Zazm was walking toward the throne room with the two new Catalysts, his steps casual yet commanding. Myeong-hwa, unable to hold back her curiosity, skipped ahead and asked, "So, what are our powers?"
Zazm simply smirked. "You'll know. Just wait a bit."
They passed under the towering archway as the massive doors opened, revealing a vast, gleaming chamber. The throne room stretched wide, filled with light and quiet awe. Ornate designs lined the walls, and at the far end stood a long table with thrones of varying design surrounding it.
Both Myeong-hwa and Min-Seok stopped in their tracks, eyes wide.
"What... is this?" Min-Seok whispered.
"Don't be surprised yet," Zazm said, striding down the central staircase that led to the thrones. "Come on."
They followed, their footsteps echoing softly. The moment they reached the bottom, Myeong-hwa broke into a grin and rushed to inspect each throne, running her fingers along the armrests, peeking beneath them, circling back. Even Min-Seok couldn't help but join in, his eyes shining with intrigue.
"Do we get these two?" Myeong-hwa asked, pointing at a pair of empty thrones.
Zazm stopped beside her and pointed instead at two simple-looking ones. "Each throne represents the power of its Catalyst. They'll adjust to suit you, once they recognize you."
Min-Seok gave an almost boyish grin. "That's... seriously cool."
Zazm smirked. "It gets better." He walked to his own throne—dark, sleek, with subtle engravings—and sat down. The moment his hands touched the round table in the center, it began to glow with a deep purple hue. Particles danced upward like floating embers.
Myeong-hwa and Min-Seok watched in awe as the glow intensified. Zazm's earring lit up too, pulsing in rhythm with the table.
"These," Zazm said, gesturing to the table and earring, "let you summon others—hold meetings, send signals. When the table activates, every Catalyst's stone responds."
A few seconds passed. Then a rumble filled the air.
A massive, swirling tornado of shadow formed above the table—violent and cold. It vanished just as quickly, leaving behind two figures: Jennie and Jahanox.
The new Catalysts instinctively stepped back. Jennie looked surprised, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Jahanox's sharp gaze locked onto the two strangers.
"Are these... the new Catalysts?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
Zazm nodded. "Min-Seok, Myeong-hwa."
Min-Seok stepped forward to introduce himself, but Zazm casually raised a hand to stop him. "Wait—let the others arrive first."
He turned to Jahanox. "Where are Kiyomasa and Caspian?"
Jahanox folded his arms. "Last I saw, still training."
Zazm nodded slowly—then noticed Jennie, who seemed distracted, fiddling with her hair and glancing everywhere but at Jahanox. The air had shifted.
He raised a brow and looked at Jahanox. "Did something happen between you two?"
Jahanox gave a shrug, all too casual. "Nothing. Just a small accident."
Zazm then turned to Jennie. "Same question."
Jennie froze. Her face flushed instantly. "N-no! Nothing like that! I-I mean—"
Zazm leaned back in his chair, grinning like a cat who found a secret. He turned to Jahanox and gave him a smug, proud look.
Jahanox tilted his head. "What's with that face?"
"Nothing," Zazm said, stifling a laugh. "Ignore me."
Just then, a voice cut in from behind. "What's the matter?"
Everyone turned. Caspian strolled in with his usual smirk, Kiyomasa trailing behind, looking confused but cheerful as always.
Zazm cleared his throat and stood up. "Alright! enough distractions. Everyone, take your seats."
The Catalysts moved to their thrones, each glowing faintly as they sat. Only Min-Seok and Myeong-hwa remained standing, glancing at each other with wide eyes, not knowing where they fit just yet.
As everyone settled into their thrones, the air grew heavier—charged, like static before a storm.
Min-Seok leaned closer to Myeong-hwa, his voice low. "These guys look totally like villains from some sci-fi movie."
Myeong-hwa nodded quickly. "Right? And that one—" she subtly pointed toward Jahanox, "—he looks like he hasn't eaten in three days. Angry and hungry."
Min-Seok stifled a laugh. "Everyone here looks dangerous."
"Yeah," Myeong-hwa whispered. "Like the final boss squad."
Suddenly, Zazm clapped sharply, commanding attention. The quiet chatter ceased instantly.
"Alright," he said, resting both hands on the glowing table, "let's do introductions."
Each Catalyst took turns introducing themselves. Jennie spoke first, warm and cheerful. Jahanox followed, his tone firm but respectful. Caspian's introduction came with a smirk and just enough flair to annoy Jahanox. Kiyomasa introduced himself last—nervous but enthusiastic.
Then came Myeong-hwa and Min-Seok's turn.
Zazm took the lead. "Myeong-hwa's powers are telepathy and telekinesis."
Caspian let out an exaggerated "O" and leaned forward, clearly amused. "Now that's rare."
