The first thing Ethan felt was weight.


    Not pain. Not exhaustion.


    Just an overwhelming heaviness, pressing down on him like an anchor buried in his chest.


    His limbs felt wrong—not stiff, not weak, but strangely foreign, as if they weren’t entirely his own. A dull ache radiated through his bones, an unnatural sensation of having been torn apart and put back together again.


    His lungs burned as if he had just surfaced from drowning, his heart too steady, too controlled.


    The air around him felt thicker than it should.


    Too much.


    Too loud.


    Too real.


    He forced his eyes open.


    At first, there was nothing but darkness.


    Then—light.


    Blurred shapes. Faint movement. The sterile scent of disinfectant and something metallic.


    His breath hitched.


    Where was he?


    He tried to move, but the moment his muscles tensed, a flood of sensations crashed into him all at once.


    His skin felt too tight. His limbs too strong. His senses too sharp.


    The steady beeping of a heart monitor rang in his ears. The sound of paper rustling was loud enough that it felt right beside him.


    A hospital.


    And sitting next to his bed, completely unaware that he had just awakened—


    Was Leah.


    Leah sat curled up in a chair beside him, a worn book in her hands. Her long auburn hair had grown out slightly, her form leaner—more defined in a way that suggested months of training.


    She looked… older.


    More tired.


    Ethan frowned. How long had he been out?


    His last memory was of going home.


    His body had been exhausted after the final trial with the Master. His entire being had screamed for rest, and the moment he had hit his bed, he had let himself sink into the darkness.


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    And then…


    Nothing.


    Now he was here.


    His lips parted, but his throat was too dry to speak.


    A choked sound escaped instead, rough and weak. Like he hadn’t used his voice in years.


    Leah’s head snapped up.


    Her emerald eyes locked onto his.


    For a moment, she froze.


    Then—her book hit the floor, forgotten.


    "Ethan?"


    Her voice was small, disbelieving.


    Ethan swallowed, forcing his throat to work. "H…Hey."


    Leah’s entire body tensed.


    Her chair scraped against the floor as she shot to her feet, gripping the side of his bed.


    "You’re awake."


    Ethan tried to sit up, but his body resisted. His muscles felt alien—strong but sluggish, like they weren’t used to being in this world anymore.


    "What… happened?" His voice was hoarse.


    Leah exhaled sharply, her hands clenching into white-knuckled fists.


    "You tell me," she snapped. "You went missing, Ethan. For four days. We found you unconscious in your apartment. No sign of a break-in. No injuries. You were just—gone."


    Ethan stilled.


    Four days?


    His mind recoiled at the timeline. He had spent **weeks—months—**inside the Abyss, but here? It had only been a few days?


    Something inside him twisted.


    Time had moved differently.


    The Abyss hadn’t just taken him—it had warped reality around him.


    Ethan exhaled slowly. "How did I look when you found me?"


    Leah’s gaze darkened.


    "Like you were dying," she said flatly.


    Ethan stiffened.


    "You were skin and bones, Ethan. It was like your body was eating itself alive. And then—two days later, you looked normal again."


    Her hands trembled. "We thought you were waking up. But instead, you just… kept changing. Like your body was healing itself from something we couldn’t see."


    She took a deep breath, her expression wavering between relief and frustration.


    "You scared the hell out of us," she muttered.


    Ethan offered a weak smile. "Sorry."


    Leah punched his arm.


    Hard.


    "Ow."


    "You''re not sorry." She glared at him, eyes red-rimmed. "You’re just confused as hell and trying to pretend you understand everything."


    Ethan sighed. "Okay, yeah. Fair point."


    Leah scowled. "Damn right it is."


    But even as she spoke, Ethan could see the relief in her posture.


    She had been waiting for him.


    A familiar chime echoed in his mind.


    <blockquote>


    [SYSTEM UPDATE – STATUS CHECK]


    [Ethan Voss – Abysswalker]


    Level: 27 → 30


    [Physical Status:]


    ?? Height Increase: +2 inches


    ?? Muscle Density: 15% increase


    ?? Abyssal Infusion Detected – Your body has undergone long-term exposure to abyssal energy, permanently enhancing your baseline attributes.


    [Stat Gains – Unallocated Points Available:]


    ?? Strength: +6


    ?? Agility: +5


    ?? Endurance: +7


    [Abilities Unlocked:]


    ?? Warden’s Echo (Passive): Your existence has left an imprint in the Abyss. You may experience visions or instinctual warnings related to abyssal forces.


    [Unspent Stat Points Available: 10]


    </blockquote>


    Ethan let the information settle.


    And then—the final realization hit him.


    This wasn’t just some leftover side effect.


    This was permanent.


    He wasn’t human anymore.


    Not fully.


    And that meant…


    Nothing in his life would ever be the same again.


    Ethan exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. His muscles felt heavier, stronger—but different. Like they belonged to something else.


    "Leah," he said slowly. "The others. Gareth, Kara, the team… What happened while I was gone?"


    Leah hesitated. "They’re alive."


    Ethan caught the hesitation immediately. "But?"


    She bit her lip. "But things have changed, Ethan."


    Her gaze flickered to the window—the city lights outside seemed… colder.


    "A lot changed in the past few days." Her voice was quiet. "And not all of it is good."


    Ethan clenched his fists.


    The world had moved forward without him.


    Now it was time to catch up.