The silence didn't last long.
It never does.
"SEAL THE HALL!"
A voice thundered across the academy.
Kael didn't move.
But this time—
it wasn't because he was calculating.
It was because something felt… wrong.
Not danger.
Not threat.
Pressure.
The air itself became heavy.
Like something was pushing down on reality.
The First Forgotten Legend appeared beside him instantly.
Her expression sharp.
Alert.
"…This isn't the system."
Kael frowned slightly.
"…Then what is it?"
Before she could answer—
the doors of the academy hall slammed shut.
Violently.
BOOM.
A shockwave rippled across the room.
Students screamed.
And then—
footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Kael turned.
A man walked in.
Not a teacher.
Not a student.
Something else.
Black uniform.
No academy insignia.
No rank badge.
But the moment he stepped in—
every summoner in the hall dropped to their knees.
Not willingly.
Instinctively.
Kael didn't kneel.
The man stopped walking.
And looked directly at him.
"…So you're the anomaly."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…And you are?"
A pause.
Then—
a faint smile.
"Correction Executor."
The First Forgotten Legend's expression changed instantly.
"…Why is one of them here already?"
Kael glanced at her.
"…You know him?"
She didn't take her eyes off the man.
"Not him."
A pause.
"What he represents."
The man raised his hand slowly.
And the entire hall compressed.
Not crushed.
Not attacked.
Controlled.
Students couldn't move.
Teachers couldn't speak.
Even the air felt restricted.
Kael's chest tightened slightly.
"…This is different from the shadows."
The Fourth Seal whispered inside him:
"Higher authority."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
"…Of course it is."
The man stepped closer.
Each step echoing like a countdown.
"You've caused quite a disturbance."
Kael didn't respond.
The man continued:
"System failure."
"Seal instability."
"Unregistered convergence."
A pause.
Then—
his eyes locked onto Kael.
"You're becoming difficult to ignore."
Kael let out a slow breath.
"…Then don't ignore me."
The man stopped.
Silence.
Then—
he laughed.
Not loudly.
Not mockingly.
Just… amused.
"You speak like you understand your situation."
Kael's voice stayed calm.
"…I understand enough."
The man tilted his head slightly.
"Then you understand this too."
He raised his hand.
And suddenly—
Kael's vision blurred.
Not a future.
Not a thread.
A memory.
But not his.
A world collapsing.
A throne breaking.
A figure standing alone—
erasing everything.
Kael staggered.
"…That…"
The man spoke quietly:
"That is what you become if left unchecked."
Kael clenched his fist.
"…So you came to stop me."
The man nodded once.
"No."
A pause.
"I came to confirm you."
Kael froze.
"…Confirm?"
The First Forgotten Legend stepped forward instantly.
"Don't answer him."
But it was too late.
The man's gaze deepened.
"You're not the original, are you?"
Silence.
Kael didn't respond.
But something inside him did.
The Fourth Seal flickered.
⚠️ CAUSALITY DISTURBANCE DETECTED
MEMORY LEAK RISK: HIGH
The man smiled slightly.
"I see."
Then—
he stepped closer.
And whispered:
"You're the incomplete one."
The moment those words landed—
Kael's chest exploded with pain.
Not physical.
Not mental.
Identity.
Something inside him reacted violently.
A seal.
Not the Fourth.
Not the Third.
Something deeper.
Cracked.
The First Forgotten Legend's eyes widened.
"…No."
Kael dropped to one knee.
"…What… did you just do…?"
The man stepped back calmly.
"I didn't do anything."
A pause.
"I just reminded you."
The ground beneath Kael split open.
Black light erupted.
And a new voice emerged from within him—
Different.
Not calm.
Not ancient.
Hungry.
"WHO CALLED ME EARLY?"
The entire academy shook violently.
The man's smile faded slightly.
"…That wasn't supposed to happen yet."
The First Forgotten Legend whispered:
"…Another one…"
Kael's body lifted slightly off the ground.
His eyes flickered.
And for a brief second—
they were not his.
⚠️ NEW ENTITY DETECTED
CLASSIFICATION: SSS-RANK FORGOTTEN LEGEND
STATUS: FORCED AWAKENING
The voice inside him laughed.
"You broke the order."
Kael's consciousness faded slightly.
"…What… is happening to me…?"
The answer came from within:
"You're running out of time to stay human."
The academy began collapsing.
And the man—the Correction Executor—looked at Kael one last time.
This time…
serious.
"So it begins earlier than expected."
He turned.
And walked away.
Leaving chaos behind.