Morning sunlight slipped quietly through the half-open window, filling the small room with a soft golden glow.
Dust particles floated gently in the warm light, giving the air a calm, peaceful feeling.
Alex's room was simple:
A wooden study table cluttered with books and notes,
a chair with a hoodie hanging on its back,
a small digital clock blinking lazily on the side table,
and posters on the wall slightly curled at the edges.
In the center of the room,
Alex lay on his bed, wrapped in a light pink blanket,
sleeping so deeply that even the sunlight didn't wake him.
His hair was messy, his breathing slow and relaxed—
as if he had escaped the world completely.
But the peace didn't last long.
The door suddenly swung open—
"Alex! Wake up!"
Maxel stepped inside, slightly out of breath, eyes wide with urgency.
"Bro, come on! Not enough time, we're getting late for college!"
Maxel stood beside the bed, already fully dressed in his college uniform, looking sharp and ready to leave.
His tie was straight, his shoes polished—
everything about him showed he had been awake for a while.
Alex, still wrapped in the pink blanket, slowly opened his eyes.
His vision was blurry, his mind half stuck between two worlds.
Without thinking, only one confused whisper slipped from his mouth:
"What… what was the colour…?
The colour that came out of my body…"
He frowned, his brows tightening as the memory of the formation flashed in his mind.
Still in confusion, Alex pushed the blanket aside and slowly sat up on the bed,
his breathing a little unsteady as fragments of the other world clashed with his Earth reality.
Maxel looked completely irritated by Alex's half-awake mumbling.
He crossed his arms and frowned.
"Colour…? What colour?"
He stared at Alex for a moment, confused and annoyed.
Then he let out a sharp breath.
"Forget it. You're late."
Maxel stepped back toward the door, shaking his head.
"I'm going to college. If you want to come, then get ready quickly.
I don't have enough time to wait for you."
His tone was firm, impatient — like someone who had already warned Alex many times before.
Alex, still sitting on the bed, felt the pressure of both worlds colliding inside his mind as Maxel turned to leave.
Alex looked toward Maxel, who was standing near the door with his bag already slung over his back.
"Just go alone today," Alex said, his voice still a little sleepy. "I don't feel like going. Missing one day of college won't change anything anyway."
Maxel exhaled softly, adjusting the strap on his shoulder.
"Well, it's fine if you don't come," he replied. "There's nothing important today… just lectures and a few lab sessions."
He glanced at Alex once more before stepping out. "Suit yourself."
Alex sat there silently for a moment, then muttered to himself, "That world… it was truly amazing. All those vibrant colors, that strange magic… everything felt so real, as if I had actually been transported there. That world must be far more fascinating than this one. I need to know more about it…"
He sank deeper into thought.
"But there's one thing that bothers me… How do I even go there? Is it connected to my sleep? Or is there something else that allows me to reach that world? For now, the only thing I know is—if I fall asleep here, I somehow end up there… as long as no one forcefully wakes me up."
He paused, his expression tightening.
"Does this rule apply the other way too? I came into this body the moment Maxel woke me up… which means, when I was inside the formation, I suddenly switched into this world. So Fang Lin's body must have fallen asleep there… right? Did no one try to wake him? Or… did they think he was dead?"
A sudden urgency flashed through his eyes.
"I need to go back quickly. And I also have to see what grade of aptitude I received…"
Without wasting another second, Alex pulled the pink blanket over himself and lay down, trying to fall asleep.
Only one desire echoed in his mind:
"Maybe… maybe this time, I can go back."
********
Night had already fallen over the ancient Azure Sword Hall.
Outside, the moonlight filtered through the tall stone windows, casting pale silver beams across the polished floor. Inside the hall, darkness deepened—until one by one, the wall-torches flared to life, igniting with a low whoosh.
Golden flames danced along the ancient walls, revealing age-old carvings of swords, dragons, and celestial patterns. Each torch cast long shadows that twisted gently whenever the cold night wind slipped through the cracks.
The entire hall looked like an old sacred temple awakened from centuries of sleep.
A strange stillness filled the place.
The disciples who had remained behind stood far from the center, their faces pale from the unpredictable event that had just occurred. The earlier noise had died completely—
only the crackling sound of torches echoed through the grand chamber.
Elder Baishan stood near the glowing formation, his stern face illuminated by the firelight. The flames reflected in his eyes, making the wrinkles on his forehead seem deeper than usual.
He took a slow breath, then spoke in a low, commanding voice:
"Everyone… step back. Do not come near the formation.
Tonight, something unknown is happening here."
The hall obeyed instantly.
Baishan's gaze shifted toward Fang Lin's unmoving body lying at the center.
The yellow aura that had earlier seeped out of the body was now gone, leaving only faint golden dust floating in the air like dying fireflies.
