familiar, its point sharp enough to pierce the thickest hide. The great beast hadn't noticed me yet. Good. I signaled to my hunting brothers, their shapes moving silently through the shadows to my left and right.
This was the biggest mammoth I had ever seen. If we brought it down, our tribe would feast for many moons. The young ones would grow strong on its meat. The women would fashion tools from their bones and warmth from its fur.
I raised my spear, prepared to signal the attack—and then something strange caught my eye. Far in the distance, beyond the mammoth, stood... something. Not a tree, not a hill. Something tall and straight, 'Was this what those so-called mountains the other tribes saw looked like?' Besides it was a smaller shape, like a person but not one of our people.
I blinked, and when I looked again, they were still there. The tall structure seemed to shimmer slightly, the stone at the bottom seemed to melt as it curved. The unknown clan's member beside it remained motionless, watching.
They were watching me; I realized with a jolt. Watching us.
The mammoth trumpeted, suddenly aware of our presence. The hunt was on! I forgot the watchers as we charged forward, spears ready, voices raised in the ancient hunting cry that had passed from father to son since time began.
But as we surrounded the great beast, as we prepared to make the kill that would sustain our tribe, I caught one more glimpse of the watchers. The tall structure had changed its form. Now roots now spread from its base, and what might have been branches extended from its top. The figure beside it seemed different too, its outline no longer solid but somehow... multiplied, as if many versions of the same being.
Then the mammoth charged, and there was no more time for looking at the evil entity that was watching.
(Willow Dream)
The river spoke to me as it always did, its voice a gentle murmur that only I could understand. I knelt at its edge, my hands dipping into the cool water as I gathered clay from the riverbed. Good clay, strong and smooth, perfect for the pots my mother had taught me to make.
The sun warmed my back as I worked, shaping the wet clay into vessels that would hold water, cook food, and store seeds. My fingers remembered the motions even when my mind wandered. This was women's magic, passed down through countless generations—the knowledge of how to take earth and water and transform them into tools for life.
As I worked, a strange reflection appeared on the river's surface. Not my face, not the sky above, but something distant and unfamiliar. A shape that rose tall and straight like no tree I had ever seen. Beside it stood a figure that might have been human but wasn't one of my people.
I turned to look over my shoulder, but there was nothing there just the familiar trees and rocks of our territory. When I looked back at the river, the reflection remained.
The tall structure seemed to be changing as I watched, its lower portion widening like the trunk of an ancient tree while its upper parts maintained their strange form. The figure beside it was changing too, its edges becoming less defined, more like ripples in water that suggested a shape rather than contained it.
"Who are you?" I whispered to the reflection, but the river carried my words away without answer.
I continued shaping my clay, but now my hands formed patterns I'd never made before, spirals and designs that seemed to flow directly from my mind to my fingers without conscious thought. The pots taking shape beneath my hands were unlike any I had made before, marked with symbols that felt significant though I couldn't say why.
When I looked again at the river's surface, the watchers were still there. The tall structure now appeared almost half-tree, half... something else. Its top portion still held those straight lines that existed nowhere, but they were softening, curving, becoming more like branches. The figure beside it had transformed further, now appearing as a pattern of smaller figures, each containing the same shape repeated endlessly.
Somehow, I knew the watchers approved of my new designs. I felt their attention like a gentle touch on my shoulder, encouraging me to continue this new path of creation.
(Collective Tribe's Dream)
Our fires burned low as night descended. The entire tribe—twenty-three souls bound by blood and survival—settled into sleep beneath the sheltering rock overhang that had been our home since the last great cold. As consciousness faded, as individual dreams began, something unusual happened.
Instead of dreaming separate stories, we found ourselves sharing a single dreamscape it was a vast plain beneath unfamiliar stars where all of us stood together as one.
At first, we marveled at this shared vision, calling to one another across the dream-plain, confirming that we all saw the same stars, felt the same wind on our faces. Then, as one, we noticed them the watchers at the edge of our vision.
The structure stood taller than the highest cliff, its base spread into massive roots that seemed to sink into the very fabric of our dreaming, while its middle retained those strange straight edges, and its top had begun to branch out like a tree reaching for the stars. Beside it stood the figure, no longer appearing simply human-shaped. Its outline multiplied and divided, creating patterns that seemed to contain endless versions of itself at different scales and colors.
