Prologue Arc: The End is Only the Beginning

Chapter 1: Daybreak-

Several days ago, a perfectly rectangular portal tore open the sky above Seoul. It hung there, silent and ominous, defying all known physics. The government swiftly launched an investigation, dubbing it the "Dimensional Rift."

So far, nothing had happened. No disasters. No strange occurrences. The world held its breath, and then slowly began to exhale, mistaking silence for safety.

In the courtyard of a quiet high school, three students sat together during break, the unnatural rectangle looming in the sky above them like a wound that wouldn't heal.

Han Ma-ru couldn't stop staring at it.

The rift filled him with a deep, primal unease, an invisible weight constantly pressing down on his chest. It was a conviction that something terrible was waiting in the silence, just beyond that shimmering rectangle.

A sudden gust of wind brushed past his right ear.

"Eeek!"

He jumped, shuddering, his heart slamming against his ribs. Whipping around, he glared at the culprit—

Only to see him standing there, grinning.

Baek Su-ho raised both hands in mock surrender, his bleached-pink hair catching the sunlight. "Hehe! Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to startle ya, Marumaru. Ya just looked so deep in thought. Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?"

He was a paradox, a country boy with the effortless, dazzling confidence of a celebrity. Which, he supposed, he was training to become. Everything about him was designed to stand out. The shock of pink hair, the sharp jawline, that annoyingly photogenic smile. Even his slouching posture had a practiced ease to it, like he was always on camera. His uniform hung open to reveal a bright pink T-shirt underneath, a mere suggestion of dress code compliance.

Ma-ru sighed, trying to slow his racing heart. "D-don't scare me like that."

Behind Su-ho, Yoo Seol watched with her usual expression of mild, familiar exasperation. Her uniform was flawlessly pressed, her tie exact, not a single wrinkle to be found. Even her watch looked impossibly expensive. Sleek black hair was tied back in a severe ponytail, not a strand out of place. She never spoke of her family, but her quiet, unshakable composure screamed old money.

Su-ho, completely unfazed by her judgmental stare, grinned. "C'mon, Seol-seol, it was just a lil' teasing."

The subtlest sigh escaped her lips. She signed something sharp at him.

Su-ho translated without missing a beat. "She says I'm impossible."

Ma-ru blinked. He still didn't understand most of what she signed—he'd only known them for a few months—but Su-ho had been translating for her since day one, as naturally as breathing.

Ma-ru adjusted his glasses, watching them banter with the ease of people who'd known each other since childhood. They had history. Inside jokes. A language—literally, in Yoo Seol's case—that he was still learning.

He'd only transferred to this school three months ago. Before that, he was just another anonymous face in the crowd. No one special. No one memorable.

So why had they accepted him? Why did Su-ho, with his blinding charisma, keep dragging him along?

Maybe because Su-ho collected people the way other people collected hobbies. And Ma-ru was just the latest stray he'd picked up.

The thought stung more than he wanted to admit.

Su-ho turned back to Ma-ru, his eyes curious. "So? What's got you all spacey?"

Ma-ru hesitated, his eyes drifting back to the window and the unnatural rectangle in the sky. "I-I was just wondering... w-what might come out of that D-dimensional rift." His voice wavered, betraying his fear.

Su-ho's grin faded slightly. "The rift?"

Yoo Seol's hands moved swiftly, her expression serious. Too fast for Ma-ru to catch.

Su-ho translated without missing a beat. "She says it's trouble. Something bad."

Ma-ru nodded. A shiver ran down his spine. So he wasn't the only one.

Then—

"Skinny-dipping angel!"

Su-ho spun back to them, smirking, his serious mood vanishing as quickly as it came.

Ma-ru's face went red. "Bwuh?!"

"Ha! You shoulda seen your face!" Su-ho burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the quiet courtyard.

Yoo Seol pinched the bridge of her nose. She signed something ending with a tiny, ironic finger-heart gesture, the kind an idol would throw to their fans.

Su-ho's smirk widened. "Nah, just with y'all. When I debut, I gotta act all proper, a cute lil' maknae with a funny accent. You two are gonna be my number one fans, got it?"

Ma-ru blinked, confused. "Su-ho, you're the tallest person here."

