11:42 AM – The Weight of Their Presence
The hospital room was silent.
But Kyung-min felt the weight of three sets of eyes locked onto him—his family.
His mother, his father, his younger sister.
People he had never once thought of in the abyss.
And yet—
Here they were.
Their expressions, their trembling postures, the way his mother's fingers dug into the bedsheets as if she needed to confirm that he was real—
He had seen desperation before.
He had seen grief.
And yet, seeing it on them—
It felt different.
It felt wrong.
"…Kyung-min."
His mother was the first to move.
She reached out with hesitant hands, as if touching him would shatter the fragile reality in front of her.
Her fingers brushed against his cheek—warm, soft, trembling.
And then—
She collapsed onto him.
Her arms wrapped around him in a crushing embrace, her breath hitching violently.
"…My son."
Kyung-min stiffened.
He had endured unspeakable pain.
He had clawed his way through torment.
He had died more times than he could count.
But this warmth—
It nearly broke him.
His mother wasn't sobbing.
She wasn't screaming.
But her body trembled with everything she wasn't saying.
And that was somehow worse.
"…Mom."
His voice cracked.
A second later—
His sister's arms wrapped around him too.
Small. Warm. Desperate.
Her face was buried against his shoulder, her fists gripping his hospital gown.
"You left." Her voice was muffled but shaking. "You left, and you never came back."
Kyung-min's fingers twitched.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
And then, the words left his lips before he could stop them—
"I'm back."
His sister's grip tightened.
His mother held him even closer.
But inside—
A bitter thought lingered.
I never even thought I would make it back.
11:56 AM – A Truth They Don't Push Further
"I don't remember."
Kyung-min forced the words out with a straight face.
His mother pulled back slightly, searching his expression.
His father's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
His sister, still gripping his wrist, tensed.
"…You don't remember anything?" His mother's voice was barely above a whisper.
Kyung-min shook his head.
"All I know is that I woke up in a dungeon."
He didn't flinch.
He didn't hesitate.
It was a perfect lie.
And yet—
His mother's fingers brushed against his cheek again.
"…You're lying."
Kyung-min didn't react.
His father let out a quiet sigh.
But neither of them pushed.
Neither of them demanded the truth.
Because he had just come back.
And they were too afraid that pressing further would break the moment.
"…You're here now," his mother whispered, her voice soft.
That was enough.
For now.
12:37 PM – The Awakener Association's Visit
The knock on the door came exactly when Kyung-min expected it.
His mother tensed. His father's expression hardened.
The hospital door slid open—
And a man stepped inside.
Mid-thirties. Well-dressed. Poised.
Not arrogant. But composed.
"Han Kyung-min," he said smoothly. "My name is Choi Tae-hyun. I handle special inquiries within the Awakener Association."
The what?
Kyung-min blinked.
"…Awakener Association?"
Choi Tae-hyun's brow raised slightly.
His mother immediately stepped in.
"My son is still recovering. This isn't the time—"
"We won't take long," Choi Tae-hyun assured.
His eyes flickered back to Kyung-min.
He studied him.
"Mr. Han, can you confirm how you ended up in a C-rank dungeon alone?"
Kyung-min didn't miss the wording.
They weren't accusing him.
They were curious.
He kept his expression even.
"I don't remember."
A pause.
Choi Tae-hyun's lips curled ever so slightly.
"…I see."
He didn't push further.
He didn't accuse him.
He simply observed.
And that made Kyung-min even more cautious.
"We'll be monitoring your recovery," Choi Tae-hyun said simply. "I look forward to speaking with you again, Mr. Han."
Then, he left.
The tension remained.
His mother let out a slow exhale.
His father didn't look away from him.
And Kyung-min?
He kept his expression blank.
3:07 PM – Leaving the Hospital
His parents had handled the legal matters.
Their lawyer had handled the association's paperwork.
By all means, he should have stayed in the hospital for further monitoring.
But Kyung-min refused.
His mother argued.
His father disapproved.
His sister wasn't convinced.
But he won.
And when he stepped out of the hospital—
An entire fleet of luxury cars waited for him.
His lips twitched in irritation.
His mother turned toward him. "You'll be going home properly."
Kyung-min exhaled through his nose.
"…Then I want my car."
His father frowned. "Kyung-min—"
"I need fresh air."
His sister immediately latched onto his argument.
"I'll go with him."
Kyung-min tensed.
She stared at him, daring him to say no.
In the end—
He sighed.
"…Fine."
His father didn't like it.
His mother wasn't convinced.
But they let it go.
The moment he reached his car, the family's old butler, Ji-Hoon stepped forward.
"Welcome back, Young Master." The elderly man's eyes were warm.
Kyung-min hesitated.
Then, for the first time—
He allowed a small smile.
"…It's good to see you, too."
5:12 PM – A Missing Place
The car ride was silent.
His sister didn't push.
She just sat there, watching him, as if afraid that the moment she looked away—
He would disappear again.
But he wasn't focused on that.
He was focused on one thing.
The dungeon.
The place where everything started.
And when they arrived—
It was gone.
No gate. No entrance.
Only a crater.
And a dense forest stretching below.
Kyung-min's blood ran cold.
"…What happened here?"
His sister blinked. "What do you mean?"
"This dungeon," Kyung-min said slowly. "Where is it?"
She frowned.
"…There was never a dungeon here."
His heartbeat pounded.
His fingers curled into fists.
No.
That wasn't possible.
He remembered this place.
He had been here.
But the world was telling him otherwise.
Kyung-min took a deep breath.
Then—
Without warning—
He stepped forward.
And jumped.