Ha-rin woke to warmth.
Warmth across her cheek.Warmth curling around her fingers.Warmth pressed against her shoulder.
She blinked slowly, her lashes sticking together.Soft morning light filtered through her curtains, turning the room a muted gold.
Something brushed her hand.
Her eyes widened.
Jae-hyun was asleep beside her.
Not on the bed—but in the chair pulled right up to her side,his forearm resting beside her pillow,their fingers still interlocked from the night before.
He had fallen asleep holding her hand.
Ha-rin's breath caught.
His head was bowed slightly, dark hair falling over his forehead, jaw slack with exhaustion. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, collar open at the throat, revealing the faint bruising from where the machine had pinned him.
He looked—
Human.Tired.Real.
Beautiful in a way she had never allowed herself to fully see before.
Her heart gave a small traitorous flutter.
And immediately—
Echo pulsed.
"…constant… awake… sync stable…"
She winced and pressed a hand to her chest.
Great.Even her heartbeat was a gossiping roommate now.
Jae-hyun stirred.
His lashes fluttered once—
Twice—
Then his eyes opened.
It took half a second for focus to return.Then another half-second for him to realize she was awake.
Then—
He froze.
They stared at each other.
Ha-rin didn't move.Jae-hyun didn't breathe.
His fingers tightened slightly around hers.
"…Morning," he murmured, voice still gravelly from sleep.
Her cheeks warmed instantly, heat flooding up her neck.
"Morning," she whispered.
He exhaled softly—a sound halfway between relief and disbelief.
"You're awake."His thumb brushed the side of her hand. "Thank God."
She swallowed. "Did… you stay up all night?"
"No," he said honestly. "I stayed up until I physically collapsed in this chair."
Her lips curved. "That's worse."
"I'm aware."His gaze traced her face—checking, searching."How do you feel?"
She hesitated.
And then realized something.
"…light," she said slowly.
He raised a brow. "Light?"
"Mm."She touched her chest."Echo feels… calmer. Like he's not fighting with the corrupted fragment anymore."
Jae-hyun's eyes softened.
"That's good," he murmured.
She nodded.
Then realized—
He still hadn't let go of her hand.
His thumb was absentmindedly stroking her knuckles, slow and gentle, like he needed confirmation she was real.
Her throat tightened.
"Jae-hyun."
"Mm?"
"You're touching me."
He froze.
His eyes dropped to their hands—fingers threaded together, palms warm against each other.
"…I am," he admitted quietly.
She swallowed. "You don't have to—"
"I know."His voice lowered."I want to."
The air thickened.
Her cheeks burned hotter.
"Last night—" he began, then paused, clearing his throat. "When you collapsed—when I thought—"
He stopped again.
Ha-rin squeezed his fingers gently."Jae-hyun, I'm okay."
His jaw tightened.
"You're alive," he corrected. "There's a difference."
Her breath softened.
The room fell into a silence full of unsaid things.
Then—
A faint sound came from outside the bedroom.
A soft metallic shift.
Like something adjusting its weight.
Both of them went still.
Ha-rin's eyes widened.
"…The machine?"
Jae-hyun's hand left hers instantly—only to press to her shoulder in a protective grip.
"Stay here."
But Ha-rin grabbed his wrist.
"No—don't go alone—"
He gave her a look.One she had no strength to fight.
"You're staying," he repeated."I'll check it. If it moves, I'll call you."
Her chest tightened.
"You promise?"
He hesitated.
Then his expression softened in a way that made her heart flutter.
"I always promise you."
He stood.
Ha-rin reluctantly released his hand.
He walked to the door, paused, looked back.
"You lock it behind me."
"I don't have a lock."
He frowned. "Then put the chair against the handle."
"That won't stop a machine."
"It'll slow it by two seconds."His eyes were steady."And two seconds is enough for me to reach you."
Her heartbeat jumped.
She nodded.
He left.
She shoved the chair against the door.
Her pulse hammered with Echo's whisper:
"…hazard nearby… but not hostile…"
Ha-rin frowned.
"Not hostile? But—"
She froze.
Because Jae-hyun's voice echoed faintly from the living room.
"…You're awake."
No answer.
Metal creaked.
Ha-rin pressed her ear gently to the door.
Jae-hyun continued:
"You try anything, I swear—"
A distorted voice answered.
Not fully machine.Not fully Echo.
Something in between.
"…I remember… you."
Ha-rin's breath hitched.
