The old bridge looked too quiet today.Not peaceful—quiet like something important had stepped out of the world for a moment.
I was halfway across when the Source Point in my chest jerked in pain.Not overload.Resonance.
The entire bridge shivered under my feet.Not an earthquake…a rule slipping.
I froze.
In the distance, the two mound-structures in UFO Park—the Yin eye and the Yang eye—pulsed at the same time.
Two hearts beating out of sync.
The air folded into ripples.A symbol shot out of the pulse,drawn toward me like it had been waiting for a target.
I couldn't dodge.
It struck my chest,stuck for a split second,and the Source Point snapped tight—swallowing it whole.
A sharp spike ran through my skull.The world flashed white for half a second.
By the time I pulled in a steady breath,Emilia was already in front of me.
She stared at my chestlike she was watching physics break in real time.
"You… absorbed it?"Her voice dropped."That wasn't awakening-level. It shouldn't even be possible…"
Before I could answer,the treeline to our right warped.
A shaky early-stage awakened stumbled out,barely standing.
Emilia's face drained color.
"Two awakeners… on the same day?"She looked at me."And you?"
I could barely breathe.Patch jumped onto my shoulder,not to comfort me—but to judge.
He looked at me like I was turning into something he didn't recognize.
ARC Monitoring Division
The man with silver-rimmed glasses stared at the shifting readings.
B-39: 80% → 45%A massive drop after the symbol resonance.
He muttered,"Absorption ability… that's a problem."
His fingers tapped the console.
"Activate Phase Two observation."
The monitor flickered.
"B-39…Are you going to force me to come out myself?"