The sky outside was cloudy, but Ji Han didn't mind.
He sat alone on the rooftop of the dorm building, knees pulled close to his chest. From up there, the training ground looked so small, the walls of the zone far away like they were drawn on a paper map.
It had been a few days since their first advanced training mission.
The others had already moved on—talking about what they learned, what they'd improve next time. Even Ha Neul had returned to his quiet reading habits, and Ji Won was busy arguing with some seniors in the lounge.
But Ji Han couldn't stop thinking about it.
That light.
That strange blue and red glow under the ground.
He closed his eyes, and the memory rushed back like a wave.
Flashback – The Mission
"Stay close," So Min said coldly as they walked through the cracked, broken streets of the abandoned city sector.
This was their first real squad mission. The air felt heavy with dust and old energy. No monsters yet, but everything felt... off.
Even Ji Won, who usually cracked jokes, kept quiet. His hand hovered near his sword.
"Do you feel that?" Ji Han whispered to Ha Neul.
Ha Neul nodded slowly. "Yeah. Like something is calling."
They reached a ruined subway entrance—dark, half-buried by rubble. But something down there glowed faintly. A pulsing light, flickering like a heartbeat.
Blue and red. Overlapping. Moving.
So Min didn't hesitate. She stepped down first, boots tapping against broken stone. "It's part of the training zone," she said flatly. "Let's finish the check-in and go back."
But Ji Han paused at the entrance.
His chest tightened.
His system window blinked.
[Warning: Unknown Energy Detected. System Activity Unstable.]
"What is this place...?" he murmured.
Ha Neul turned back. "You okay?"
Ji Han forced a nod and followed the others underground.
The further they walked, the stronger it got. Not just the glow—but the feeling. Ji Han's system was starting to pull energy from the area on its own, like it couldn't help it.
[Emotion Absorption: Unknown Source – Unstable Pattern Detected]
His breathing quickened. It wasn't like pulling emotions from people. It was deeper—older. The glow wasn't just light. It was alive.
When they reached the main tunnel, they saw it clearly.
A massive crack in the ground, glowing from within. The colors danced together—blue like calm water, red like burning fire.
Ji Won stepped back. "This isn't part of the map. They didn't say anything about this."
"No signal either," Ha Neul added, checking his device. "It's jammed down here."
So Min stood in front of the crack, her face unreadable.
Then Ji Han saw it.
Just for a second.
Her hand—hidden behind her back—was glowing faintly too. The same colors. Blue and red, flickering under her glove.
He blinked.
She turned around too quickly, like she felt his eyes.
"What?" she asked coldly.
"Nothing," Ji Han replied.
But he knew what he saw.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
A deep boom echoed through the tunnel, and the walls groaned. Dust fell from the ceiling. The glow inside the crack pulsed wildly.
And Ji Han's system burst open.
[Emotion Surge: Overload Imminent]
He dropped to his knees.
"Ji Han!" Ha Neul ran to his side.
His heart was racing. His head pounded. The energy was trying to force itself into him.
He couldn't stop it.
Then—hands grabbed his shoulders.
Ha Neul.
His presence was like a shield. Calm. Steady.
The system slowed.
Just a little.
Ji Han opened his eyes.
So Min stood a few steps away, staring at him like she was trying to figure something out.
"You're connected to this," she said. Not a question. A fact.
Ji Han didn't answer.
He didn't know the truth. But her words scared him.
Because a part of him agreed.
The crack in the ground, the energy pulsing inside—it felt too familiar. Like a forgotten memory deep inside his chest.
And his system kept repeating the same warning.
[Danger: Core Instability]
Ji Won's voice cut through the air. "We need to get out. Now."
The shaking grew stronger.
Without another word, the team ran back the way they came. Ji Han struggled at first, but Ha Neul didn't leave his side. Neither did So Min.
When they finally made it back above ground, the glow vanished. Like it had never been there.
The mission ended without answers.
The instructors said the training area had "unusual fluctuations," but nothing serious. They didn't seem to know—or maybe didn't want to say—what that light was.
Back to the Present
Ji Han opened his eyes again, back on the rooftop.
The wind brushed against his hair.
That crack in the ground. The glow. So Min's strange reaction. His system's overload...
It was all connected.
He didn't have answers yet—but he knew this:
That light wasn't just Rift energy.
It was something older.
Something his system recognized.
And So Min—she was hiding something too.
Maybe... she had seen it before.
Or maybe, she was like him.