The battlefield fell silent.
Fragments of code drifted in the air like ash. Jiwoon stood, eyes still glowing faintly, his breath steadying. Behind him, the black lotus coin pulsed in his clenched hand.
But something else pulsed too — deep within the chamber.
A faint hum, like a heartbeat beneath the world.
Kaelya noticed it first.
"That wall… it's changing."
Stone peeled back — not shattered, but peeled — as if unwritten by the world's rules.
Behind it stood a door.
No markings. No handle.
Just a vertical line of pure white light.
Vera frowned. "That's… not in any system I've seen."
Jiwoon approached. The closer he got, the harder it was to breathe — not from pressure, but from something unreal brushing against his existence.
The Sin System chimed:
⸻
[Unknown Anomaly Detected]
Origin: Pre-System
Access Level: Null
Authorization: Denied
Recommendation: Evacuate Immediately
⸻
Jiwoon: "And yet… here it is."
He raised his hand. The moment his finger touched the light—
A surge of visions.
Memories he'd never lived.
Battles he'd never fought.
A world where Jiwoon… never existed.
And in that world…
The sins had won.
He stumbled back.
Kaelya caught him. "What the hell did you see?"
Jiwoon: "A version of everything where I failed."
Vera looked at the door. "Then why is it here?"
Jiwoon: "Because maybe I haven't won yet."
⸻
Behind the Door
Voices called. Not from beyond the grave — but from possible timelines.
A girl crying.
A beast howling.
A system whispering:
"One more step, and the contract becomes a curse."
Jiwoon stared at the door.
"Or a key."
And he turned to the others.
"We're not done yet."
⸻
[System Update]
New Quest: Echo of the Original Sin
Objective: Enter the Forbidden Layer
Warning: No return point registered. Proceed with caution.