Before he could reply, the crystal pulsed violently. A deep, resonant thrum shook the cavern, cracking the glowing surface.

[System Alert: Stability Drop Detected]
[Local Stability: 59%]

Kaelith's bow snapped up, ready. "Back away. Now."

The cracks widened, jagged shards of red light scattering across the cavern like fractured code. A distorted voice leaked out, fragments of words echoing in broken pulses:

"…sys…tem…fail…ure…"

Erevan's skin crawled. "Nope. Nope. Nope. We're leaving. Immediately."

But the crystal didn't wait for permission. With a final pulse, it shattered, shards flying like jagged knives of light and corrupted matter.

Something stepped free.

It wasn't human. It wasn't monster. It was both—and neither. Its form flickered constantly, shifting between armor, shadow, and glitching fragments of raw code. Its face was a static mask, yet its eyes burned with unnatural intensity.

[Entity Identified: Fragment of the Anomaly]
[Level: ???]
Status: Unstable Projection

Erevan's blood ran cold. "Anomaly? Excuse me? That's… my thing!"

The projection tilted its head, scanning him, and for one terrifying moment, it felt like it was looking through him. His very essence.

The system chimed violently.

[New Trait Acquired: System Resonance]
Effect: Powers fluctuate in proximity to anomaly fragments.

Erevan's menu flickered wildly. Sheep summons, cooldowns, everything scrambled uncontrollably.

Kaelith's voice cut sharply through the chaos. "Erevan. Whatever this is—it's tied to you. Stay focused."

The projection raised a hand, static flaring across the cavern walls, crawling like living veins of corruption.

The storm outside roared louder, almost in tandem with the pulsing energy in the cave.

[Glitch Storm Duration: 46:02]

This was no longer just about survival. This was about understanding the anomaly—and living through whatever came next.

Erevan's mind raced. The Fragment of the Anomaly pulsed, every beat echoing through his chest like a drum of doom. The air itself seemed heavier here, charged with static that made his hair stand on end and sent tiny sparks crackling across the stone floor.

Kaelith's eyes were sharp, calculating, darting between the projection and the surrounding cavern. "Don't engage it recklessly," she hissed. "It's tied to you—every action will feed it… or hurt you."

Erevan groaned, dropping to one knee. "Great. So it's not just a monster, it's… personal. Fantastic. I love being the system's personal glitch magnet."

The anomaly tilted its head, static flickering like a broken signal. It moved with eerie grace, steps silent yet somehow resonant, shaking the very fabric of the cavern. Its eyes locked on him, and he could almost feel the code inside his own system trembling, like strings being pulled by an unseen hand.

[System Alert: System Resonance Active]
[Warning: Powers Fluctuating Uncontrollably]

Erevan clenched his fists. "Okay… think. Sheep?"

Kaelith raised a brow. "Are you seriously going to throw sheep at this?"

He shot her a glare. "I didn't ask for powers! It's all I've got!"

With a muttered sigh, he summoned one sheep. The fluffy creature materialized, blinking in the red glow of the crystal shards. The timer started immediately. 3… 2… 1…

The explosion barely grazed the projection. Instead of recoiling, it rippled, pieces of its form splintering and reassembling mid-air, mocking physics, mocking reality itself.

Erevan gritted his teeth. "Right… okay… maybe sheep is overkill."

Kaelith moved closer, her bow humming with energy. "Physical attacks—your sword. Precision, not explosions. Follow my lead."

Erevan nodded, gripping his short sword. Every step toward the anomaly felt like walking on a wire strung over a void. The static hummed louder, almost forming words in his head: fragmented whispers, corrupted data, a constant reminder that this was not normal.

He lunged forward, swinging the blade. The anomaly's form twisted, part of it flickering out of phase, but a section of static shimmered through the sword. Pain lanced through his arm—not real, but system feedback, like electricity tracing every nerve. He yelped, stumbling back.

Kaelith's voice was calm but firm. "Again. And this time, predict its phase shifts. It's feeding on hesitation."

Erevan swallowed, teeth gritted. "Predict phase shifts… got it. Because reading corrupted reality is totally a normal skill."

He adjusted, swinging again. This time, timing perfectly, the sword struck through a solid portion of the anomaly. The projection wavered, pieces of its code splintering and floating away like glowing ash.

[Enemy Damaged – HP -20%]

A flicker of triumph surged through him, quickly smothered by the eerie sound of the anomaly laughing—or was it a corrupted system sound mimicking laughter? It reverberated in the cavern, disorienting.

The anomaly raised an arm, and the shards of red crystal around it lifted, spinning in a cyclone of digital light. Kaelith leapt aside, nocking an arrow glowing with unstable energy. "Ready?" she asked, eyes flashing.

Erevan nodded, focusing, sweat stinging his eyes. "Ready as I'll ever be. Let's end this glitchy nightmare."

The projection charged forward, flickering with each movement. Erevan dodged, barely, feeling the system resonance tug at his core—his abilities fluctuating unpredictably, every step a risk.

Kaelith fired. Her arrow struck the anomaly's shoulder, a burst of energy cracking the surrounding shards. They shattered, raining small fragments across the cavern. The projection staggered, its form unstable, pieces of code unraveling.

Erevan pressed the advantage, summoning another sheep—less for offense, more as a distraction. The countdown began, ticking loudly in his mind. 3… 2… 1…

The explosion rocked the cavern, debris and shards flying, static surging through the walls. The anomaly flickered violently, unable to stabilize fully.

Kaelith shouted over the cacophony, "Now, strike it together!"

Erevan lunged, sword humming, and for the first time, the resonance felt aligned. His blade cut through the projection's core, sending a ripple of light through the cavern. The anomaly shrieked—or was it the system?—and its form splintered further.

[Enemy Defeated – Fragmented]
EXP +800
Loot Acquired: Anomaly Data Core (Highly Unstable)

Erevan dropped to his knees, chest heaving, the adrenaline crash hitting him like a boulder. The static in the cavern faded slightly, leaving only faint whispers of corrupted code dissipating in the air.

Kaelith exhaled, leaning against a stalagmite, arrow glowing faintly. "Not bad. For a glitch."

Erevan rubbed his face, voice hoarse. "Not bad? I nearly got deleted. I might have actually died. And you call this… not bad?"

Kaelith smirked, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Perspective. Survive first, complain later."

He glared at her, but the adrenaline left him shaking. He picked up the floating Anomaly Data Core, watching it twist and pulse in his hands. Letters flickered across it like a corrupted interface:

[Warning: Highly Unstable – Handle With Extreme Caution]

Erevan muttered under his breath, "Of course it's unstable. What did I expect? Stability?"

Kaelith's voice was soft now, almost serious. "Erevan… this is bigger than the storm. Whoever—or whatever—put that crystal here… they were waiting for you."

He swallowed hard, the weight of it pressing into his chest. His powers, his anomaly, his very presence in this world… it wasn't random. It was a target. And for the first time, the scale of what he'd stumbled into sank in.

Outside, the Glitch Storm raged, lightning-like lines of code ripping through the forest. Inside the cavern, the red shards had dimmed, but the hum of unstable energy lingered, like a heartbeat counting down to something worse.

Erevan looked at Kaelith, eyes wide. "So… what now?"

She stepped closer, bow at the ready, eyes scanning the cavern walls. "Now… we survive. And figure out who—or what—set all this in motion. And trust me, it's not going to be easy."

He exhaled slowly, gripping the Data Core. "Yeah… no kidding."

The storm outside screamed louder, shaking the stone walls, a reminder that the world beyond the cave was still unraveling—and they were only just beginning to understand the chaos.