"He's dissociating," Choi's hand ran through his head explained to Jae-sung outside surgery. "Pulled himself into two locations simultaneously during sealing. His consciousness is having trouble reintegrating."
"Is he going to wake up?"
"I don't know, I've never seen this before. He's in coma. We could wait hours, probably weeks, maybe... May be—" Choi stopped.
"Could be never," Jae-sung finished. "Say it."
"Could be never. His mind might stay fragmented, consciousness in his personal realm, body here as empty shell."
Jae-sung felt something break inside. "How do we bring him back?"
"We can't. He has to choose to come back himself."
Inside Extras World - Lost
Yoo floated in his realm. No physical body here. Just consciousness.
The space had expanded during the sealing. Now ninety cubic meters. But it felt wrong. Unstable. His dual-existence had damaged it.
Where am I?
"Host consciousness currently dissociated. Physical body: medical facility, critical condition. Mental presence: Extras World, full immersion. Status: dangerous. Prolonged dissociation leads to permanent separation."
I need to go back.
"Affirmative. However, trauma has created resistance. Subconscious is avoiding physical body due to associated pain. You must overcome this resistance deliberately."
How?
"Find anchor. Something that connects you to physical existence. Memory, person or purpose."
Yoo thought. What connected him to his body?
His father—but that was emotional anchor, not physical.
His abilities—but those existed here in Extras World too.
His mission—seal the rifts. But he'd just finished one. Sixty-one remained and his body was broken.
Intrusive thoughts s stirred:
Maybe I should stay here. It's safe, No pain with plenty to gain. No dying, just... existence.
"Warning: that thought pattern indicates consciousness drift. You are considering abandoning physical form. This is dissociation completing. If you do not resist, reintegration becomes impossible."
But why go back? My body is broken. I can only seal fifteen more rifts maximum. That's not enough. I'll fail anyway.
"Incorrect, previous obstacles overcome has proved that, your body can heal, adapt, you possess Adaptive Evolution. Physical limitations are temporary."
Even if I heal, the math doesn't work. Fifteen closures. Sixty-one rifts. I fail.
"Failure is not predetermined. Variables exist: training other spatial users, improving technique efficiency, discovering new methods. But all require physical presence. Dissociated consciousness cannot affect material world."
Can't I just... exist here? Watch from safety?
"You can. You would live indefinitely in personal realm, Timeless, painless, alone, forever. While physical world dies, while your father grieves and while humanity ends."
The words hit like physical blow.
Yes...Dad. He's waiting for me.
"Correct. Host father is outside surgery, has not moved in six hours. Probability he abandons vigil: zero percent. He will wait until you wake or doctors declare brain death."
Brain death. They'll think I'm dead.
"If you do not return soon: yes. Then decision becomes medical. Platinum-rank father holding brain-dead child's body. Unpleasant scenario."
Almost like he was still getting the whole picture for himself
Yoo focused. Thought about Jae-sung. About their promise and surviving together.
I can't abandon him.
He reached out. Felt the connection to his physical body—thin thread, barely present.
Grabbed it.
Pulled.
Awakening
Jae-sung jolted awake. Had fallen asleep in chair beside hospital bed despite intentions.
Looked at his son—
Eyes open. Gold and silver, glowing faintly. Aware.
"Yoo?"
"Dad." Voice barely whisper. Throat raw from intubation. "Did I... seal it?"
Jae-sung laughed—half-sob. "You sealed it. Perfectly. Cleanest closure Master Yoon's ever seen. You insane, brilliant, stupid child."
"Not... child. Twenty-nine."
"You're eleven months old and just put yourself in coma for eight hours. You're still a child to me." Jae-sung gripped his son's hand gently. "Don't ever do that again. The dissociation. Mira said you were in two places at once. That's—that's beyond dangerous."
"I had to. Rift was... too strong."
"Then we find different method. Train others. Something, but not that. You almost didn't come back." Jae-sung's voice broke. "I was watching them prepare brain death protocol. Do you understand? They thought you were gone."
"I almost was. Extras World is... comfortable, safe. Thought about staying."
"What changed your mind?"
"Series of memories." Yoo's eyes closed briefly. "Made promises, that we'll survive together–Keep promises."
Yoo made a mini-signal almost like approval
"Yeah. We keep promises." Jae-sung stood. "I'll get the doctors. They need to check you."
"Wait... In total, How many... rifts sealed?"
"Two. Delta-7 and Delta-3. Both perfectly sealed. Sixty-one remaining."
"And my body?"
Jae-sung hesitated. "Damaged. Severely. Pathways are seventy percent scarred now. Medical estimates: maybe ten more closures, depending on healing."
Ten closures. Out of sixty-one.
"Then I need to improve technique. Reduce damage per seal. And train others. Fast."
Jae-sung wasn't going to take that:
"No, you need to rest. Your body almost died."
"World doesn't care if I rest. Five months remain. Sixty-one rifts. Time is—"
"I know." Jae-sung's voice was firm. "But you can't seal anything if you're dead, rest, heal. Then we figure out next steps. Together. Deal?"
Yoo wanted to argue. But exhaustion crashed over him.
"Deal."
He slept, allowing his body to recover from impossible strain.
Jae-sung sat vigil again. Refused to leave until Yoo woke a second time, twelve hours later.
Three Days Later - Strategic Planning
Min-ji called emergency meeting. Yoo attended via hologram—he only had his bed available as support, any other thing would worsen the situation in its own way.
Jae-sung, Master Yoon, Mira, and academy leadership council filled the room.
"Rift Delta-3 analysis," Min-ji began. "Sealed successfully but cost was extreme. Yoo's recovery period extended to minimum twenty-one days. At this rate: ten closures maximum before permanent disability. With sixty-one rifts remaining—"
"We need alternative strategies," Master Yoon interrupted. "I've reviewed Yoo's technique. His dual-existence method—pulling consciousness into Extras World while maintaining physical presence—that's how he achieved success. But it's also why he nearly died."
"Can we teach it to other spatial users?" Jae-sung asked.
"Theoretically. But requires personal realm. Of our three spatial-affinity candidates, none possess pocket dimensions. They'd need to develop them first."
"How long?"
"Years, if we're being optimistic, but Yoo manifested his at birth through trauma. If we can replicate similar conditions—"
"You want to traumatize hunters into developing personal realms?" Jae-sung's voice was cold.
"I want to save humanity. Sometimes that requires ugly choices."
Yoo spoke through hologram: "There's alternative. I could share my realm."
Almost like he spilled tea,
Everyone turned to his projection.
"Explain," Min-ji demanded.
"During the sealing, I existed in two places. My consciousness in Extras World, body at rift. What if I transported another spatial user into Extras World during their sealing attempt? They'd have access to realm's energy. My spatial manipulation expertise. Support structure."
"That requires you to maintain dual-existence while someone else operates," Master Yoon said. "The strain would be worse than solo sealing."
"Maybe. But if successful, another person can seal rifts. Doubles our effective force."
"Or kills you both."
"We test carefully. Small rift. Controlled conditions. If it works—we can scale up. If not—" Yoo shrugged "—I continue solo until my body breaks."