The city was quiet again, as if the world itself had exhaled after weeks of unease. The once-chaotic air, heavy with mana and tension, had grown calm. The portals that had shimmered across the sky now lay dormant, faint traces of light fading into the distant horizon. For the first time in months, there was peace.
Sung Jinwoo stood in the middle of the training yard behind his home, his gaze fixed on the morning sun. Its golden rays stretched across the rooftops of Seoul, bathing everything in soft light. His shadows stirred faintly beneath his feet, responding to his thoughts even without his command.
He had spent the past few days monitoring the world's energy flow. No new portals, no creature movements, no ripples of danger. It felt strange to experience stillness again. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, allowing himself a rare moment of peace.
"Oppa!" a familiar voice called.
Jinwoo turned and smiled as Jinah ran across the yard, carrying a tray with breakfast. Her laughter still sounded like it did years ago before the world had changed. "You've been up since dawn again," she said with mock irritation. "You need to rest once in a while."
"I will," Jinwoo replied, taking a seat on the low bench. "I just… needed to make sure the world is still calm."
Jinah placed the tray in front of him and sat beside him. "You've been saying that since the System reappeared. Maybe it's time to let yourself breathe again."
He gave a small nod but said nothing. Deep down, he knew peace never lasted long.
From the living room, a small giggle echoed. Jinwoo turned toward the open window where his young son, Minjae, was playing with shadow figures on the floor. The tiny forms obeyed his gestures, dancing in circles before vanishing in wisps of smoke.
Beru, ever watchful, hovered nearby in his smaller form. "Master," the ant-like monarch said, voice calm, "your son is gifted. His shadow manipulation is far beyond what normal energy should allow."
Jinwoo smiled faintly. "He's curious, that's all. But he must learn control before curiosity consumes him."
Igris appeared silently beside him, kneeling in his armor. "There has been no activity from Agnorath's realm for thirteen days. The shadows beyond the dimensional rift remain quiet. It may be a calm before the storm."
Jinwoo nodded thoughtfully. "Or maybe the storm is changing its direction. Either way, we watch. We do not move unless it's necessary."
---
Later that evening, the house filled with warmth and laughter. Hunters who had fought beside Jinwoo gathered for dinner — Cha Hae-In, Yoo Jinho, Baek Yoonho, and a few others. It was rare to see them all together again, relaxed and smiling like the days before the Monarch Wars.
Cha Hae-In sat beside Jinwoo, her presence calm yet sharp, as if she too could feel the faint hum of mana in the air. She leaned closer and whispered, "Do you really believe this peace will last?"
Jinwoo stared into his cup before answering. "No. But I'll protect it for as long as I can."
Yoo Jinho, ever cheerful, interrupted. "Hyung-nim, you always say that like you're expecting trouble! Maybe this time, we really did win."
Jinwoo's faint smile didn't reach his eyes. "Winning is temporary when the enemy learns faster than you do."
Beru chuckled from the corner. "Perhaps Master Jinwoo has grown too accustomed to war."
Cha Hae-In's soft laugh broke the tension. "Then maybe he needs to remember what peace feels like."
The laughter and light conversation filled the night, wrapping the home in warmth. It almost felt like the past had been rewritten — as if the world had forgotten the chaos that once nearly destroyed it.
---
But later, as the night deepened, Jinwoo found himself standing on the rooftop again. The stars above shimmered faintly, distant and cold. He watched them quietly, feeling the steady pulse of mana deep beneath the earth.
The Second Wave was quiet, but it was not gone. Something lingered in the background — silent, patient, watching.
His shadows whispered faintly around him, their movements uneasy. He raised his hand, summoning one of the smaller ones. "What do you feel?" he murmured.
The shadow flickered, its form shifting like smoke. "A pulse… faint… but growing. Far from here, beneath the southern ocean."
Jinwoo's gaze hardened. "Then it begins again. Slowly this time."
He dismissed the shadow and looked out across the sleeping city. He thought of Jinah, of his son, of Hae-In's calm voice beside him at dinner. For their sake, he would be patient. He would let the world rest a little longer.
The System was silent, but he could feel it watching him, waiting for the next command.
"Not yet," he whispered. "Let them live in peace a little longer."
The night wind stirred his hair as the shadows curled protectively around him. For now, the world slept — unaware that beneath its calm surface, the gears of destiny were turning once again.