Location: System Academy South Wing Dormitory – Rooftop Level
Time: The night after the Rift mission
The wind was quiet tonight.
The city below was glowing with soft lights—blue from the high towers in the Safe Zone, orange from the outer edges near the Chaos Barrier. Far beyond those lights, the Chaos Zone slept like a monster with its mouth closed.
Ji Han sat on the rooftop alone.
He didn't speak. He didn't move much either. He just sat with his back against the wall, knees pulled up, arms resting on them. His fingers were trembling a little.
It wasn't from fear.
It was the aftershock.
Earlier today, he had used his Emotion System to absorb too much of Ji Won's rage. He did it without thinking. To protect him. To keep the fight from spinning out of control.
But now… the leftover feelings were still inside him.
He could still feel Ji Won's anger. Ha Neul's quiet worry. The fear left behind by the people who were down there before them.
He could feel all of it, like echoes stuck in his chest.
And that was the curse of his power.
His system didn't just borrow emotions.
It carried them. Lived them. Remembered them.
Footsteps came slowly behind him.
Ji Han didn't turn.
"Your hands are shaking again," said a calm voice.
It was Kang Ha Neul.
Ji Han didn't answer right away. The wind brushed his hair softly as he looked out at the skyline.
"I'm fine," he finally said.
"No, you're not," Ha Neul replied. He sat down beside him, not too close, just enough to be near.
There was a silence. Not awkward. Just quiet. Comfortable.
"You always try to carry it all," Ha Neul added. "But you're not a container, Ji Han. You're a person."
Ji Han glanced at him for a second, then looked away again.
"I don't really have a choice."
Ha Neul leaned back on his hands. "Maybe not. But that doesn't mean you have to suffer alone."
That made Ji Han pause.
He wasn't used to this. Someone noticing. Someone offering to stay.
He almost said thank you. But the words got stuck.
So instead, he changed the subject. "What did your system copy today?"
Ha Neul gave a small smile. "Ji Won's flame core. Only the first tier. But it worked."
"It helped," Ji Han said quietly.
"Still weird though," Ha Neul admitted, staring up at the stars. "It's like my system knows what to copy, but only when it wants to. And it only works when the connection is strong."
He looked sideways. "With you, I think it goes deeper."
Ji Han frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Never mind," Ha Neul said, looking away with a small chuckle. "Just a theory."
A soft beep came from Ha Neul's watch. He glanced at it.
"Report just came in. Our Rift mission made the academy bulletin board."
Ji Han raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
"Yep. D+ Class Rift. Three trainees. One Flame Core almost overheated, one mystery support class, and one system no one understands."
Ha Neul showed Ji Han the screen.
[Minor Rift – Cleared]
Team: Ji Han, Kang Ha Neul, Han Ji Won
Notes: System compatibility unknown. Emotional stabilizer suspected. Students to be monitored.
"Monitored?" Ji Han repeated, feeling a small shiver.
"Don't worry," Ha Neul said. "Just academy politics. They'll talk for a week, then move on."
Ji Han didn't answer.
He was used to being watched. He had spent most of his life hiding what he was.
Ji Han took a deep breath.
"Sometimes I wish my system was something simple," he admitted softly. "Like fire. Or speed. Or strength."
Ha Neul tilted his head. "Yeah. But then you wouldn't be you."
Ji Han turned to him. "Is that a good thing?"
Ha Neul gave a half-smile. "I think it is."
Down below, they could hear voices from the dorm windows—other students talking about their own small missions, gossiping about systems, rankings, rift scores.
Someone mentioned Ji Han's name.
He ignored it.
Ha Neul stood up and stretched. "Come on. Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be another long day."
Ji Han hesitated. Then stood up too.
And for once, he didn't feel as heavy as before.