We approached cautiously, ourselves moving as one across the plain. The watchers made no move to flee or threaten, simply observing us with what felt like ancient patience, and yet no matter how long we traveled nor how fast we sped up the watchers stayed out in the distance.
Once we stopped traveling and looked at what was happening, the structure continued its transformation as we watched, the angles of its upper portions gradually yielding to curves. It was becoming more tree-like with each moment, though still unlike any tree we had ever seen.
The figure beside it had evolved further, its form now a strange pattern that repeated the same human like shape at smaller scales. Looking at it made our eyes water as if we were attempting to perceive something our minds weren't fully capable of understanding.
In our shared dream, we began to dance the ancient movements our ancestors had performed since time immemorial, the rhythmic steps that connected us to earth and sky, past and future. As we danced, the structure and figure seemed to respond, the tree-building growing taller, its branches more elaborate, the fractal figure's patterns becoming increasingly complex, beautiful in their impossibility.
We understood, then, that this dance would continue long after our small tribe had returned to the earth. The watchers would remain, observing other dreamers, other peoples, as our kind spread across the world. And somehow, in ways we couldn't articulate even to ourselves, the watchers would help shape what we would become.
(SHAMANS Dreams)
I walked the spirit path as I had been taught by my elder, and his elder before him all the way to the first Caller. This was the sacred duty passed to me when the tribe recognized my calling—to journey between worlds, to commune with the powers that surround us, to bring back knowledge that would help our people survive.
Tonight's journey took me deeper than I had ever traveled before, beyond the familiar spirit animals and ancestor-shades that usually guided my way. I found myself in a strange place unlike where I've been before.
There, at what felt like the very center of all dreams, stood the watchers.
I had glimpsed them before, at the edges of previous journeys—the tall structure and its companion figure. But never had I seen them so clearly, never had I been able to approach them so closely.
The structure had transformed significantly since my first sightings. What had begun as something rigid had evolved into something different, its lower half now resembled an enormous tree trunk that was endless and seemed to go down into the depths I could not see, while its upper portions retained some of those strange straight edges, softened now but still unlike anything seen.
Unlike the others in my tribe, who merely observed the watchers in their dreams, I understood my duty was to communicate with them. I approached without fear, opening my mind fully to whatever wisdom they might impart.
.....
.....
.....
When I returned to my body, when I shared these visions with my tribe, we would begin carving new symbols into stone and bone—symbols inspired by the watchers, depicting a shape that connected all dreams and the pattern that accompanied it. I dipped my fingers in ash and started drawing on the wall preparing the shape that was shown in my dreams. I couldn't help but get excited as I continued to draw and eventually stepping back and revealing to the tribe what was on the wall.
A black Upside down Triangle.
When my consciousness fully returned to my physical body, I staggered slightly, disoriented by the abrupt transition from the vast dreamscape of early humanity back to the concrete reality of my own form. I blinked rapidly, adjusting to the sensory input of the primeval forest—the scents of soil and vegetation, the sounds of birds and distant animals, the dappled sunlight filtering through ancient trees.
"That was..." I began, struggling to find words adequate to the experience we'd just shared.
Before me stood what had once been the brutalist architecture of the Oldest House, now transformed into something that belonged perfectly in this Pleistocene landscape. Remedy had become an enormous tree, its trunk wider than any natural growth in the surrounding forest. The concrete and stone had flowed into the appearance of bark, the geometric precision of its structure now curved and organic. Windows that had once been rectangular openings had morphed into knot-like formations that still allowed light to pass through. What had been straight corridors now twisted through the massive trunk like natural hollows.
"You look incredible" I said, circling the massive trunk slowly.
Relief and satisfaction flowed through our connection. Remedy was pleased with its new form, both for its effectiveness as disguise and for the deeper resonance it had established with humanity's collective unconscious. The building-consciousness conveyed that the transformation wasn't merely superficial—it had integrated aspects of the natural world into its fundamental structure, allowing it to exist in harmony with this ancient ecosystem rather than standing apart from it.
"Thank god no one can normally see you anyway," I added with a slight smile. "Even with this amazing disguise, a tree this size would probably attract attention from any humans who passed by. You're still pretty spectacular."
