When a meteor crashes into Hyunjin's life, it doesn't just leave a crater-it changes everything.
Embedded within it was an ancient relic, a forgotten piece of a lost civilization, that fused with his very being, granting him superhuman abilities fa...
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Darkness.
Thick and suffocating, pressing in from all sides. Hyunjin blinked rapidly, his heart beginning to pound in the emptiness. The air around him felt cold, damp, and heavy with an ominous presence, like a fog he couldn't see but could feel wrapping itself around him. He turned, eyes wide as if the blackness would eventually give way to something, anything—but all that met him was an endless void. A sense of dread crawled up his spine.
"Hello?" His voice, weak at first, echoed back to him, swallowed by the abyss. Louder this time. "Hello!" But still, nothing. His voice disappeared into the nothingness, leaving him utterly alone. He shuddered, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin, the sensation prickling his arms.
The ground beneath him was wet, an icy touch against his bare feet. He looked down, barely able to make out the faint reflection of his body in the thin layer of water. It stretched endlessly, mirroring the vast emptiness that surrounded him. Panic surged through his veins, and without thinking, he broke into a run. The splash of water echoed violently as he sprinted through the void, each step sending cold droplets flying against his legs. "HELLO?" he screamed, his voice cracking as his desperation grew.
Nothing. Only the ragged sound of his breathing filled the void now, mixing with the rhythmic splashes of his feet hitting the water. His lungs burned from exertion, but there was nowhere to go. He was trapped. His chest heaved as he slowed, clutching his stomach and trying to steady himself. The cold water sloshed around his ankles, creeping up into his shoes, soaking him entirely. It clung to him, icy and heavy, weighing him down.
And then, there it was. A sound, faint but unmistakable—a sob.
He froze, standing still in the freezing water as the sob echoed around him. His heart skipped a beat, and dread settled deep in his bones. Someone else was here. Or... something. Hyunjin's throat tightened, fear knotting his muscles, but he forced himself to move, drawn toward the sound despite every nerve in his body telling him to run in the other direction. His feet squelched against the soaked floor, the water rising just a little more as he moved. "Fucking idiot, Hyunjin," he muttered under his breath, the silence making his words feel loud and invasive. "This is how people die in horror movies..."
The sobbing grew louder as he approached, each step feeling heavier than the last. He squinted through the suffocating dark, his eyes slowly adjusting. And then, there it was—a small, curled-up figure ahead of him, barely distinguishable from the inky blackness surrounding them. The figure trembled, sobbing, its voice pitiful and broken. Hyunjin's heart clenched, both terrified and compelled by an unshakable need to help.
"Hey," he called softly, his voice trembling.
The figure didn't respond, just continued sobbing, the sounds gut-wrenching, like someone was slowly breaking apart. Hyunjin crept closer, his heart racing in his chest. The figure seemed so small, so vulnerable. And as his vision sharpened, a wave of cold realization washed over him.
