Chapter 1
The void receded as Jihoon took cautious steps forward, the relic glowing brighter with every movement. The ground beneath him was unstable, fragments of rock floating in a haze of purple mist. It was as if the universe itself was holding its breath, waiting for something—or someone.
Jihoon swallowed, his palms slick with sweat. "One step at a time… focus, Jihoon. Don't look back."
The first fragment hovered ahead, a jagged shard that shimmered with all the colors of a collapsing star. Tiny motes of light spiraled around it, almost like fireflies caught in a slow, graceful dance. He could feel its energy vibrating through the air, pulling at something deep inside him.
"This… this is incredible."
As he reached out, a sudden shadow darted across the floating rocks. Jihoon stumbled, clutching the relic to his chest. The shadow was swift, a humanoid form that seemed to be woven from darkness itself. It didn't speak, didn't move like a living being—yet it was aware, watching.
Jihoon's heart raced. "Who… what are you?" he demanded. His voice echoed strangely in the void, swallowed almost immediately by the silence.
The shadow tilted its head. For a brief moment, Jihoon thought it might respond. Then, with a blink, it vanished.
He exhaled shakily. "I have to keep moving. No distractions. Just the shard."
Stepping closer, he extended a trembling hand. The fragment pulsed in response, brighter now, almost like it recognized him. His fingers brushed its surface—and the world shifted.
Everything became sharper, more vivid. Stars swirled in impossible constellations, colors he couldn't name painted the void, and a low hum resonated in his chest. His vision blurred, then cleared—and suddenly, he was no longer in the floating ruins.
He was standing in a forest. A forest unlike any on Earth, with trees whose bark shimmered silver, leaves glowing faintly with golden veins. The air smelled faintly metallic, tinged with ozone, like a storm waiting to happen. In the distance, mountains floated, their peaks drifting above clouds that glowed with soft, inner light.
Jihoon stumbled backward. "This… is not real… it can't be real."
And yet, he could feel the shard pulsing against his chest. It had transported him here—or perhaps it had opened a door to a place beyond the universe itself.
A voice whispered, almost from inside his own mind: "Welcome, seeker. This is the first test."
Jihoon spun around, eyes wide. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
A figure stepped out from behind a glowing tree. It was humanoid, tall and ethereal, with skin that shimmered like liquid silver. Its eyes were deep pools of darkness, reflecting stars that shouldn't exist.
"I am called Kaelith," it said softly. "Guardian of the first fragment. To claim it, you must prove your worth."
Jihoon's hands tightened around the relic. "Worth…? How do I prove myself?"
Kaelith extended a hand, and suddenly the ground beneath Jihoon shifted. Floating platforms of light appeared, forming a path that led across a vast chasm. The wind howled, though there was no storm. Shadows flickered at the edges of his vision—specters of doubt, fear, and failure.
"You must walk the path," Kaelith said, "and confront what you fear most. Only then will the fragment recognize you as its master."
Jihoon hesitated. He had faced challenges before, puzzles, and dangers in libraries and ruins, but this… this was different. This was the universe itself testing him.
He took a deep breath. "Alright… I'll do it."
The first step was shaky, the platform wobbling beneath his feet. A shadow lunged from the darkness—his own doubts made manifest. Faces of people he had failed, times he had been powerless, times he had run away—all twisted into grotesque forms that reached for him.
Jihoon's heart pounded. He stumbled backward, almost falling into the abyss. But then he remembered the relic. He pressed it to his chest. A warm, steady light radiated outward, pushing the shadows back.
"I… I am not afraid."
The shadows hissed and shrank. Each step forward, Jihoon felt a surge of confidence, a growing understanding that fear was not something to destroy—it was something to face.
By the time he reached the final platform, the shadows had dissipated entirely. The first fragment hovered before him, glowing softly, almost reverently. He reached out again—and this time, it fit perfectly into his hand, as if it had been waiting for him all along.
The moment he held it, the world around him dissolved into light. Stars, forests, and mountains melted away, leaving him once more in the void. The relic now pulsed steadily, the first fragment safely embedded.
Kaelith's voice echoed again, distant but firm: "Well done, Jihoon. This is only the beginning. Many fragments remain, each with its own guardian, its own trial. The universe is vast… and it will test you at every turn."
Jihoon sank to his knees, breathing heavily. The weight of the fragment in his hand was heavier than any rock or weapon, yet lighter than a whisper of hope. He looked out into the void, determination setting in.
"I will gather every fragment," he whispered, "and I will understand the universe… no matter what it takes."*
The relic's glow expanded, illuminating the floating ruins, showing paths he had not seen before—paths that led to countless worlds, countless fragments, and countless dangers.
A sudden flicker caught his eye. The shadow from before appeared again, watching, silent but alert. Jihoon frowned. "You again… are you following me?"
The shadow tilted its head, and for a moment, Jihoon thought he saw a hint of curiosity—or perhaps amusement. Then it vanished once more, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air.
Jihoon clenched the relic tighter. The first trial was over, but the journey had just begun. Ahead lay challenges he could barely imagine: guardians older than time, fragments that could reshape reality, and secrets of the universe that could drive even the strongest mind to madness.
Yet, he felt a spark of hope. With every fragment he gathered, he would grow stronger—not just in power, but in understanding. He would not let the universe collapse. He would not let it die.
And in the back of his mind, a quiet, persistent thought lingered: "The universe is alive… and it remembers everything."
Jihoon took a deep breath, rising to his feet. The void stretched endlessly before him, but he was ready. One step at a time, one fragment at a time, he would journey through the unknown.
The first shard was his. The adventure had begun.