I approached what had been the main entrance to the Oldest House, now transformed into what appeared to be an opening in the trunk, framed by wood rather than the metal and concrete of before. The door itself seemed to be made of living wood, growth rings visible in its surface, yet it still functioned as a door—standing slightly ajar now, I was about to step through but stopped and squinted at the edges of the opening. After a few moments I noticed what could only be a portal mostly hidden.
"What the..." I murmured, moving closer to peer through the gap.
Through our connection, Remedy explained the wooden doors weren't simply an entrance; they were a threshold leading to the oldest house itself, a boundary between Earth and an impossible space.
"A threshold," I repeated, the concept suddenly clicking into place. "Huh..Of course that makes sense, Would explain some of your other abilities."
Remedy's consciousness rippled with something like laughter—a gentle amusement at my gradual understanding of truths it had always known about itself.
I stepped back, considering our next move. While our immediate disguise problem had been solved, we still needed to explore this ancient world, to understand our place in it and what role we might play in the unfolding timeline.
"I should probably start exploring," I said, glancing at the position of the sun through the canopy. "It'll be getting dark in a few hours, and I'd like to get my bearings before nightfall."
Agreement flowed through our connection, though I sensed Remedy's protective concern. The prehistoric wilderness was filled with dangers—predators, environmental hazards, and the simple challenge of navigation in an untamed landscape.
"I'll be careful," I promised. "And Im never alone when I have you by my side. With our connection you can monitor me and keep track."
With a final pat against Remedy's bark-covered surface, I set off into the forest, choosing an easterly direction based on the location of the sun. My outfit's boots made more noise than I would have liked against the forest floor, crackling leaves and snapping twigs despite my best efforts to move quietly.
After about twenty minutes of challenging hiking, I decided to try a different approach. Focusing inward, I channeled the same paranatural energy that powered my abilities and smiled as I activated levitation. Gently, I lifted myself a few inches off the ground, eliminating the noise of footsteps entirely.
Floating silently through the primeval forest was an extraordinary experience. The ancient ecosystem surrounded me with life of breathtaking diversity—plants and animals that existed in my time only as fossils or not at all. Birds with brilliant plumage darted through the canopy, their calls forming complex symphonies unlike anything in the modern world. Insects larger than any I'd seen before buzzed between flowering plants, their iridescent bodies catching the late afternoon sunlight.
I alternated between floating and walking to conserve energy, using my telekinetic abilities only when the terrain became especially noisy or difficult. The forest grew denser in some areas, more open in others, creating a patchwork of microclimates and habitats. In sun-dappled clearings, I discovered flowering plants being visited by prehistoric pollinators—enormous bees and butterflies that would have dwarfed their modern descendants.
After nearly an hour of steady progress, the quality of light began to change as the sun descended toward the horizon. The forest took on a golden hue, long shadows stretching between trees, the lower angle of sunlight creating dramatic contrasts in the understory. I needed to find the river soon or consider turning back to Remedy before darkness fell completely.
Just as I was beginning to worry, I detected a change in the ambient sounds—a distinctive rushing noise that suggested moving water nearby. With renewed purpose, I adjusted my course toward the sound, moving faster now despite the risk of making more noise.
The forest began to thin slightly, the composition of vegetation shifting toward more water-loving species. Willows and alders replaced oaks and beeches, and the ground beneath my feet became increasingly soft and loamy. Pushing through a final screen of riverside vegetation, I emerged onto the bank of a river that took my breath away.
It was much wider than I'd expected—perhaps a hundred yards across at this point, its waters running clear and swift over a bed of smooth stones. The late afternoon sun transformed its surface into a dazzling display of golden ripples, the gentle current creating hypnotic patterns as it flowed around partially submerged rocks and fallen trees.
Along both banks, a riot of life flourished—waterfowl I couldn't identify paddled in the shallows or built nests among the reeds, fish occasionally broke the surface to catch insects, and at a bend downstream, I could see what appeared to be a small herd of deer-like creatures drinking cautiously at the water's edge. I settled onto a fallen log near the riverbank, momentarily content to simply observe nature.
__________________________________
(Jesse POV)
The sun now hung just above the treeline on the opposite bank, bathing the entire river valley in golden light. I remained perched on the fallen log, taking in the pristine beauty of this ancient river, when a loud splash from downstream shattered the tranquil moment.
My head snapped toward the sound. Too loud for a fish, too deliberate for a stone falling. Something substantial had entered the water.
