Joon-won stood on the cracked, bckened soil of Geumji (??), the weight of the pnet's trembling surface pressing against his boots. Above him, the sky churned with bck clouds and golden streaks of energy, the final moments of Hwanggeum Simjang (?? ??), the pnet’s golden core, unfolding in a violent dispy of destruction.

  His breath was steady, but his mind was not. He lifted his gaze toward the heavens. There, amidst the swirling chaos, two pnets loomed in the sky. Cheongseong (??), the only known inhabited world, shimmered with the faint glow of mana, its blue and green hues stark against the bck void. Beyond it, Hwangcheon (??) hung in the distance, a barren, lifeless rock. Yet something stirred beyond even that, Joon-won caught sight of an eerie golden light flickering far off on Hwangcheon’s surface, barely visible from here. It was an odd, fleeting glow, like the heartbeat of something long forgotten.

  But there was no time to dwell on it. The ground beneath him cracked again, jolting him back to the present. Hwanggeum Simjang was colpsing.

  A blinding wave of golden light burst forth from the core, sending shockwaves rippling across Geumji’s vast pins. Joon-won gritted his teeth, his hands glowing with mana as he tried to form a barrier, but the sheer force of the explosion shattered his defenses instantly. The energy tore through the pnet’s surface, the once-vibrant golden streams of power turning into an uncontrolled tempest of raw destruction.

  Screams filled the air. Scientists and soldiers who had been stationed at the core’s containment facility scrambled for safety, but the ground was already giving way. Huge fissures opened, swallowing entire structures whole. The energy field around Hwanggeum Simjang shattered like gss, unleashing a final burst of unstable mana.

  And then—

  Silence.

  Joon-won opened his eyes, lying ft on his back amidst the smoldering ruins. His ears rang. The golden glow was gone, repced by an eerie darkness. He pushed himself up, his limbs aching, his body covered in bck dust. The once-majestic heart of Geumji was now nothing more than a scorched crater. The air smelled of burnt mana, thick and suffocating.

  He wasn’t sure how long he y there before he started hearing movement. Survivors, dazed and bloodied, were crawling out from beneath the wreckage. Some were crying, some were silent, their faces reflecting the devastation. Joon-won didn’t hesitate. He pushed his exhaustion aside and moved to help. His mana flickered weakly as he conjured a healing pulse, stabilizing the injured where he could.

  But the weight in his chest remained.

  It wasn’t just Geumji that had suffered today.

  .. ..

  The destruction of Hwanggeum Simjang sent a ripple of devastation across Cheongseong (??). Cities built upon the foundation of mana flickered with unstable energy. The sky darkened unnaturally, the bance that had once kept the world thriving now thrown into chaos.

  In the capital, Baekho (??), the streets were filled with fearful citizens. Lights flickered in the high towers, mana-driven machinery faltered, and an eerie stillness loomed over the people.

  From the war chambers of the Grand Citadel, General Min-jae (??) stood watching the city from the balcony. He was dressed in his uniform, the silver pauldrons worn with battle scars, his sharp eyes scanning the growing unrest below. A man of reason, of strategy, but this was unlike any battle he had ever fought.

  A voice pulled him from his thoughts. Haneul (??), the shaman-like girl, stood at the entrance. Her white robes, embroidered with faded celestial markings, made her seem otherworldly. She was young, but her presence carried an ancient weight.

  “The people are afraid,” she said softly. “They can feel the loss of mana.”

  Min-jae exhaled slowly. “Then we don’t have much time. We need Joon-won back.”

  .. ..

  Joon-won stepped off the transport ship, his body exhausted but his mind sharp. He had barely left Geumji, but the moment he returned to Cheongseong, he could feel it; the world was different. The connection to mana had weakened. People sensed it, even if they couldn’t expin it.

  A crowd gathered near the nding bay; their eyes filled with desperation. Some reached out, pleading.

  “Please. Hero! Save us!” a woman cried, clutching a child close.

  Joon-won clenched his jaw. He wasn’t a hero. Not in the way they thought. He had seen too many failures to believe in such a title.

  But still, he raised his hand, channelling what mana he could. A soft, steady pulse of energy spread through the air, calming the people around him. It was a temporary solution, but it was enough for now.

  As the crowd settled, Min-jae and Haneul arrived. The general’s presence brought order, while Haneul’s silent gaze assessed Joon-won carefully.

  Min-jae csped his shoulder. “We need to talk. Now.”

  .. ..

  The war chamber in the Grand Citadel was filled with the most powerful minds in Cheongseong. Schors, military strategists, and mana researchers all sat in grim silence.

  Haneul was the first to speak. “This is only the beginning.”

  Min-jae crossed his arms. “Expin.”

  Haneul’s eyes darkened. “The destruction of the core wasn’t a natural failure. I’ve seen glimpses in my dreams. Something ancient is waking. Something that was sealed away long ago.”

  Joon-won stiffened at her words. He didn’t know why, but deep down, they felt… right. A strange, foreboding sense of familiarity settled in his chest.

  A scientist hesitated before speaking. “Without mana, our defenses are useless. If something is truly coming, how do we fight it?”

  Silence.

  Then Joon-won spoke. “I still have my mana.”

  The room turned to him. Min-jae’s brows furrowed. “What?”

  Joon-won flexed his fingers. The glow of his mana was weaker than usual, but still present. “For some reason, I wasn’t affected. I don’t know why.”

  The realization hung in the air. Joon-won was the only one left with full access to mana.

  Min-jae exhaled. “Then our next step is clear.” His voice was resolute. “We find out what’s happening before it’s too te.”

  Joon-won nodded. He knew where their answers y.

  Hwangcheon.

  .. ..

  The meeting ended, but Joon-won couldn’t rest. He sat on the edge of his quarters’ balcony, gazing at the darkened sky. His fingers idly traced the scars on his palm, reminders of battles past.

  A soft voice interrupted his thoughts. “You’re carrying too much again.”

  Haneul.

  She stepped beside him; her gaze unreadable. “You’re not alone in this.”

  Joon-won let out a weary chuckle. “Aren’t I?”

  She shook her head. “No. And you never were.”

  The words settled over him like a quiet truth. He didn’t respond, but the burden on his shoulders felt just a little lighter.

  Tomorrow, they would set out for Hwangcheon.

  And deep down, Joon-won knew—

  This was only the beginning.

  .. .. .