Broken glass crunched beneath Hyunwoo's shoes as he and Ji-ah moved through the gutted remains of an apartment complex. The sky had dimmed to a deep grey, with clouds swirling above like bruises. The System had gone quiet after the First Scenario ended, but its presence still lingered—like a god holding its breath, watching.
Ji-ah paused at a stairwell, her blade resting on her shoulder. "We need shelter. This place looks abandoned."
"Or it's already looted," Hyunwoo muttered, scanning the walls. His newly awakened skill, Narrative Sense – The Reader's Script, shimmered faintly around corners, picking up fragments of stories, half-erased names.
But it was one in particular—faint and childlike—that caught his attention.
A single line drifted into his vision:
"He thought monsters were only in stories... until they ate everyone else."
Hyunwoo froze. His heart skipped. That wasn't just a random echo.
"Wait."
He turned abruptly, following the invisible thread of the narrative, deeper into the hallway. Ji-ah frowned. "Where are you going?"
"Someone's still here," he said without thinking.
Ji-ah didn't argue—just followed, her movements sharp and ready.
They reached a crumbling doorway. Inside, the air was thick with dust. The walls looked like they might fall apart at a strong breeze. And in the far corner—beneath a collapsed coffee table—was a small boy.
His arms were scraped. His face was smudged with dirt and blood. He clutched a bent metal rod like it was Excalibur. When he saw them, he didn't flinch—he swung.
Ji-ah moved on instinct, deflecting the strike with her forearm.
"Kid!" Hyunwoo stepped forward quickly, holding up his hands. "Hey—hey! It's okay! We're not here to hurt you."
The boy backed into the corner but didn't lower the rod. His eyes—sharp, guarded—watched them like a wounded animal.
Then Hyunwoo's skill activated.
The air shimmered faintly. His eyes flicked, and the text floated before him.
[Character Detected: Han Jinho]
Age: 9
Status: Survivor (Awakened)
Trait: "Silent Observer"
Title: The One Who Watches the Skies
Unique Ability: Beast Whisper (Lv. 1) — Allows limited communication and temporary bonding with nearby non-human entities, both mundane and anomalous.
Hyunwoo kept his expression neutral. He didn't say a word. Didn't let on that he knew anything. The boy's name. His ability. Not yet.
Ji-ah crouched near the door. "You're alone?"
The boy hesitated... then nodded once.
Hyunwoo lowered his voice. "You've been hiding here since the Scenario started?"
Another slow nod.
"We're going to keep moving," Ji-ah said gently. "It's safer if we stick together."
Hyunwoo held out a hand. "You don't have to say anything. Just follow us, if you want."
For a moment, the boy didn't move.
Then—barely audible—he stepped forward, eyes locked onto Hyunwoo, as if he could sense something in him too.
They left the apartment behind, one by one, into the half-dead city.
📜 [Group Formed: Unofficial Party] Members: 3
Status: Temporary
⚠️ Scenario Progression may now branch unexpectedly.
Hyunwoo glanced back once at the boy trailing behind them.
He had seen the line in the script.
This boy wasn't just a survivor.
He was a character whose page had yet to be written.
They were taking shelter beneath the crumbled remains of a collapsed walkway, the cold wind whistling through shattered glass above. Ji-ah had moved a few paces ahead, scouting the path forward, her silhouette tense and watchful.
Hyunwoo stayed behind with the boy.
The kid was quiet—too quiet for someone his age. His clothes were torn, one of his shoes missing, and his small hands trembled as they gripped the makeshift metal rod he'd picked up earlier. It wasn't going to last. Not in this world.
Hyunwoo crouched beside him and gently took the rod from the kid's hands, setting it aside. He pulled a broken metal pipe from the strap of his bag—heavier, solid, the kind that could actually break something if swung with enough force.
He held it out.
"Here," Hyunwoo said softly, offering it to the boy. "Hold onto this for now. And if any creature tries to attack..."
He paused, steadying his tone.
"Strike them on their weak point."
The boy blinked, staring at the pipe, then back up at Hyunwoo. His hands hesitated in the air, shaking slightly as he reached for it.
"S... strike them?" the boy repeated, voice almost too faint to hear.
Hyunwoo gave a small nod, crouching lower until they were at eye level. The pipe still rested in the kid's hands, awkward and too large, but somehow fitting.
He placed both hands on his own ankle, grounding himself for what he had to say next.
"Trust me, kid. As much as I hate doing this... the world we once knew? It's not the world we're in anymore."
The words tasted bitter as they left his mouth.
"Our main goal now is to survive. Even if it means killing the creatures that want to kill us first."
The boy looked down at the pipe, then up at Hyunwoo. His lip trembled—but he didn't let go of the weapon.
Not this time.
Hyunwoo stood up, eyes scanning the cracked skyline above them.
Ji-ah's voice echoed from ahead. "Stop bonding and move it. We've got ten minutes before the next scenario starts."
"Coming," Hyunwoo called back, then glanced at the boy.
"Stick close. Don't fall behind."
The boy gave a shaky nod, tightening his grip on the pipe.
They stepped back into the chaos together, a boy too young for bloodshed and a man who hated how normal it was becoming.