Morning arrived like nothing had happened.
The sun rose.
Students laughed.
The school gates opened as usual.
Yet for Jeong, the world felt… slightly off.
He walked toward school with Minho beside him, leaning on his crutches and moving slower than everyone else. A few steps ahead of them walked Maeun, her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, ponytail swaying gently with each step.
Minho let out a long sigh.
"If today's exam goes badly too, I think my dignity officially retires."
Maeun glanced back.
"You need to study for dignity to exist."
Minho clutched his chest dramatically.
"Why are you so cruel this early in the morning?"
Maeun smiled faintly.
"Because the truth doesn't wake up late."
Jeong watched them quietly.
A small, unintentional smile formed on his lips.
This felt normal.
Too normal.
But then—
A strange weight pressed against his chest.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Just… pressure.
Jeong slowed his steps.
Minho noticed immediately.
"Hey. You zoning out again?"
Jeong shook his head.
"No. Just tired."
Maeun glanced at him, her eyes lingering for a moment longer than necessary, as if trying to read something behind his expression. Then she turned away and continued walking.
A Voice Only He Could Hear
Something shifted inside Jeong's backpack.
Then a calm voice echoed directly in his mind.
"Threat level: Low."
"But presence detected."
Jeong stiffened.
The cat.
Since last night, it had been silent—almost like it didn't exist.
"Residual elemental trace detected nearby."
Jeong scanned the street.
Students. Cars. Teachers. Noise.
Nothing unusual.
"No immediate danger."
"Remain alert."
The school gates came into view.
As Jeong stepped inside, the pressure in his chest eased slightly. He released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Classroom Tension and Exams
The exam ended with a collective groan.
Minho slumped forward on his desk like a defeated soldier.
"That's it. My brain officially surrendered halfway through."
Maeun closed her book calmly.
"It wasn't that bad."
Minho stared at her.
"For you. You're built different."
Maeun rolled her eyes.
"Excuses don't earn grades."
Minho scoffed.
"You're heartless."
"Only to lazy people," she replied without missing a beat.
Jeong let out a small laugh.
Minho snapped his head toward him.
"Oh? You're enjoying this?"
Jeong shrugged.
"You walked into it."
Even Maeun smiled.
For a brief moment, they were just students.
No gods.
No shadows.
No danger.
Just ordinary life.
Something Watching
Jeong's gaze drifted toward the classroom window.
In the far corner of the schoolyard stood a man.
Tall.
Black coat.
Calm posture.
Normal.
And yet—
Jeong's heartbeat quickened.
The voice returned, sharper this time.
"Threat concealed."
"Power level unclear."
Jeong blinked.
The man was gone.
Maeun noticed his expression.
"What are you staring at?"
Jeong shook his head.
"Nothing."
Minho laughed lightly.
"This guy lives inside his thoughts."
Jeong didn't respond.
An Invitation
School ended quietly.
As they packed their bags, Maeun spoke casually.
"Let's go out tonight."
Minho perked up immediately.
"I support this plan."
Jeong hesitated.
Night.
Darkness.
The voice whispered again.
"Nighttime increases risk."
Maeun looked at him.
"You're coming, right?"
Jeong paused… then nodded.
"Yeah."
City Lights
Streetlights painted the city in warm gold.
Food stalls buzzed with life.
Music played somewhere in the distance.
Minho lost every single game they tried.
Maeun teased him relentlessly.
"My luck is cursed," Minho complained.
"Luck favors effort," Maeun replied.
Jeong watched them, feeling something unfamiliar stir in his chest.
Peace.
Then—
The air changed.
The voice sharpened instantly.
"Immediate threat."
"Target: You."
Across the street stood the same man.
Black coat.
Calm smile.
Jeong stopped walking.
Minho took another step before freezing mid-motion.
His body wouldn't move.
Maeun's voice trembled.
"Minho?"
Jeong stepped forward, placing himself between them and the man.
The voice almost shouted.
"Do not engage."
The man's eyes drifted to Jeong's backpack.
"So it reached you after all."
"Who are you?" Jeong asked.
The man smiled slightly.
"Just an observer. For now."
Then—
He vanished.
Like smoke.
Minho exhaled sharply, staggering backward.
"What… was that?"
Maeun was pale, silent.
Inside Jeong's mind, the voice spoke again.
"You have been noticed."
Midnight Truth
Jeong couldn't sleep.
The room felt heavy.
Then—
A deep presence settled around him.
"You can no longer remain passive."
Jeong sat up.
The cat climbed onto his chest, eyes glowing faintly.
"More dangers will come."
"I will warn you."
Jeong stared at the ceiling.
"…Then I'll have to change."
Outside the window, darkness seemed to listen.
Night fell quietly over the city.
Neon lights flickered to life one by one, reflecting on wet roads as traffic thinned. Jeong walked a few steps behind Minho and Maeun, his hands buried inside his jacket pockets. The cat rested silently inside his bag, its presence faint but alert.
Minho tried to lighten the mood.
