Arc 7 - Chapter 5: The Door to the Unknown
The dust from the guardian's collapse settled, but the tension in the air only grew thicker. Jae-min wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing still heavy. The battle had been intense, yet something told him it was only the beginning.
Before them stood the massive ancient door, its surface covered in glowing symbols that pulsed faintly, as if responding to their presence. Unlike the guardian, which had been an immediate and violent threat, this door exuded something far more sinister—a presence that lurked, waiting.
Seol-ah approached cautiously, her fingers tracing one of the symbols. A faint hum echoed in response.
"This door…" she murmured. "It's not just locked. It's sealed."
Jae-min frowned. "Sealed how?"
Seol-ah studied the inscriptions, her brows furrowing. "It's an ancient barrier magic. Not the type that simply requires a key—it's more like a test. It won't open unless we meet its conditions."
Dae-hyun groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Great. So, what does it want from us?"
Seol-ah hesitated before glancing at Jae-min. "It wants him."
Jae-min blinked. "Me?"
She nodded, pointing at the center of the door where a large, glowing emblem pulsed in sync with his own mana. "It's reacting to you specifically. Whatever is behind this door, it's been waiting for you."
A heavy silence followed her words.
Jae-min stepped closer, staring at the emblem. As he reached out, a sudden surge of energy rushed through his arm, freezing him in place.
A voice echoed in his mind.
"Only the chosen may enter. Prove your worth."
Before he could react, the world around him blurred.
A Vision of the Past
The ruins vanished. Jae-min found himself standing in an unfamiliar place—a vast battlefield, littered with corpses. The sky was dark, painted with crimson clouds. The ground beneath him was soaked in blood.
And in the distance, a lone figure stood, facing an army of shadows.
The figure turned.
Jae-min gasped.
It was himself.
But not as he was now. This version of him looked older, stronger—his armor bloodstained, his eyes glowing with an unnatural power. In his hand was a weapon unlike anything Jae-min had ever seen before.
The shadowy army charged.
Without hesitation, the older Jae-min raised his weapon and unleashed a wave of energy that obliterated everything in its path. The sheer power sent shockwaves through the battlefield, shaking the heavens themselves.
And then—
The vision shattered.
Back to Reality
Jae-min gasped, stumbling backward as the ruins came back into focus. His body felt cold, his mind reeling from what he had just seen.
Seol-ah and Dae-hyun rushed to his side.
"Jae-min! What happened?" Seol-ah asked, concern in her voice.
He opened his mouth but hesitated. How could he even explain what he just saw?
Instead of answering, he turned back to the door. The emblem was now glowing brighter than before.
The seal had recognized him.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward and placed his palm against the symbol.
The ruins trembled.
The glowing inscriptions pulsed wildly before the entire door shattered into light, revealing the darkness beyond.
A deep, chilling whisper echoed from the void.
"Enter… and claim your fate."
Jae-min exchanged glances with Seol-ah and Dae-hyun. There was no turning back now.
With his sword in hand, he stepped into the unknown.