Yui knew something was wrong the moment she woke up.
Not "I didn't sleep enough" wrong.
Not "I regret my life choices" wrong.
No.
This was worse.
"…Why am I glowing."
She held up her hand.
Faint light.
Pulsing.
Like her soul had its own mood swings.
From the corner, Baek didn't even look surprised.
"You absorbed too much."
Yui blinked.
"That is not a helpful explanation."
The Symptoms
Yui stood up.
Immediately—
Her vision flickered.
For a second—
She saw something else.
A hallway.
Dark.
Not her house.
Not anywhere she knew.
Then it was gone.
She froze.
"…Okay. I'm hallucinating now."
Jae-min ran in.
"GOOD MORNING—oh wow you look haunted."
"I FEEL haunted."
Mr. Lee Confirms the Worst
Mr. Lee appeared (because of course he did).
"You are experiencing soul overflow."
Yui stared at him.
"…That sounds illegal."
"It is extremely unstable."
Baek added:
"If you don't release the energy, it will break your control."
Pause.
Yui blinked.
"…Define 'break.'"
No one answered.
"…I don't like that silence."
The Plan (Not a Good One)
"We need to stabilize you," Baek said.
"How?"
"Another mission."
Yui froze.
"YOU WANT ME TO GO FIGHT MORE GHOSTS WHILE I'M GLOWING?!"
"It will help you control it."
"This feels like bad logic."
Mr. Lee nodded.
"It is risky."
Yui pointed at him.
"THANK YOU."
Too Late
The glow in her hand pulsed stronger.
The air shifted.
And suddenly—
A thin Soul Thread appeared on its own.
Without her trying.
It stretched—
Through the wall.
Yui stared.
"…That's new."
Jae-min backed up.
"I don't trust that."
Something Is Calling
The thread tightened.
Like something on the other side was pulling back.
Yui's expression changed.
"…It's calling me."
Baek's eyes sharpened.
"Don't follow it."
"I'm not—"
The thread yanked.
Yui stumbled forward.
"OKAY WAIT—"
Pulled In
The world blurred.
For a second—
Everything disappeared.
Then—
Yui was somewhere else.
A dark space.
Empty.
Endless.
She looked around.
"…Nope. I don't like this."
A voice echoed.
Familiar.
Cold.
"You're getting stronger."
Yui froze.
"…You again."
A shadow formed.
Not fully visible.
But there.
Watching.
The King of Lost Souls.
Conversation With a Problem
"Relax," the voice said.
"I'm not here to hurt you."
Yui crossed her arms.
"You keep saying creepy things like that."
"You're interesting."
"I get that a lot."
"You're evolving."
Yui blinked.
"…That sounds worse than it should."
The Truth Drop
The shadow moved closer.
"Your ability isn't normal."
"Wow. Shocker."
"It wasn't given to you."
Silence.
Yui frowned.
"…What do you mean?"
"It was created."
Pause.
"…For you."
Yui: Not Processing This
She stared.
"…No."
"Yes."
"That's not how abilities work."
"You don't know how anything works."
"…Fair point."
Back to Reality
Suddenly—
Baek's voice cut through.
"YUI—COME BACK—"
The thread snapped.
Yui gasped—
And collapsed back into her room.
Aftermath
Jae-min panicked.
"SHE'S BACK—SHE'S BACK—"
Yui sat up slowly.
"…I just got kidnapped spiritually."
Baek grabbed her arm.
"What did you see?"
She looked at him.
Serious now.
"…He talked to me."
Silence.
Mr. Lee went pale.
"That's not possible."
Yui swallowed.
"…He said my power was made."
Baek froze.
"…Made?"
Final Line
Yui looked at her glowing hand.
Then at them.
"…Yeah."
Pause.
"…I think I'm the problem."
END OF CHAPTER 26