The next morning felt unreal.
Ethan sat in class.
A teacher explained something about mathematics.
Students copied notes.
Pens scratched across paper.
Everything looked normal.
Everything sounded normal.
Yet Ethan couldn't focus on any of it.
---
The barrier is breaking.
---
The ghost's words repeated endlessly in his mind.
---
He had seen enough by now to know one thing.
The ghost wasn't dramatic.
Whenever he warned Ethan about something, it turned out to be real.
---
That was the problem.
---
Ethan glanced toward the classroom window.
Outside, students walked between buildings.
Laughing.
Talking.
Living their lives.
---
None of them knew.
---
None of them knew invisible spirits existed.
None of them knew a massive sealed door sat beneath Riverside Station.
None of them knew something was slowly changing in the world.
---
Maybe ignorance really was bliss.
---
"Ethan."
---
He blinked.
---
The teacher stood in front of his desk.
---
"Would you like to share the answer?"
---
The classroom turned toward him.
---
Silence.
---
Ethan stared.
---
The teacher stared.
---
Several students tried not to laugh.
---
Finally Ethan answered honestly.
---
"No."
---
The classroom erupted.
---
Even the teacher looked amused.
---
"At least you're honest."
---
A few moments later the lesson continued.
---
Ethan sank into his chair.
---
School was becoming harder.
Not because the classes were difficult.
Because his life was becoming ridiculous.
---
A month ago his biggest concern had been exams.
---
Now he was secretly fighting ghosts.
---
The comparison felt unfair.
---
After school, Ethan headed home.
Halfway there, he stopped.
---
Something felt strange.
---
Not dangerous.
Not threatening.
---
Just strange.
---
The street looked normal.
Cars.
People.
Stores.
---
Yet Mana Sense activated automatically.
---
Blue particles appeared around him.
---
Thousands.
---
Then he noticed it.
---
A black particle.
---
Floating above a woman waiting at a bus stop.
---
Ethan froze.
---
A second black particle appeared.
---
Then a third.
---
Then a fourth.
---
His stomach tightened.
---
Before, he had only seen isolated traces.
One black particle.
Maybe two.
---
Now there were several.
---
All attached to different people.
---
The realization unsettled him.
---
Because it suggested a trend.
---
The barrier wasn't breaking suddenly.
---
It was weakening.
Little by little.
Day by day.
---
Exactly like the seal beneath Platform Three.
---
The connection felt impossible to ignore.
---
His phone vibrated.
---
The sudden sound nearly made him jump.
---
A message from Lily.
---
Buy milk.
---
A second message arrived.
---
And don't forget this time.
---
Ethan sighed.
---
Some things never changed.
---
At least that was comforting.
---
That evening he sat in his room reading the Beginner Sorcerer Manual.
---
The pages shifted as he turned them.
New information appeared.
---
Spirit Touch Lv.1
Allows direct interaction with weak spiritual entities.
Consumes mana.
Use with caution.
---
That didn't sound very reassuring.
---
Then again, nothing about being a sorcerer was reassuring.
---
A new section appeared.
---
The First Rule
Never assume an entity is harmless.
---
Ethan nodded.
---
That sounded reasonable.
---
The second rule appeared.
---
The Second Rule
Never trust what an entity tells you.
---
His eyes narrowed.
---
Immediately, the ghost came to mind.
---
The man in the black coat.
---
Was he included?
---
The thought bothered him.
---
The ghost had saved his life.
Multiple times.
---
Yet the manual seemed suspicious of everything supernatural.
---
Including allies.
---
The third rule appeared.
---
And Ethan's expression changed.
---
The Third Rule
If an entity begins remembering your name, your risk level increases significantly.
---
Silence.
---
Ethan reread the sentence.
---
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
---
The ghost knew his name.
---
The realization sent a chill through him.
---
Not because he feared the ghost.
Because he didn't understand what the rule meant.
---
Before he could think further, a notification appeared.
---
[New Quest Available]
---
Ethan groaned.
---
The system completely ignored his feelings.
---
A blue window expanded.
---
Investigation Quest
Multiple spiritual traces detected.
Investigate the source.
---
Reward: Unknown
---
Penalty for Failure: None
---
That was suspicious.
---
The system always became suspicious when it acted generous.
---
Ethan opened the map function.
---
Several small red marks appeared.
---
Scattered throughout the city.
---
Far more than before.
---
His heartbeat quickened.
---
There were at least twelve.
---
Maybe fifteen.
---
The number didn't matter.
The trend did.
---
The marks were increasing.
---
Slowly.
But definitely increasing.
---
The city was changing.
---
And apparently he was one of the few people capable of noticing.
---
The responsibility felt heavy.
Far heavier than he wanted.
---
A sudden knock interrupted his thoughts.
---
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
---
Ethan froze.
---
His eyes moved toward the bedroom door.
---
The knocking hadn't come from there.
---
It had come from the window.
---
His heartbeat immediately accelerated.
---
Slowly.
Very slowly.
He turned.
---
The window was closed.
The curtains were open.
Rain tapped softly against the glass.
---
Nothing stood outside.
---
No ghost.
No spirit.
No person.
---
Just darkness.
---
Knock.
---
The sound came again.
---
Directly against the glass.
---
Ethan's blood ran cold.
---
Mana Reinforcement activated automatically.
---
His body tensed.
---
The room became silent.
---
Then a hand appeared.
---
Pressed against the outside of the window.
---
A pale hand.
---
Human-shaped.
---
Yet impossible.
---
Because Ethan lived on the fourth floor.
---
Another hand appeared beside it.
---
Then a face slowly emerged from the darkness.
---
Its eyes were completely black.
---
Its smile was impossibly wide.
---
And unlike the spirits he had seen before...
This thing looked directly at him.
---
Not through him.
Not around him.
---
At him.
---
The creature's mouth opened.
---
Its voice passed through the glass effortlessly.
---
Soft.
Clear.
Almost cheerful.
---
"Ethan."
---
The room went silent.
---
Every muscle in Ethan's body locked up.
---
Because of the three rules he had read only moments ago.
---
Especially the third.
---
If an entity begins remembering your name, your risk level increases significantly.
---
Outside the window...
The creature smiled wider.
---
And knocked again.