The summons came at night.
No escort.No warning.
Yoo-Jin was led alone into a circular chamber deep within Stone-Quiet City.
The walls were smooth. Featureless.
At the center stood three Nyrathi figures—and one woman seated above them.
Her presence bent the air subtly.
Not heavy.
Absolute.
"Han Yoo-Jin," she said."Human. Pressure Template. Unstable."
He did not speak.
"Your survival outside the city contradicts projections."
She stood.
The pressure in the room intensified—not crushing, but demanding.
"You adapt," she continued."Adaptation disrupts order."
Yoo-Jin met her gaze.
"I didn't break your laws."
A pause.
Then—
A faint curve at the corner of her lips.
"Correct," she said."Which makes you dangerous."
[Attention Gained: Nyrath Imperial Authority]
The system line burned into his vision.
The woman stepped closer.
"Stone-Quiet City has no mercy," she said softly."But it recognizes value."
Yoo-Jin felt it then.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
The weight of being seen.
As he was dismissed and led back into the silent streets, one truth settled deep in his mind:
The monsters of this world were not the greatest threat.
Civilizations were.