The next day dawned heavy with tension. Jin Woo couldn't shake the events of the previous night—the vision of the kneeling creature, the cryptic warnings from the agent, and the pulsing shard now hidden deep in his bag.
Seoul Academy's sprawling campus seemed busier than usual. Students rushed between classes, their conversations buzzing with rumors of a new gate sighting in the city. Jin Woo felt the familiar sting of exclusion as groups of students gathered to discuss the potential missions they'd be assigned to.
He knew no one would ask for him.
---
Combat training that day was brutal. Jin Woo was once again paired with Kang Min Jae, who made a point of humiliating him in front of the entire class.
"Come on, Jin Woo," Min Jae taunted, launching a controlled burst of fire toward him. "Use that amazing Echo Sense of yours. Oh wait, it's useless!"
Jin Woo barely dodged the attack, the heat singing his arm. The other students laughed, and even the instructor, a stern-faced B-rank awakener, didn't bother intervening.
After class, Jin Woo slumped onto a bench in the locker room, his body aching from the relentless sparring. He was ready to head home when a sharp voice called his name.
"Jin Woo!"
He turned to see **Instructor Baek**, a mid-tier awakener with a reputation for being harsh but fair. Her piercing eyes scanned him critically.
"You've been assigned to assist with the new gate in Gangnam," she said curtly.
Jin Woo blinked in surprise. "What? Why me?"
"You're the only F-class available," she replied bluntly. "You'll be under supervision, of course. Don't get in the way."
Before Jin Woo could protest, she handed him a small badge marking his temporary assignment and left without another word.
---
The gate site was chaotic. Rows of barriers surrounded the shimmering portal, which pulsed with a dark, eerie light. Members of the Awakener's Association patrolled the area, their presence a stark reminder of the gate's danger.
Jin Woo's role was menial at best. He was tasked with helping lower-ranked awakeners secure the perimeter, far from the action. Despite his frustration, he couldn't deny the faint pull he felt toward the gate.
As the main team prepared to enter, Jin Woo caught sight of a familiar figure—the agent from the previous night.
Their eyes met briefly before the agent turned away, speaking to a group of high-ranked awakeners. Jin Woo's grip on the shard in his pocket tightened.
---
An hour into the operation, something went wrong.
The gate pulsed violently, its energy surging outward like a shockwave. Alarms blared as awakeners scrambled to contain the disturbance. Jin Woo's Echo Sense flared to life, flooding him with a barrage of signals.
He doubled over, clutching his head as the overwhelming sensations threatened to drown him.
Through the chaos, he heard someone shouting, "The gate's unstable! We need reinforcements!"
The shard in his pocket grew warm, almost as if responding to the gate's energy. Against his better judgment, Jin Woo found himself moving closer.
---
Near the gate's edge, Jin Woo spotted a young girl trapped beneath a collapsed barrier. She cried out for help as the structure creaked ominously above her.
Without thinking, Jin Woo rushed forward. His Echo Sense guided him through the chaotic energy, pinpointing the safest path.
As he reached the girl, the barrier gave way. Jin Woo threw himself over her, bracing for impact.
Instead of the crushing weight, a faint glow enveloped them. The shard in his pocket pulsed, and the falling debris shattered mid-air, disintegrating into harmless dust.
The girl stared at him in awe. "H-how did you do that?"
Jin Woo didn't have an answer.
---
Before he could process what had happened, the agent appeared, his expression unreadable.
"You really can't stay out of trouble, can you?"
Jin Woo stood, shielding the girl instinctively. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
The agent's gaze flickered to the gate, then back to Jin Woo. "You don't even know what you're doing. That shard is reacting to the gate—and to you. If you're not careful, you'll trigger something you can't control."
Jin Woo clenched his fists. "Then tell me what's going on!"
The agent hesitated, as if weighing his options. Finally, he sighed.
"Fine. You want answers? Meet me tonight, outside the academy."
---
Back in his apartment, Jin Woo stared at the shard, its faint glow reflecting in his eyes. He didn't know what the agent wanted, but he couldn't ignore the truth any longer.
Something was happening to him—something far beyond his understanding.
As the city's lights flickered outside his window, Jin Woo made a silent vow.
Whatever secrets the shard held, he would uncover them.
---
*End of Chapter 4*