Awakening

Viole gasped as his eyes snapped open.

The chamber came rushing back—Ha-eun's tense expression, Kairos stepping forward cautiously, Azael watching with unreadable eyes. And in front of him, the Sealed One stood with a small, knowing smile.

He was back.

His body still trembled from the sensation of power coursing through him. The Hunger, which had always been a gnawing, restless thing inside his chest, now felt different. It wasn't fighting against him. It wasn't trying to take over.

It was listening.

He clenched his fist, testing the feeling. His limbs no longer felt heavy with exhaustion, no longer strained by the constant effort of keeping his power at bay.

The Sealed One studied him with quiet amusement. "So, you did not break."

Viole exhaled, his breath steady. "No."

"Interesting." They tilted their head, as if examining something beyond what could be seen. "But the true test is not over."

Kairos scoffed. "Oh, come on. How many dramatic trials does he have to go through before we get some answers?"

The Sealed One smiled, but there was something dangerous behind it. "Tell me, swordsman. Do you truly believe you have won?"

Viole frowned. The Hunger had settled, yes—but something about their tone sent a warning through him. "What are you getting at?"

The Sealed One stepped closer, their silver eyes boring into him. "You reached for your power. You took control. But tell me…" Their voice lowered, soft but edged with something sharp. "Who was in control of you?"

The words hit harder than they should have.

Viole's mind flashed back to the void, to the sensation of something rushing into him when he embraced the Hunger. He had acted on instinct, drawn in something deeper than himself.

Had it truly been his power?

Or had he invited something else inside?

The Sealed One must have seen the hesitation in his eyes because their smile widened. "Ah. You felt it, didn't you? The truth that lingers beneath your skin. The question is…" They reached forward, pressing a single finger against his chest.

"Do you dare find out what it truly is?"

A sharp pulse rippled through Viole's body.

He stumbled back, barely catching himself as his vision shifted.

The chamber around him twisted. The walls stretched impossibly far, the air flickered like a mirage. The others—Ha-eun, Kairos, Azael—seemed frozen, unmoving, their forms blurred as if they were just distant echoes.

And in the swirling distortion, a voice whispered.

"You are not alone."

Viole turned sharply, his hand instinctively going to his sword. But the voice didn't come from any direction. It was everywhere. Inside him.

Then—shadows stirred at the edges of his vision.

They stretched, curling like ink in water. And from them, a figure emerged.

It looked like a man, tall and draped in a cloak of shifting darkness. His face was obscured, his form wavering like a mirage. But his presence…

It was suffocating.

Ancient.

Familiar.

"We have waited for you."

Viole's breath caught. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a slow step forward, the shadows coiling around him like living things.

"You stand at the edge of something vast, Viole." His voice was deep, layered, as if multiple voices spoke as one. "You have taken the first step. But you must understand…"

The shadows pulsed.

"This power does not belong to you alone."

A chill ran through him. "What does that mean?"

The figure simply raised a hand.

And suddenly—

The Hunger lunged.

Not outward. Inward.

Viole's vision fractured as something deep inside him stirred. The power he had always feared, the force he thought he had finally controlled, suddenly felt vast. As if it wasn't just his own strength but something else—something greater, something waiting.

Something hungry.

The shadows surged toward him.

And then—

A hand gripped his wrist.

The world snapped back into place.

Viole inhaled sharply, his vision clearing, the swirling darkness gone in an instant. The chamber was normal again. The Sealed One stood before him, hand extended. They had grabbed his wrist, grounding him.

He looked around.

Ha-eun was watching him warily.

Kairos frowned. "Uh. You good?"

Azael's silver eyes remained unreadable.

The Sealed One finally released him. "Now you see."

Viole took a shaky breath. "What was that?"

"A glimpse," they said simply. "Of what is to come."

Viole clenched his fists. "You said this power isn't mine alone. What does that mean?"

The Sealed One tilted their head. "You were not the first, Viole."

Silence filled the chamber.

Azael's eyes darkened. Ha-eun tensed.

Kairos muttered, "Okay, now I don't like where this is going."

Viole's chest tightened. "The first what?"

The Sealed One's gaze was unwavering. "The first to carry this Hunger."

A heavy stillness settled over them.

Viole felt his heartbeat hammer against his ribs. "There were others?"

"There was one before you." The Sealed One's voice was almost gentle. "And he did not win against it."

A weight settled in Viole's stomach.

For so long, he had assumed this struggle was his alone. That the Hunger was his burden, his curse.

But if someone else had carried it before—if they had lost—

What did that mean for him?

The Sealed One's silver eyes gleamed. "The path you walk is not new, Viole. But it is unfinished."

Viole exhaled sharply, steadying himself. "Then tell me how it ends."

The Sealed One smiled. "That… is for you to decide."