SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: You are reading [Threshold Walker: The Silver Circuit]
The data crystal from Point 6 projected its contents above Dr. Park's specialized equipment, filling the safe house with shimmering blue-silver light. Jin watched as complex schematics rotated in three dimensions—detailed renderings of an underwater chamber beneath the Han River Floating Islands.
"It's beautiful," Jin-Ah murmured, her eyes reflecting the golden patterns that appeared whenever she perceived threshold mathematics. "The water acts as a natural conductor for threshold energy."
Dr. Park adjusted his glasses, fascinated by the projection. "Your father was brilliant. Using water as a threshold medium creates a more stable energy distribution than conventional methods." He pointed to specific geometric patterns embedded in the chamber design. "These match your transformation patterns, Jin."
Jin nodded silently, studying the projection while Dr. Ha monitored his condition. The silver lines beneath his skin had grown more pronounced since the Seoul Plaza activation—no longer just tracing his veins but forming complex geometric patterns across his chest and back. The stabilization treatment had slowed his integration rate temporarily, but it was still advancing faster than anticipated.
"Your threshold integration is at 42%," Dr. Ha reported, reviewing the monitoring equipment. "The activation at Point 6 accelerated the process significantly."
"How long until critical threshold?" Jin asked, his voice steady despite the implications.
Dr. Ha exchanged glances with Dr. Park before answering. "At the current rate, approximately fifteen hours. The next activation will likely accelerate it further."
The projection shifted to reveal Dr. Seo's face—not a live communication but a recorded message embedded in the crystal. His appearance had changed since the glimpse Jin had seen during the Origin Point activation. His father's hair had turned completely silver-white, and geometric patterns similar to Jin's were visible beneath his skin, particularly around his eyes.
"Jin, Jin-Ah," the recording began, "if you're viewing this, you've successfully activated Point 6 and are preparing for the final primary circuit point at the Floating Islands. What I'm about to tell you is crucial to understanding the circuit's true purpose."
The team gathered closer as Dr. Seo's message continued.
"The seven points of the primary circuit form a stable pathway to the Between-Space—a pocket of reality I've established within the Threshold. When all seven points are synchronized, this pathway will open, but only temporarily." His expression grew more serious. "You have approximately five hours after complete activation before the pathway closes again. The next window won't occur for months."
Dr. Seo's image gestured, bringing up a detailed schematic of the Floating Islands facility. "Division security will be significant. They've established a permanent monitoring station at the Islands since detecting threshold energy fluctuations there two years ago. The chamber access is underwater, through maintenance tunnels connecting to the eastern island foundation."
The projection highlighted a series of tunnels beneath the river.
"The final point requires both keys working in perfect synchronization while submerged. The water becomes the medium for the threshold activation—a more powerful conductor than anything we've worked with previously." Dr. Seo's expression softened momentarily. "Jin, your integration will accelerate during this activation. Be prepared."
As the message concluded, Dr. Seo looked directly at the camera, an expression of both hope and concern visible in his geometric-patterned eyes. "Complete the circuit. Find me in the Between-Space. There's so much I need to tell you about what's coming."
The projection faded, leaving the safe house in silence. Jin looked at the countdown display on Dr. Park's equipment: 11:42:17. Less than twelve hours remained in the temporal window.
Tae-Woo entered from the monitoring room, his expression grim. "We have a problem. Division has established a comprehensive security perimeter around the entire Floating Islands complex. Standard access points are completely locked down."
He displayed tablet footage showing Division personnel in civilian clothing strategically positioned throughout the popular tourist attraction. Specialized detection equipment was visible to Jin's enhanced perception—threshold sensors disguised as ordinary security cameras and environmental monitors.
"And that's not all," Tae-Woo continued. "Our surveillance detected at least four Evolved operatives monitoring the location as well. They're maintaining distance from Division forces but definitely present."
