The fourth session did not end Jin's struggle.
It only showed him the edge of possibility.
When the Frost Hall doors closed behind him that night, his body felt heavy, cold, and hollow — like he had been squeezed empty by invisible pressure. Yet inside his mind, something burned quietly.
He had touched the edge of the Domain.
But not broken it.
Not yet.
And that irritated him.
The Week After — Silence, Study, and ObsessionThe academy moved as usual.
Lectures. Training. Rivalry. Discipline.
But Jin's world narrowed.
He ate without taste. Walked without distraction. Slept without dreams.
Because his mind replayed one moment endlessly:
The fracture in space.
That thin distortion he created inside the Domain — weak, incomplete, unstable — yet real.
The first sign that space… could be cut.
The Private Training Ground — Beginning of UnderstandingNight after night, Jin stood inside his sealed training chamber.
The crystal light above pulsed softly, illuminating floating dust like tiny stars. The air smelled faintly of metal and cold stone.
Jin drew his sword slowly.
He didn't attack.
He didn't rush.
He observed.
He lifted the blade before his eyes, watching how the air bent slightly along its edge. Ever since gaining Void Sovereign, his perception had changed. Distance was no longer fixed. Space was no longer flat.
It had layers.
Depth.
Movement.
He whispered softly:
"Stage Two…"
His first attempt—
failed.
The blade cut normally.
Nothing shifted.
The second—
A ripple formed.
But collapsed instantly, snapping back like elastic and sending sharp pain through his skull.
Jin stumbled slightly, gripping his head.
So that's the backlash.
He steadied his breathing.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The Struggle — When Power RefusesDays passed.
The distortion appeared sometimes.
But unstable.
Weak.
Uncontrolled.
Once, the ripple formed too violently — twisting space near his arm and slicing his sleeve without touching skin. Jin froze, heart pounding.
So this is why it's dangerous.
Another night — exhaustion hit him hard. His arms trembled, breath rough, mind foggy. He tried to force the distortion—
Nothing happened.
Silence.
Failure.
Jin lowered the blade slowly.
"…I'm doing it wrong."
He remembered the Guardian.
The endless deaths.
The lesson:
Space is not broken by force.
It is understood.
Jin closed his eyes.
And stopped trying to attack.
Instead—
he listened.
To the air.
To the flow of mana.
To the tiny shift when space stretched between two points.
For the first time, he felt it clearly:
A thin tension — like invisible threads holding reality together.
Jin opened his eyes slowly.
And moved.
Breakthrough — The First True Void StepHe didn't swing.
He shifted.
His body blurred slightly — not fast, not flashy — but displaced, like space itself moved him forward half a step without physical motion.
Jin froze.
His heart skipped once.
"…I did it."
Void Step.
Stage Two.
Not perfect.
But real.
He tried again.
And again.
And again.
Each attempt smoother.
Cleaner.
More natural.
Then—
Jin raised his sword.
And combined both.
Void Step.
Spatial Fracture.
The blade moved—
And space split.
A silent ripple burst outward, slicing the air like invisible lightning.
The crystal above flickered violently.
The training chamber trembled.
Jin stared at his blade, breathing slow, eyes wide.
"…Just Stage Two… and it's already this powerful."
His grip tightened.
"If I master all five…"
The thought did not finish.
Because the possibility itself felt terrifying.
And exciting.
The Fifth Session — The Night Space BrokeOne week later, Jin entered the Frost Hall again.
This time—
he was calm.
Not because he expected victory.
But because he understood something deeper.
Dean Evelyne stood waiting.
Her gaze sharpened instantly.
"You changed," she said quietly.
Jin smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
"Begin."
The Domain formed.
Cold pressure crushed down.
Heavy.
Absolute.
But this time—
Jin did not resist.
He breathed once.
Twice.
Then—
he stepped.
Void Step.
His body shifted through space itself, bypassing the oppressive pressure for a fraction of a moment.
Dean's eyes narrowed sharply.
Jin raised his sword.
And struck.
Spatial Fracture — reinforced by Stage Two.
The blade didn't swing.
Reality moved.
A thin invisible rupture spread outward—
And struck the Domain core.
CRACK
The Domain shattered like frozen glass.
Cold pressure vanished instantly.
Silence filled the hall.
Jin stood still, chest rising and falling slowly.
Dean Evelyne stared at him.
For a long moment—
she did not speak.
"…You mastered Stage Two," she said quietly.
Jin smiled faintly.
"It was harder than killing monsters."
Evelyne stepped closer, eyes sharp, voice softer than before:
"I did not expect… this speed."
And for the first time—
there was real admiration in her gaze.
The Question — About His Senior SisterJin sheathed his blade slowly.
Then asked:
"…What about my senior sister?"
Evelyne raised a brow.
"What about her?"
Jin smiled calmly.
"What are her skills?"
Evelyne studied him carefully.
"She possesses an S-Rank Plus Domain."
Jin's eyes sharpened.
"Can I break it now?"
Silence.
Then—
Evelyne laughed.
"You?"
She stepped closer, eyes amused.
"Are you interested in her?"
Jin replied calmly:
"Yes."
Evelyne shook her head.
"That is a waste of time."
"Many have tried. Stronger. More handsome. More powerful."
"They proposed."
"She rejected all."
"Her heart is ice."
"You cannot melt it."
Jin chuckled softly.
"…I'm not like others."
His eyes sharpened.
"I will defeat her."
"I will break her Domain."
"And I will melt her icy heart."
A pause.
"…And make her mine."
Silence.
Then Evelyne laughed again.
"Bold."
She stepped closer, voice lower:
"Then best of luck."
"…But don't get your ass kicked."
Jin smiled.
"I won't."
Then Evelyne said calmly:
"The Domain you broke today was A-Rank."
"Your senior sister's Domain…"
"…is S-Rank Plus."
"And mine…"
"…is SS-Rank Plus."
Her gaze deepened.
"She also possesses her family techniques."
"If you wish to defeat her…"
"…you still have a long way to go."
Jin smiled.
"…Good."
Because deep inside—
his ambition had awakened.
And somewhere in the academy—
the girl with the frozen heart had no idea…
someone had already decided to melt it.