When Seo Joon opened his eyes, the sky was cracked in shades of red and black—like a wound that never healed. The air burned with dust and ash, and the high-rise ruins around him creaked under invisible weight. His head throbbed, and memories slipped like sand through fingers. A woman's voice—mother? A hand reaching through fire? He didn't know. He only knew that he had to get to the Institution.
The roads were shattered. Corpses lined sidewalks like statues frozen in horror. Yet the monsters weren't here now. Not yet. He reached the gate of the Awakened College, its emblem cracked but still glowing faintly.
Inside, silence. Then screams. In the distance, a creature—thin, with too many eyes—lurched toward a student. Instinct overruled fear. Seo Joon picked up a rebar rod and struck. Once. Twice. Blood sprayed. He had killed it.
Two stones dropped: one flickering red, one pulsing blue. He stared, confused. What were they?
He stumbled into the testing chamber. The artifact—the Org Crystal—stood tall. He pressed his hand to it. Light surged.
> "Talent Grade: D.
Type: Growth.
System: Eligible.
Binding in progress…"
And with that, the world changed forever.