Chapter 15 - Emotion Bond

The mission was over, but something lingered in the air like a quiet storm waiting to break.

It had been three days since Ji Han, Ha Neul, Ji Won and So Min returned from sector 8. The Academy tried to go back to normal — training resumed, students returned to their dorms, and missions were once again assigned. But for the four of them, especially Ji Han and Ha Neul, nothing felt the same.

Ji Han had been quiet ever since they came back. He still trained, still showed up on time, but his eyes often seemed distant — like he was somewhere else. Ha Neul noticed. And the bond they shared was acting strange, almost alive.

Sometimes Ha Neul would suddenly feel pain in his chest, emotions he knew weren't his. And sometimes, when he looked at Ji Han, he saw something behind those dark eyes… like memories that weren't his own.

Ha Neul hadn't told Ji Han yet. He wasn't sure if he should. But the dream — the one he had two nights ago — still haunted him.

Flashback

It was cold and quiet in the dream. Too quiet.

Ha Neul found himself in a hallway made of smooth white walls. The floors reflected a soft, clinical light. Everything was too clean, too perfect. He heard footsteps — small, careful ones.

Then he saw Ji Han.

He was younger, maybe only eight or nine. But what shocked Ha Neul wasn't his age. It was what he wore.

A white lab coat.

Ji Han walked slowly down the hall, like he'd done it many times. He passed by rooms with glass windows. Behind them, Ha Neul saw shadows — other children, maybe, or maybe something else. Ji Han didn't look scared. He looked… focused. Trained.

Someone called his name from behind a door. Ji Han turned, and for a brief moment, his eyes met Ha Neul's. The bond flared.

Ha Neul woke up gasping, heart pounding. It had felt too real to be a dream. Like he had stepped into Ji Han's memory.

Back to Present – Training Grounds

Training that day was intense. They were practicing emotion control techniques — something only students with unique systems had to do.

Ji Han stood across from Ha Neul, eyes calm but cold. Instructor Dae was watching closely.

"Control the surge," Dae ordered. "Feel the emotion, don't let it eat you."

Ji Han closed his eyes. Around him, red light shimmered — anger. Frustration. Guilt.

And then…

The wind shifted. Energy spiked.

Ji Han's eyes opened — glowing faintly. His aura cracked like glass, pulsing dangerously.

"Ji Han—!" Ha Neul called out, stepping forward.

Ji Han clutched his chest. The bond flared wildly. Ha Neul felt it too — a wave of pain, confusion, and something dark that hadn't been there before.

"It's too much," Ji Han muttered, voice trembling. "The system… it's changing."

The red light burst — but stopped short, pulled back like a wave crashing into an invisible wall.

Everyone froze.

"You okay, man?" Ji Won walked over, breaking the silence.

Ji Han nodded slowly. "Yeah… I'm okay."

But he wasn't.

Later That Night – Dorm Rooftop

Ha Neul found Ji Han sitting alone on the rooftop, looking up at the stars.

"You've been acting weird, still thinking about those things?" Ha Neul said, sitting beside him.

Ji Han didn't deny it.

"I think my system is hiding something. Or maybe… I'm hiding something from myself."

Ha Neul looked at him. "Like what?"

Ji Han took a long breath. "Memories. Flashes. I see places I don't remember going. People I don't remember meeting. I think… someone erased part of who I was."

Ha Neul hesitated. Then, softly, he said, "I saw you… in a dream. In a white coat. In some kind of lab."

Ji Han turned to him sharply, eyes wide.

"That's not possible…"

"It wasn't a dream. It felt real. Like it came from you. Through the bond."

Silence fell between them.

"So Min said we were experiments," Ji Han whispered. "What if… she was telling the truth? What if our systems were created, not given?"

"Experiments?" Ha Neul's eyes widen a little. "What do you mean?"

"I asked So Min the other day about the glowing light on her hands..when we go on the advanced training missions with her for the first time." Ji Han replied calmly.

Ha Neul furrowed his brows. "I remember, that day..the glowing blue and red colours on the crack underground..right?"

Ji Han nodded.

"So..she said we're part of an experiment?"

Ji Han nodded again. "It's hard to believe but everything seems to be connected ever since she came to the Academy. Your system and my system."

Ha Neul stayed quiet for a moment. Then speak up again. "If that's true...then why us?" Ha Neul asked. "Why bond us together?"

Ji Han shook his head. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out. Even if it means breaking into the Academy's restricted records."

Ha Neul nodded. "Count me in."

---

The door slammed open. Ji Won stepped in, holding a glowing red stone.

"Okay, lovebirds," he grinned. "Guess who just found a classified Rift shard that reacts to emotion signatures. And guess whose emotion it matched."

He held it up. The stone pulsed faintly… in rhythm with Ji Han's heartbeat.

Ha Neul and Ji Han exchanged a glance.

Everything was starting to connect.

And the truth was no longer hiding in the dark.