Chapter 53: The First Awakener

Lin Han's heartbeat pounded violently as he locked eyes on the figure standing before them.

The man stood at the edge of the tunnel exit, his gray trench coat swaying slightly as if the air around him bent to his presence. In his hand, he held a faded old photograph, the edges curling from time and wear. The image on it was unmistakable—

Kek Lok Si Temple.

"You've finally arrived."

His voice was deep, calm—but carried a weight that pressed directly into their skulls, echoing like a whisper in the void.

"Walau eh…" Ah Rong whispered, his fingers twitching at his side. "This guy… isn't he supposed to be dead?"

Noya's breath hitched. Her palm instinctively pressed against her wrist, where her serpent mark had once been. Though the mark was gone, a lingering sensation crawled under her skin, as if something was still tethered to her.

They had destroyed Sleeper P02… so why was P01 standing here?

Lin Han took a cautious step back—then froze.

The man's shadow was moving.

It twisted unnaturally, shifting in ways it shouldn't, as if it had a mind of its own.

This wasn't normal.

Noya swallowed hard before forcing herself to speak. "Who are you?"

The man finally turned, revealing his face—

Identical to the Sleeper.

But unlike P02, his eyes were sharp. Awake. Aware. And… amused.

"I am someone you were never meant to meet." He spoke softly. "You thought destroying P02 ended it. But in truth… you've only torn open the seams of reality."

Lin Han's stomach twisted.

A terrible realization was forming in his mind.

"You… You're P01?"

The man smiled. "If that makes it easier for you to understand… then yes."

He flicked his wrist and tossed the photograph toward Lin Han.

Lin Han caught it instinctively, his breath hitching as he looked closer.

It wasn't just Kek Lok Si Temple in the image.

Standing in front of the temple… was Noya's grandfather.

"Where did you get this?" Noya demanded, stepping forward, voice laced with urgency.

P01's gaze flicked to her wrist, a knowing smile playing at his lips. "Because you were always meant to be the 'Key.'"

Lin Han's fists clenched.

What exactly was G.T.G trying to accomplish?What were the Sleepers?And why was Noya's grandfather in this photo?

Ah Rong's eyes darted between them before muttering under his breath, "Tiu leh… Don't tell me we've been part of someone's plan this whole damn time?"

P01 didn't answer directly.

Instead, he took a single step forward.

The air around them twisted.

Lin Han felt it immediately—a pull in his gut, like the universe itself had skipped a beat.

His vision blurred—

For a fraction of a second, he saw himself existing in multiple places at once.

He saw himself standing in Batu Caves.

He saw himself walking into Genting Casino.

He saw himself as a child, running through the back alleys of Kuala Lumpur.

Every version of him existed at the same time—then shattered into fragments.

This wasn't an illusion.

Reality itself was breaking apart.

"You didn't just destroy a ritual." P01's voice was calm.

"You disrupted a balance that has existed for centuries."

There was no anger in his tone. If anything, he sounded… amused. Like he was enjoying their confusion.

Lin Han's hands clenched into fists.

G.T.G wasn't just conducting an experiment.

They were maintaining the world itself.

But Noya suddenly lifted her chin, her expression steeled. "So you were part of it too, weren't you?"

P01 hesitated for half a second before he smiled.

"I was."

"But now—"

His hand lifted.

The entire room shook.

The air cracked.

The lab around them began to distort, walls bending in ways that defied logic.

Noya's eyes widened. "What are you doing?!"

P01's voice remained steady. "I'm accelerating its collapse."

"If reality is already breaking… then let's finish the job." P01's voice was soft but absolute. "Then you'll finally have a real choice."

Lin Han's mind spun.

If P01 was telling the truth—if reality was crumbling—then the only way out… might be beyond the collapse itself.

But how?

P01 smirked, as if reading his mind, and stepped backward. "You have two choices."

"Stay in this broken world, and let it devour you."

"Or follow the cracks… into the real Genting."

Noya's pulse pounded against her ribs. She gripped Lin Han's sleeve. "Lin Han… What do we do?"

Lin Han's throat was dry, but his resolve was setting.

He met P01's gaze and took a deep breath.

"Tell me one thing first—if we follow the cracks… where exactly are we going?"

P01's smile deepened.

"To the true Genting."