I turn to face the creature and say, "You don't have a name, right? Not even your species?"
I keep my voice steady and calm as I watch it closely, my gaze meeting its wide, gleaming revenant eyes—burning softly with unnatural devotion, like twin embers smoldering in the dark.
"Yes, my lord. For you created me while sleeping," the creature replies, its voice steeped in unwavering reverence. "I do not have a name yet… and my species is also new, as you have made it."
The devotion in its tone doesn't waver for even a moment—burning as steady and intense as the revenant glow in its eyes.
"So I have to name this…" I mutter, half to myself. Then I glance back at the creature, meeting its glowing revenant eyes."Are you male or female?" I ask, keeping my tone even.
"Master," the creature responds, bowing its head slightly, "you have yet to determine that. As you have made my species… it is up to you to decide."
Its voice remains reverent—unshaken, filled with unwavering faith in every word.
…What the fuck… why me, of all people… Cores? I think to myself, running a hand down my face as I stare blankly into the distance.
Trying not to spiral, I shift focus.
"What have you been doing for the past week?" I ask, turning back to the creature.
"Master," it replies without hesitation, voice soaked in that same unwavering devotion, "I have been hunting and foraging for anything I could bring you… anything with mana, to help you wake."
It bows its head slightly as it speaks, like it's reporting to a god.
"Stop that. It feels weird," I say as the creature bows low again.
For a moment, it looks... hurt?
It straightens slowly, eyes lowering. I sit up, a flicker of pity curling in my chest. I sigh.
"Fine. You can continue. Just... don't be a zealot, alright?" I say, raising an eyebrow. "Do you even know what that means?"
"Yes, Master," the creature replies, still with that unwavering devotion—but now noticeably more composed. "When you created me, I had the privilege of gaining some of your knowledge."
His eyes are steady now. Still reverent—but not like he's about to drop to his knees every second. It feels… more balanced.
"O...kay? So this means you know what a human is, right?" I ask, narrowing my eyes slightly as I watch the creature nod.
"Yes, Master," it responds without hesitation. "They are creatures resembling the form that your avatar takes."
"Yeah... don't attack those things the moment you see them," I say, waving a finger slightly. "Report back to me when you do. You should be able to talk to me through our... connection? Right?"
I ask, trying to figure out if he can actually speak to me without words—if the strange thread I feel between us is real.
"Yes, Master, I believe so," the creature says, bowing his head slightly before closing his eyes. A faint shimmer of mana pulses through the space.
"Master, does this work?" his voice echoes—not through my ears, but inside my mind.
I stumble backward off the core, startled.
Unlike before—when we spoke out loud—this voice didn't pass through my ears.
It just appeared in my head.
Loud. Clear. Immediate.
It felt… real. Like someone had whispered directly into my thoughts.
I shake my head, eyes wide. "Okay—okay, yeah, that works. Maybe… give a guy a little warning next time before diving into his skull?"
The creature opens his eyes, tilting his head slightly in confusion. "My apologies, Master… I did not mean to cause alarm."
He looks almost guilty—his voice still reverent, but softer this time.
"You're fine. Go out and hunt or something," I say, waving my hand dismissively while keeping a light grip on my forehead.
"Yes, Master," the creature says before turning and quietly leaving the cave, its steps light and purposeful—vanishing into the shadows beyond the entrance and leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.
Finally alone, I think to myself as I glance around the cave, then raise my hand slowly.
I should be able to make other things too… right? I close my eyes, trying to picture something—anything—and as I focus, vague images begin to surface in my mind.
Vines. Leaves. Feathers. Spider silk.
All of them feel… familiar.
Are these things it brought me while I was asleep? I wonder, my brow furrowing as I let the images linger. It said it was foraging for mana-rich materials… was this what it found?
Now that I think of it… I rest my hand on the core again. I said I'd come up with a name for him—and his species, didn't I?
I sigh softly, leaning back as I begin to think.
He's the first of his kind. A creature born from my mana, from me… so he needs a name that's unique. Something that fits him—and only him.
My thoughts turn over slowly, searching through sounds, memories, impressions of the creature's shape, his grin, that endless devotion in his voice.
Something strong… but not too dramatic. Something weird, but right…
His name will be Fowler… I think to myself, rolling the name over in my mind. I mean, it's not that bad, right?
It fits, somehow. A little strange, maybe—but there's something about it that feels right for him. A name only he would have.
Now that the name's settled, my thoughts drift to the next step.
What about his species? I need something fitting. Something that captures what he is… loyal, fierce, strange… and mine.
'Noctherin... yes, he will be a Noctherin. His name: Fowler... When he comes back, I'll tell him.'I think to myself, the words settling in my mind like stone into water—calm, certain, and unmoving.
My gaze drifts across the cave walls again, now feeling just a bit more like they belong to me. It's still small, still rough… but it's mine. And maybe with a bit more thought—more mana—I can shape it into something even greater.
The silence now feels less lonely… and more expectant. Like the beginning of something.