At 198 cm, he towered over Ma-ru's 160 cm and even Yoo Seol's 162 cm. He loomed over everyone, even the older members of his trainee group.

"But I'm still the youngest," he insisted, puffing out his chest.

They both just stared at him.

Su-ho sweatdropped. "I mean... chronologically! I'm still a teenager!"

Yoo Seol's hands moved again.

What is that gesture? Ma-ru thought.

Su-ho noticed Ma-ru's confused look. He leaned in, squinting at Yoo Seol's rapid signs, then sighed dramatically.

"She says people always mistake me for a teacher because of my height," he translated, his shoulders slumping. "Man, I wish I could shrink myself. I keep hitting my forehead on doorframes." He groaned. "And my mom says I'm still growing."

Ma-ru let out a small, involuntary chuckle.

Su-ho's grin softened into something more thoughtful. He leaned back on his hands, looking up at the rift, then deliberately looked away, as if refusing to let it ruin the moment.

"Hey. We're in third year now," he said casually. "We're gonna graduate soon."

Ma-ru blinked at the sudden shift. "Y-yeah?"

"After this, I'm gonna focus on my trainee stuff for real." Su-ho scratched the back of his head. "Don't wanna be stuck as a trainee forever, y'know? Gotta actually debut someday."

"But... you promised you'd debut," Ma-ru said slowly.

"Yep!" Su-ho grinned, but there was a flicker of something serious behind his eyes. "But there's nothin' wrong with havin' a contingency, right? My contingency is gettin' this high school diploma." He tapped his temple. "Smart idol. That's the brand."

Ma-ru couldn't help but smile. "That's... actually smart."

"'Course it is. I'm full of good ideas." Su-ho stretched, then reached over and patted Yoo Seol on the head. She swatted his hand away, but there was no real heat in it.

"And Seolseol here," Su-ho continued, ignoring her glare, "wants to be a vet."

Ma-ru turned to her, surprised. "A vet?"

Yoo Seol nodded, pulling out her sketchbook. She flipped to a page, a detailed drawing of a small clinic, animals in the windows, a smiling woman in a white coat. She pointed at herself, then at the drawing, and signed something.

Su-ho translated. "She says she wants to help animals. They don't judge you. They just... need you."

Ma-ru felt something warm in his chest. "That's really cool, Seol."

She gave him a small smile.

Then Su-ho turned to him. "What about you, Marumaru? What's your plan after graduation?"

Ma-ru froze.

What was his plan?

He'd never really thought about it. Not seriously. He just assumed he'd get a job, work, survive. Nothing special. Nothing worth saying out loud.

"Erm..." He fidgeted with his tie. "B-become an office worker, maybe?"

Su-ho stared at him.

"...Wow."

Ma-ru winced. "W-what?"

"Mundane stuff," Su-ho said, but his voice wasn't mocking. It was almost... disappointed. "That's it? Office worker?"

Ma-ru's cheeks burned. "It's a stable job!"

"I'm not sayin' it's bad," Su-ho said quickly, raising his hands. "Just... I dunno. You could aim higher, y'know? You're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

No. I'm literally bellow top ten.

Before he could respond, Su-ho stood up, brushing off his uniform. He turned to face them both, his expression suddenly serious.

"Listen. If we reach our goals—when we reach them—don't forget." He looked at Ma-ru. Then at Yoo Seol. "We're still friends. Even if we're apart. Even if I'm some big-shot idol and Seolseol's a famous vet and you're—" he paused, smirking, "—the world's most amazing office worker."

Ma-ru snorted despite himself.

Su-ho's grin softened. "Let's have reunions. Like this. Just the three of us. No cameras, no fans, no nothin'. Just us."

Yoo Seol signed something.

Su-ho read her hands, then groaned. "Oh, come on. Seolseol says idols have secret stuff, dating, outings, whatever. And she says I'm not allowed to bring any of that to our reunions."

Ma-ru blinked. "Wait, dating?"

"Not important!" Su-ho waved his hands frantically. "The point is, the three of us. Reunions. Promise?"

He held out his hand.

Yoo Seol placed hers on top.

Ma-ru hesitated, then placed his on top of theirs.

Su-ho grinned.

"Promise."

The moment hung between them, warm and fragile.

