Chapter 9: The Throne That Watches
---
Jihwan stepped forward, the sensation of that impossible vision still lingering in his mind. The shattered sky, the empty throne—it wasn't a hallucination. It was something real.
And someone—or something—had noticed his glimpse into that forbidden place.
The corridor stretched on, but now he was hyper-aware of every shift in the air, every flicker of movement beyond his vision. His mind was sharp, processing everything at lightning speed.
[System Notification: "Connection stabilized. Proceed with caution."]
The system had recovered. But that didn't mean it had regained control.
Jihwan exhaled. His thoughts were calm, but his instincts remained on high alert. If he had seen something beyond this world, what else was hidden behind the curtain?
Then—
The air shifted.
A presence materialized in front of him.
Not an enemy. Not a monster. Not even an entity like before.
It was a shadowy figure, featureless, undefined. A presence without form.
[System Notification: "Irregular entity detected. Scanning…"]
[System Error: Unable to analyze subject.]
Jihwan's grip tightened. Another existence outside the system's control.
Then, for the first time since he had arrived here—
It spoke.
"You should not be here."
The voice was neither male nor female. It was deep yet weightless, carrying an authority that sent chills through the air.
Jihwan's expression remained unreadable, but inside, his mind was racing.
"You were not meant to see it."
The shadow didn't move. It simply stood there, blocking his path.
Jihwan knew he had two choices—back down and follow the system's intended path, or push forward and learn the truth behind the vision.
His choice was already made.
With steady steps, he moved forward.
The shadow didn't stop him.
But as he passed, it whispered one final thing—
"Then the Throne will be waiting for you."
The moment Jihwan stepped past the entity, the world shifted again.
And deep within the unseen layers of existence… something stirred.
---
End of Chapter 9