Inside the administration building—several floors above the campus—
a quiet office overlooked the university grounds.
Dozens of surveillance monitors covered the wall.
Each displayed a different part of the campus:
corridors,
entrances,
classrooms.
A man stood silently before the screens.
The University Director.
His hands were folded behind his back.
One monitor replayed a recording.
The corridor.
The assassin approaching.
The gunshot.
Jin moving.
The fight.
Veron arriving.
The director watched everything without a word.
The footage continued.
The corpse lying on the floor.
Jin standing beside it.
Then—
the moment the body vanished.
The director's eyes narrowed slightly.
The video ended.
Silence filled the room.
After a few seconds, he reached toward the console.
His fingers moved across several keys.
The recording timeline shortened.
Segments disappeared.
The fight.
The corpse.
Veron.
All removed.
When he finished—
the video showed only an empty corridor.
Students evacuating during the alarm.
Nothing more.
The director's gaze shifted toward the university grounds.
His voice was quiet.
"…troublesome."
Then he closed the recording.
At the university gates, the chaos had begun to settle.
Security vehicles remained parked nearby.
Students moved in and out in small groups.
Near the entrance stood a girl with black hair.
A suitcase rested beside her.
She looked around the campus with open curiosity.
Excited.
Almost amused.
"So this is Eclipse Dominion University…"
Her voice carried a light, playful tone.
A nearby security officer noticed her.
"You a student?"
She nodded immediately.
"Yes!"
She lifted a small document.
"I'm a transfer."
The officer glanced at the paper briefly.
"Administration building is that way," he said, pointing across the plaza.
"You'll need to complete registration first."
She smiled brightly.
"Thank you."
The officer nodded and returned to speaking with his partner.
But the girl didn't move right away.
Her green eyes scanned the crowd—
students,
security,
lingering confusion.
A faint grin formed on her lips.
"What a lively first day."
She picked up her suitcase—
and stepped onto campus.
Several streets away from the university, a small burger restaurant buzzed with quiet evening chatter.
Inside, Daniel leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.
Across from him sat Emily, already halfway through her burger.
"This place is amazing," Emily said between bites.
Daniel chuckled.
"I told you."
She pointed at him with a fry.
"You did."
Her smile brightened.
"Thanks for bringing me here."
Daniel shrugged.
"No problem."
Emily leaned back slightly.
"So… when's the next training?"
Daniel wiped his hands with a napkin.
"Soon."
He glanced out the window toward the distant university lights.
"Probably tomorrow."
Emily's eyes lit up.
"Good."
Her smile widened just a little.
"I'm starting to enjoy this."
Far away.
Beyond the normal world.
Beyond the sky.
A floating island drifted through an endless black void.
The landmass was enormous—
shaped like a twisted maze.
Stone walls and broken ruins stretched across its surface in intricate patterns.
At its center stood an ancient temple.
Cracked.
Stained with darkness.
In front of it sat Ethan—
casually resting atop a pile of monster corpses.
Blood dripped slowly from the edge of the long sword in his hand.
The weapon hummed faintly with power.
Ethan wiped the blade with a cloth.
His expression calm.
Almost bored.
"Weak."
The corpse beneath his foot twitched once—
then went still.
At that moment—
a deep rumble echoed from the temple.
The massive stone doors trembled.
Then—
slowly—
they opened.
Darkness spilled outward.
Something moved within.
A gigantic shape shifted inside the shadows.
Then a monstrous figure stepped into the dim light.
Towering.
Ancient.
Its voice rolled across the island like thunder.
"Why…?"
The word was distorted—
half language,
half roar.
Ethan looked up.
Unimpressed.
The sword in his hand gleamed faintly.
A slow smile spread across his face.
And the island trembled.