Then—as if a switch had been flipped—the playful glint in Su-ho's eyes disappeared.

His gaze turned serious, drifting back towards the rift.

"Anyway...speaking of Angel stuff before I derailed our talk. I reckon that thing's got somethin' to do with monsters?" His voice dropped, losing its playful twang. "Like in those fantasy web novels ya always read?"

Ma-ru stiffened.

"Knights and dungeons?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah. And the thing about... empaths?"

"Espers?"

Su-ho scratched his head, then held his hand out between them, palm up. He Spun his hand. Then, without another word, he concentrated.

A tiny arc of blue-white lightning crackled to life at his fingertips.

Ma-ru froze.

Yoo Seol's eyes widened, her perfect composure finally cracking.

Su-ho hummed, watching the flickering energy dance across his skin, but his gaze was distant, locked onto something in the empty air in front of him. Something only he could see.

"I reckon it started before the rift even appeared," he muttered, his voice low. "A game-like screen just popped up in front of me... but y'all couldn't see it." He dismissed the lightning with a flick of his wrist and tapped at the empty space before his eyes. "Nothin', right? But for me... there's my name, my stats, my ability... which is lightning generator."

The lightning crackled at his fingertips. Su-ho stared at it. Then he grinned. "Cool, right? Maybe not consider said book."

A chilling realization settled over the three of them, cold and heavy.

If this was real... if this was really like a web novel...

That meant the rift wasn't just a strange phenomenon.

It was a door.

And doors open both ways.

Monsters would come. People would die. And others, like Su-ho, would awaken to fight them.

But the most terrifying question echoed in all their minds: How had Su-ho awakened before the door had even opened?

The bell rang.

RIIIIING!

Ma-ru flinched so hard he nearly stumbled. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.

No—was that the signal? Is it happening?! Are they coming out now?!

He shrank back, panic seizing his lungs, only to realize...

It was just the school bell.

The break was over.

But his legs wouldn't stop trembling.

"Ya alright?" Su-ho asked, his voice soft with concern.

"Th-there, no alright! M-monsters will come from that thing if we use web novels or manhwa as reference! P-people will die an—"

Before Ma-ru could finish, he felt a warm, steady hand gently rubbing his back. Yoo Seol. She didn't look at him, but her presence was an anchor.

Deep breath.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Ma-ru finally calmed down, the world coming back into focus.

He turned to Yoo Seol. "Thanks."

She gave him a firm, reassuring thumbs-up.

Then, Su-ho spoke.

"I will protect you two."

He wasn't looking at them. He was staring past them, through the window, at the silent, swirling rift. His expression was grim.

Then, he turned back, and his eyes held a gravity none of them had ever seen in them before.

"If that happens," he said, his voice quiet and devoid of all teasing. Just pure, unwavering determination. "I'll protect both of you."

He met each of their eyes.

"It's a promise."

One month have passed ever since that day. The day Su-ho show his superpower.

Ma-ru adjusted his glasses, squinting at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Same face. Same anxious eyes. Same unruly hair that refused to stay down no matter how much water he used.

He sighed.

Another day.

He finished tying his tie and stepped out of his bedroom, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor. The smell of breakfast still lingered in the air: grilled fish, rice, the faint saltiness of seaweed soup.

His eomma was already in the living room, dressed in her crisp business attire, her bag slung over one shoulder. But she wasn't heading for the door.

She was standing in front of the drawer.

The one with the photo.

Ma-ru's chest tightened.

He walked up beside her, his eyes drifting to the frame. His appa. Pilot uniform. That easy smile he remembered from when he was eight years old. Before the storm. Before the plane vanished. Before "no trace" became the only answer.

"Appa," Ma-ru murmured. "I'm going to school."

His eomma didn't look at him. Her fingers brushed the glass, a soft, practiced gesture. "Yeobo. I'm going to work."

Then she turned, her expression softening as she reached up to ruffle his hair.

"Be good at school, Ma-ru-ya."

"Mmm. You too, eomma."

They walked out together. Down the elevator. Out the apartment doors. Into the same routine they'd shared for years.

"I'm glad you have friends now, Ma-ru-ya," she said, her voice gentle. "I'm sorry we kept moving. Because of my job."