Everyone's eyes were fixed toward the center—
toward the very formation where Fang Lin had collapsed.
The elders stood in a half-circle, their expressions a mix of confusion, worry, and disbelief.
Elder Baishan clenched his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed deeply.
He muttered under his breath, almost to himself:
"How could this happen…? The awakening was stable. There was no deviation."
Suddenly, he lifted his head and addressed the disciples, his voice sharp and powerful:
"Everyone, stay calm! The situation is still under evaluation."
His voice echoed through the massive hall.
A few disciples flinched. Some whispered:
"Fang Lin moved for a moment… then suddenly stopped."
"Did he fail his awakening?"
"No… his body didn't react at all…"
"Is he breathing?"
Elder Baishan turned sharply toward Elder Chu Ming:
"His spiritual pulse… did you sense anything unusual?"
In the dim glow of the torches, another figure slowly stepped out from behind Elder Baishan.
This was Chu Ming.
He always lived beside Elder Baishan, almost like a silent shadow that followed the elder everywhere he went. Many disciples whispered that Baishan trusted no one more than Chu Ming—
and looking at him, it was easy to understand why.
Chu Ming's appearance was strangely similar to Baishan.
The same sharp jawline.
The same stern, disciplined posture.
Even his eyes held the same cold focus of someone who had seen decades of battles.
But there was one thing that set him apart.
Running from the edge of his right eye down to his left cheek was a long scar—
a mark that looked like it had come from a single, merciless strike.
It wasn't gruesome, but it was striking… a reminder of a fight that could've taken his life.
The firelight made the scar appear deeper, casting a shadow across half his face.
He folded his arms behind his back and spoke in a rough, low voice:
"Nothing. It was as if—"
He hesitated.
"—he simply fell asleep."
The hall erupted with soft murmurs.
"Asleep? During awakening?"
"Impossible…"
Among everyone in the hall, Fang Hanbo and Su'er were the most anxious.
Su'er pressed her hands together, unable to shake the uneasy feeling rising inside her. She stared at the glowing formation where Fang Lin had collapsed.
Her voice trembled.
"Is everything… alright? Fang Lin won't be harmed, right?"
Fang Hanbo, standing close beside her, immediately shook his head.
His voice tried to sound calm, though worry still flickered in his eyes.
"No, nothing will happen to him.
Didn't you hear Elder Baishan?
He only fainted.
We just need to wait for him to wake up."
But even while speaking, Fang Hanbo couldn't stop himself from glancing toward Elder Baishan again. The elder's tense posture and the way he studied the formation made it clear this situation wasn't normal.
Fang Hanbo swallowed, his voice dropping into a whisper meant only for himself:
"Please… Elder Baishan, do something."
Su'er stepped closer, clutching her sleeves tightly.
"I feel something is wrong… the light, the formation, everything.
Why isn't he waking up?"
Fang Hanbo exhaled shakily.
"He will.
We just have to trust him.
Fang Lin is stronger than he looks."
The ancient hall grew quieter, the torches flickering against stone pillars as the two stood side by side—
Elder Baishan quickly stepped forward, steadying himself as he tried to take control of the situation.
With a flick of his hand, his purple storage ring shimmered—
carved with intricate patterns that glowed faintly in the flickering torchlight.
A moment later, a spiritual yellow stone appeared in his palm, its surface giving off a soft golden shine.
Baishan raised his voice so the entire hall could hear:
"We need to keep this formation active for a longer duration.
If we maintain its energy, Fang Lin might regain consciousness.
For that reason, I will use this spiritual stone provided by the clan."
He paused, then turned his gaze toward the Fang family elders.
"The compensation for this stone will have to be handled by the Fang family."
Murmurs rose across the hall, but Baishan ignored them.
In his mind, uneasy thoughts were piling up.
'I don't know enough about this kind of anomaly… so I can't take any risks.
Once a formation ends, the body usually stabilizes—but in his condition, I can't be sure.
No one has ever collapsed inside the awakening circle before…
and certainly not someone with an A-grade aptitude.'
'Last time, everything proceeded smoothly.
This… this is entirely different.'
Without wasting time, Baishan walked toward the edge of the awakening array.
At the boundary of the formation was a small stone pedestal, shaped like a miniature altar.
Inside it rested an older yellow stone, but its glow was faint—almost exhausted, its spiritual energy moments away from fading.
"Too weak," Baishan muttered.
He quickly removed the old stone, then placed the new shining one into the hollow center.
The moment it touched the pedestal—
WOOOM—
The formation's runes brightened again, thin streams of golden light racing across the floor as new energy surged into the array.
Elder Baishan stepped back, watching closely.
Everything now depended on whether this renewed energy
could bring Fang Lin back.