Su-Min joined them, reviewing the schematics from the data crystal. "The underwater access will be our only option. I've studied the maintenance tunnel layouts—there's a service entrance near the river's edge that connects to the old water intake system beneath the eastern island."
Jin's attention shifted to Jin-Ah, who had grown quiet as she studied the crystal's mathematical data. "You okay?" he asked softly.
She nodded, though her expression betrayed concern. "The activation sequence for Point 7 is more complex than anything we've done. The mathematics require perfect synchronization while maintaining stability against water pressure variables." She looked up at her brother. "And your condition..."
"Will hold," Jin finished firmly. "We've come too far to stop now."
Dr. Ha prepared a modified version of the stabilization treatment—the third Jin had received since his threshold integration began accelerating. Each treatment had proven less effective than the last as his body adapted to the compound.
"This will buy you a few more hours," she explained as she administered the injection where the silver lines converged at the base of his neck. "But it's the last effective dose I can give you. Your physiology is changing too rapidly now."
Jin winced as the compound entered his system, fighting against the threshold transformation that had become an integral part of him. The silver lines beneath his skin dimmed slightly as the treatment took effect, but the geometric patterns remained pronounced.
"What happens after we activate Point 7?" Jin-Ah asked, looking at Dr. Park.
The scientist considered the question carefully. "Based on your father's message, the complete primary circuit will open a pathway to the Between-Space—a stable pocket within the Threshold where he's been residing. The pathway will remain open for approximately five hours."
"And Jin would need to use that pathway to reach him," Jin-Ah concluded. She turned to her brother. "But entering the Threshold directly, even through a stable pathway..."
"Might push me past critical threshold," Jin acknowledged. "I know."
The team spent the next hour finalizing their approach plan. Su-Min obtained specialized diving equipment modified to function within threshold-affected environments. Dr. Park prepared monitoring devices to track Jin's condition during the activation process. Jin-Ah worked on memorizing the complex mathematical sequences required for underwater synchronization.
As they prepared to depart, Jin received an encrypted message on his secure communication device—Agent Song's channel.
"Division has deployed five containment teams at the Floating Islands," her message read. "Director Choi is personally overseeing the operation. Underwater sensors have been installed, but there's a blind spot in the eastern intake tunnels from 14:30-15:15 during scheduled maintenance."
Jin showed the message to Tae-Woo, who immediately adjusted their timetable. "That gives us a 45-minute window to access the underwater tunnels undetected."
"Can we trust her?" Su-Min asked skeptically.
"We don't have much choice," Jin replied. "And she's been reliable so far."
As the team departed the safe house in separate vehicles, Jin's perception automatically extended through the silver lines connecting him to the activated convergence points. He could sense the pulsing energy of the circuit taking shape across Seoul—Points 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 all resonating in growing harmony. The blank space in that pattern—where Point 7 should be—felt like a missing heartbeat in the rhythm.
The afternoon sun glittered across the Han River as Jin surveyed the Floating Islands complex from a riverside park several hundred meters away. The artificial islands—connected by elegant pedestrian bridges and housing cultural spaces, cafes, and gardens—were a popular destination for both tourists and locals. Today, however, Jin could see the subtle but unmistakable presence of Division personnel throughout the complex.
"I count at least twenty agents," Jin reported quietly, his enhanced perception identifying the distinctive threshold signatures of Division operatives. "Their equipment is more advanced than what we encountered at Seoul Plaza."
Beside him, Jin-Ah studied the islands through specialized binoculars that revealed threshold energy patterns. "The underwater chamber is directly beneath the eastern island," she confirmed. "There's a strong concentration of threshold energy emanating from that location."
Tae-Woo maintained communication with the rest of their team, positioned at strategic locations around the complex. "Su-Min is ready at the maintenance tunnel entrance. Dr. Ha and Dr. Park have established the monitoring post at the designated location."
Jin nodded, his eyes scanning the perimeter once more before focusing on something unusual—three individuals with the distinctive silver-blue threshold signature of the Evolved. They moved with casual grace through the crowds, their altered perception evident in the way they occasionally glanced toward the water where the convergence point lay hidden.
