"Wait… if I've killed so many… what did I get?"
Ariel furrowed his brows and summoned the runes.
They flickered to life in the silence of his mind—each glowing faintly like embers in the dark:
-[ Echoes of Origin ]-
[ • Rank – 0 (Dormant) ]
[ • Origin Ability – The Void ]
[ • Origin Attributes – Empty Vessel ]
[ • Echoes Collected – 938 ]
[ • Soul Core – Dormant ]
Ariel blinked, confused. He let go of the vision, and the runes vanished like breath on a cold window.
"Doctor… what is this? I don't understand it clearly."
Walter leaned back, ever the calm storm behind round glasses.
"I didn't expect you to. But it's easier to teach someone once they've seen what they're asking about."
'Yeah… that does make sense.' Ariel nodded slightly.
Walter gestured lazily toward the ceiling. "First thing you saw—your rank. You're Rank 0. Dormant. Everyone starts there. You remember the seven ranks, don't you—"
Before Ariel could reply, Walter turned to the door and lifted the tool of silence with a casual wave of his hand.
A faint knock.
Ariel looked up—and the door creaked open.
A girl stepped through. She had golden hair, soft as sunlit silk, and eyes that shimmered with quiet authority. Her presence didn't belong in a hospital room. It belonged on a stage, or a battlefield.
"Ah. I see our food's arrived," Walter said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "But why you, I wonder? Is it an honor, then—being served by the heir of a Great Clan?"
Arenya smiled politely and placed the tray on the empty chair beside the bed.
"It's nice to meet you, Sir Walter," she said, then glanced at Ariel. "And you."
Walter tilted his head. "What are you doing here, Arenya? Delivering food doesn't seem like something the heir of the Golden Vow Clan should bother with."
"I told Marik I wanted to meet him," she said plainly, gesturing toward Ariel.
Walter chuckled. "Well, the timing is impeccable. Care to stay and eat?"
"I'd love to." She dragged a chair from beneath the old ventilator and sat beside them.
Ariel tensed, eyes narrowing. Something felt… off.
'Why now? What does she want from me? Oh… right. Sir Marik said they'd try to recruit me.'
"What's your name?" she asked, then immediately corrected herself. "Ah—my manners. I'm Arenya, heir of the Golden Vow Clan. It's nice to meet you."
"Ariel," he replied simply, still watching her carefully.
"Ariel…" she repeated, musing over it. "Like wind and storms. Fitting. You certainly gave off that feeling the first time I saw you." She smiled, then picked up her food. "Let's eat. We can talk after."
They ate quickly—three mouths, two trays, one quiet tension lingering in the air. When they finished, Arenya wiped her lips with a cloth and turned to Walter.
"Thank you for the meal, Doctor."
"Don't mention it. Now… why did you want to see Ariel?"
"I'm here to warn him," she said, her voice suddenly heavier.
Ariel's fork paused mid-air. "…Warn me about what?"
"That the Great Clans know about you now. All of them. They know what you did—and how exceptional you are." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I tried to keep it quiet… but I couldn't stop them from acting."
"We already figured as much. But is that really something to fear? Wouldn't being known by the Great Clans be… a good thing?" Ariel asked cautiously.
She stared at him for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"Are you sure you want the truth? Can you handle the consequences of knowing?"
Ariel didn't reply. His silence was answer enough.
She leaned forward. "There's a cold war happening between the three clans. Just one push could turn it into an all-out bloodbath. And if you join one of them… you will be that push."
"…Why me?" he muttered. "Why would my joining change anything? I'm still just Dormant. I'm no one special."
Walter and Arenya laughed together—light, amused, almost sad.
"You really don't see it, do you?" Walter said.
"You give yourself too little credit," Arenya added. "Don't you realize how strange you are? You used Dormant powers no one's managed before. You killed a Phase 4 Forsaken monster—its CI was nearly 0.98. And you did it in under ten seconds, along with everything else in that hellhole."
"No Dormant could've done that," Walter said. "Not even most Blessed. Only heirs of the clans could match it—and that's because of their vast resources."
"…CI? Phase?" Ariel frowned. "Marik said something like that too."
"Wait—he doesn't know?" Arenya raised an eyebrow.
"I was getting there," Walter muttered. "But you crashed the party."
He turned to Ariel, expression sharpening.
"Remember the corruption I told you about? Dormants using their powers before awakening—drawing from the soul power inside them too early? Monsters are also Rank 0. Dormants, like us. But the more corrupted they are, the more powerful they become."
He paused for effect.
"The monster you killed had reached Phase 4. That means its Corruption Index—CI—was 0.98. It was on the verge of breaching into Rank 3."
Ariel's mind raced.
"If you hadn't killed it, it would've evolved. A disaster." Walter finished.
Arenya nodded. "You're not normal, Ariel. And the clans know it. That's why I'm warning you."
Walter leaned forward. "And you should listen to her. Arenya's one of the few decent ones left in the clans."
Ariel frowned. "Few? Aren't the Great Clans… protecting humanity?"
Walter sighed. "In theory, yes. But let me ask you—how many elite forces do you think the Clans sent to save this continent?"
"There should be… a lot. Dozens of Rank 3 Transcendents. Hundreds of Blessed, at least."
Walter shook his head.
"No. The combined forces of all three clans amounted to six Transcendents. And a few dozen Blessed. That's it. Just enough to keep up appearances. Arenya is here of her own will—the rest came only because they had to."
Arenya's voice was gentle, but firm.
"Which is why I suggest… you don't join any of them. Even if their offer sounds sweet. If you do… you'll be separated from your sister. That's not a 'maybe,' it's a promise."
Ariel stared at the floor, his thoughts drifting like ash in the wind.
He had power now. But power meant attention.
And attention, in this world, came with a price.