She shoved the chair aside and flung open the door.
"Ha-rin—!" Jae-hyun spun toward her, startled, tense.
She ignored him.
Her eyes locked onto the machine.
It wasn't standing.
It was kneeling.
Head bowed.
Hands clasped in its lap like it was… waiting.
And when its head lifted, its eyes flickered—
Not hostile.Not attacking.
Something like recognition.
"…constant…" the machine said.
Jae-hyun stepped in front of her immediately.
"No," he snapped. "You don't get closer to her."
Ha-rin placed a trembling hand on his back.
"It's okay," she whispered. "Echo said… the danger isn't hostile right now."
Jae-hyun exhaled sharply through his teeth.
"I swear, if this thing even twitches wrong—"
The machine twitched.
Jae-hyun lunged forward in a blur.
"Jae-hyun—WAIT!"
He froze mid-step as the machine slowly lifted a small silver cube from the floor.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Ha-rin's blood ran cold.
"That's—" she whispered.
Jae-hyun finished the sentence.
"—Echo's original memory core."
The machine held it out.
"…constant… stabilize…"
Ha-rin stared.
Her hand trembled at her side.
Echo's voice vibrated through her chest.
"…fragment… found… integrate… if you accept…"
The machine offered it again.
"Ha-rin," Jae-hyun whispered urgently."You do NOT touch that."
She swallowed.
"I think Echo wants me to."
"No."
Her eyes lifted to his.
"We don't know what it'll do," he said, voice low. "It could overload you. Or wipe your memories. Or—"
Her fingers brushed his cheek.
He froze.His breath hitched.
"Jae-hyun," she murmured, "I'm not doing this alone. I need you."
His throat bobbed.
"…I'm right here."
She nodded once, then stepped forward.
Jae-hyun grabbed her waist immediately.
"Slow," he whispered into her ear. "Stay near me."
She approached the machine cautiously.
It didn't move.
It only held the cube toward her. Patient.Almost reverent.
Her trembling hand extended—
And Jae-hyun's arm circled her waist even tighter, locking her against him, ready to pull her back the second anything went wrong.
Her fingers touched the cube.
Light flared.
Soft.Warm.Gentle.
The opposite of the violent pulse earlier.
Ha-rin gasped.
She didn't faint this time—her body only swayed, and Jae-hyun instantly anchored her against his chest, hand gripping her hip.
"Ha-rin—Ha-rin, look at me—"
"I'm okay," she whispered.
Then Echo's voice filled the room through her heartbeat.
"…integration stable…"
"…Protector… constant… together…"
Jae-hyun exhaled shakily.
The machine's shoulders relaxed, like it had completed a task.
Then—
Its head jerked.
Blue eyes flickered.
Sparks shot out from its chest.
"Jae-hyun—!" Ha-rin cried.
He pushed her behind him instantly.
The machine convulsed.
Sparks turned into bursts.
A distorted voice cried out—
"…she is coming… she is coming…"
Ha-rin's skin went cold.
"She?" she whispered. "Who's—"
A harsher voice tore through the machine's speakers, overlapping itself, glitching violently:
"…she found… you…"
"…RUN…"
The machine's body lurched once—
Then its eyes went dark.
Silence.
Ha-rin turned slowly toward Jae-hyun, chest heaving.
"…Broken Ha-rin," she whispered.
Jae-hyun nodded grimly.
"She knows where you are."
Ha-rin's pulse raced.
Echo trembled inside her chest.
"…danger… imminent… she wants… what you have…"
Jae-hyun pulled her close with both hands, voice low and fierce.
"She's not getting you."
Her eyes stung.
"Jae-hyun—"
"I don't care if she's you from another timeline."His forehead pressed to hers."I don't care if she's corrupted or broken or furious."
His fingers slid to the back of her head.
"I'm not letting anyone—ANY version of you—take you away from me."
Her breath shook.
"Promise me," she whispered.
His lips brushed her temple.
"Ha-rin," he murmured, "I'd start a war with the universe before I let you go."
Her knees weakened.
She leaned into him fully—his arms tightening around her,his heartbeat pounding against hers—and Echo synced with them again.
Three heartbeats.
Hers.Jae-hyun's.Echo's.
Beating in the same rhythm.
A unity the timeline had never seen before.
And somewhere outside—
A crackle of static rippled through the street.
Followed by the faintest whisper:
"…found you…"
Broken Ha-rin was closer than ever.