3:32 PM – The Descent into the Crater
Kyung-min stepped off the edge.
The wind roared past his ears as he plummeted toward the dense forest below. His coat flared behind him, the sensation of freefall strangely familiar.
A sharp, panicked scream echoed from above.
"OPPA!"
His sister.
She was watching—horrified.
But he didn't look back.
He had already committed.
The moment he neared the treeline, Abyss Step activated.
His body flickered—vanishing into the shadows.
Then—
He reappeared inches above the ground, momentum instantly nullified. His boots touched the soil without a sound.
His landing was perfect.
Yet—
Something was wrong.
The air was thick. Heavier than normal. The mana here didn't just exist—it lingered, curling unnaturally around him like invisible tendrils.
It felt like something was watching.
His sharp gaze swept over the area.
The crater was massive, stretching out like a scar across the earth.
And at its center—
A forest.
Not a lush, thriving one.
A twisted, gnarled thing.
The trees weren't natural. Their bark was cracked, ashen veins running through them like they had been burned—then rewritten by something far worse.
And the silence—
Not a single insect. No wind. No birds.
Nothing.
Kyung-min's breath slowed.
This place—
It wasn't just wrong.
It was familiar.
3:33 AM – The Unease of the Forest
Kyung-min moved forward, his steps slow, deliberate.
His instincts screamed at him.
Every part of him recognized this feeling.
It was the same suffocating pressure he had felt in the dungeon—the lich's domain.
But this wasn't a dungeon.
Was it?
He reached out, running his fingers over the bark of one of the warped trees.
It was cold. Too cold.
A dead sensation, as if the wood itself had been leeched of all life.
Something happened here.
Something that wasn't natural.
Then—
A sound.
Rustling.
Above.
Kyung-min's head snapped up.
His sister was jumping.
3:36 PM – The Moment His Sister Arrives
"SON OF A—!"
Kyung-min blurred forward, arms outstretched.
His sister landed directly into his grip, the force of her fall sending a shock through his arms.
For a moment—
They just stared at each other.
Then—
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" they shouted simultaneously.
"You first!" his sister snapped, struggling out of his hold.
Kyung-min's jaw tightened.
"What was I thinking? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"
His sister jabbed a finger into his chest. "You JUMPED OFF A CLIFF WITHOUT A WORD!"
Kyung-min inhaled deeply, reigning in his irritation.
"You should've stayed up there."
"And let you do whatever the hell this is?!"
She was furious.
But—
Her anger wavered.
Her shoulders tensed.
Her breath slowed.
She felt it too.
The wrongness.
Her voice was quieter now.
"…Oppa, where are we?"
Kyung-min didn't answer.
Because he didn't know.
3:37 AM – The Awakener Association's Sudden Arrival
A sudden vibration against his skin.
Mana. Moving fast.
Kyung-min's head snapped up.
Above the crater—several black vehicles had arrived.
A team of men in black uniforms stepped out, led by a single figure.
Choi Tae-hyun.
The Awakener Association had found him.
Kyung-min exhaled through his nose.
Not good.
His sister followed his gaze, then stiffened.
"The Association?"
Kyung-min didn't respond.
Instead—
He grabbed his sister by the waist.
"Wha—?!"
🔹 [Abyss Step – Activated.]
They vanished.
A split-second later—
They reappeared at the top of the cliff.
His sister gasped, clinging to his sleeve. "Wha—WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"
Kyung-min ignored her, his sharp gaze locking onto the Association members.
They were already looking at him.
But before they could speak—
He turned.
And walked straight to their car.
"Let's go."
His sister blinked.
"What?"
Kyung-min opened the door.
"We're leaving."
She hesitated.
Then—
She climbed in.
And just as the Association started moving toward them—
Kyung-min drove off.
3:38 PM – The Demanding Sibling
The car was silent.
For exactly ten seconds.
Then—
His sister exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
Kyung-min sighed, resting one hand on the steering wheel.
"I was checking the air."
"The—THE AIR?"
He nodded. "Freefall gives a better perspective."
A dangerous silence.
Then—
She punched him in the arm.
"YOU ARE NOT FUNNY!"
Kyung-min winced. "Ow. What happened to respecting your brother?"
Her glare was deadly.
"Respect? YOU JUMPED OFF A CLIFF."
He sighed again.
She crossed her arms. "Why did you jump?"
Kyung-min clicked his tongue.
"Testing my limits."
She did not buy that.
Her stare was pure suspicion.
But before she could dig further—
He scowled.
"Why did you jump?"
Her expression wavered.
"I—"
She paused.
He narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie."
Her hands gripped her sleeves.
"Because I thought… you were going to leave again."
Kyung-min froze.
For a brief moment—
His fingers trembled against the steering wheel.
But—
He forced them still.
A quiet sigh.
Then—
His hand reached out.
And messed up her hair.
She swatted at him, annoyed, but her eyes glistened slightly.
"I'm not going anywhere," he muttered.
A small, bitter part of him added:
"At least, not yet."
3:43 PM – The Mystery Deepens
His sister finally relaxed against the seat.
The argument was over.
But she still had one last question.
"…How did we get back up?"
Kyung-min didn't answer immediately.
Because he didn't know.
The moment he had grabbed her—
The moment they had entered the shadow—
He had felt something.
Something different.
His mana had changed.
And when they had emerged—
His sister hadn't seen anything.
Kyung-min's grip tightened slightly.
"Magic," he answered finally.
She narrowed her eyes.
"…I don't believe you."
He smirked. "That's fine. I don't believe me either."
Her expression twisted in irritation.
But as she huffed—
Kyung-min's gaze flickered toward the rearview mirror.
The crater was fading into the distance.
But something about it felt unfinished.
Like something was waiting.
And he knew—
This wasn't over.
Not even close.