Three days off… it sounded like a joke.
But for once, the system wasn't lying.
---
I was sitting in the common room of the dormitory.
No training.
No dungeons.
No pressure from the power within.
---
Just me.
And them.
---
'You look as if they've only just stopped breaking you,' said Mrs Aki calmly, pouring tea.
---
I smiled.
'That's almost exactly how it is.'
---
So A sat down beside me and looked closely.
"'Almost'?"
---
I sighed.
"Right… they made me stop."
---
Aki raised an eyebrow.
"The System?"
---
"Mm-hmm."
---
So A frowned.
— That's the first time it's sounded like something sensible.
---
— She's smarter than me when it comes to survival, — I replied.
---
---
Pause.
---
And I finally decided to tell her everything.
---
About the dungeon.
About evolution.
About the dragon lineage.
About SHRAM.
About Akarania.
---
When I got to the 'seven chaos', Aki stopped drinking her tea.
---
'Seven… entities of world-catastrophe level?' she asked quietly.
---
"Yes."
---
Aki turned pale.
"And you have to kill them…?"
---
I nodded.
"In three months."
---
Silence.
---
Heavy.
---
Aki put down her cup.
— Do you realise this isn't just a mission?
---
— I do.
---
— It's a war, — she added.
---
I nodded again.
---
---
And at that moment, the door opened.
---
A light, cold breeze swept into the room.
---
'I'm not late,' a calm voice said.
---
Che Yoon-ha.
---
So-ah tensed.
'Who else is this…?'
---
I stood up.
'It's her.'
---
Yunha walked in calmly, as if she'd been here before.
---
Her gaze immediately fell on Aki and So-ah.
---
'I've found the prince,' she said calmly.
---
So-ah blinked.
'You call him that too?!'
---
I sighed.
'I didn't come up with that.'
---
Aki looked at Yunha appraisingly.
'The Guardian of the Line?'
---
Yunha nodded.
'That's right.'
---
She looked at me.
'Did you tell them?'
---
'I had to,' I replied.
---
---
Yunha tilted her head slightly.
'All right.'
---
'Then I won't go over the basics again.'
---
She sat down opposite me.
---
And got straight to the point.
---
"Three days' rest isn't a gift."
---
I narrowed my eyes.
"I've already realised that."
---
"It's a stabilisation window," she continued.
— Your system is currently restructuring you.
---
Aki frowned.
— And what happens after that?
---
Yunha replied calmly:
— Afterwards, you'll be able to consciously control the dragon form.
---
So A looked at me.
— You can't do it yet?..
---
I shrugged.
'I'm still a "half-emergency version".'
---
---
Yunha turned her gaze to the girls.
'You must understand one thing.'
---
'He is no longer an ordinary person.'
---
Pause.
---
"And he won't become one again."
---
---
Silence.
---
Aki nodded slowly.
"We already understand."
---
So-ah quietly clenched her fist.
"And yet he's here."
---
---
I smiled wryly.
— Because as long as I'm alive, I've got problems to sort out.
---
---
Yunha stood up.
— And one of them is you.
---
She stepped closer.
— You're growing up too fast.
---
"Your power isn't keeping pace with your body."
---
I nodded.
"I've noticed."
---
---
She lightly touched my wrist.
---
And for a second, I felt a cold imprint.
---
'I'll leave you an "anchor",' she said.
---
'It will help you maintain your balance.'
---
Akarania flashed:
---
[NEW STABILISING CIRCUIT DETECTED]
---
---
Yunha stepped back.
'And don't forget.'
---
'In three months' time, you won't be alone.'
---
I looked at her.
'Is that a good thing or a bad thing?'
---
She replied calmly:
'We don't know yet.'
---
And she left as quietly as she had come.
---
---
Aki exhaled.
'She's scarier than your "SCAR".'
---
I smiled.
'That's because she really understands what's going on.'
---
So A looked at me.
— And you?
---
I fell silent.
---
— I'm just trying not to break before I've had a chance to get stronger.
---
---
The silence felt lighter again.
---
But not safer.
---
---
And inside, I felt:
---
these three days off —
---
they're not a pause.
---
---
they're the lull before everything starts moving faster.