Noah floated in an endless expanse of white.
It stretched out in every direction, vast and infinite, with no horizon in sight.
The floor beneath his feet shimmered like liquid mercury, soft and rippling underfoot, yet somehow solid enough for him to walk on.
There was no sound, no wind, no echo—just the silence of an empty, timeless void.
For a moment, he wondered if this was death.
If the bullet had ended him, and this was what lay beyond.
But then, a sharp chime broke the silence.
[Ding!]
[■Runic ability unlocked: Ethereal Requiem!]
[Activated after death encounter]
Noah blinked.
Runic ability?
He didn't understand, but it wasn't the first time the system had spoken to him in that flat, mechanical tone.
The words lingered in his mind, though.
Ethereal Requiem.
He could feel the meaning behind it.
The ability had activated in response to his death, or near-death.
