The next morning, Jin Woo woke with a pounding headache. His dreams had been vivid and relentless—visions of monsters bowing, of blood-red skies, and of a voice calling him by a name he didn't want to remember.
Arkanis.
He sat up, the weight of the ancient tome pressing against his chest. He had fallen asleep clutching it, as if letting go would make the memories vanish again. The book seemed inert now, its glow dimmed, but Jin Woo knew it was far from ordinary.
A knock on his door broke his thoughts.
"Jin Woo, are you in there?"
It was Hana again. Her voice was calm, but there was an edge of urgency to it. Jin Woo hesitated before shoving the book under his bed.
"Yeah, coming."
He opened the door to find Hana standing there, arms crossed. Behind her stood two other students—Kim Dojin, a hulking B-class tank with a perpetual scowl, and Min Soo, a wiry, sharp-eyed support specialist. Both were part of the Academy's elite group, and neither had ever shown any interest in him before.
"What's this about?" Jin Woo asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"We need to talk," Hana said, pushing past him into the room.
Dojin and Min Soo followed, their eyes scanning the small space with thinly veiled disdain. Jin Woo shut the door, already regretting letting them in.
"Talk about what?" he asked.
"The incident last night," Hana said, turning to face him. "Something happened in the library, didn't it?"
Jin Woo's heart skipped a beat. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Min Soo snorted. "Don't play dumb. The whole library was buzzing with energy. Whatever you did, it wasn't subtle."
"I didn't do anything!" Jin Woo snapped.
Dojin stepped forward, his sheer size making the room feel even smaller. "Listen, runt. We don't care about your excuses. What we care about is whether you're a threat."
"A threat?" Jin Woo echoed, incredulous. "I'm an F-class. How could I possibly be a threat to anyone?"
Hana stepped between them, her voice calm but firm. "Enough, Dojin. We're not here to intimidate him."
Dojin grunted but stepped back.
"Jin Woo," Hana said, her gaze softening, "we just want to understand what's going on. The energy in the library—it wasn't normal. And I saw the book you were holding. That wasn't a standard text."
Jin Woo hesitated, his mind racing. Should he tell them the truth? Could he even trust them?
Before he could decide, the lights in the room flickered, and a cold wind swept through the space. The temperature plummeted, and the shadows on the walls began to shift unnaturally.
"What the—" Dojin started, but his voice was drowned out by a low, guttural growl.
The book under Jin Woo's bed began to hum, and a dark mist seeped from its edges. The room seemed to warp, the walls bending and stretching as the shadows coalesced into a towering, monstrous figure.
"You cannot hide, Arkanis," the creature rumbled, its voice like grinding stone. "The throne calls for you."
Jin Woo stumbled back, his heart hammering. "I'm not Arkanis!" he shouted.
The creature's glowing eyes narrowed. "You are the Gatekeeper. You cannot deny what you are."
Hana stepped forward, her aura flaring bright gold. "Leave him alone!" she yelled, launching a blast of energy at the creature.
The attack passed through the shadowy figure, dispersing it momentarily before it reformed, its laughter echoing in the small room.
"Futile,"** it hissed. "You cannot protect him from what he must become."
Jin Woo felt the pull again—that dark, overwhelming power stirring within him. The room seemed to spin, and for a moment, he saw through the creature's eyes. He saw the gate, the throne, and the legions of monsters waiting beyond.
The vision snapped away as Hana grabbed his arm, her voice breaking through the haze. "Jin Woo! Focus!"
The creature let out a deafening roar, its form beginning to collapse as the book's glow intensified. With a final, guttural snarl, it dissolved into nothingness, leaving the room silent and cold.
Everyone stood frozen, the weight of what had just happened sinking in.
"What the hell was that?" Dojin finally asked, his bravado replaced by genuine fear.
Jin Woo didn't answer. He couldn't. His mind was racing, his heart pounding.
Hana placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression filled with worry. "Jin Woo… what aren't you telling us?"
He looked at her, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know who I am anymore."
---
**End of Chapter 8**