Jennie gave an impressed smile. "That's so cool..."
Jahanox, fingers steepled in thought, nodded. "This kind of power can be extremely useful."
Zazm glanced at him. "It won't just be useful. It'll be essential."
That made Jahanox look up again, slightly more serious. The others exchanged glances.
Kiyomasa tilted his head. "Help with what?"
Zazm gave a cryptic smile. "A long story. One we'll know... if we ever get there."
He turned now to Min-Seok, and the air grew tense. His gaze darkened, his eyes studying the boy carefully. For a moment, Zazm said nothing.
Min-Seok straightened under the weight of the silence. "...What's my power?"
Zazm leaned back in his throne, voice low and deliberate. "Your Catalyst ability is something special. Something extreme."
Min-Seok blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Quantum matter manipulation," Zazm said.
At those words, the room froze. Every pair of eyes turned to Min-Seok in shock.
"Wait... matter manipulation?" Caspian asked, now serious.
Min-Seok's eyes widened, his throat tightening. "That can't be right..."
Zazm continued. "You can create matter, destroy it, reshape it—change its scale and form. You could eventually compress even mental energy into physical particles."
"That's insane," Jennie whispered.
"But," Zazm added, and now his smirk vanished, "there's a problem."
Jahanox leaned forward, already sensing something. "What kind of problem?"
Zazm's expression darkened further. "Min-Seok will never be able to use his power to its fullest."
"What?" Min-Seok snapped, standing. "What do you mean never?"
Zazm didn't flinch. "That power is too complex—too layered. To fully control it, you'd need a lifetime of mastery. There are no shortcuts."
Jahanox narrowed his eyes. "And if he uses it before he's ready?"
Zazm looked straight at Min-Seok. "Then his body and mind won't be able to take the pressure."
He leaned back, tone calm yet ominous. "And he'll go kaboom."
Silence. Heavy, stifling silence.
"The problem is matter is extremely small he'll need a long time to just first get used to it's extremely smaller size and train his brain to take the pressure slowly." Zazm spoke still leaning back while tapping his fingers on his armpit.
"If you had this power would it have been easier for you.... Because of you know your Nexus's gaze." Kiyomasa asked Zazm his voice firm and curious.
Zazm nodded, "Yes since I can see at quantum level and posses something like Nexus's gaze it wouldn't be that hard for me."
Min-Seok sat back down slowly, visibly pale.
Myeong-hwa placed a hand on his shoulder. "You won't blow up," she whispered. "Probably."
Even Jahanox cracked a tiny smirk.
Zazm crossed his arms. "This is the level we're dealing with now. Welcome to the real game."
Zazm, sensing the heavy silence, clapped his hands again, this time with a grin. "Alright! Enough existential dread. Let's have some fun."
He turned to the new Catalysts. "Pick your thrones. You can customize them however you like—make them yours."
Myeong-hwa's eyes sparkled instantly. "Wait, seriously?!"
Zazm nodded. "Just choose one and put your hands on it. The rest... leave to your imagination."
Still pale, Min-Seok hesitated. But Myeong-hwa had already dashed forward, scanning the rows with gleeful intensity. She stopped in front of a plain throne with a rounded back and smooth stone. She placed her hands on it, closed her eyes, and grinned.
Jahanox, standing nearby, spoke softly. "Just imagine a design that reflects who you are—and your power."
Myeong-hwa nodded and focused. The throne reacted almost instantly.
It began glowing a soft lavender hue. The stone rippled like liquid, reshaping itself in smooth waves.
The throne's back grew taller, swirling into graceful, semi-transparent arcs—almost like wings made of glass and mist. The seat and armrests were laced with soft, petal-like curves, and delicate silver veins ran along the structure, pulsing faintly with light, like neural pathways.
Floating orbs of light hovered around the top, slowly orbiting the throne like thought bubbles.
Caspian let out a long, low whistle. "Damn... that is so her."
Jennie's hands clasped together. "It's beautiful."
Kiyomasa's eyes sparkled. "It looks... alive."
Myeong-hwa turned to face them, arms spread dramatically. "Behold! The throne of a telepathic queen!"
Zazm gave her a slow, amused nod. "Fitting."
Now all eyes turned to Min-Seok.
He still looked uncertain, but stepped forward, placing his hand on another plain throne. He hesitated, then closed his eyes.
The change came slower, deeper. The stone started cracking—not in damage, but in transformation. Dark black metal surged from the base, wrapping the throne in sharp, precise geometry.
Hexagonal plates layered over each other like shifting armor. The back of the throne grew tall and narrow, almost blade-like, inscribed with glowing blue glyphs that shimmered like data streams.
At the top, a rotating atomic model hovered in place, pulsating with quantum energy. The throne emitted a low hum, as if vibrating through dimensions.
Jennie took a step back, startled. "That's... intense."
