[The Hall of Resonance — Midday, Seoul]
The conference resumed after the prophecy announcement,but the air inside the Hall was no longer steady.
It crackled—with fear, resentment, and the heavy sound of ambition.
Yurina sat silently as the delegations began to shout across the table.
"Why should Korea be the only nation allowed to house the advanced-tier training grounds?""Our awakeners bleed the same! We deserve access to the mana well beneath the World Tree!""The system no longer favors balance, it favors Korea—admit it!"
The thunder of words filled the air.
Each nation's representative struck the table with pride and frustration.The Western Union wanted open access.The Northern Mages demanded shared ley lines.The Dwarves spoke of resource monopolies.Even the Demonkin envoy leaned forward, fangs glinting as he smirked.
"You humans talk of equality," he said in a rough accent, "yet your strongest warriors are all born of one soil. Perhaps your Tree only grows where your greed roots deepest."
Gasps and curses echoed.
Aiden Park—now Supreme Commander—rose from his seat.His voice was calm, but it carried the weight of command forged through endless wars.
"This ground," he said slowly, "was where the world first fell.The World Tree was not a gift. It was born from the death of millions.If you wish to train here—prove your loyalty, not your entitlement."
Silence swept the chamber.The Demonkin smiled wider, enjoying the tension.
Yurina's gaze lingered on Aiden.Something in his voice—a deep ache, a familiar cadence—tugged at her.
She had heard that tone once before.Somewhere beyond memory, beyond time.
But when she tried to recall, her mind burned white—as if someone had erased that part of her entirely.
[After the Meeting — Night, Seoul's Eastern Gardens]
The gardens around the World Tree shimmered faintly, illuminated by its roots like rivers of starlight.It was the only place in Seoul untouched by weapons or politics.
Yurina walked along the glowing path, her heels soundless against the moss.
The night air was heavy with rain and mana.She was halfway across the bridge when she sensed someone waiting.
"You're far from your quarters, Lady Kaito," a voice said quietly.
Aiden Park stood beneath one of the roots, coat unbuttoned, his expression tired.The light of the World Tree haloed him faintly.
"Commander Park," she greeted, bowing slightly. "Shouldn't you be celebrating your victory over the table?"
"Victory?" he gave a quiet laugh. "It felt more like herding ghosts."
She almost smiled. Almost.
They stood for a while in silence—two strangers surrounded by the hum of something ancient.
Aiden broke it first.
"You fought at Okinawa, didn't you? During the Demonkin breach?""Yes.""They say you held a thousand-meter barrier for twelve hours without rest.""Rumors exaggerate," she said evenly. "It was ten hours. The eleventh, I broke."
He looked at her then—really looked—and something in his gaze wavered.
"You remind me of someone," he said softly. "Someone who also stood under this Tree… and never came back."
Yurina froze.
"Who?""Her name was Evelyn Park.""Park…?" the syllables brushed her tongue like static,and for a moment the world shuddered—just slightly.
A memory flickered:A woman's hand, bleeding light.The same Tree.A whisper—'for the world to breathe again.'
Her head throbbed. The world snapped back.
"I… don't know that name," she murmured, turning away."Of course," Aiden said quietly. "She was erased even from records. But somehow…"He looked at her as if the universe were playing a cruel trick."…you feel like the echo she left behind."
[Elsewhere — Unseen Layer]
[Observer Log #9002: The human notices. Amusing.]
[Connection strength: 0.01%. Her soul still resists reintegration.]
[Architect "Balance" requested purge — denied.]
[Let the pain simmer. Boredom requires flavor.]
A cold laughter drifted through the invisible grid that surrounded their world.
[Seoul — Next Morning]
The following day, the international tensions worsened.Several delegations threatened to withdraw.Rumors of sabotage at the mana wells spread through the camps. A Demonkin scout was found dead near the border of the Korean sector.
Everyone blamed everyone else.
And as the sun rose behind the World Tree, Yurina Kaito stood on the balcony of her assigned quarters—watching the sky flicker with faint golden static,the mark of the System's physical manifestation beginning to seep through.
The countdown ticked in her mind like a heartbeat she couldn't silence.
[Countdown to Final War: 364 Days, 11 Hours, 22 Minutes.]
The world was shaking again.And somehow, she already knew—she would be at the center of it.
[End of Chapter 33 — The Faultline's Beneath the Round Table]
"When peace becomes privilege, war becomes prophecy."