The darkness in his dream wasn't still. It moved—slow, uneven, like it was breathing.
"Evan—"
A voice cut through it. Familiar. Urgent. His father.
Evan tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. The space around him twisted, shadows stretching unnaturally as if something unseen was pulling everything inward. A figure stood ahead—blurred, distant—reaching out.
"Evan, listen—"
The darkness surged and swallowed everything.
Evan jolted awake, his breath uneven as he stared at the ceiling. For a moment, he didn't move. The silence in the room felt heavier than usual.
Then a faint glow lit up the space beside him.
His phone.
Evan reached for it, his fingers still tense. The screen showed a single message.
**Leon: We need to meet. Now. **
He frowned slightly. "…Now?"
Checking the time only made it stranger. Too early. Too urgent. Something wasn't right.
Cold water splashed against his face. Evan leaned over the sink, gripping the edges as droplets slid down. Slowly, he lifted his head and met his reflection in the mirror.
His eyes looked tired—not from lack of sleep, but from something deeper.
For a moment, the dream lingered. His father's voice echoed faintly in his mind before fading away.
From the other room, he could hear quiet movement. His mother getting ready for work. The normal, everyday sound felt oddly distant.
Two years. No answers. No trace.
Evan exhaled slowly and straightened, his gaze lingering on his reflection.
"Tomorrow…" he murmured.
The awakening test. The one chance.
His fingers curled slightly.
"…everything changes from here."
The evening air carried a soft chill when he met them.
Leon stood leaning against a railing, arms crossed, trying to appear relaxed—but his eyes kept scanning the surroundings. Beside him, Sera was already talking, her tone light.
"I'm telling you, if I awaken something useless, I'm blaming both of you," she said, pointing at them.
Evan raised an eyebrow. "How is that our fault?"
"You exist."
Leon let out a quiet breath, almost a laugh—but it didn't last.
"Good," he said. "You're both here."
Evan noticed the shift immediately.
"Leon," he said calmly, "what is it?"
Sera tilted her head. "Yeah, you're acting weird."
Leon hesitated. That alone was enough to change the mood.
"The test…" he said, lowering his voice, "it's not happening at school."
Evan's expression sharpened. "What do you mean?"
"We're being moved. Somewhere else." He paused briefly. "…Into a wall."
Silence fell between them.
Sera blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
Evan didn't react immediately. "A wall?" he repeated, quieter.
Leon nodded. "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. My father told me. It's controlled… but still."
"Still what?" Sera asked.
Leon looked away for a moment. "…Not every awakening goes right."
The words settled heavily. This time, no one joked.
Evan felt something stir inside him. Not fear—but something sharper.
That night felt longer than usual.
Evan lay on his bed, staring into the darkness. A wall. He had heard of them—stories, fragments, rumors. Places where people changed. Became something more. Or didn't come back at all.
His hand rested lightly over his chest.
His father had worked on something like this. Portals. Research.
And then—gone.
Evan closed his eyes.
"If this is where it begins…" he murmured softly, "…then I won't stop."
The next morning buzzed with energy.
Students gathered in clusters, voices overlapping—excitement, nervousness, curiosity blending together. Evan stood with Leon and Sera among them, quietly observing.
This wasn't school.
High barriers surrounded the area. Guards stood at every entrance, and officials moved with precision. Everything felt controlled. Prepared.
"Feels serious," Sera muttered.
"It is," Leon replied.
A voice suddenly cut through the noise.
"Silence."
It wasn't loud, but it carried. Instantly, the murmurs died.
An instructor stepped forward, his expression calm, eyes sharp.
"You are all gathered here for the Awakening Test," he began. "This structure before you is a regulated wall. It has been stabilized for training purposes."
He paused briefly.
"Do not mistake that for safety."
No one spoke.
Soft murmurs returned, quieter now.
"What is that…?"
"Is that really a wall?"
"It doesn't look normal…"
Evan said nothing. He just looked.
The structure hovered at the center—a massive surface suspended in midair. Dark, but not empty. The space around it felt distorted, light bending unnaturally as if it couldn't settle.
It wasn't something built.
It was something that simply existed.
And that made it unsettling.
"You will be divided into groups of five," the instructor continued. "Each group will enter under supervision. Inside, you will receive further instructions. Follow them without deviation."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"Any reckless behavior will be dealt with immediately."
Names began to be called, and groups formed slowly.
"…Group Seventeen."
Evan stepped forward with Leon and Sera. Four others joined them—strangers. No one spoke much.
"Move."
They stepped forward together.
Closer.
With each step, the air felt different. Heavier. Colder. Not painful—just wrong, like something was slightly out of place.
They stopped just a few feet away.
No one spoke now.
Even Sera was silent.
"Proceed."
One by one, the students ahead stepped forward—and disappeared. No sound. No distortion. Just gone.
Evan's turn came.
He stepped forward.
For a brief second, everything stopped.
The noise. The movement. Even his breath.
Darkness filled his senses—but not around him. Inside.
Something flickered.
Something vast. Shifting. Not a shape. Not something he could understand.
Then came a sound.
Faint. Broken. Not quite a word—but close to one. Like something trying to speak… and failing.
Then it was gone.
"Move!"
The instructor's voice snapped through.
Time rushed back. Sound returned.
Evan blinked, his body moving forward naturally, as if nothing had happened.
And as he stepped into the wall, his expression remained unchanged.
But somewhere deep inside—
something had shifted.