Joenie felt like an eternity had passed as he stood frozen, his entire body on edge. The eerie sounds around him made his gaze dart nervously in every direction.

What are those screams? 

They didn’t sound like humans or any animals he knew. All along the way, Joenie had kept his eyes fixed on the stranger's back, not daring to look anywhere else. But he knew—the things surrounding them were killing humans.

The shrill scream from minutes ago still echoed in his mind, blending with the strange non-animal noises and the unmistakable sound of flesh being torn apart and devoured.

Joenie tightened his grip on Reine, adjusting her weight slightly to ensure he was ready to run at any moment. The muscles in his legs tensed, prepared to spring into action if anything happened.

Then, suddenly, he heard shuffling behind him. He had been facing the house the entire time, so the sound came from the direction they had just come from. His throat tightened as he gulped hard, every instinct in his body screaming that whatever was behind him wasn’t human.

No human moved like that.

The steps were slow and deliberate, like an animal stalking its prey. And the sound... it didn’t resemble any footwear. It was soft, almost like bare feet gliding silently over the ground, brushing against the surface with a barely perceptible swish.

A voice broke the tense silence, low and firm.

“Don’t look back.”

Joenie recognized the stranger’s voice but couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. The shadows played tricks on his senses, disorienting him.

“Run inside when I say so. Don’t look back, and don’t slow down.”

Joenie nodded slowly, his throat tight. He didn’t need to be told twice. Whatever was behind them, it wasn’t something he could handle—not with Reine on his back.

The stranger’s next words came sharp and fast.

“Now! Run!”

Joenie didn’t hesitate. He bolted toward the house, his legs pumping furiously as his heart pounded in his chest. He didn’t dare look back, even when something brushed past him so quickly he barely registered it. It had to be the stranger.

As he neared the front door, a blood-curdling shriek pierced the air—inhuman, guttural, followed by the clash of metal, as if blades had met in a violent strike. Joenie’s curiosity spiked, but the need to protect his sister was far more pressing. He focused on the door ahead, making a mad dash and slamming it open with all his strength.

Inside, he was greeted by pitch-black darkness. His breath came heavy, his chest heaving as he tried to adjust his eyes to the lack of light. He knew he couldn’t stop moving. Something told him to keep going, to not linger. He forced himself to move through the shadows, his hands outstretched to feel his way along the cold walls until they landed on what felt like a door. He quickly pushed it open and slipped inside, then shut it behind him as quietly as he could.

Joenie pressed his ear against the door, listening intently for any sound. But there was nothing. Silence. An unnatural, eerie silence that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The temperature in the room was unnervingly cold, seeping through his skin and sending a chill down his spine.

Joenie turned slowly, his eyes squinting as he tried to make out the layout of the room. Faint outlines of furniture began to take shape—a desk, some chairs, maybe shelves—but the darkness obscured any real detail. There were no windows, no source of light. Joenie reached out, his fingers brushing along the walls, searching for a light switch.

His hand froze as he felt the cold, smooth surface beneath his fingertips.

Metal. The walls were metal.

Joenie had seen the exterior of the house in the moonlight, but he hadn’t expected the inside to be the same. His hand continued its search, moving along the walls, but there was no switch to be found.

Just then, the door behind him creaked open slightly. Joenie’s body tensed, and he quickly retreated farther into the room, trying to blend into the shadows. As he moved, Reine’s back knocked against something, sending it crashing to the floor with a loud bang.

A voice came from the door.

“You okay?”

Joenie’s heart pounded in his ears. It was the stranger’s voice, but something inside him hesitated. What if whatever was outside could mimic human voices? What if it wasn’t the stranger who had just entered the room?

The darkness pressed in on him, disorienting his senses. He stayed silent, his eyes straining to see through the gloom.

“It’s too dark for you, isn’t it?” 

The stranger’s voice echoed again. 

“Wait, hmm… Rory, please turn on the lights in Study 1.”

A mechanical voice responded from somewhere in the room.

“Turning on the lights in Study 1, completed.”

A sudden flood of light assaulted Joenie’s eyes, blinding him momentarily. He blinked rapidly, his vision adjusting to the brightness. When he could finally see clearly, the stranger stood in the doorway, Cherra still slung over his back. He gently laid her down on a nearby sofa as Joenie took in the room.

It was a study, furnished with an air of wealth and refinement. A large wooden desk sat near the far end of the room, flanked by towering bookshelves filled with volumes of all sizes. Two sofas faced each other in the center of the room, separated by a small coffee table. Cabinets lined the walls, their dark wood gleaming under the lights. Everything was meticulously arranged, though Joenie noticed the shards of a small desk lamp lying on the floor behind him—the result of his earlier stumble with Reine.

Joenie, still feeling the weight of exhaustion, slowly walked toward the other sofa and carefully lowered Reine onto it. Once she was settled, he collapsed in front of the sofa, his legs giving out beneath him. The adrenaline that had kept him moving drained away, leaving him feeling utterly depleted.

His eyes darted around the room again, unsettled by the lack of light switches and the cold, metallic walls that surrounded them.

“What is this place?” 

Joenie’s voice sounds strained, weary.

The stranger straightened from where he had laid Cherra and looked around casually.

“Someone’s house.”

Joenie’s brow furrowed, the realization sinking in. 

“What?” 

Joenie felt a growing unease at the thought that they had just broken into someone’s home. His mind, still clouded with fear, hadn’t registered it earlier, but now it disturbed him deeply.

“Don’t worry, I’ve spoken with the owner.”

