Chater 5
Aren didn't leave the hall.
Even after everyone was gone.
Even after the whispers faded.
He stood alone among the broken pieces of the crystal.
Silent.
Still.
"…What am I now?" he muttered.
No answer.
But the feeling remained.
That strange presence inside him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
The voice returned.
"Synchronization: 17%."
Aren's eyes snapped open.
"…Again."
He clenched his fist.
"Show yourself."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The air in front of him cracked.
Like glass under pressure.
A blue interface forced itself into existence.
Unstable.
Glitching.
Incomplete.
[SYSTEM STATUS]
HOST: Aren Valis
STATUS: ERROR
FUNCTIONS: LIMITED
Aren stared.
"…System…"
The word felt strange in his mouth.
But right.
Too right.
The screen flickered violently.
As if rejecting its own existence.
Then—
A new line appeared.
[FUNCTION UNLOCKED: PERCEPTION]
Aren frowned.
"…Perception?"
Before he could think further—
His vision changed.
Sharpened.
Focused.
Expanded.
The world slowed.
Dust floating in the air became visible.
Every movement around him—clear.
Precise.
Even the faint sound of wind outside the hall—
He could hear it.
Aren's breathing steadied.
"…This is…"
Not strength.
Not power.
Control.
He turned slowly toward the shattered crystal.
And for a split second—
He saw it.
A shadow.
Inside the broken fragments.
Watching him.
Gone.
Aren froze.
"…I'm not alone."
The system reacted instantly.
[PERCEPTION: ACTIVE]
[WARNING: UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED]
His heart skipped.
Unknown entity?
Aren took a slow step back.
Eyes scanning.
Mind racing.
But nothing appeared again.
Silence returned.
"…So this is what I got," he whispered.
A small smile formed on his face.
Unstable.
Curious.
"…Not power."
A pause.
"…Something better."
The system flickered once more.
[ERROR STABLE]
And for the first time—
Aren felt it.
He wasn't empty anymore.
End of Chapter 5