The next morning, the sky bled.
Not with rain.
But with streaks of red light — silent, pulsing veins across the clouds.
"Another rift?" Kaelya asked, hand on her blade.
Jiwoon didn't answer. He stood still, staring at the sky like it had whispered his name.
"They're coming," he said at last.
"The Watchers."
Echo Faction Emergency Briefing
Qilin slammed his fist on the table.
"A Sin Rift opened above the city core. It's massive — unstable. And something's peering through it."
Kravein crossed his arms, eyes narrowed.
"Not just watching. Judging."
Kaelya turned toward Jiwoon.
"Did you feel them?"
Jiwoon's voice was calm.
"I didn't feel them."
"They felt me."
Flashback: Inside the Rift
Last night, for just a moment, Jiwoon's spirit had drifted during sleep.
And in that moment — he saw it:
A mirror, cracked.
And on the other side… dozens of eyes. Massive, divine, rotting — all fixed on him.
"He's nearing the point," a voice echoed.
"The vessel is awakening too fast."
"Should we intervene?"
"Not yet. But mark this one — he remembers too much."
System Alert
[Unauthorized Surveillance Detected]
Threat Level: UNKNOWN
Defensive Protocol: INSUFFICIENT
Warning: "You are being measured."
On the Ground – Sector 12
Vera and Kaelya joined Jiwoon on a rooftop overlooking the red-lit rift.
The wind felt… artificial. Like the world held its breath.
"Whatever's watching us," Vera said, "it's not just gods."
"It's older," Jiwoon whispered.
"It's not part of this game."
Suddenly—
A figure dropped from the sky.
Wrapped in a cloak of star-stitched silk, face hidden behind a fractured porcelain mask.
The being didn't breathe. Didn't move.
And yet… the pressure made Kaelya fall to one knee.
"He's marked," the figure said in a thousand voices.
"And the feast has begun."
Jiwoon Activated: [Sin Echo – Phantom Shell]
An ethereal armor shimmered over Jiwoon — not physical, not real. A projection of rage.
He stood his ground.
"You came from beyond the Rift," he said.
The masked figure tilted its head.
"No. I am the Rift."
"Then I'll close you."
They clashed.
Not with blades.
With will.
Light shattered. Sound twisted. The sky screamed.
Kaelya and Vera could only shield their eyes as reality trembled.
When it was over…
The figure was gone.
But a mark remained burned into the wall beside Jiwoon:
"Ascension imminent."
Jiwoon stood in the silence.
He wasn't out of breath.
But something inside him whispered:
"That was a warning."