"It's okay." He adjusted his glasses. "It was my decision to follow you. You asked if I wanted to stay at my old school. I chose to come with you. So it's fine."

It had been his choice.

He just wished he didn't stutter every time he tried to explain it.

Always stuttered. Ever since he was a kid. Whenever he panicked. Whenever he was nervous. It made him a target. Made him stand out for all the wrong reasons.

At least now he had Seol.

At least now he had Su-ho.

He took a breath.

"F-fight, eomma!"

His mother smiled. The kind of smile that said I know you're trying.

"Fight, Ma-ru-ya."

They parted at the corner. She went left. He went right.

Ma-ru kept walking, his bag slung over one shoulder, his eyes fixed on the school gates ahead. The rift loomed above, a constant reminder that nothing was normal anymore.

He was almost at the gate when—

Two strong arms wrapped around him from behind. One hooked around his neck. The other locked around his torso. And then—

Lift.

"A-ack!?"

His feet left the ground. His glasses nearly flew off his face. He flailed uselessly, his bag swinging wildly as he was hoisted into the air like a sack of potatoes.

"Yoo! Marumaru!"

"S-su-ho-ya! Put me down! I can't—my glasses—!"

Su-ho spun him around once, laughing, his strength ridiculous for someone who looked like a pretty idol trainee. At 198 cm, he made Ma-ru's 160 cm frame look like a child's toy.

Ever since that day, Ma-ru had gotten used to calling both his new friends with close suffixes. Su-ho-ya. Seol-ah. It still felt strange on his tongue sometimes. Like he didn't quite deserve the familiarity.

But Su-ho had insisted. And Seol had nodded. And Ma-ru had stopped arguing.

He just wished Su-ho would stop treating him like a dumbbell.

Smack.

Su-ho froze.

Then he let go with a yelp, rubbing his head as he pouted at the perpetrator.

Yoo Seol lowered her hand, her expression perfectly neutral. She signed something sharp and quick, her movements precise and unimpressed.

Su-ho translated with a groan. "She says I shouldn't toss people before breakfast. And that I'm too loud. And that I almost broke his glasses."

Ma-ru gasped, catching his breath and grabbing his glasses before they could fall. "T-thank you... S-seol-ah."

She nodded, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Su-ho yawned. Widely. Loudly.

Ma-ru blinked. That was... weird. Su-ho wasn't the type to yawn during the day. He was always bouncing with energy, always moving, always grinning. But lately—

Lately, he looked tired.

Dark circles. Slower movements. That yawn that seemed to come from somewhere deep.

Before Ma-ru could ask, Su-ho stretched his arms above his head, his usual grin sliding back into place like a mask.

"Come on, you two. Let's go to our school. Our homeroom teacher Ahn seonsaengnim awaits us."

Then he paused.

His grin sharpened. That familiar spark flickered in his eyes, the one that always preceded something chaotic.

"On second thought... you two are slowpokes. You know, I have the most brilliant idea ever exist."

Ma-ru felt his stomach drop.

Why does that make me scared?

"Considerin' that stuff from one month ago I showed you two..." Su-ho's voice dropped to a playful whisper. "I became stronger than before. So..."

Before Ma-ru could react, one arm hooked around his torso. With effortless strength, Su-ho yanked him up and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

"E-eh?!"

Ma-ru's bag almost dropped. His glasses nearly flew off, again. His world tilted upside down, the ceiling spinning as he dangled helplessly over Su-ho's back.

"Su-ho-ya! What are you—?!"

Then Su-ho turned to Yoo Seol.

Before she could sign a single protest, strong arms scooped her up—bridal carry—her feet leaving the ground.

Her mouth opened.

For the first time in Ma-ru's memory, Yoo Seol's perfect composure shattered. Her eyes were wide. Her lips parted in a silent gasp that might have been a scream if she could make sound.

Su-ho laughed, bright and loud, completely unbothered by the weight of both his friends in his arms.

"Hehe! I can carry my two favorite people—Marumaru and Seolseol—so easy now! You guys weigh nothin'!"

Ma-ru's face burned. "S-su-ho! Put us down!"

"Nope!" Su-ho's grin was insufferable. "Now hold tight, 'cause I'm gonna run!"

"Wha—Su-ho, wait—"

But his words were cut short as Su-ho bolted toward the school.

