Midnight, Campfire
Jiwoon sat cross-legged on a patch of moss, the shard in his palm still glowing faintly.
Each pulse felt like a heartbeat — not his, but someone else's.
And then… it whispered.
The Voice Inside the Shard
"Jiwoon…"
It wasn't the System.
It wasn't the Demon.
It wasn't even malevolent.
It was… grieving.
Memory Echo Activated
A vision surged into Jiwoon's mind — not his own, but forced through him like a broken mirror.
He saw:
A city burning in golden light
A man with no face screaming at the sky
A child erased by divine order
A seal shattered, but not destroyed
And then… silence again.
System Alert
Relic Sync: 12%
Memory Echoes Detected: 3/10
Sin Core Response: Unstable
Jiwoon gasped. The visions had drained him.
Kravein Approaches
"You okay, kid?" the gruff voice broke the quiet.
Jiwoon looked up, still catching his breath. "Something spoke to me… from this."
He showed Kravein the shard.
The swordsman's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get that?"
Jiwoon hesitated. "A veiled woman. She said it's older than the System."
Kravein sat down beside him, unusually serious.
Kravein's Warning
"There are things older than sin, Jiwoon.
And some of them weren't meant to be remembered."
"But now they remember you."
A Choice to Make
That night, the System issued a rare message:
[Relic Response Detected]
[Do you wish to accept the Echo of Origin?]
Warning: This choice may permanently alter your fate.
Jiwoon stared at the shard. It trembled in his hand like it was alive.
He whispered, "Yes."
The wind howled.
His eyes flashed silver.
The shard dissolved into mist — and flew into his chest.
System Update
Echo of Origin Accepted
New Ability Unlocked: "Tear of the Forgotten Flame"
Effect: ???
Jiwoon collapsed, unconscious.
But even in sleep, his soul burned.