"The Evolved are here too," Jin noted. "Three that I can detect, probably more."
"This close to the activation window, they'd be foolish not to be," Tae-Woo replied. "They want the circuit as much as we do, just for different reasons."
Jin checked the time—14:15. They had fifteen minutes before the maintenance window opened, creating their only opportunity to access the underwater tunnels without triggering Division sensors.
"Let's move," he decided, rising from their observation position.
They made their way casually toward the riverbank where Su-Min waited, disguised as a maintenance worker. She led them to an inconspicuous service door built into the concrete embankment, partially obscured by decorative plantings.
"The maintenance cycle begins in twelve minutes," she explained, swiping a forged access card. "Division underwater sensors will go offline for recalibration. We'll have forty-five minutes to reach the chamber and begin activation."
The door opened to reveal a narrow utility corridor sloping downward beneath the river. The walls were damp, and the air grew increasingly cool as they descended. Su-Min distributed specialized diving equipment—compact rebreathers designed to function in threshold-affected environments, along with waterproof communication devices.
"The tunnel floods approximately fifty meters ahead," she explained. "From there, we'll need to swim through the intake system to reach the chamber beneath the island."
Jin extended his perception, tracing the silver lines that grew increasingly dense as they approached the underwater section. The threshold energy here had a different quality—more fluid and dynamic, influenced by the water itself.
As they reached the flooded section, Jin felt his silver lines responding to the water's proximity, emitting a subtle glow that illuminated the narrow space. Jin-Ah's eyes flashed with golden light as she perceived the mathematical patterns in the water's flow.
"The water is conducting threshold energy," she observed. "It's creating natural mathematical sequences following fluid dynamics principles."
Su-Min activated her specialized equipment, checking the tunnel conditions ahead. "Oxygen levels are stable. No detectable security systems active in this section." She glanced at her watch. "Maintenance window opens in two minutes. We need to be ready to move the moment the sensors go offline."
Jin checked his own equipment, then looked at his sister. "Are you sure about this? You've never done an underwater activation before."
Jin-Ah nodded confidently. "Dad's equations accounted for the water variables. If anything, the fluid medium should make the mathematical stabilization more effective."
Jin's communication device vibrated with a message from Dr. Ha at the monitoring station: "Division sensors offline. Window open. Proceed with caution."
"That's our signal," Su-Min announced, fitting her rebreather and slipping into the water.
Jin and Jin-Ah followed, activating their equipment as they submerged into the cold, dark tunnel. Jin's silver lines provided unexpected illumination, casting a ethereal glow through the water that allowed them to navigate without external light sources. Jin-Ah swam close behind him, her movements precise and efficient despite limited swimming experience.
Su-Min led the way through a complex network of maintenance tunnels, periodically consulting waterproof schematics to confirm their route. The threshold energy grew progressively stronger as they approached the island's foundation, manifesting as swirling patterns in the water visible through Jin's enhanced perception.
After approximately fifteen minutes of swimming, they reached a large circular grate—the entrance to the water intake system directly beneath the eastern island. Su-Min produced specialized tools to remove the securing bolts, her movements economical and practiced despite the underwater environment.
As the grate swung free, Jin sensed a sudden shift in the threshold energies surrounding them. The water ahead seemed to pulse with silvery light visible only to his perception—the unmistakable signature of a convergence point responding to his proximity.
They swam forward into a large cylindrical chamber—clearly artificial but designed to appear as a natural formation to casual observation. The walls were inscribed with the now-familiar geometric patterns that characterized all convergence points, but here they pulsed with a fluid, shifting quality that matched the water's movements.
At the center of the chamber stood a circular platform rising just above the water level, containing two recessed interfaces similar to those at Point 6 but adapted for water immersion. The entire structure glowed with subdued silver-blue light, responding to Jin's presence.
