The Core's pulse slowly faded into a low, distant hum—like a heartbeat behind a thick wall. It didn't pull Seo Jin. It didn't overwhelm him. It simply… existed, an echo of something ancient and newly awakened.
For a long moment, neither Seo Jin nor Li Ran moved.
They sat there on the cold floor of the chamber, bodies pressed close, hands clasped, breaths gradually falling into the same rhythm. The silence wasn't empty—if anything, it felt heavy with everything they had said, everything still left unsaid.
Seo Jin leaned lightly into Li Ran's shoulder, grounding himself in the warmth he wasn't sure he'd ever feel again.
Li Ran didn't let go.
He held Seo Jin's hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As if he'd been waiting his whole life to do so.
---
A New Kind of Fear
Eventually, Seo Jin's breath steadied enough for him to speak.
"Ran," he whispered softly, staring down at their joined hands. "I… don't know what I'm supposed to do next."
