Min-jae couldn't feel his fingers.
At first, he thought it was just exhaustion.
But as he stared at his trembling hand, he realized—
It wasn't shaking.
It was… fading.
---
"…What the hell…?"
---
The edges of his fingers blurred, like a poorly rendered image.
Not gone.
Not invisible.
Just… less real.
---
"Min-jae."
Ji-hoon's voice was closer now.
Too close.
---
Min-jae quickly clenched his hand into a fist.
The distortion lessened.
But it didn't disappear.
---
"…We need to move," Min-jae said.
---
Ji-hoon didn't argue this time.
Didn't question him.
---
That scared Min-jae more than anything.
---
They walked.
Not ran.
Because running drew attention.
And attention—
Meant death.
---
The city had changed.
---
Shops stood open, unattended.
Cars sat in the middle of roads, engines still running.
People wandered aimlessly, their conversations broken, fragmented.
---
"…Do you remember your home?" Min-jae asked suddenly.
---
Ji-hoon blinked. "Of course I do."
---
"…Where is it?"
---
Ji-hoon opened his mouth—
And froze.
---
"…I…" he hesitated.
"…It's… near… somewhere."
---
Min-jae didn't press further.
---
He didn't need to.
---
The answer was already clear.
---
It's spreading.
---
Not just objects.
Not just words.
---
Places.
Identities.
Everything.
---
A low hum filled the air.
---
Min-jae stopped.
---
"…Do you hear that?"
---
Ji-hoon nodded slowly. "…Yeah."
---
So this time—
He could hear it too.
---
That wasn't good.
---
The sound deepened.
Like something vast was… breathing.
---
Min-jae's eyes shifted.
---
Traces.
---
Dozens of them.
No—
Hundreds.
---
Crossing.
Overlapping.
Colliding.
---
"…Run," Min-jae said quietly.
---
Ji-hoon didn't hesitate.
---
They ran.
---
But it was too late.
---
The air shattered.
---
Not one.
Not two.
---
Five.
---
Five distortions tore open around them.
---
And from each—
Something emerged.
---
Different shapes.
Different sizes.
---
But all of them—
Wrong.
---
"…Why are there so many…?" Ji-hoon whispered.
---
Min-jae's mind raced.
---
They're not random.
---
The traces—
They all led here.
---
"This place…" Min-jae muttered.
"…It's a convergence point."
---
"A what?!"
---
"No time—!"
---
One of the creatures lunged.
---
Min-jae activated it instantly.
---
[Trace Step – Engaged]
---
His body moved—
But not fast enough.
---
Another creature cut across his path.
---
Too many variables.
Too many paths.
---
He dodged the first.
Slipped past the second.
---
But the third—
---
Hit him.
---
Pain exploded through his side.
---
Min-jae was thrown across the street, crashing into the pavement.
---
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
---
Then—
Sound rushed back in.
---
"…Min-jae!!"
---
Ji-hoon's voice.
Panicked.
Desperate.
---
Min-jae tried to move.
---
His body didn't respond.
---
"…Get up…" he whispered to himself.
"…Get up…"
---
The creatures were closing in.
---
Ji-hoon grabbed a broken piece of metal from the ground.
His hands shook.
---
"…Stay away!" he shouted, swinging wildly at the empty air.
---
It passed through nothing.
---
But not completely.
---
One of the creatures flickered.
---
Min-jae's eyes widened.
---
He can interact with them… just barely.
---
"Ji-hoon!" Min-jae forced out.
"Don't fight them—buy time!"
---
"Buy time for what?!"
---
Min-jae didn't answer.
---
Because he didn't know if this would work.
---
Or if it would destroy him.
---
He closed his eyes.
---
And reached inward.
---
Not for the fragments he had taken—
---
But for his own memories.
---
"…Take it," he whispered.
---
Something shifted.
---
A warmth—
No—
A burn—
spread through his mind.
---
Images surfaced.
---
A small apartment.
Rain against a window.
Two people laughing over instant noodles.
---
Ji-hoon.
---
Min-jae's breath trembled.
---
"…Not this one…"
---
But the pressure increased.
---
Demanding.
---
Hungry.
---
[Insufficient Memory Fuel]
[Supplement Required]
---
"…Damn it…!"
---
The system—
No—
whatever this was—
wanted more.
---
The creatures moved closer.
---
Ji-hoon stumbled back, barely avoiding an attack.
---
"Min-jae! I can't—!"
---
Min-jae clenched his teeth.
---
If I don't do this—we die.
---
His grip tightened.
---
"…Then take something else."
---
Another memory surfaced.
---
A face.
---
Blurred.
Unclear.
---
Someone important.
---
Min-jae hesitated.
---
Just for a second.
---
Then—
---
"…Take it."
---
The world went silent.
---
And then—
---
It answered.
---
[Memory Consumed]
[Condition Met]
[Skill Awakening in Progress]
---
Min-jae's eyes snapped open.
---
Different.
---
Sharper.
Colder.
---
The world slowed.
---
No—
---
It aligned.
---
Every trace.
Every movement.
Every possibility—
---
Connected.
---
Min-jae stood.
---
The creatures froze.
---
For the first time—
---
They hesitated.
---
Min-jae took a step forward.
---
And the world followed.
---
[Trace Step – Overdrive]
---
He vanished.
---
Not in speed—
But in precision.
---
Each step perfect.
Each movement inevitable.
---
He passed through them.
---
Not touching—
But ending them.
---
One.
---
Two.
---
Three.
---
Four.
---
Five.
---
Gone.
---
Silence returned.
---
Min-jae stood in the center of it.
---
Unmoving.
---
Ji-hoon stared.
Speechless.
---
"…Min-jae…?"
---
No response.
---
Slowly—
Min-jae turned.
---
His eyes met Ji-hoon's.
---
Empty.
---
Not confused.
---
Not fading.
---
Just—
---
Gone.
---
"…Who are you?" he asked.
---
Ji-hoon's world shattered.
---
Far above—
---
The unseen Observer stirred.
---
And for the first time—
---
It smiled.
---
[Synchronization: 3%]