Silence covered the Academy.
Not ordinary silence.
The kind that followed something impossible.
Students stood frozen across the shattered grounds.
Instructors stared at Harold like they were seeing an entirely different existence.
Even the Headmaster remained quiet.
Because no one understood what they had just witnessed.
A Sovereign-level corruption.
An evolving catastrophe.
A failed artificial transcendence.
And Harold had ended it—
Without destroying the people trapped inside.
Storm rubbed his face slowly.
"…Yeah, no. I give up trying to understand you."
The Monkey King immediately laughed inside Harold.
"Smart decision."
But Harold himself stayed silent.
Because Storm's question still lingered.
What are you now?
Inside—
The system felt calmer than ever before.
No conflict.
No strain.
No competing instincts.
Unity pulsed softly.
"Integration complete."
The Counter-Sovereign whispered,
"External observation increasing."
The Devourer rumbled.
"…World response accelerating."
Harold looked toward the sky.
The clouds above the Academy had split apart unnaturally.
Not from force.
From reaction.
Something across the world had noticed.
The Headmaster finally stepped forward.
His expression more serious than before.
"…Come with me."
Storm blinked.
"…That sounds ominous."
Frost narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…What is it?"
The Headmaster looked toward Harold.
"…The Council moved faster than I expected."
Silence.
Then—
The Academy alarms activated again.
But this time—
Not from attack.
Every communication crystal across the Academy lit up simultaneously.
Bright gold.
Storm frowned.
"…That's new."
The Headmaster's expression darkened.
"…A Sovereign summons."
Even Frost looked surprised at that.
"…Directly?"
The Headmaster nodded slowly.
"For all high-ranking awakeners."
The communication crystals activated fully.
A massive projection formed above the Academy.
A figure appeared.
Lucien.
But unlike before—
His calm expression was gone.
"…Attention to all Sovereign-affiliated territories."
His voice echoed across the Academy.
"…A breach has occurred."
Silence spread instantly.
Lucien continued.
"Approximately one hour ago…"
A pause.
"…The Northern Boundary collapsed."
Frost's eyes widened slightly.
Storm blinked.
"…Boundary?"
The Headmaster answered quietly.
"…The outer seal."
Harold's gaze sharpened instantly.
Inside—
The Counter-Sovereign reacted immediately.
"Global containment failure detected."
Unity dimmed.
"Balance destabilizing worldwide."
The Devourer rumbled low.
"…Something entered."
Lucien's voice continued.
"We have confirmed movement beyond the world barrier."
The projection shifted.
And everyone froze.
A massive crack floated in the sky above an unfamiliar frozen region.
Not a normal crack.
A tear.
Beyond it—
Darkness moved.
Not corruption.
Not Titan energy.
Something else.
Storm stared upward blankly.
"…What am I looking at?"
No one answered immediately.
Because even the Sovereigns didn't fully know.
Lucien's expression hardened.
"The entities beyond the Boundary have begun crossing over."
The image shifted again.
A city.
Destroyed.
Not by explosions.
Not by battle.
Erased.
Like parts of reality itself had simply vanished.
Frost's voice lowered slightly.
"…How many?"
Lucien answered immediately.
"…Three confirmed manifestations."
Then—
For the first time—
His eyes shifted directly toward Harold through the projection.
"…And all of them reacted to a single presence."
Silence filled the Academy.
Storm slowly turned toward Harold.
"…Please tell me that's not you."
Inside—
The system remained calm.
Too calm.
The Counter-Sovereign whispered,
"…Recognition confirmed."
Unity pulsed softly.
"New phase beginning."
The Devourer rumbled deeply.
"…Predators approaching."
Lucien spoke one final time.
"All Sovereign-level individuals are ordered to gather immediately."
A pause.
"And Harold…"
The entire Academy focused on him.
Lucien's expression became colder.
More serious than ever before.
"…They asked for you specifically."
The projection vanished.
Silence remained.
Storm stared at Harold for several seconds.
Then sighed heavily.
"…Of course they did."
Harold looked toward the distant horizon.
Far beyond the Academy.
Far beyond the sky itself.
Something was coming.
Something older than Titans.
Older than Sovereigns.
And somehow—
It already knew him.
The wind shifted softly around Harold.
Not afraid.
Waiting.