[Academy – Depths of the Forbidden Vault]
The stone stairway wound deeper than any student had ever dared. Even professors avoided the Forbidden Vault—sealed since the war of ascension. But Lohan had a map.
Left behind by his past self.
The door groaned as he pushed it open, revealing a chamber bathed in eerie blue light. Ancient symbols pulsed across the floor. In the center—a floating mirror shard surrounded by swirling black mist.
It called to him.
> [System Alert: Caution – Unknown Divine Object Detected]
[Would you like to Appraise? Y/N]
> "Y."
> [Appraisal Failed]
[Error: Entity Beyond System Access]
A voice echoed through the vault.
> "You've changed… Hajun."
Lohan froze.
> "Who—?"
The mirror pulsed. A ghostly silhouette emerged—half-divine, half-shadow. Horns curled from its head, and eyes like galaxies peered into his soul.
> "I am what the gods feared… and what you once sought to become."
> "A god?"
> "No. Something older. Forgotten. You left me here when you ascended. Now you are mortal again. And yet... you found your way back."
Lohan stepped forward.
> "What do you want?"
> "To offer you a deal. One that even the gods cannot break."
> [System Interference Detected – Passive Override Imminent]
The voice whispered inside his mind, bypassing the system entirely.
> "Grant me a fragment of your soul, and I will grant you the strength of your former self—without the cost of divinity."
> "In exchange… you carry me."
Lohan's breath caught.
> "And if I refuse?"
The voice laughed.
> "Then you walk into a war against gods… with the power of a bullied student."
Silence.
Then—
> "Fine. But I set the terms."
The mirror cracked. Darkness surged into his body. Pain. Light. Memory.
> [New Skill Acquired – Ancient Resonance: Primordial Fusion]
[Warning: This skill bypasses System laws. Use with caution.]
---
[Elsewhere – Celestial Watchtower]
Justine's eyes widened.
A divine tremor ran through the realms.
> "He touched it," she whispered.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
> "Why did you go back, Master?"
---
[Frostweaver Sect – Inner Sanctum]
Winter convulsed as the crystal shard in her heart pulsed violently.
A vision—Lohan standing before an ancient shadow.
Her lips parted.
> "He's already changing…"
---