Jahanox nodded slowly, impressed. "Efficient. Powerful. Minimalistic."
Caspian tilted his head. "It looks like it's ready to split atoms."
Zazm smiled faintly. "Perfect."
Min-Seok sat down slowly, still processing it all. "It just... came to me."
"You tapped into the essence of your powers," Zazm said. "That's how it should be."
Myeong-hwa flopped into her own seat, legs swinging. "Mine's definitely prettier."
"You're definitely louder," Caspian replied.
She grinned. "Same thing."
Zazm leaned back in his own throne, arms folded. "Now... we're starting to look like a real council."
"oh wait did I told you what's your other ability Minos?" everyone looked at Zazm waiting for his answer.
Minos asked to tell him what it was but Zazm burst out laughing, "Yo-yo u're...", he started laughing like crazy.
"Just speak already Zazm" Jahanox spoke clearly amused and wanting to know the region.
Zazm controlled his laughter looking at Minos, "You can also talk to insects HAHAHA....NO IDEA how that's helpful."
Every Catalyst in the room burst out laughing, Jahanox held his stomach trying not to fall over. Jennie covered her mouth trying to show it.
Caspian smacked the table in pure chaos laughing, While Kiyomasa also wheezed.
Minos looked at Miwa who was also laughing crazily, "Ofcourse I get a wierd power too."
As the laughter's and murmurs died down and everyone settled into their seats, Jahanox turned toward the two new Catalysts, his tone calm but uncertain. "So… Min-Sook and… Maing…hwa?"
He squinted slightly, clearly trying.
Myeong-hwa tilted her head. "Myeong-hwa," she corrected, slowly.
Min-Seok nodded, adding, "Min-Seok."
Jahanox repeated them quietly to himself, failed again, and gave a small, defeated sigh.
Zazm chuckled. "Don't beat yourself up. Their names are basically boss-level puzzles."
Caspian grinned. "Yeah, we're Catalysts, not linguists."
Everyone laughed.
Myeong-hwa shrugged dramatically. "Sorry, can't do much about it. That's just what we're called."
That's when Jennie snapped her fingers with a bright smile. "What if we shorten the names?"
Min-Seok raised a brow. "Shorten them?"
Jennie pointed across the room. "We call Kiyomasa Kiyo all the time to make it easier. So, how about we do the same for you two?"
She turned to Myeong-hwa first, thinking hard. "Myeong-hwa… Moya? Mewa? Uh—Miwa! Yes, Miwa!"
Myeong-hwa lit up. "Ooh! I like that. Sounds cute!"
Then Jennie turned to Min-Seok, already overthinking. "Min-sook? Min-snak? Min-sock? Uh… wait, how about… Minos?"
Min-Seok blinked. "Minos?"
She nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Like, a mix of your name—but also kinda sounds like a tech prodigy from a space opera."
Min-Seok chuckled. "...It actually kinda does."
Kiyomasa gave a thumbs-up. "Way easier to say. Miwa and Minos. Perfect."
Jahanox smirked, folding his arms. "If it were just me, Zazm, and Kiyo, we'd still be arguing over whether to call them M and S."
Jennie glanced up at him mid-laugh—and when she saw the warm look in his eyes, her cheeks turned pink. She looked away quickly, pretending to be very interested in the floating glyphs above Minos's throne.
Caspian caught it immediately and raised a brow.
Kiyomasa narrowed his eyes, then gasped. "Wait—"
He started to get up but Zazm stuck out an arm, blocking him with a grin. "Let it be. It's more fun this way."
The three boys—Zazm, Kiyomasa, and Caspian—exchanged the same mischievous smirk, glancing between Jennie, who was now subtly avoiding eye contact.
Miwa, meanwhile, was poking her throne to see if she could make it spin.
Minos just leaned back and muttered, "These people are weird…"
"Oh I nearly forgot," Zazm said as he snapped his fingers and two stones suddenly came up from the table.
Miwa and Minos looked at them, "You see the accessories we all are wearing?" Zazm spoke as he pointed at his earring.
Jennie pulled out her pendant and Kiyomasa held his ring up.
"These are like paths they'll help you enter and leave this shadow dimension at will, and they'll automatically teleport you back to your house too." Zazm finished as both of them picked up the stones.
"Woah! That's so cool." Miwa exclaimed as she turned the stone into an hairband and put it in her hair.
Caspian raised a brow, "Hey wouldn't it fall of? Why put it at such risky place?"
Miwa was about to rethink it when Zazm spoke, "Oh perhaps I never told you but if these stones are away from you for a few minutes they'll automatically teleport back to you."
"Now that's interesting but couldn't you have told this earlier? I was so scared of losing this." Kiyomasa spoke in relief.
Zazm shrugged as he said, "I mean it's connected to your threads what did you expect?"
