Outside the Other Realm, Yserie was sleeping peacefully when a sharp, cold breeze brushed across her face. Her rest was broken, her eyelids fluttered open, vision blurred with dancing specks like snowflakes across her eyes. She turned toward the window—wide open.
Rubbing her eyes, the snow faded from her sight. She shifted, intending to stand and close the window, when a sound reached her—knocking, like wood being struck. Her gaze turned and froze.
Noah.
Her brother sat slumped in a chair beside her, his entire body trembling violently. The chair rattled beneath him, creaking against the floor, mimicking that eerie knocking sound.
His face was pale, slick with sweat, as though he had been running for miles without rest. Exhaustion and terror twisted his features.
"Noah…?" Yserie whispered, voice thin with worry and confusion.
She reached out, trembling, desperate to touch him—when suddenly he toppled from the chair, curling into himself, teeth grinding, knees pulled to his chest.
"Brother!"
———
Inside the Other Realm, Noah ran, Across a vast green plain, arms flailing in panic, head bleeding, breath ragged. His eyes were wide, unfocused, yet he did not dare stop. His legs burned, but exhaustion dragged him down, slowing each step against his will.
Then it came—the roar. A thunderous, ear-splitting bellow rolled across the earth.
He looked back, and his blood ran cold.
A stampede. A tide of colossal, spiritual bulls surged after him, hooves tearing apart the ground with every thunderous strike. They shoved each other aside, desperate—not to hunt, but to devour.
Their eyes burned with hunger. Thick saliva spilled from their snapping jaws, their flat, crushing teeth gnashing like grinding stones. Each of Noah's faltering steps only let them close the distance.
Terror stole his voice. His lungs heaved sharp, ugly sounds, like the broken wail of a newborn. A sharp pain stabbed at his chest, his legs buckled—he fell, slamming into the dirt. His teeth cut into his tongue, blood filling his mouth.
But even pain was nothing compared to what awaited.
He tried to crawl forward with shaking hands. Too late.
A crushing weight smashed into his body, pressing him into the earth as if the world itself collapsed onto him. A bull's jaws clamped onto his leg, tugging him back. Another beast lunged in greed, biting the same leg—flesh tearing, blood spraying across the ground.
Noah screamed.
More piled on. A horned maw tore into his chest, ribs splintering under the force. Another beast snapped at his neck, twisting, gnashing, pulling—
Noah's scream broke into a distorted, ragged howl, torn from shredded vocal cords. Breath gurgled from his lungs, his chest filling with blood, every gasp leaving him weaker. His vision spun, yet he still saw them.
Their glowing eyes. Their hunger. Their gazes devouring him as thoroughly as their teeth.
"…k…kill…me…"
The whisper bled out of his lips—more breath than sound. His eyes wept blood.
And then his head was ripped from his body.
———
Outside, Yserie was on her knees, frantic, shaking his body.
"Noah! Noah, wake up! Please!"
Tears streamed down her face, terror shaking her frame. If their father was here… if Mirabel was here… but she was alone. Alone with her dying brother.
"Noah!!"
At last—his eyes snapped open. He bolted upright, clutching his chest, gasping, drenched in sweat.
"I—I'm alive… I'm alive…!" His heart thundered in disbelief.
He turned, saw Yserie beside him—her cheeks streaked with tears. His chest ached again, but this time with guilt.
"Y-Yserie…?"
The girl threw her arms around him, holding him tight. His eyes widened, but her warmth calmed the storm inside him. Her tears slid down his hair and onto his face, mingling as though they were his own.
She pulled back, wiping her eyes, still trembling.
"Are you okay?" Her voice cracked, throat raw from crying.
"…I'm fine," Noah muttered, gaze falling. He couldn't meet her eyes, the shame of worrying her weighed too heavily.
"You've been acting strange…"
"It was just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about." He forced a weak smile.
"Then… sleep with me tonight."
"You don't have to…" He flushed. He was the older brother, supposed to protect her. Instead, she was the one protecting him.
"If you have another nightmare, remember one thing…" Her voice lowered with mock seriousness.
Noah lifted his head, curious.
"Your heroic sister will kick the ass of anyone who bothers you!" She grinned proudly.
Noah stared. Any other brother might've laughed. But for Noah, doubt flickered.
"…Where did you learn to talk like that?"
"Eh—? I-I heard Mirabel say it once…" she mumbled, looking away nervously.
"That idiot…"
"I know… I'm sorry."
Noah rose, placing a gentle hand on her head, ruffling her hair. Her cheeks flushed, puffing out stubbornly.
"Your brother is strong. He can protect himself."
"…Okay." She pouted, red-faced.
Noah straightened his back, stretching until his spine cracked. For once, he resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks. She'd seen enough of his weakness tonight.
"Goodnight." He turned toward the door.
"Well—don't forget the exa—"
The door shut before she could finish.
Noah leaned against it on the other side, bathed in moonlight filtering through the window. His shadow stretched long, his face hidden, his eyes fixed on the glowing crown of the full moon.
Being a 'Flaw'…
People around him treated him like glass. They thought it their duty to protect him. Maybe it wasn't bad—having people who cared, in a world where value was measured only by strength. But to him, it was suffocating. A cage.
How long must I stay weak? How long will I live as a shadow? My existence is nothing but a cruel joke to fate… How long…?
Then—
Ding.
A familiar chime. Light bloomed before his eyes, illuminating the dark corridor.
[Mission: Die 10 times (10/10) – Completed]
Noah blinked. He had stopped counting. Ten…? He had felt like he had died countless times. Stabbed, crushed, shocked, ripped apart. Again and again.
"This too…"
[Claim rewards?]
"…The system..." Noah's lips curved bitterly. "Yes."
[You have received the C-Rank skill: Foresight.]
His eyes widened.
"A… skill…?"
[Skill: Foresight (Rank C – Level 1)]
Category: Cognition / Perception
Classification: Passive / Pre-Reactive
Effects:
Phantom Echo (Passive): Projects afterimages of an enemy's next three seconds of movement, updating in real time as they shift. Predictions are based on muscle tension and instinct, not thoughts.
Instinct Override (Passive): The host's body reacts automatically to seen movements, bypassing conscious delay. Reflexes sharpen, dodges and counters become seamless.
Mindless Focus (Passive): Against multiple threats, the skill prioritizes the greatest danger. Layered echoes appear for all enemies in sight, but mental strain increases with each opponent. Excess strain may temporarily disable the skill.]
Noah froze, speechless.
A lifetime as a "Flaw," fated to remain worthless. Yet now, a skill—his skill. Even a low-level one.
And the smile that split his face was wider than any grin he had ever worn.
"System ♡~"