Ma-ru clung to his back, his glasses bouncing with every stride, his heart hammering in his chest. Students stared as they zoomed past. But Su-ho just laughed, weaving between bodies like he was born for it.

"AHHHHH—!"

Yoo Seol, cradled in Su-ho's arms, had given up on signing and simply covered her face with both hands.

She was going to die of embarrassment.

Ma-ru and Yoo Seol had finally been deposited at their seats, Ma-ru collapsed in his chair, breathless, his glasses askew, while Yoo Seol smoothed her uniform with pointed dignity, refusing to meet Su-ho's grinning face.

Su-ho just plopped down in his seat, completely unfazed.

"The sprint was totally worth it," he announced cheerfully. "You two are light as feathers now. I really am getting stronger!"

Ma-ru slumped forward, his head hitting the desk with a soft thud. "...I... I think my life had... b-been flashed before my eyes..."

Yoo Seol nodded vigorously, still refusing to look at Su-ho.

Ma-ru finally lifted his head from the desk, his glasses crooked, his face still flushed.

"Y-you..." He pointed a trembling finger at Su-ho. "That was... t-terrifying..."

Su-ho tilted his head, genuinely confused. "What? We got here fast, didn't we?"

"Fast?! You nearly killed us!"

"Eh." Su-ho waved a dismissive hand. "You're fine. See? Alive. Breathing. Mostly."

Yoo Seol finally turned, her expression cold as she signed something sharp.

Su-ho squinted, reading her hands.

Then he froze.

"...Wait. She says my grip on her ribs was too tight and she might have bruises."

Ma-ru blinked. "You might have—?"

Su-ho immediately spun toward her, his grin vanishing. "Seolseol! Why didn't you say something?! I'm sorry! Do you need to go to the nurse? Should I carry you there? I can carry you—"

Then she smirked.

Her fingers moved. Fast.

I lied. No pain. But you fell for it.

And then she pinched his nose.

"I Fall to... meegh! Fvis again?!"

Su-ho's voice came out all nasally, his nose pinched between her fingers. His arms flailed comically as he tried to escape, but Yoo Seol held firm, her expression utterly unimpressed.

Ma-ru stared.

Then a sound escaped him. Small at first. Then bigger.

He laughed.

It was a real laugh, warm and bright, bubbling up from somewhere he'd almost forgotten existed. His shoulders shook. His eyes crinkled. For a moment, the rift outside, the dread in his chest, it all faded.

They really are childhood friends, huh?

Su-ho finally escaped Yoo Seol's grip, rubbing his reddened nose with a pout. "You're so mean, Seolseol..."

Yoo Seol signed something smug.

Su-ho groaned. "She says I deserved it."

Ma-ru wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "Y-you kind of did..."

"Traitor!" Su-ho pointed at him. "I carried you here with my own two arms and this is the thanks I get?!"

"You nearly dropped me twice!"

"I caught you both times!"

"That's not the point!"

Yoo Seol was still looking at them, her expression soft now. A gentle smile pulling at her lips. She signed something slow and deliberate, knowing Ma-ru was still learning.

Both leaned in to read.

Then Su-ho burst out laughing.

Ma-ru blinked. "W-what did she say?"

Su-ho wheezed, clutching his stomach. "She said—" He took a breath, calming down just enough to translate. "—'You two are idiots. But you're my idiots.'"

Ma-ru felt his cheeks warm. He didn't know what to say to that.

So he just adjusted his glasses and muttered, "I... I guess that's... okay."

Then Ma-ru saw it.

Su-ho's hand pressed against his ribs, just for a second. His smile flickered. A tiny wince before it vanished.

It was so fast. So small. Anyone else would have missed it.

But Ma-ru was watching.

His stomach twisted. What was that?

He glanced at Yoo Seol. She was watching too, her eyes fixed on Su-ho's back, her expression unreadable.

She saw it. She always saw things.

Su-ho turned back to them, his grin firmly in place. "Hey, Marumaru. I got some... stuff to do after school. Can't hang out."

Ma-ru blinked. "O-oh. Okay. What stuff?"

"Trainee stuff. You know." Su-ho waved a hand dismissively.

But Ma-ru knew.

