At four in the morning, the academy fell into an unnatural silence.
It wasn't that there was no sound;
Rather, all sound was being suppressed by something.
Li stood in the central atrium of the main teaching building and looked up.
The original glass ceiling now seemed like a semi-transparent membrane.
On the outside, something was slowly rising and falling.
Breathing.
The rhythm was as rapid as cracks in the surface.
He suddenly understood.
Not suddenly, but with the realisation that the clues had been there all along and that he had simply not dared to admit it.
All of the old documents belonging to the student council were laid out.
There were sealing diagrams, records of the distribution of spiritual veins and past incidents.
In theory, all the lines should point to the underground fissure.
However, when Li opened his eyes, he saw a different structure.
The underground seal was merely a stabiliser.
The energy was truly flowing from the surface.
From the walking, breathing, living 'people'.
He saw countless tiny rays of light extending from every classroom and dormitory.
extending from every classroom, every dormitory and every student.
Finally, they all converged on the same place.
Not a single point, but a state.
Bai Ya stood beside him in silence for a long time, then spoke softly:
'We always thought we were "protecting students from being affected by the fissure".'
She looked up at the shadowy figures in the corridor outside.
'Actually, we were using them to maintain the seal.'
Li's Eye of Judgment activated automatically.
This time, however, there were no subjects of judgement.
only analysis.
He understood the structure:
Each student was a miniature sealing unit.
Emotions such as guilt, fear and desire were transformed into 'fuel' to stabilise the cracks.
The stronger the seal, the more people there were and the more concentrated the emotions.
Therefore, the academy could not be empty.
Consequently, the accident could not be too severe.
Therefore, a sham judgement would be tacitly permitted to 'exist to some extent'.
Li's throat tightened.
'What if the students no longer endure it?'
Bai Ya did not answer immediately.
After a few seconds, she said:
'The cracks will awaken directly.'
Everything suddenly seemed reasonable.
Why did all the past judges suffer mental breakdowns?
Because they finally understood this.
Why do the Marks of Sin choose their people?
Because only those with strong empathy
, can withstand this system.
What Li now understands is the darkest thing of all.
The academy's peace is being achieved at the expense of its students' souls.
No one is exempt.
No one is innocent.
Everyone is unconsciously working towards the rift.
The air suddenly began to vibrate.
Not due to an external force, but due to resonance.
The crack seemed to sense that Li had understood, and began to respond.
He heard a deep, overlapping voice.
not coming from any particular direction, but appearing directly in his consciousness:
'You have been using me all along.'
'I am only beginning to use you.'
Li did not retreat.
Nor did he open his eyes.
He simply stared coldly at the connecting lines and said,
'You are not a god.'
'You were merely raised.'
For the first time, the rhythm of the crack paused noticeably.
Bai Ya took a deep breath.
'There are three paths now.
'One: restore order and pretend you know nothing about this.'
"Secondly, sever the students as vessels and let the rift run rampant."
"Three—"
She looked at Li.
'You become the sole vessel.'
The entire courtyard was so quiet that not even the soul dared to tremble.
Li smiled very softly.
'I see.'
'This is the real reason you need a "judge".'
Not to convict.
To bear the burden for the entire academy.'
Before dawn, the academy resembled a conscious yet motionless entity.
Li stood in the courtyard, where all the connecting wires remained.
They hadn't disappeared; they had simply learned to avoid his gaze.
It was not a retreat, but a learning process.
The morning study bell rang.
The students entered the classroom, sat down, flicked through their books and chatted. Everything seemed normal.
But Li saw it all clearly.
With every emotional fluctuation, the soul released an outward discharge.
Every instance of repression, guilt and longing for understanding
was evenly absorbed by that invisible network.
It was not the kind of sacrifice that would lead to screaming in agony.
Rather, it was a constant drain that just barely avoided causing any harm.
The cruelest part is that this mechanism makes people think they're just tired.
Li murmured softly:
'That's why no one can escape.'
Bai Ya stood at the end of the corridor, refusing to approach.
She knew what Li was thinking.
She also knew how far he had come.
'What you see now,' she finally said.
'is not a secret; it's taboo.'
'The student councils of all generations have known a little, but have not dared to see it all.'
'Because once you see it clearly, you have to choose sides.'
Li didn't turn around.
'You chose stability.'
Bai Ya didn't deny it.
A student suddenly collapsed in the classroom.
It wasn't the rift that had sucked him in.
It was because he had lost too much of his soul over the past few days, finally exceeding the safe limit.
The teacher panicked and the other students crowded around.
Li stood at the doorway and watched as the edges of the student's soul began to crumble.
The system immediately attempted to fill the resulting void, distributing the burden among the surrounding students.
This time, Li moved.
Not interference.
Not interference.
He simply took a step closer.
The Sin Mark lit up, but did not unfold into a judgement pattern.
The connection shifted instantly — the student's soul burden, which was overflowing, was forcibly transferred to Li.
It was excruciatingly painful.
It was like having air that wasn't his own being forced into his lungs.
Bai Ya's expression changed. "What are you doing?!" he exclaimed.
Li gritted his teeth and stopped, his voice low.
'Just verification.'
The students woke up.
Order was restored to the classroom.
No one noticed anything amiss.
Only Li's back was soaked with cold sweat.
He finally realised one thing:
The third option that Bai Ya had given him wasn't speculation.
It was a proven plan.
If he wanted,
The rift could hand over the 'bearing power' to him.
The students could be released.
The system could be maintained.
The world could carry on pretending to be normal.
There was only one price to pay:
He would no longer be human.
The air vibrated again.
This time, the crack didn't whisper.
It simply cooperated.
The rhythm adjusted and the pressure was redistributed.
It was as if it were saying:
'You finally understand how to use me.'
Li looked up at the invisible membrane, his eyes as cold as a student's.
'Don't rush.'
'I haven't agreed yet.'
But he knew very well.
From the moment he willingly took on this responsibility,
There was no turning back from this path.