The night was unnaturally quiet.
Above WHU headquarters, the Moon shone brighter than it ever should.
Too bright.
Too sharp.
No one understood what that meant.
Not yet.
02:17 AM — The First Wave
Wang's eyes snapped open.
Pressure.
That was the first thing he felt.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Pressure.
The air in his room felt heavier, as if gravity itself had deepened.
Metal instruments on the table trembled.
A thin crack spread across the glass window.
Wang slowly stood up.
"It's begun…"
At that exact moment—
Across the city:
Streetlights flickered.
Power grids fluctuated.
People woke with sudden migraines.
The ocean surface shifted in unnatural patterns.
Dogs began howling without reason.
The Moon pulsed.
A subtle, rhythmic gravitational surge.
Not strong enough to destroy.
Strong enough to warn.
WHU Training Grounds
Asher suddenly dropped to one knee.
His breath became uneven.
Myron stepped back.
"Asher?!"
The concrete beneath them vibrated.
Asher clenched his jaw.
"This… it's lunar energy…"
Myron grabbed his head.
"It feels like something is pressing inside my skull…"
Alarms activated inside headquarters.
Red emergency lights flashed.
Wang's voice echoed through the intercom:
"Everyone remain calm! This is not a direct attack — not yet!"
But deep down—
He knew.
This was an announcement.
The Only One Unaffected
Sebastian walked calmly down the corridor.
Agents leaned against walls, struggling to stay upright.
Some were on their knees.
Others were disoriented.
Sebastian stopped.
Looked around.
"What's happening?"
Wang descended the stairs quickly.
His eyes narrowed when he saw Sebastian standing normally.
"You don't feel it?"
"Feel what?" Sebastian replied.
Wang stared at him.
Everyone else was being crushed by gravitational resonance.
Except him.
Sebastian was untouched.
The Sky Breaks
Suddenly—
A dark ring formed across the Moon's surface.
The sky twisted.
Air density multiplied.
Then—
A black fracture tore open in the sky above WHU.
Something descended from it.
Slow.
Controlled.
Deliberate.
When his feet touched the ground—
The pressure doubled instantly.
Asher gasped for air.
Myron collapsed.
Wang staggered back.
Sebastian stood firm.
The figure wore long black garments.
Dark hair resting on his shoulders.
Eyes glowing faintly like a dying star.
Lord.
Cassiel.
After 500 years of silence—
He had arrived.
Face to Face
Sebastian stepped forward.
The others couldn't move.
Cassiel's gaze fixed on him with curiosity.
"Fascinating…"
His voice was deep, calm, ancient.
"Every living being bends beneath the pulse."
"But you…"
"You remain standing."
Sebastian's eyes were cold.
"I don't kneel."
Cassiel smiled faintly.
"The lunar pulse compresses fear."
"It amplifies weakness."
"It crushes instability."
He took a step closer.
"Either you feel no fear…"
"Or you are already broken beyond pressure."
Sebastian didn't blink.
"I'm here to stop you."
For a brief second—
Cassiel studied him more carefully.
Not as an enemy.
As a phenomenon.
The First Clash
Sebastian moved.
The ground shattered beneath his step.
He crossed the distance instantly.
A direct strike toward Cassiel's chest.
But—
The air thickened.
The punch slowed as if hitting invisible steel.
Cassiel caught Sebastian's fist with two fingers.
Without effort.
"Impressive."
Pressure spiked violently.
The earth beneath Sebastian cracked.
Still—
He did not step back.
Cassiel's expression shifted slightly.
Interest.
"You are outside the resonance."
"That should not be possible."
Sebastian twisted his arm, forcing a counter-movement.
For the first time—
Cassiel had to adjust his stance.
Wang shouted from behind:
"Sebastian! He's analyzing you!"
Cassiel's voice lowered.
"This world is weak."
"I will refine it."
"The worthy will survive."
"The rest—"
He didn't finish.
Because Sebastian attacked again.
Faster.
Harder.
Their collision sent a shockwave outward.
A 20-meter crater formed instantly.
Dust filled the air.
When it cleared—
Both were still standing.
But Cassiel's eyes had changed.
He was no longer amused.
He was serious.
The Moon flared brighter overhead.
"This," Cassiel said quietly, "was only the first pulse."
"The second will be stronger."
Sebastian wiped blood from the corner of his lip.
"Then send it."
For the first time—
Cassiel smiled fully.
"I will."
The sky fractured again.
Darkness folded around him.
And he vanished.
The Moon dimmed.
The pressure disappeared.
Silence returned.
Asher inhaled sharply.
Myron lay unconscious.
Wang whispered:
"This… is the beginning of war."
Sebastian kept looking at the sky.
For the first time—
There was something different in his eyes.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Recognition.