He'd accidentally run into Su-ho's hyungs last week. They said they were on break. No training. No schedules.

Su-ho was lying.

Ma-ru opened his mouth—to say what, he didn't know—but Yoo Seol's hand pressed gently on his arm. She shook her head once. Not now.

Not now.

Ma-ru closed his mouth.

Next week.

Valentine's Day arrived. And yet.

The classroom was quieter than it used to be.

Teachers didn't bother assigning homework anymore. Students whispered instead of laughed. Even the hallways, once filled with chatter, now echoed with muffled footsteps.

Everyone was pretending to be normal.

But no one believed it anymore.

In the classroom, students stared out windows more often than at textbooks. The weight of waiting pressed down on everyone.

One of the smaller rifts that had appeared in Seoul vanished without explanation. The news called it a miracle.

But those who knew—those who felt—knew better. It wasn't a miracle.

Su-ho was often absent now. His excuses were flimsy, the circles under his eyes darker. The top-ranked student still maintained his grades through sheer stubborn intelligence, but something had changed in him. When he was present, he was quieter. His gaze, when it drifted to the rift, held something ancient.

But currently... he looked happier. Humming to himself as he walked to his seat.

"Seolseol chocolate. Seolseol chocolate."

Yoo Seol watched him. She always watched. Her hands remained still more often now, as if she was saving her words for something that mattered.

Ma-ru watched them both.

What if it was Su-ho who closed that rift? What if his power is the key to entering them?

Not only that. Su-ho said he'd been training, that's why he was busy sometimes. But Ma-ru had accidentally run into his trainee hyungs. When he asked, they said they were currently on break.

Which meant Su-ho was lying.

Ma-ru's stomach twisted. His trainee hyungs wouldn't lie, they didn't even know Ma-ru existed. They had no reason to hide anything.

But Su-ho did.

Ma-ru thought about the small rift that had vanished. The timing. The exhaustion in Su-ho's face. The way he flinched sometimes when he thought no one was watching.

Su-ho had been fighting. Alone. Without telling anyone.

Why?

Did he not trust them? Or... did he think he had to protect them by keeping them in the dark?

Either way, the thought made Ma-ru's chest ache.

And... if he thought about it... the timing was almost the same as when that Seoul rift closed. Su-ho had been "busy" for one month. He was the only one Ma-ru knew who had power.

The realization sat in his stomach like a stone.

Then—

The world exploded.

A deep, otherworldly bell tolled, a sound that didn't come through the ears but vibrated deep within the soul. The entire school building shook violently, plaster dust raining from the ceiling. Students screamed. Teachers shouted. Chaos erupted in every classroom.

Through the window, beyond the rift, a colossal obsidian tower now pierced the heavens where nothing had been before.

And then, movement.

The rift shimmered, bulged, and broke.

They poured out. Not of flesh and blood, but of shadow and nightmare and jagged bone. A seething, screeching tide of monsters spilling into the streets below.

Through the window, Ma-ru watched in frozen horror as a bus flipped.

The silent dread, the weight in his chest, it had all been a prelude.

What he feared most had finally come true.

The world was ending.

And it had started right outside their window.

Monsters poured from the rift like bile from a ruptured wound, flooding the school grounds. The hallways, once filled with the mundane chatter of teenagers, now echoed with screams. Students and teachers scrambled in every direction, their faces masks of primal terror.

Han Ma-ru stood frozen.

His body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes locked onto the swirling mass of energy that had torn open the sky. The air crackled with an unnatural charge, sending shivers down his spine that had nothing to do with temperature. His heart hammered against his ribs so hard he thought they might crack.

This is real. This is actually happening. The monsters, they're real. They're here. They're—

A thunderous crash.

The classroom door exploded inward.

A creature—if it could be called that—forced its massive frame through the doorway. It stood on two legs like a man, but nothing else about it was human. Its skin was the color of dried blood, mottled with jagged black growths that looked like broken bones pushing through from inside. Multiple eyes—three, four, five?—glowed with sickly yellow light, scattered across its face and shoulders in no particular order. Its jaws unhinged slightly, dripping a viscous fluid that sizzled where it hit the floor.

It roared.

The sound wasn't just loud. It was physical. It pressed against Ma-ru's chest like a wall of water, stealing the air from his lungs. His legs buckled. His vision swam.

