The conversation didn't end when Sophia asked the question.
It ended when I ran.
Or... when I walked away fast enough that it felt like running.
I couldn't answer her — not with the word system echoing in my head like an accusation.
She was terrifyingly sure of herself — speaking of things no normal person should know.
"Aiden," she'd murmured, voice too soft for something so sharp, "look at me."
It was impossible for me to match her gaze.
Because if I did, I'd have to face my situation head on.
"I need… I need air," I muttered, before backing out of the light and into the dark.
She didn't chase me.
That was the worst part.
I walked back to the dorm with my heart splintering at every step, each breath fogging the air.
And then silence.
My room. My bed. My four walls. And too many thoughts that refused to sleep.
I'm... such a coward.
***
The next morning, Saturday, sunlight clawed at the blinds like it wanted to drag me upright.
I stared at the ceiling.
Hours passed.
Maybe.
Time got slippery when your brain wouldn't shut up.
Sophia's voice replayed over and over:
System bearer. System bearer. System bearer.
She knew.
Probably more than me.
I barely understood any of this myself.
I needed to get out.
To clear my head.
Even if it meant walking until my feet fell off.
***
Graybridge always looked tired, but tonight it looked… lively.
People holding hands, warm chuckles, the smell of fresh food. It was evening, and the sun was beginning to set, but the city was coming alive.
I suppose even a place like Graybridge can light up on the weekends.
I didn't want to be around people right now. I needed someplace the world wouldn't bug me.
I shoved my hands into my hoodie pockets and let my steps take me wherever. Away from campus. Away from dorms. Toward the old side of the city, back where brick buildings leaned like retirees and streetlamps flickered like they were remembering old wars.
Funny.
I used to avoid this part of town because it creeped me out.
I wonder why I came here.
And my intuition was right all those times before.
This place really is creepy.
Lights buzzed too loudly.
The air felt thick, like before a thunderstorm, but no clouds. I heard rustling around me but saw nothing.
"Well, my system isn't flashing that I'm about to die again, so I guess I'm safe," I mumbled with forced cheer.
I slowed.
"...The hell?"
The sidewalk in front of me shimmered—not visibly, not like special effects, but like my eyes just couldn't focus on that one spot.
A stutter.
A skip.
Reality hiccupping.
A soft glow.
And—
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Mana Distortion Detected. Unstable Spatial Rift Identified.
**Designation: Dormant Maw (F-Rank) **
Status: Dungeon. Veiled.
My breath froze in my throat.
"Nononono— not tonight—"
But the alley to my right darkened as if ink spilled across the brick walls.
The shadows deepened, swelling unnaturally, swallowing light instead of bending it.
[PATHWAY UNLOCKED]: Hidden Rift Entrance Revealed.
A pressure swept the back of my skull.
[RECOMMENDATION]: Enter.
[PROCESSING]…EVALUATING NON-COMPLIANCE…
...
RECOMMENDATION STANDS.
My teeth grinded.
"Why?" I whispered. "Why should I?"
No response. Just the faint hum of nowhere.
I took one step forward. Then another.
The alley smelled like rain, even though the sky was clear. Cold brushed my skin, despite there being no wind at all.
Then a thin line split the air.
A crack, or rather, a... door?
No. More like a mouth opening.
[DORMANT MAW — ENTRY CONDITIONS MET]
Fear said go back. Logic agreed. Survival screamed it.
But there was another voice under all that—quiet, exhausted, desperate.
Maybe there's an answer in there. Maybe this gives me control. Maybe I can stop being clueless long enough to survive.
Sophia's words stabbed through my mind:
"Wraiths track mana. You have a great deal of it."
I swallowed hard.
My hands trembled.
"I just… I just want answers," I whispered to the dark.
The opening widened, breathless and slow, like something ancient was yawning awake at the promise of a meal.
But I didn't move.
Not yet.
Every instinct I had screaming at me to run, to hide, to act like this wasn't happening... to do what I always do.
Keep my head down. Ignore the weird.
Pretend nothing's wrong until something finally eats me—that's who I've been. A coward.
The kind of guy who watches life from the corner seat of a cafeteria. The kind of guy who gets pushed around and tells himself it doesn't matter. The kind of guy who hides in the safety of his room so the world can't hurt him.
Sophia had looked at me like I mattered.
Like she knew something I didn't.
Like I was supposed to be something.
And instead of facing her, I bolted.
Because it was easier.
Because I was afraid.
Because I always am.
My breath shuddered.
The alley seemed to synch with me—every inhale shrinking the world, every exhale making the shadows lean closer.
Sophia's voice:
You're a system bearer, aren't you?
A system bearer.
Me.
I didn't ask for this. I didn't want this. But pretending I could avoid it hadn't stopped a wraith from breathing down my neck. Hadn't stopped the system from hijacking my vision whenever it wanted. Running hadn't saved me. Hiding hadn't protected me. Avoiding hadn't made any of it go away.
So what was left?
My jaw tightened.
I took one step forward. The shadows recoiled, shrinking like they were drawing a breath to swallow me. My pulse spiked, but I didn't back down.
I didn't feel brave, or courageous.
Just anger.
I was tired.
Tired of being scared. Tired of being confused. So. Tired....
"I'm done," I whispered.
Not to the "Dormant Maw" or whatever it was called.
Not even to the system.
I said it to myself.
I took another step. This time on purpose.
The air thickened, buzzing like static around my skin.
"Not running this time." I hissed under my breath.
My feet stopped trembling.
My hands stilled.
Fear was still there, heavy and cold, but it didn't control me anymore.
Not in this second.
Not in this breath.
"I want answers," I said quietly. "So come on. Show me."
The slit widened, slow and hungry, like the Maw recognized my words. Welcoming me. Or mocking me.
Didn't matter.
For once, I chose to move.
I stepped forward, letting the dark wrap around my ankles, then my legs, then my chest—like the air itself was devouring me piece by piece.
The world bent into the wrong shape.
And the shadows swallowed me whole.
[ENTERING: DORMANT MAW] Rank: F
Threat Level: Low (Starved)
Survival Probability: 42%
The last thing I heard was the soft click of reality sealing shut behind me—like teeth.