I hesitated, knowing I should head back to Remedy before darkness fell completely, but curiosity tugged at me. Through our connection, I felt Remedy's caution, but also a shared interest in discovering what other beings might inhabit this primeval world.
"Just a quick look," I promised, both to Remedy and myself. "Then I'll head straight back."
I activated my levitation again, floating silently above the riverbank as I moved downstream toward the source of the splash. The river bent around a stand of ancient willows, their trailing branches dipping into the water, creating shadowy pools beneath. As I rounded the bend, I caught a fleeting glimpse of... something.
A dark silhouette, vaguely humanoid but wrong somehow, slipping beneath the water's surface. I caught only the briefest impression, a head that seemed too large and oddly shaped, fingers splayed wide with what might have been webbing between them. Then it was gone, leaving only ripples spreading across the previously calm water.
"What the hell was that?" I whispered, hovering closer to the spot where the creature had disappeared.
I settled gently on the riverbank crouching at the water's edge. The river ran clear here, but depth and the fading light made it impossible to see below the surface. I leaned forward, hands braced against the soft soil, squinting as I tried to penetrate the watery depths.
Nothing moved beneath the golden surface—just the gentle undulation of underwater plants and occasional darting shadows of small fish.
"Must of been the Win—"
A hand shot out of the water without warning—pale green with elongated fingers connected by dark webbing, dripping with river weed and slime. Before I could react, it clamped around my ankle with shocking strength, yanking me forward.
I pitched back toward the ground, my hands slipping uselessly against the muddy bank. In an instant, I was submerged, icy river water flooding my nose and mouth as I was dragged beneath the surface with incredible force. Through the murky water, I caught a glimpse of my attacker—a humanoid figure with mottled greenish-gray skin, bulbous eyes set wide in a flattened head, and a wide mouth filled with needle-like teeth. It wore what looked like tattered clothing made from river reeds and fish skins, decorated with small bones and pebbles.
(image)
The creature pulled me deeper, its powerful legs propelling us both toward the center of the river channel. My lungs began to burn immediately, unprepared for the sudden submersion. Training kicked in, which hardly covered underwater combat with supernatural entities, but the swimming lessons from my childhood. I forced myself not to gasp, not to inhale water despite the crushing pressure in my chest.
The creature's grip tightened as it dragged me deeper, its bulbous eyes gleaming with intelligence. Its other hand reached for my throat, clawed fingers preparing to prevent any possibility of surfacing.
Instinct and training finally aligned. I stopped struggling against the pull, which only seemed to amuse the creature. Instead, as the second hand closed around my throat, I focused and energy surged through my body, culminating in my right arm as I drove my fist toward the creature's chest.
The creature's other webbed hand reached for my throat, clearly intending to ensure I wouldn't resurface. The burning in my lungs intensified, the initial shock giving way to a desperate need for air. But amid the panic, a different kind of clarity began to assert itself.
I stopped flailing and concentrated. As the creature's second hand approached my neck, I pulled my right arm back, fist clenched, and channeled energy through my body.
My fist connected with the creature's chest, and the effect was instantaneous. A kinetic explosion erupted from the point of impact, creating a shockwave that radiated outward through the water. The creature's eyes widened in shock as the blast hit it point-blank, its grip on my ankle instantly broken as it was propelled backward through the water, trailing bubbles and debris.
Free from its grasp, I kicked hard toward the surface, lungs screaming for air. After what felt like an eternity, my head broke through into blessed atmosphere, and I gasped desperately, coughing and spitting out river water as I treaded to stay afloat. Each breath was a victory, oxygen flooding back into my system as I struggled to regain my composure.
My hand instinctively went to my hip, confirming that the Service Weapon was still securely holstered there. The paranatural object seemed completely unaffected by its dunking in the river—still warm to the touch despite the cold water, still humming with subtle power against my palm.
Something moved beneath the surface—a shadow passing just below me, circling like a shark. The creature wasn't done with me. I could retreat to the shore, try to escape what was clearly its natural habitat... orrrrrrrrrrr.
I took one last deep breath and dove.
The underwater world was a blur of greenish light and swirling silt, disturbed by our earlier struggle. I forced my eyes to stay open despite the sting of the river water, scanning for my opponent. Movement to my left caught my attention—a flash of pale green skin darting between underwater vegetation.
