The air itself quivered, vibrating like the skin of a drum. The abyssal figure's hollow mask hovered only a few paces away, the chains inside Lin quivering in reverence. Every instinct told him to kneel, to surrender, to let the void decide for him. But Min-joon's hand was still pressed against his own, warm and human and defiant.
Lin sucked in a ragged breath, his throat raw from screaming. His voice came out hoarse but sharp.
"No. I'm not your vessel. I won't open your door."
The plaza fell into a silence so deep it felt like the whole world had stopped breathing. Even the wind stilled, dust frozen in the air.
For a heartbeat, it seemed the figure had vanished. Then the resonance slammed into him like a tidal wave.
"Refusal."
The single vibration rang through every bone. Lin's teeth rattled. Min-joon staggered but held his ground, his fingers digging into Lin's arm like anchors. Keller's knees bent as he fought to stay upright, spitting blood onto the ground.
