The crimson light of the collapsing gate faded behind them as Jin Woo and Hana stepped back into the real world. The air was heavy with silence, the team's earlier chatter replaced by wary glances.
Jin Woo could feel their eyes on him. Whispers rippled through the group like an invisible current.
"Did you see that?"
"He made that thing bow."
"What is he?"
Hana stayed close to him, her expression guarded. He knew she had questions, but for now, she held her tongue.
---
**A Meeting with the Council**
As soon as they returned to the Academy, Jin Woo was summoned to the Council chamber. Hana tried to protest, but he stopped her.
"I'll handle this," he said quietly.
Inside the chamber, the atmosphere was tense. Elder Song's sharp gaze met Jin Woo's as soon as he entered.
"You disobeyed direct orders," Elder Song said, his voice cold. "And yet, your actions saved lives."
Jin Woo stood in the center of the room, his hands at his sides. "I had to go. That gate… it was calling to me."
"Calling to you?" Elder Song repeated, his brow furrowing. "Explain yourself."
Jin Woo hesitated, the truth clawing at his throat. Finally, he said, "The creature inside the gate recognized me. It called me 'King.'"
The Council members exchanged uneasy glances.
"Are you suggesting that you are connected to the gates?" Elder Song asked.
Jin Woo nodded. "I don't fully understand it yet, but… yes."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
"If what you say is true," Elder Song said finally, "then you are a greater threat than we realized. Until we can determine the extent of your powers and your connection to the gates, you are hereby confined to the Academy grounds."
---
The following days were a blur. Jin Woo was kept under constant surveillance, forbidden from attending classes or leaving the dormitory. The other students avoided him, their eyes filled with fear and suspicion.
Even Hana seemed distant, though she tried to hide it.
"I don't think you're a monster," she said one evening as they sat in his room. "But you need to figure out what's going on before they decide to lock you up for good."
"I'm trying," Jin Woo said, frustration evident in his voice. "But every answer I find just leads to more questions."
Hana placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone in this, Jin Woo. We'll figure it out together."
---
That night, as Jin Woo lay in bed, the shadows in his room began to shift.
"You're wasting time," the familiar voice growled.
Jin Woo sat up, his eyes narrowing. "You again."
The shadow coalesced into the same humanoid figure he had seen before, its glowing eyes watching him intently.
"You're stronger than this," it said. "Why do you let them treat you like a prisoner?"
"I don't trust you," Jin Woo said. "You want me to embrace something I don't even understand."
"You're afraid," the shadow said, its voice dripping with disdain. "Afraid of what you are. But the longer you deny it, the weaker you become."
Jin Woo clenched his fists. "And what am I supposed to do? Just give in? Become the monster they all think I am?"
The shadow chuckled. "You're no monster. You're a king. And kings don't beg for permission—they take what's theirs."
---
That night, Jin Woo dreamed of a vast, desolate battlefield. The sky was dark, lit only by flashes of lightning. Around him, countless monsters knelt, their heads bowed.
At the center of it all stood a throne made of black stone.
He approached it cautiously, his footsteps echoing in the silence. When he reached the throne, he saw an inscription carved into its surface:
"To rule is to bear the weight of all worlds."
Jin Woo reached out to touch the throne, but before his fingers could make contact, a voice echoed in his mind.
**"Choose wisely, Arkanis. For once you sit upon this throne, there is no turning back."**
He woke with a start, his heart pounding.
---
The next morning, Jin Woo found Hana waiting for him outside his dorm.
"I've been doing some research," she said, holding up a notebook filled with scribbled notes. "There's a place in the Forbidden Forest where ancient relics tied to the gates are said to be hidden. If we can find one, it might help us understand what's happening to you."
Jin Woo hesitated. "If the Council finds out, they'll expel us. Or worse."
Hana smirked. "Then we'll just have to make sure they don't find out."
---
That night, under the cover of darkness, Jin Woo and Hana slipped out of the Academy. The Forbidden Forest loomed before them, its twisted trees casting eerie shadows.
"Are you sure about this?" Jin Woo asked.
Hana nodded. "If there's even a chance it could help, it's worth the risk."
They ventured into the forest, the air growing colder with each step. The shadows seemed to move around them, whispering secrets Jin Woo couldn't quite hear.
Finally, they reached a clearing where a massive stone archway stood. Runes glowed faintly along its surface, pulsing with an ancient energy.
"This must be it," Hana said, stepping closer.
As they examined the archway, the ground beneath them began to tremble. A low growl echoed through the clearing, and from the shadows emerged a creature unlike any they had ever seen.
Its eyes locked onto Jin Woo, and it let out a deafening roar.
"The King has come," it said. "Prove your worth, or perish."
---
**End of Chapter 16**