I reached out with my mind, activating my ability to levitate, but with a crucial modification. Instead I used the telekinetic force to propel myself through the water. The effect was immediate—I shot forward with much greater speed than swimming could achieve, closing the distance to the creature in seconds.
It turned, seemingly surprised by my pursuit, its bulbous eyes widening further. As I approached, I noticed details I'd missed during our initial encounter. Its webbed hands ended in sharp, yellowed claws. Gill-like slits pulsed along the sides of its neck. What I'd taken for tattered clothing was actually a combination of woven water plants and its own mottled skin, with pouches and small containers attached to a makeshift belt.
The creature recovered from its surprise quickly. With a flick of its webbed hands, it made a strange undulating gesture. The water around us responded—currents suddenly shifting, swirling into small whirlpools that tugged at my body, trying to disorient me. Small fish appeared from nowhere, darting at my face in coordinated attacks that seemed directed by the creature's will.
I raised my hand, activating Shield. The ground below me was ripped apart as rocks and energy started to circle in front of me deflecting both the manipulated currents and the attacking fish. Through the field of my Shield, I saw the creature's expression change from confident to concerned.
My lungs were beginning to burn again I couldn't stay underwater indefinitely like this thing could. I needed to either end this quickly or return to the surface for air. Deciding on a direct approach, I dropped the Shield and immediately activated Launch again, this time targeting the creature itself.
Telekinetic force grabbed the creature like an invisible hand, freezing it in place momentarily before I violently yanked it toward me. As it tumbled through the water, the creature's bulbous eyes widened in what might have been shock or perhaps outrage.
But just as it reached the midpoint between us, it made a sharp, twisting gesture with both webbed hands. The water around it suddenly compressed, creating a pocket of intense pressure that altered its trajectory. Instead of continuing toward me, it shot downward toward the riverbed in a controlled dive.
I adjusted my aim, ready to launch another telekinetic assault, but the creature moved with unexpected speed. The moment it touched the silty bottom, it crouched and then propelled itself upward with explosive force, using the riverbed as a springboard. Its streamlined body cut through the water like a torpedo, closing the distance between us before I could properly react.
The impact knocked what little air remained in my lungs out in a stream of bubbles. The creature's powerful arms wrapped around my torso, its clawed hands digging into the outfit ripping it as it drove me backward through the water.
We tumbled together in a chaotic spiral, a deadly underwater dance with each of us fighting for dominance. I managed to free one arm and delivered another kinetic-charged blow to the shoulder, causing it to flinch but not release its grip Its strength in the water was astonishing.
The creature suddenly released me, pushing away with another fluid gesture. I thought briefly that I'd finally gained the upper hand, until I noticed the peculiar motion of the underwater plants around me. Tendrils of river weed began to snake upward from the bottom, moving with deliberate purpose rather than natural current. They wrapped around my ankles first, then my wrists, coiling tighter with each passing second.
As the underwater plants tightened their grip around my limbs, a surge of panic threatened to overwhelm me. The creature approached with predatory confidence, clearly accustomed to this endgame—binding its prey before closing in for the kill. The weeds constricted my movements, pinning my arms to my sides and anchoring my legs to prevent any escape toward the surface.
I focused, channeling my will into my right arm first. The plants were strong, but they were still just plants. With methodical concentration, I began to strain against the vegetative bonds around my wrist. The tactical outfit provided some protection against the cutting edges of the weeds, allowing me to work one hand progressively freer without slicing my skin to ribbons.
My lungs burned fiercely now, oxygen deprivation becoming critical. Black spots danced at the edges of my vision, but I refused to surrender to the darkness. Just a little more...
With a final surge of effort, I tore my right arm free from the binding weeds. Its eyes widened in surprise—clearly, prey rarely escaped its botanical traps. It made a sharp, aggressive gesture with its webbed hands, commanding the plants to constrict tighter around my remaining limbs.
But that one free arm was all I needed.
My hand moved to my hip, fingers closing around the Service Weapon. Even underwater, the gun started to hum with power against my palm, its otherworldly nature undiminished by the mundane constraints of physical environment. I drew it smoothly from its holster, the motion practiced through countless hours of training.
Its movements paused momentarily, those massive eyes fixed on the object in my hand. Curiosity briefly overrode its predatory instinct. This was clearly something beyond its experiences, an artifact it couldn't immediately categorize as a threat or treasure.
