Rey lay sprawled on the cold floor of his room.
The moment the ring-shaped tattoo finished binding to his body, it did not stop at his wrist as before. It crawled upward, spreading like living ink, wrapping around his entire lower arm up to just below the elbow.
His eyelids twitched.
Slowly, painfully, Rey began to wake from the long, suffocating slumber he had endured.
"Ah… what's happening…?" he muttered, groaning as he tried to lift himself off the floor.
His vision was blurry at first.
Then it focused.
His room.
His bed.His desk.His familiar walls.
"…I'm back?" he whispered, confusion flooding his face.
The memory of the Archive flashed through his mind. The Will. The books. The pain. The curse.
"Aiden… Victor… Zero… Veylen?" he called out instinctively.
No response.
Not even an echo.
His chest felt heavy, as if something unseen was pressing down on his thoughts.
"What the hell… my head feels like it's carrying a mountain," he muttered, staggering toward his bed.
As he reached it, his eyes fell on the wall clock.
The second hand ticked calmly.
Normal.
Too normal.
"…That's impossible."
He distinctly remembered spending hours, maybe even days, inside the Archive. Yet according to the clock, only a few minutes had passed since he last entered his room.
"What's happen—"
His legs gave out.
Rey collapsed onto the bed with a dull thud.
The room fell silent once more.
Night passed.
Rey slept.
But his system did not.
One message after another appeared before his sleeping face, unseen and unanswered.
[System has detected a strange movement inside the host.]
[A curse has been imposed on the host. Attempting to locate the source.]
[Error. Source identified as the host's bloodline. The source cannot be destroyed.]
[Host is being cursed. Curse identified: Nirzveil's Covenant.]
[Curse effects are being applied to the host's body.]
[System attempting suppression…]
[Error. Curse grade exceeds Origin classification. Suppression impossible.]
[Full potential of the curse is being applied to soul, mind, and body.]
[Host's soul is being interconnected with an existence beyond the system range.]
[Warning. Connection extends beyond world boundaries.]
[Mutation in progress. Estimated completion: 30:12:56.]
[Host's body undergoing mutation. Estimated time: 37:45:30.]
[Host's mind undergoing mutation.]
[Suppression attempt detected…]
[Error. Suppression seized by an unknown element inside the host.]
[Curse approaching relics stored within host.]
[Relics forcibly undergoing evolution to the next grade.]
[Estimated time for relic evolution: 16:10:14.]
[All abilities and skills affected.]
[System recommends forced shutdown.]
[Hidden bloodline potential is being forcibly awakened.]
[New abilities detected.]
[Congratulations, host. You have acquired the ability: ???????? (EX).]
[Physique evolving into—]
The messages continued.
Rey slept through all of it.
Several hours later.
Dawn crept through the window.
Rey slowly stirred.
This time, his posture was different.
He wasn't sprawled awkwardly on the bed like before.
He was lying straight.
Covered with a blanket.
"…Huh?"
His eyes opened fully.
He was on the floor again.
But neatly laid out.
His room was quiet.
The door was closed.
Relief washed over him.
Good… Mom didn't see me like that.
Then a strange thought crossed his mind.
'Wait… who covered me?'
He felt something shift beside him.
His body froze.
Slowly, he turned his head.
And nearly stopped breathing.
His mother sat on a chair beside him, asleep, her head tilted slightly forward.
His heart almost leapt out of his chest.
He didn't dare speak.
Didn't dare move.
He only relaxed once he confirmed she was breathing steadily.
'She stayed here… the whole time?'
As he carefully tried to sit up, his gaze fell on his hands.
His breath caught.
"…What?"
His skin.
It was different.
What was once slightly dull now appeared smooth, pale, and unnaturally fair. His hand felt cold to the touch, yet he didn't feel cold internally.
This sensation…
'Veylen.'
The resemblance struck him instantly.
His hair, once dark brown, was now pure black.
And the tattoo—
The ring-shaped mark had spread.
It now covered his entire arm below the elbow, etched deep into his skin like an ancient brand.
"What the hell is happening to me…?" he whispered.
He carefully stood up and moved toward the mirror.
The reflection stunned him.
The Rey staring back looked… unreal.
His skin was flawless. Too flawless.
His facial structure had sharpened, matured, as if time itself had accelerated for him. It felt like he had leapt decades ahead in refinement overnight.
His pupils were completely black.
His sclera unnaturally white.
It was beautiful.
And terrifying.
He was still staring at himself when a soft sound came from behind.
He turned.
His mother was awake.
Their eyes met.
Rey braced himself.
'She's going to ask who I am.'
Instead—
She rushed forward and hugged him tightly.
"Thank God…" she sobbed. "You're awake. I thought something terrible happened to you."
Rey stood there, stunned.
"M-mom…?" he said softly. "Why are you crying?"
She pulled back just enough to look at his face.
"You didn't wake up for more than a day," she said. "I was terrified."
"A day…?" Rey echoed.
She nodded and explained everything.
How she found him lying strangely.
How his body was cold.
How she tried to wake him.
How the doctor found nothing wrong.
How she stayed by his side all night.
Rey listened silently.
His thoughts raced.
'Then everything in the Archive… was real.'
After reassuring her that he was fine, she finally left to prepare food.
The moment the door closed, Rey exhaled sharply.
"Aiden… Victor… Zero… Veylen…" he called again.
Nothing.
Then—
The world shifted.
White light swallowed him whole.
Rey found himself standing inside the familiar white room.
Relief surged through him.
"Thank God—Aiden, what the hell happened to—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
The beings in front of him were… different.
Veylen stood as before.
Unchanged.
But the others—
Aiden looked younger. His hair was black now, his aura sharper.
Victor's eyes and hair had deepened into a darker, richer blood-red.
And Zero…
She had changed the most.
Her once translucent silver form was now a perfect balance of light and darkness.
All three radiated a stronger presence.
A higher existence.
"So," Aiden said with a grin, stepping forward, "the handsome boy finally woke up from his beauty sleep."
Rey frowned.
Something felt off.
"What happened to you all?" he asked cautiously. "And why do you feel… stronger?"
Aiden's expression turned serious.
"Kid," he said flatly, "choosing you as our host might've been a mistake."
Rey's heart dropped.
"…What?"
Before panic could set in—
Aiden burst out laughing.
"Haha! Relax. I'm joking."
Rey nearly snapped.
"You bas*ard!"
Aiden wiped a tear from his eye.
"Your evolution dragged us along with it. The curse reshaped everything inside you. Our sources changed, too. We evolved."
Victor nodded calmly.
Zero's eyes gleamed.
"This is an opportunity others would kill for," Aiden continued. "And it's only because of you."
Rey swallowed.
"Then… what exactly happened to me?"
Aiden smiled.
"Check your status."
Rey opened his system—
And nearly screamed.
"What the hell is this?!"
Notifications flooded his vision.
Endless.
Terrifying.