Move. Move. Move, please.

But his body wouldn't obey. His muscles had turned to water. All he could do was stare into those glowing eyes and wait for the end.

Then—

The air around him crackled.

A smell like ozone, sharp and clean, cut through the stench of the monster. A blur of motion—too fast to follow—shot past him from behind.

Baek Su-ho.

In an instant, the towering boy was there, standing between Ma-ru and the creature as if he'd teleported. His pink hair was wild, but his eyes were calm. Calm in a way that made no sense. Calm in a way that was almost wrong.

Su-ho's fist connected with the monster's face.

Lightning exploded from the impact.

The crack was deafening, a thunderclap compressed into a single point of contact. The creature's multiple eyes went wide—then blank—as it was hurled backward through the doorway, its massive body tearing through the frame and crashing into the hallway beyond.

It lay motionless.

Ma-ru stared.

Su-ho stood there, lightning dancing between his fingertips like playful snakes. He wasn't even breathing hard. His posture was relaxed, almost bored. But his eyes—

His eyes were different today.

There was something behind them that Ma-ru had never seen before. A weight. A knowledge. The look of someone who had seen this before. Done this before.

How many times? Ma-ru's mind raced, pieces clicking together with horrifying clarity. How many times has he done this?

"S-Su-ho… w-what was that?"

The words came out as a whisper. He wanted to ask more. He wanted to ask: Were you the one who closed those rifts? The ones that vanished last month? Were you there? Were you fighting alone?

But before he could force the words out, Su-ho's hand closed around his arm.

"No time to explain! Did you forget the teacher told us to evac to the gym?!"

The grip was firm but not painful. Grounding. Ma-ru's feet finally remembered how to move.

Ahead, at the classroom's shattered exit, Yoo Seol waited. Her face was pale—paler than Ma-ru had ever seen it—but her posture was steady. Her eyes met his for a fraction of a second, and in that look, he saw the same realization dawning.

"C'mon, Seolseol! We need to move! You too, Marumaru!"

Su-ho was already moving, pulling Ma-ru along, and Yoo Seol fell into step beside them without a word.

---

The hallway was chaos.

Students ran in every direction, some crying, some silent with shock. A girl sat against the wall, staring at nothing, her hands covered in dust and a small cut on her forehead. A boy was trying to drag his friend, who had frozen completely, muscles locked in terror.

And everywhere—everywhere—were monsters.

Ma-ru's mind struggled to process what he was seeing. Creatures of every shape and size, as if someone had emptied a nightmare and let it breed. Small ones, fast ones, skittering along the walls. Large ones, shambling and roaring. Things with too many legs. Things with no legs at all.

But Su-ho—

Su-ho moved through them like water.

A creature lunged. Su-ho was gone before it reached him, then there, behind it, his fist already buried in its spine. Lightning crackled. The creature collapsed.

Another came from the side. Su-ho didn't even look. His hand shot out, caught its face, and pushed. The thing flew backward into a third monster, both of them tumbling in a tangle of limbs.

Lightning coalesced in Su-ho's hand, a spear of pure crackling energy. He didn't throw it. Instead, he drew his fist back and punched the spear. The impact launched it like a railgun, the lightning projectile tearing through the air and pinning both creatures to the wall.

Students stopped running to stare.

Some had their phones out. Recording. Even now, recording.

"Why're y'all just standing there?! Run, man! RUN!"

Su-ho's voice cut through their stupor. The satoori was back—that country accent he sometimes exaggerated—but the urgency behind it was real. The students snapped out of their trance and fled.

Ma-ru ran with them.

---

The gymnasium loomed ahead, its double doors thrown wide. Students poured inside like water finding a drain. Teachers stood at the entrance, herding them in, counting heads, their Faces pale but determined.

Ma-ru stumbled through the doors. The gym was already crowded, hundreds of students huddled together, some crying, some praying, most just staring at nothing with the hollow eyes of shock.

He turned back.

Su-ho stood at the entrance, watching the fleeing students with an expression Ma-ru couldn't read. He wasn't even breathing hard. His uniform was dirty in blood. None of it was his.

Of course not, Ma-ru thought. He's the one doing the killing.