Minos stared at the stone before finally turning it into a ring aswell.
"Oh are you trying to copy out little Kiyo?" Caspian asked in a mocking tone.
Minos shook his head, "Nah, I just liked a ring so that's what I did."
Just as the room began to settle into a calm rhythm, Zazm suddenly jumped up from his throne and shouted, "Party time!!"
Everyone jolted. Miwa blinked. "Wait—what?"
Zazm grinned. "We've got new Catalysts, which means… we party."
A collective smirk spread across the room—except for one.
Caspian froze.
He knew that look in Zazm's eyes. The same one from last time. The one that screamed trouble.
Zazm snapped his fingers and a massive portal cracked into existence beside the throne room, swirling in threads of indigo and silver. One by one, the Catalysts were swept in.
They landed in a quiet, neon-lit alleyway behind a bustling street.
Minos looked around. "Where the hell are we?"
Zazm pointed past a glimmering sign. "Behind one of the top fire restaurants in this whole city."
Miwa turned toward him, eyes wide. "How did we just… teleport here like nothing?"
Zazm stretched and grinned. "What can I say? I'm just too strong."
He pushed the restaurant door open with flair. "Now move, all of you. We've got a celebration to destroy."
They entered a lavish, dimly glowing restaurant. Velvet seats, golden trim, and a spicy warmth in the air.
Menus were passed around as everyone sat down.
Zazm leaned back and waved at the group. "Order anything you want. Seriously. No limits."
Caspian, mid-sip of water, choked. He glanced at Zazm suspiciously.
Zazm turned to him slowly, smile widening. "Because tonight's treat…"
He paused for dramatic effect.
"Is on Caspian."
The entire table exploded in laughter. Jahanox hit his fists on the table laughing like crazy.
Kiyomasa was wheezing. Jennie nearly fell over. Miwa clapped like a seal. Even stoic Minos cracked a grin.
Caspian slammed his head onto the table. "I knew it…"
Zazm added sweetly, "I mean, after all, your new movie did blow up even more than the last one. You're basically rolling in cash now."
"Rolling into bankruptcy," Caspian muttered as he dragged his face across the table.
Still, the mood stayed light and chaotic as food began arriving—platter after platter of sizzling meats, exotic dishes, glowing drinks, and desserts that sparkled unnaturally.
They ate. They laughed. They roasted each other mercilessly.
And for a night, the weight of power and fate and the future disappeared.
When the server finally returned with a tray holding a single, sleek card machine, Zazm casually handed over Caspian's card like it was nothing.
Caspian, who had been suspiciously silent for the last ten minutes, swallowed hard.
"How much was it?" he asked, his voice cracking.
Zazm didn't miss a beat. "Enough to empty your card. Maybe your savings. Possibly your soul."
Caspian let out a dramatic scream, grabbed his own hair, and launched into every possible insult he could conjure. "SCREW YOU, YOU FUCKING DEMON, DIE ALREADY."
The rest of the Catalysts were on the verge of collapsing from laughter.
And even Caspian, through all his exaggerated curses, couldn't stop a small smirk from sneaking in.
---
Everyone exited the restaurant one by one, laughing, stretching, and complimenting the food.
"That beef stew was insane," Kiyomasa said, rubbing his stomach with satisfaction.
Jennie giggled. "I could eat five more bowls."
Min-Seok nodded in agreement. "Best meal I've ever had."
Miwa spun around playfully. "Can we come here every week?"
Meanwhile, Caspian dragged his feet behind them, his soul visibly leaving his body. "My poor card… gone. Gone forever."
Zazm stifled a laugh as they all returned to the quiet alley behind the restaurant. The portal shimmered open with a deep hum.
"Alright," Zazm said, stretching his arms, "this should take everyone back home."
The Catalysts nodded, waving to each other as they stepped through one by one.
Just as Jennie placed her foot into the glowing frame, Zazm's voice cut through the air.
"Jennie. Stay."
She paused, blinking. "Hm?"
Jahanox, already halfway through, turned and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
Zazm shook his head casually. "Nah. Just wanna talk to her for a second. You go on ahead."
Jahanox studied Zazm for a beat longer, suspicion flickering in his eyes, but he eventually shrugged. "Alright. Don't keep her too long."
He vanished into the portal.
Jennie turned to Zazm. "What's going on?"
Zazm smiled gently, hands in his pockets. "Nothing serious. Just wanted to talk."
The glow of the portal cast shadows behind them as Jennie tilted her head. "Talk about what?"
Zazm looked at her for a long second, his playful air softening. "...Something I've been thinking about. About Caspian."
Jennie blinked, caught off-guard. "Caspian?"
Zazm's eyes darkened just slightly, his tone dropping. "Yeah. I need to tell you something, and I need your help. But if I'm right… it could change everything."
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