Joenie’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You must be close with the owner, huh?” It seemed plausible—the stranger had been able to control the lights with his voice, which implied a familiarity with the house’s systems.

The stranger didn’t react much, only offering a slight shrug. “Well, kind of. Anyway, don’t wander around. Stay here for now.”

Joenie’s thoughts raced with questions. “What was that outside? What’s happening? What was that explosion about, and how long will we be staying here? And who—”

Before he could finish, the stranger was already at the door, turning to leave.

“Stay here. I’ll be back and explain everything.”

Joenie barely blinked as the man disappeared from sight. He wasn’t surprised anymore by anything the stranger did. With a sigh, he reached for his phone, intending to call his parents or Altur. But before the call even connected, the door opened again, and the stranger returned—this time, with someone else.

Joenie’s eyes widened as a small girl stepped into the room, clinging closely to the man’s side. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old, with pale skin that made her look almost ghostly—paler even than the stranger himself.

“Who is that?” Joenie’s voice wavered slightly, his confusion growing.

The stranger ushered the girl inside, avoiding the question.

“Don’t worry. They’re my friends. They won’t hurt you.”

The girl moved hesitantly, only taking a step forward when the stranger did. Her pale, trembling hands clutched at the fabric of his coat as if afraid to let go.

Joenie’s mind raced again. 

Is she his daughter? Is this actually his house? What the heck is going on?

Before Joenie could start firing off more questions, the man spoke calmly.

“No, she’s not mine. She’s the owner of this house... or should I say, half-owner?”

The stranger guided the girl to one of the sofas, settling her gently beside the unconscious Cherra. The girl’s movements were careful, almost as if she feared making any sudden motion that might upset the delicate balance of the moment.

The man patted her lightly on the head, though his expression remained unchanged, void of emotion.

“Now then… I will explain everything.”

By the time the stranger had finished his explanation, Joenie felt as though his entire understanding of the world had been flipped upside down. Joenie had learned about the Norns system, the translucent window still hovering in his vision, and the gates that had appeared all over the world. The gates were portals to other dimensions, each filled with ecosystems completely different from Earth. These dimensions were teeming with monsters—creatures that thrived on mana and preyed on anything weaker than themselves.

Humans, it turned out, were such creatures. Although humans only possessed small amounts of mana, it was enough to make them targets. Now that the Norns system was active, some people would awaken, gaining the ability to wield mana themselves.

The stranger stepped forward, folding his arms as he continued to explain.

"The gates must be closed. Only then will the world return to normal."

Joenie still couldn’t make sense of anything. His mind was a jumbled mess, tangled in confusion. 

What did he mean by 'chosen people'? What does it mean to 'wield mana'? And why was this strange translucent window hovering in front of him, its soft glow constantly tugging at his attention?

Joenie's eyes flicked back to the stranger, who stood calmly, observing him. The stranger appeared to sense the troubled look still lingering on Joenie’s face and without missing a beat, began speaking again.

"I see you're still confused." 

The stranger’s voice cut through the haze in Joenie's mind.

"That window you see... it's just a notification from the Norns system. You can flick it away if it bothers you."

Joenie blinked, furrowing his brows slightly. Flick it away? The idea seemed ridiculous, but his hand lifted tentatively. His fingers hovered in front of the glowing text, trembling slightly before swiping to the side. To Joenie's surprise, the window disappeared, vanishing as though it had never existed.

The stranger glanced at Joenie’s reaction with a slight nod, standing a bit straighter.

"Good. You’ll get used to it." 

The stranger's tone was casual, as if discussing something as simple as adjusting a screen. 

"These windows are part of the system, and they'll pop up now and then with information. Think of them like... game notifications."

Joenie stared at the spot where the window had been, still processing what had just happened.

The stranger stepped away from the desk, moving slowly.

"The Norns system is a universal system that's been activated now that the gates have appeared. Right now, it's only showing you notifications, but later, some people—chosen people—will receive a different kind of notification. They’ll be awakened."

Joenie's gaze snapped back to the stranger, confusion still clouding his expression.

"Awakened?" 

The word felt heavy, significant, but it carried no meaning for Joenie.

The stranger nodded again, shifting slightly as he crossed his arms.

"Yes. The system will notify certain individuals that they have been awakened. That means they’ll gain the power to wield mana."

Joenie’s confusion deepened further, and the stranger seemed to sense it, taking a step closer to him.

“Let me simplify it. Mana is energy that exists all around us. Until now, humans couldn’t access it. The Norns system was created to give people the ability to use this energy—to harness it. Think of it like... superpowers.”

Joenie’s eyes widened slightly. Superpowers?

The stranger moved again, stepping closer to the desk, eyes glancing out into the dim room.

“Some people will be able to fly, shoot lasers, or manipulate elements like fire and water. The system was deliberately designed to resemble a game so humans could understand and use these abilities more easily.”

Joenie's thoughts struggled to grasp the information. 

Like a game? 

The idea sounded strange, yet it made sense.

The man remained calm, his expression unwavering.

“Exactly. Just like in a game where you get new abilities as you level up, the Norns system will allow certain people to awaken and gain powers. These powers come directly from the system, and they’ll help you survive the monsters that come through the gates.”

Joenie’s gaze dropped as the weight of the information settled. 

Humans will gain superpowers?

The stranger turned back, voice growing more serious.

“The system will guide those who are chosen. It’s the only way humanity has a chance of surviving what's coming. Those messages... they’re just the beginning.”

Joenie’s thoughts continued to swirl, disbelief and fear tangling with something else—something unfamiliar, stirring deep within.