"Power gained through guilt is weight. Power accepted through truth is freedom."
The world blurred.
Not physically—but within Jiwoon's perception.
After facing DIVINEX and standing beside Somchai, something inside him unlocked.
His body collapsed—eyes wide, lungs seized—
—as if being pulled out of reality.
[TRIAL INITIATED: ORIGIN OF SELF]
[OBJECTIVE: RECLAIM THE NINTH SEAL]
He woke up in a white void.
Not a room. Not a world.
Just… memory, wrapped in silence.
Then came the voices.
One by one.
"I begged you."
"I didn't know."
"You never even looked at me."
Jiwoon turned.
They stood around him—every soul he had ever judged.
None were monsters.
None were innocent.
They were… human.
"What is this?" he asked.
Then a voice came—his own.
"This is what you refused to see."
A mirror emerged, tall and cracked. But this time, there was no reflection.
Only a darkened silhouette.
The part of Jiwoon that loved power.
That needed control.
That feared mercy.
It stepped forward. Eyes burning.
"You don't want truth," it hissed. "You want permission."
"Permission to forgive yourself for the bodies you left behind."
"So forgive me," Jiwoon said calmly.
The shadow blinked. "What?"
"Forgive me for being afraid."
"Forgive me for choosing control over understanding."
"Forgive me… for not seeing them as people."
The world trembled.
Then… he embraced the shadow.
It didn't resist.
It… wept.
The white void shattered into black flame.
And in his hand appeared a ring of symbols—nine in total.
Eight had already been used throughout his journey.
But the ninth—was different.
It pulsed with free will.
[NINTH SEAL CLAIMED]
[STATUS: FORBIDDEN CONTRACTOR – SOVEREIGN OF MERCY]
Jiwoon opened his eyes in the real world.
Lightning stormed above.
The system screamed:
[WARNING: CONTRACTOR 11-A HAS OBTAINED SEAL-9]
[RESPONSE: WORLD RESET PROTOCOL IMMINENT]
But Jiwoon stood tall, calm.
He looked up.
"You made me a judge."
"I became an executioner."
"Now I'll be something your code can't define…"
His blade reformed—no longer red.
Not black.
But silver-white—like Somchai's eyes.
"I'll be the one who sees… and still forgives."