Rivan didn't sleep that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the reflection again—
the tall silhouette, the faintly glowing eyes, the feeling of being watched.
Seek it. Or be hunted by it.
The system's warning echoed in his mind like a threat.
At dawn, Rivan finally sat up, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll find you."
---
A Strange Training Session
Rivan headed to the abandoned training ground near the old warehouse district. Hardly anyone came here anymore, which made it perfect.
He started with basic drills—running, striking, dodging.
To his surprise, his body responded smoothly. Faster. Stronger.
[Training Progress Detected]
Endurance +1
Agility +1]
Rivan smiled faintly.
"So it really works."
"Works what?"
Rivan jumped.
Lina stood behind him, hands on her hips.
"You're noisy," Rivan said. "Ever heard of announcing yourself?"
She scoffed.
"And miss seeing you punch air like it owes you money? No way."
Rivan sighed.
"Why are you here?"
"Aria told me you'd try to train alone," Lina replied. "Also—"
She leaned closer, eyes sparkling.
"—the Association issued a notice. You're scheduled for an evaluation."
Rivan stiffened.
"An evaluation?"
"Yep! Tomorrow! By a special examiner!"
Rivan groaned.
"Why does everyone want to examine me…"
Lina laughed.
"Because you're weird now."
---
The Presence Answers
As Lina continued talking, Rivan suddenly felt it again.
The temperature dropped.
The air became heavy.
His system flashed urgently:
[Warning: Target Presence Nearby]
Rivan raised a hand.
"Lina… stop talking."
She frowned.
"Hey, that's rude."
"Lina. Move."
The ground behind the training field cracked.
A shadow rose from the concrete—
not a monster, not human, but something shaped like both.
Lina froze.
"R-Rivan…" she whispered. "That's not a training dummy, right?"
The shadow spoke—not with a voice, but with pressure.
"You heard the call."
Rivan stepped forward, heart pounding.
"You're the presence the system mentioned."
The shadow tilted its head.
"Fragment bearer."
Lina grabbed Rivan's sleeve.
"I don't like this thing. Can we leave? Please?"
Rivan didn't move.
"What do you want?" he asked.
The shadow extended an arm.
Dark symbols flickered around it.
"To test your will."
The system flashed again:
[Hidden Trial Detected]
Accept Trial of Will?
— YES / NO]
Rivan clenched his fists.
If he refused…
would it hunt him?
He took a deep breath.
"Yes."
---
Trial of Will
The world shattered.
Rivan found himself standing in a black void. Chains wrapped around his arms and legs—not painful, but heavy.
The shadow stood before him.
"Power without will breaks."
Images flashed around Rivan—
him failing hunter exams, being laughed at, being ignored.
Then worse—
Him running from battles.
People getting hurt because he was too weak.
Rivan gritted his teeth.
"I won't run."
The chains tightened.
"Even when you are afraid?"
Rivan shouted, "Especially then!"
The chains cracked.
The shadow stepped back.
"Good."
The void collapsed.
---
After the Trial
Rivan collapsed to one knee back in the training ground, gasping.
Lina rushed to him.
"RIVAN! You just stood there staring into nothing for ten seconds!"
Ten seconds?
It felt like hours.
The system chimed softly:
[Trial of Will Completed]
Presence acknowledges you.
Class Fragment Resonance +1]
Rivan looked up.
The shadow was gone.
Only a faint symbol remained on the ground—
then faded.
Lina stared at him.
"…You're really not normal anymore, are you?"
Rivan managed a weak smile.
"Probably not."
But for the first time since awakening—
The presence wasn't hunting him.
It was watching.
And waiting.