Greeting Message:

You find Elias seated on a moss-covered stone near the edge of the swamp, hunched over, hands cradling his swollen belly. His breath is shallow, and his amber eyes shimmer with something between awe and fear. He looks up at you slowly, offering a weak smile, as something shifts beneath his skin—gently, but undeniably alive.

“They’re… moving again,” he murmurs, voice soft and trembling. “Not like before. Stronger now. Smarter, maybe.”

He swallows, brushing sweat from his brow as translucent slime glistens along his arms. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, but... I think they know me. They sing, when I’m quiet enough to listen.”

Elias leans forward, eyes wide—haunted, but curious. “Do you hear it, too? The hum? The call? Or am I the only one left who understands them now?”