Do-Yoon and Min-Jae stood inside the room, staring at each other.
The silence between them was heavy.
Not peaceful.
Not calm.
It was the kind of silence where both people are thinking too much, but neither knows how to turn those thoughts into words.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Only eye contact.
Only confusion.
Only fear that neither of them wanted to admit.
"…Bro," Min-Jae finally said.
Do-Yoon blinked. "What?"
Min-Jae suddenly straightened his posture, like he had found some hidden confidence inside himself.
"BRO!"
Do-Yoon leaned back slightly. "What now?"
Min-Jae pointed at him like he was making a serious announcement.
"We are done hiding."
Do-Yoon frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean exactly what I said," Min-Jae replied. "No more running. No more pretending. No more acting like we didn't see anything."
Do-Yoon rubbed his face tiredly. "And what are we supposed to do instead?"
Min-Jae didn't answer immediately.
Then he said—
"…We fight back."
Do-Yoon slowly looked at him.
"…Bro," he said flatly, "if we fight that thing… or anything related to it… we will die."
Min-Jae didn't move.
"And if we do nothing?" he asked.
Do-Yoon stayed silent.
Min-Jae continued, voice slightly sharper now.
"We already saw things that shouldn't exist. A man who survived death. A book that knows our life. Something that wasn't even a shadow. So tell me, bro…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"…What exactly are we waiting for?"
Do-Yoon's fingers tightened slightly.
Min-Jae's voice lowered.
"At least if we die trying, we understand something. If we stay still… we just wait for something to take us."
Silence again.
Longer this time.
Do-Yoon exhaled slowly.
"…You're really bad at speeches," he said.
Min-Jae blinked. "Hey!"
Do-Yoon looked away slightly. "But… I get what you mean."
Min-Jae relaxed a little. "So?"
Do-Yoon leaned back on the bed.
"…I don't know what we're doing… but I know doing nothing is worse."
Min-Jae nodded slowly.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
Then Do-Yoon added, "Still, your motivation speech was terrible."
Min-Jae groaned. "I TRIED, OKAY?"
Do-Yoon gave a small tired smile.
"…Yeah, I know."
Slow silence followed.
The tension in the room didn't disappear completely, but it changed. It turned into exhaustion instead of panic.
Do-Yoon slowly lay down.
"…I can't think anymore," he said.
Min-Jae sat beside him.
"Same."
A few seconds passed.
Do-Yoon closed his eyes.
"…Just resting for a bit."
Min-Jae looked at him.
"…Bro? You sleeping already?"
No answer.
"…Seriously?"
Do-Yoon had already fallen asleep.
Min-Jae stared at him for a moment.
"…I gave a whole speech and you just sleep…"
He sighed.
"…Unbelievable."
But his body also felt heavy.
His eyes slowly closed.
"…I guess I'll sleep too…"
And just like that—
Both of them drifted into sleep.
The Dream
Darkness first.
Complete silence.
Then slowly—
Light appeared.
Min-Jae opened his eyes.
"…Huh?"
He was standing.
But not in the room.
He looked around quickly.
Trees.
Tall ones.
Dense ones.
Every direction was covered in a strange forest.
"…What is this…?" he whispered.
The air felt real.
Too real.
The ground under his feet felt solid.
The wind touched his skin.
"…Wait…"
He froze.
"…This is a dream, right?"
He looked at his hands.
"They feel real…"
He slapped his arm.
"OW!"
His eyes widened instantly.
"…What the— it hurts?!"
He stepped back quickly.
"This is NOT normal dreaming!"
He looked around again, more alert now.
Everything felt too detailed.
Too physical.
Too real to be fake.
Then—
A voice.
"…Min-Jae."
He turned fast.
"…Bro!"
Do-Yoon was standing not far away.
Min-Jae ran toward him immediately.
"Bro! You're here too?!"
Do-Yoon looked confused but calm.
"…Yeah. I think so."
Min-Jae frowned.
"…You know this is a dream too?"
Do-Yoon nodded slowly.
"I do."
Min-Jae stepped back slightly.
"…Then why are we both aware?"
Do-Yoon didn't answer.
He was looking forward.
"…Something's there."
Min-Jae followed his gaze.
And both of them saw it.
A massive gate.
Standing in the middle of the forest like it didn't belong there at all.
Made of dark, unknown metal.
Strange symbols were carved into its surface.
It didn't feel built.
It felt placed.
Like it had always been there.
Min-Jae whispered, "…No way…"
Do-Yoon stepped forward slightly.
"…What is that?"
Before they could approach—
Footsteps echoed.
Heavy.
Controlled.
From the side of the gate, a figure appeared.
Tall.
Armored.
Not fully human, but shaped like one.
It stood still.
Watching them.
Then it spoke.
"Welcome."
The voice was calm.
But powerful.
Min-Jae moved slightly behind Do-Yoon.
"…Bro… I don't like this…"
The figure placed a hand on its chest and bowed slightly.
"I am Sir Crantos."
Both froze.
"…Sir what?" Min-Jae whispered.
"Crantos," it repeated.
Then it straightened.
"I am the Gate Guardian."
Do-Yoon narrowed his eyes.
"…Guardian of what?"
Sir Crantos didn't answer immediately.
Instead, it studied them carefully.
Then said:
"You two have been acknowledged."
Min-Jae pointed at himself.
"…Acknowledged for what?!"
Sir Crantos tilted its head slightly.
"…As Players."
Silence.
The word stayed in the air.
Players.
Do-Yoon repeated it slowly.
"…Players?"
Sir Crantos nodded.
"Yes."
Min-Jae laughed nervously.
"…Bro… this is sounding like some game…"
Do-Yoon didn't laugh.
He was watching carefully.
"…What is this place?" he asked.
Sir Crantos turned toward the gate.
"This is the Threshold."
Min-Jae frowned. "The what?"
"The boundary," Sir Crantos said, "between what you know… and what you are about to understand."
Do-Yoon stepped forward slightly.
"…Understand what?"
A pause.
Then—
"Reality."
The air changed instantly.
The forest around them felt quieter.
Heavier.
Even time itself felt slower.
Min-Jae whispered, "…I really don't like that answer."
Sir Crantos slowly raised its hand.
The massive gate behind it began to move.
A deep metallic sound echoed through the space.
The gate started opening.
Slowly.
Heavily.
Like something ancient was waking up.
Do-Yoon and Min-Jae stood still.
Not moving.
Not speaking.
Just watching.
The gate opened wider.
And beyond it—
Was something neither of them could understand.
Something that didn't match anything they knew.
Min-Jae whispered again, "…Bro…"
Do-Yoon didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed forward.
"…What is that…?"
Sir Crantos stepped aside.
And said one final line:
"Step forward… and you will begin."
The wind stopped.
Silence filled everything.
And both of them—
Slowly took their first step forward.