That moment of hesitation gave me the chance I needed. With a mental command, I willed the Service Weapon to transform from its standard Grip configuration into Pierce. The weapon responded instantly, components shifting and reconfiguring, elongating into its more lethal variation.
The ugly creature seemed transfixed by the transformation, watching with evident fascination as the weapon changed shape in my hand. Then, as comprehension that this might be a threat finally registered, it launched itself toward me with explosive speed, powerful webbed feet propelling it through the water like a torpedo.
The Service Weapon began to charge, paranatural energy building within its chambered mechanism. A subtle glow emanated from the barrel, growing more intense with each passing second. One second. Two seconds. It closed the distance with alarming speed, clawed hands extended to strike.
Three seconds. The weapon reached full charge just as the creature was nearly upon me.
I squeezed the trigger.
The effect was extraordinary. The Service Weapon discharged a concentrated beam of energy that cut through the water, momentarily superheating it into a corridor of steam and displaced pressure. The beam caught along its left side, tearing through the mottled flesh and leaving a scorched furrow across its abdomen.
The creature froze mid-lunge, its momentum halted by shock as much as by injury. Those huge eyes widened even further, reflecting an emotion I could clearly interpret despite the species barrier: disbelief. In what had likely been centuries of undisputed dominance in this river, nothing had ever wounded it so grievously, so effortlessly.
Dark fluid—blood or something analogous—leaked from the wound, dissipating in wispy tendrils through the water. The green beast looked down at its injury, then back at me, its expression shifting from predatory confidence to something more complex, fear, possibly rage and wounded pride.
But it wasn't finished. With a sharp, jerking motion of its webbed hands, it summoned the small fish that had been circling us throughout our encounter. They responded instantly, converging on my face in a coordinated attack. Dozens of tiny bodies slammed against my eyes, mouth, and nose, obscuring my vision and disorienting me completely.
Through the living veil of assaulting fish, I glimpsed it turning away, its powerful legs propelling it through the water with impressive speed despite its injury. It was retreating, something it had likely rarely been forced to do in its long existence as a probable apex predator of this river.
For a moment, I considered pursuit. The Service Weapon was still charged, ready to fire again, and my right arm remained free. But my lungs were screaming for oxygen, consciousness fading rapidly at the edges, and I was still partially bound by the river weeds. The fish continued their assault on my face, making it impossible to aim effectively.
Survival first. Pursuit later.
I focused my remaining energy on tearing free from the plants still binding my legs and left arm. With the enemy's concentration broken by its injury and retreat, the weeds had lost some of their supernatural grip, allowing me to pull free with determined effort. As soon as my limbs were unbound, I kicked hard toward the surface, the Service Weapon still clutched in my right hand.
My head broke through into the blessed air, and I gasped desperately, each breath feeling like fire in my oxygen-starved lungs. The small fish that had been attacking my face dispersed immediately upon reaching the surface, returning to their natural behavior patterns now that their master's influence had withdrawn.
"God... damn..." I wheezed between ragged breaths, treading water awkwardly with one arm while keeping the Service Weapon raised with the other, scanning the river for any sign of a return. The water's surface remained undisturbed except for the ripples from my own emergence.
Through our connection, I felt Remedy's concern pulsing urgently, she had sensed my distress and was anxiously monitoring my condition.
"I'm okay" I gasped, communicating both verbally and through our mental link. "Had a... run-in with something... some type of cryptid. A water spirit, wasn't expecting them so early time wise. Shot it... it fled."
Relief flooded back through our connection, along with gentle but insistent pressure for me to return immediately. Darkness was falling rapidly now, the forest already deep in shadow, though some light still illuminated the open space above the river.
"On my way back" I agreed, swimming one-armed toward the shore, the Service Weapon still at the ready. "Had enough exploration for one day."
I took a moment to catch my breath, leaning against a tree at the forest's edge as I contemplated what had just happened.
"What a fucking day" I muttered, pushing away from the tree and beginning my journey through the darkening forest, guided by my mental connection to Remedy. "I'll get him next time."
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Castiel POV
I stood motionless at the edge of the ancient forest, my vessel's eyes fixed on the river valley spreading before me. Though this human form limited my true perception, I could still sense the disturbance in the natural order, the loud splashing helped also.
"Something has occurred here, Uriel" I said, my voice low though there were no human ears to overhear us for miles.