Su-ho exhaled. "Alright, y'all get inside. I'll protect you, so don't worry." His voice was light. Casual. As if he'd just offered to carry someone's groceries.

He turned to the homeroom teacher, Ahn Nam-ra, who stood near the doors, her face pale but her jaw set. "Ahn Seonsaengnim, I gotta head back out. Watch over them, 'kay?"

"What?! Baek Su-ho, it's too dangerous—"

But he was already moving, waving a hand as if to say Don't worry. The doors swung shut behind him.

The gym fell silent.

Then—

A boom of lightning.

A monstrous scream.

The students flinched as one.

"He's gonna be fine, right?" someone whispered.

"Did you see him punch that monster? He'll be fine… probably."

"Wait… he punched a monster with lightning?"

Their homeroom teacher turned sharply. "With lightning?"

The whispers spread. The truth was starting to leak out.

---

Ma-ru found a spot against the wall and slid down, his legs finally giving out. Yoo Seol sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. She didn't look at him, but her presence was an anchor.

Then her hand found his shaking one.

Oh... she's scared too.

"S-seol-ah... I'm s-scared..."

She turned to him and signed with one hand. Slow.

Me too. But I trust Su-ho.

Outside, the sounds continued. Boom. Scream. Boom. Scream. A rhythm of violence.

Then—

A crash. Different from the others. Closer. Much closer.

The wall on the far side of the gym exploded inward.

A monster pushed through the gap, massive, bull-headed, built like a mountain of muscle and hate. It roared, and the sound shook dust from the rafters.

Students screamed. Some ran. Most froze.

Ma-ru's body moved before his mind could catch up.

He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Yoo Seol and pulling her close, shielding her with his own body. His glasses nearly flew off. His heart slammed against his ribs. But he held on.

Yoo Seol stiffened for a split second, then her arms tightened around him, her fingers clutching the back of his uniform like he was the only solid thing left in the world.

They held each other as the monster's roar shook the gym.

Before it could take a single step, lightning crackled behind it, a blur of motion.

Su-ho.

He appeared at the creature's back, a spear of lightning already formed in his fist. He didn't throw it. He punched it.

The spear shot forward like a cannonball, embedding itself deep in the monster's spine. Lightning exploded from the impact. The creature collapsed, dead before it hit the ground.

Su-ho landed, his breathing heavier now. His hand pressed against his ribs, a wince he couldn't quite hide.

"Y'all alright?!"

Relief crashed through the gym like a wave. Students cheered, some sobbing. But Su-ho was already moving again, spinning to face another creature that had followed him through the breach.

He blurred. Reappeared behind it. Caught its head and slammed it into the ground. Once. Twice. Three times. Until it stopped moving.

"Incredible!"

"He's so fast!"

"Is he… superhuman?"

Ma-ru slowly loosened his grip, his face burning. Yoo Seol pulled back just enough to look at him, her cheeks flushed, her eyes wide. Then, slowly, she signed.

Thank you.

He couldn't find his voice. So he just nodded.

But as he watched Su-ho fight—as he saw the way he moved, the way he knew where the monsters would be before they attacked—a different word came to mind.

Experienced.

This wasn't new to Su-ho. He'd done this before.

How many times? Ma-ru wondered again. How many times has he fought alone?

---

Near the wall, a boy had his phone out. Recording. His hands were shaking, but the camera was steady.

He zoomed in on Su-ho—lightning dancing around his fist—and whispered:

"This is going to break the internet."

The girl next to him grabbed his arm. "Shut up! He's saving us!"

"I know. That's why I'm recording." He gestured vaguely toward the window, toward the chaos beyond. "See yourself, it's not only our school happen! Many people record monster attack from their place too!"

Ma-ru and Seol stiffened.

Many people. From their place. Their homes.

His mother.

E-eomma...

His chest tightened. He looked at Seol. Her face had gone pale again, her eyes fixed on the window. She was thinking the same thing.

Eomma... please be safe...

Seol's hands moved. Fast. Too fast for Ma-ru to follow.

She was signing to Su-ho.

Su-ho's lips twitched. He winked.

"Stay here, everyone. No one shall pass Gamin High School safe place. As long Baek Su-ho stand here."

His satoori was thick, but his voice was absolute.