"Next time, we're choosing food instead of games. My pride can't take this."
Maeun smiled faintly.
"You say that every time."
Jeong didn't laugh.
That strange pressure from earlier hadn't left him. If anything, it had grown heavier—as if the night itself was watching.
"Warning," the voice echoed calmly in his mind.
"Threat probability increasing."
Jeong slowed his steps.
Maeun noticed.
"Are you okay?"
Jeong nodded.
"Just… tired."
That's when it happened.
A shadow stepped out from the narrow alley ahead.
Then another.
Then more.
Eight figures.
They blocked the street effortlessly, like they had been waiting.
Minho stopped walking.
Maeun's expression hardened.
Jeong recognized the leader instantly.
Park Doyun.
Second-year.
Well-known.
Well-connected.
The same boy who smiled while others bled.
Doyun clapped slowly.
"Didn't think I'd run into you so soon."
His eyes settled on Jeong.
Cold.
Amused.
"Looks like you've been enjoying yourself lately."
Minho stepped forward instinctively.
"Hey—this isn't—"
Doyun raised a hand.
Minho froze.
One of the boys behind Doyun smiled mockingly.
"That's him. The one who embarrassed you."
Doyun's gaze sharpened.
"Yeah. That kick."
Jeong's heart pounded.
The voice whispered urgently.
"Threat level: High."
"Recommendation: Escape."
Jeong exhaled slowly.
He stepped forward instead.
"I don't want trouble," Jeong said calmly. "Let us pass."
The alley went silent.
Then laughter erupted.
Doyun tilted his head.
"You really think you get to choose?"
Maeun grabbed Jeong's sleeve.
"Jeong…"
Minho clenched his fists.
"This isn't worth it."
Doyun gestured casually.
Two boys moved instantly—grabbing Minho and Maeun, forcing them back.
"Don't touch them," Jeong said, his voice steady but strained.
Doyun smiled wider.
"Relax. We're just talking."
He stepped closer.
"So," Doyun continued, "I heard you suddenly grew confident."
Jeong met his eyes.
"I just stopped letting people walk over me."
That smile vanished.
Doyun's hand shot forward.
Jeong barely dodged.
A sharp elbow grazed his shoulder, sending pain down his arm.
"Reaction speed insufficient."
Jeong stumbled back.
Doyun didn't rush.
He circled slowly.
"You're not trained," Doyun said calmly. "You're just reacting."
Jeong's instincts screamed.
Left.
Duck.
Back.
He avoided two strikes.
But the third—
A brutal kick slammed into his ribs.
Air exploded out of his lungs.
Jeong hit the ground hard.
Pain flooded his body.
"Body integrity compromised."
Doyun looked down at him.
"This is reality."
He nodded.
The others joined in.
Fists.
Kicks.
Boots.
Jeong tried to stand.
Failed.
Instinct moved him, but his body refused to keep up.
A knee crushed into his stomach.
Jeong gagged.
Minho shouted.
"Stop it!"
Maeun screamed his name.
Doyun raised his foot—
Then paused.
He crouched beside Jeong.
"You know the difference between you and me?" Doyun whispered.
Jeong couldn't answer.
"I enjoy this."
One last kick.
Then Doyun stood.
"Let's go."
They left just like that.
Silence returned.
Minho rushed to Jeong's side.
"Jeong—Jeong!"
Maeun knelt too, her hands shaking.
Jeong's vision blurred.
Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes—not from pain.
From helplessness.
Home
Jeong barely remembered how he got home.
His body felt numb.
He collapsed onto the floor of his room.
The door clicked shut.
And something inside him broke.
Tears came freely now.
"I didn't change anything," he whispered.
His hands trembled.
"All that confidence… all those instincts…"
Useless.
He slammed his fist into the floor.
"I'm still weak."
His chest ached.
He curled up, shoulders shaking.
"I'm still the same."
Exhaustion dragged him down.
Sleep took him while tears soaked the floor.
Blood and the Box
A soft crack echoed in the room.
Jeong stirred.
Something warm trickled from his knuckles.
Blood.
It dripped onto the floor.
Then onto something else.
A small, old wooden box.
The one his father had given him years ago.
"Don't open it until the time is right."
The box trembled.
Dark symbols ignited across its surface.
A faint shadow leaked from its seams.
Inside Jeong's mind, the voice spoke—not calm anymore.
"Condition met."
The box opened.
Darkness poured out.
Not violent.
Not chaotic.
Silent.
It flowed into Jeong's chest like ink sinking into water.
His body arched.
Pain surged—
Then vanished.
Something settled deep within him.
Cold.
Heavy.
Alive.
[Shadow Element: Acquired]
[Status: Dormant]
Jeong gasped awake.
His eyes glowed faintly—then returned to normal.
The room was quiet.
The box lay empty.
The cat sat beside him, eyes glowing softly.
"This is only the beginning."
Jeong clenched his fist.
No power surged.
No miracle happened.
But something fundamental had changed.
He whispered—
"…Next time, I won't fall."
Outside, the city slept.
Unaware.