Uriel, my superior in the celestial hierarchy, stepped beside me. His vessel like mine, a temporary construct rather than a true human was taller, more imposing, its features set in perpetual severity.
"I sensed it as well," he replied, his tone carrying the faintest edge of disdain. "Something beyond our established parameters. Something that should not be."
We had been assigned to this region to monitor the development of early human settlements and ensure that supernatural entities remained properly segregated from humanity's evolutionary path. The management of Earth's development was a sacred duty, one that required constant vigilance against contamination by forces that might disrupt the grand design.
"Should we report this to the garrison?" I asked, already knowing Uriel's answer.
"Not yet" he said, scanning the darkening landscape with narrowed eyes. "First, we investigate. Determine the nature and origin of the disturbance. Then we decide whether it requires wider attention."
I nodded, understanding the implicit command. Reports to the garrison meant paperwork, explanations, potentially even the involvement of the Grigori if the situation was deemed significant enough. Uriel preferred direct action when possible, handling situations himself rather than navigating the bureaucracy of Heaven's hierarchy.
We descended from our vantage point, moving with the silent efficiency of beings not fully bound by physical limitations. Our vessels' feet barely disturbed the undergrowth as we approached the river where the energy discharge had originated.
The water flowed serene and innocently in the last light of day, giving no indication of the paranatural event that had occurred beneath its surface. But to our heightened senses, the residual energy was clear a lingering signature unlike anything cataloged in our extensive records of Earth's indigenous entities.
"There" Uriel said suddenly, pointing toward movement in the water several hundred yards downstream.
A figure was emerging from the deeper channel, moving with obvious pain and urgency toward the shallows near the opposite bank. Even at this distance, I could see it wasn't human, the mottled greenish skin, the webbed appendages, and the distinctly non-mortal profile all marked it as one of the aquatic entities we monitored but generally left undisturbed.
" What an interesting creature" I identified, my angelic memory instantly categorizing the creature. "One of the river guardians. They rarely leave their underwater domains, especially so close to nightfall."
"It's injured" Uriel observed, his voice conveying neither sympathy nor concern, merely clinical assessment. "Look at its side a wound consistent with focused energy. Not a natural predator."
We watched for minutes as it dragged itself into the shallows, dark fluid—its version of blood—streaming from a scorched furrow across its abdomen. The wound was unlike anything I'd seen in my centuries of Earth observation—not a bite, not a claw mark, but something that appeared almost... cauterized.
"This is concerning" I said. "They are powerful entities, apex predators in their aquatic domains. Few creatures in the area could injure one so severely."
Uriel's expression darkened. "And fewer still would use energy-based attacks. This has the signature of something non-indigenous. Something that doesn't belong in this timeline."
The beast had reached a shallow pool separated from the main channel, a place where it could recover without being swept downstream by the current. It collapsed there, webbed hands clutching its wounded side, gill-slits pulsing rapidly with what appeared to be the equivalent of labored breathing.
"It's heading toward the human settlement" I noted with growing alarm. The small encampment of early Homo heidelbergensis was just a few kilometers from this point, positioned on higher ground above the flood plain. "If it reaches them in this condition..."
"Unacceptable" Uriel stated flatly. "The humans of this era have no context for such entities. Exposure to the paranatural must be carefully controlled, introduced gradually over millennia. An injured, potentially aggressive one could disrupt the entire timeline."
Without further discussion, Uriel spread his wings, not the physical features of his vessel, but his true angelic appendages momentarily visible as shadow and light against the darkening sky. I followed suit, and together we traversed the distance in an instant, moving through dimensions rather than merely through physical space.
Our sudden appearance startled the injured entity. It tried to retreat deeper into the water, but its wound clearly limited its mobility. Its large, bulbous eyes fixed on us with a mixture of fear and defiance, recognizing us as beings beyond its experience or capacity to fight in its current condition.
"Be still, creature" Uriel commanded, his voice carrying the resonance of angelic authority. "We mean you no harm, but neither will we permit you to approach the human settlement."
As he said this, I moved behind the creature's point of view and as quietly as possible drew my sword for when the questions finished.
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*Authors note*
Sorry I've been job hunting after college but the next chapter is started already so it wont take to long. Ill also tell you one of the lovers of the MC (Not harem) as an apology but he wont appear until later in the book.
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His name is the fabulous Dr. Casper Darling! <3 The man is ripped and we can save him
(Dr. Darling Appreciation images)