Upon a cold, stony ground, Lin awakened.

Each breath he drew felt like trying to drink from ash. His exhale turned into a faint mist, dissolving into air so stifling… it carried no life—only creeping shadows.

No walls.
No sky.
Just an endless black void, as though the universe had collapsed into a single moment of oblivion.

And at the heart of that void…
A single dim light pulsed from one being.

A man sat upon a stone throne. He did not move. He did not breathe.

His black hair flowed like a river of night, and his crimson eyes shone with absolute stillness—like two moons imprisoned in a night with no dawn.

The aura surrounding him was no mere energy… it was made of creatures that twisted and whispered, devouring light and leaving only darkness.

His presence alone… thickened the air.
Slowed time.
Lin’s heart clenched, as if his very pulse had turned into silent screams.

His body convulsed. His bones trembled. And from his lips came a choked whisper:

“…Please… just let me go… I didn’t do anything…”

His voice echoed through the void, broken, like a child whispering in the grave of a tyrant.

The being did not move. Did not answer.
He didn’t need to.

The darkness spoke for him.
And the whispers of hell murmured his name.

He remained silent—but not absent. His gaze pierced through Lin, as though peeling him apart, layer by layer.

Fear.
Guilt.
Doubt.

Everything Lin had ever buried… was laid bare.

Then, the voice came.

Hollow, distant—like a resonance from a rift beyond time:

“The system… has been destroyed.”

The void trembled.

Then followed a quieter voice:

“And I… merely delayed the curse of the Ma’hul.”

Without moving, the distance between them vanished.

Suddenly, he was standing before Lin.

His eyes were so close, Lin felt as though they were devouring him alive.

He gasped, breathless, words caught in his throat like thorns:

“W-Who are you?”

A faint smile formed on the being’s face.
It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t human.

“You… are not ready yet, Jin.”

“But you may call me… the Forgotten One.”

Lin froze.

“J… Jin?
How do you know my name?!”

The voice returned—without lips moving—echoing within his skull:

“I know you… more than you know yourself.”

—

Lin awoke suddenly, as if torn from a nightmare… or a curse.

He lay sprawled across the frost-covered floor of the Ice prison, his skin clinging to the frozen stone, the air still and deadly, carrying nothing but the murmurs of ice.

Cold sweat soaked him.
Blackened blood, half-frozen, clung to his skin and garments—its stench like burnt ash.

His heart pounded madly, his chest rising and falling like one who had nearly drowned in a sea of frost.

When he tried to rise, time itself seemed to fracture around him.
Had it been minutes? Years? He couldn’t tell.
In this cell, even the concept of time had been devoured.

He looked at his reflection in the ice.

His face… was foreign.

His tangled, filthy hair looked like it belonged to the place—long, wild, as if time itself had woven it.

Then… he looked into his eyes.

Eyes that once held a dim glimmer of light were now extinguished.
Deep. Still. As though they had swallowed all the light within.

He collapsed, staring into nothing.

He no longer saw Lin…
But something else forming.

Even tears were beyond him now.
He was empty.

At last, he murmured—barely audible:

“System…”

But there was no answer.

Only then did he understand.

The words of the Forgotten One had not been a prophecy.
They were the truth.

All the obedience, the missions, the commands… had led to nothing.

And for a bitter moment… he felt relief.

He was finally free of that parasitic system.

Yet one thought gnawed at his mind:

“Even the system… couldn’t save me from that curse.”

—

He crawled toward the prison’s door.

Amid the frozen corpses, his own was not among them.

He had returned—from hell itself.

He knocked slowly.

It opened…

And there stood Mother Camellia and Camellia.

The elder rushed to him, pulling him into a trembling embrace, tears streaming as she cried:

“My son… what happened to you?!”

Camellia asked, her voice trembling with worry:

“What did you do to anger the Matriarch?!”

But he wasn’t listening.

He was lost in a maze where the only sound was the voice of the Forgotten One.

And at the other end… stood Frosita.

Her eyes were heavy with sorrow.

Seeing him—his clothes torn, his body stained with black blood—shattered something inside her.

She wanted to hold him.

But instead… she stepped back.

—

The guard appeared, his voice dry:

“It’s time for your audience with the Matriarch.”

Lin said:

“I’ll change my clothes first.”

—

Before the Matriarch’s chamber.

Lin bowed respectfully, his body lowered, but his gaze steady.

The Matriarch spoke, her voice calm:

“How was the cell?”

Silence.

She continued with a soft smile:

“You look different… more handsome now. But there’s a strange aura around you.”

“It was a small lesson… for you to learn.”

She stepped closer, then asked:

“What reward do you desire, Lin?”

After a pause, he replied:

“I want permission to access the family’s private library.”

She raised an eyebrow, then said:

“Very well.”

Then, with a soft voice that carried an unshakable command:

“Prepare yourself for the knighthood ceremony. You’ll become my daughter’s sworn knight.”

He stared at her for a moment, then said:

“I believe I am not yet worthy… to be Lady Frosita’s knight.”

Her smile faltered.

“Weren’t you the champion of the tournament? I’ve watched your training for a month. I know you’re stronger than Luna. I sense immense mana in you, Lin.”

Lin responded calmly:

“Give me some time.
After I complete my exploration journey, I’ll return and take the vow.
To prove my worth… and ensure no unrest brews within the family.”

She raised her brow again, saying:

“And do you think anyone dares to oppose my command?”

Lin answered with unwavering confidence:

“Of course not, my Lady.
Your word is absolute.
But I simply wish to earn a reputation worthy of your grace—so that no one dares speak behind your back.”

She fell silent for a moment, then said:

“Very well… you may go.”

And added, her voice sharp:

“One more thing…
Stay away from those two filths.”

Lin bowed and said:

“As you command, my Lady.”

Then he turned and walked away, saying quietly:

“I’ll take my leave… to visit the library.”

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