As they surfaced in the chamber, removing their rebreathers, Jin immediately sensed they weren't alone. His enhanced perception detected a threshold signature he hadn't encountered before—more intense than the partial integration of Min-Jun but somehow different from the Evolved operative who had pursued them at Seoul Plaza.
"Someone's here," he warned quietly.
"Indeed I am," came a calm voice from the shadows at the edge of the chamber.
A figure stepped into the silver-blue light—a man in his fifties with distinguished features and completely silver-blue eyes. Unlike the other Evolved they'd encountered, his transformation appeared more deliberate, the geometric patterns beneath his skin forming precise, controlled structures rather than chaotic spreads.
"Dr. Kang," Su-Min identified him, her voice tense. "Former research partner of Dr. Seo."
The man inclined his head slightly. "Su-Min. Your infiltration skills remain impressive." His gaze shifted to Jin and Jin-Ah. "The Seo children. Finally, we meet properly."
Jin positioned himself protectively in front of Jin-Ah, the silver lines beneath his skin brightening in response to the potential threat. "You're with the Evolved."
"I prefer to think of us as the Adapted," Dr. Kang replied smoothly. "But yes, I lead what you call the Evolved faction." He gestured to the chamber around them. "Impressive, isn't it? Your father designed this point specifically to utilize water as a threshold conductor—one of his most elegant innovations."
"What do you want?" Jin demanded, though he already suspected the answer.
"The same thing you want—to complete the circuit activation," Dr. Kang responded. "Though perhaps for different reasons."
"You want to force a merger between realities," Jin stated. "To transform everyone like you've been transformed."
"Evolution is inevitable," Dr. Kang responded. "Your father understood this. Why do you think he's remained in the Between-Space all these years? He's been studying the process, embracing it gradually."
Jin-Ah stepped forward. "If that were true, he wouldn't have designed the circuit with safeguards against uncontrolled merger."
Dr. Kang smiled, the expression oddly genuine despite his transformed appearance. "Perceptive, just like your father. You're right, of course. Jin-Woo always valued control and stability above all else." He gestured to the activation platform. "Which is why I'm here to propose a temporary alliance."
Before Jin could respond, their communication devices vibrated with an urgent message from Tae-Woo: "Division forces converging on your location. Underwater teams deployed from western island. Approximately ten minutes until contact."
Dr. Kang nodded as though he'd received the same information. "Division has detected unusual threshold signatures in this area. They'll be here soon, with equipment designed to prevent activation."
"Why should we trust you?" Su-Min challenged.
"Because unlike Division, I want the activation to succeed," Dr. Kang replied. "I simply wish to... influence certain parameters of the process." He turned to Jin. "Your threshold integration is approaching critical levels. You can feel it, can't you? The pull toward complete transformation."
Jin didn't answer, but the truth was evident in the increasingly complex patterns visible beneath his skin.
"I can help stabilize you during the activation," Dr. Kang continued. "My advanced integration gives me certain abilities that could prove useful against Division intervention."
Another alert vibrated through their devices—underwater detection equipment had been activated on the perimeter of the island complex. Time was running short.
Jin made a rapid assessment of their options. Division forces were closing in, and the activation would take several minutes to complete—minutes they might not have without assistance. Dr. Kang clearly had his own agenda, but for the moment, their goals aligned on the most crucial point: activating the convergence point before the temporal window closed.
"We accept your help for the activation only," Jin decided, ignoring Su-Min's look of concern. "But Jin-Ah handles the mathematical interface alone. No interference with the stabilization sequences."
Dr. Kang inclined his head. "Agreed. I'll secure the chamber perimeter against Division intrusion while you perform the activation."
As they prepared for the activation process, Jin received another communication—a direct threshold transmission bypassing their electronic devices. Agent Song's distinctive signature carried her warning: "Division primary team approaching from northwest tunnel. Director Choi leading personally. Secondary team following your trace from entry point."
Jin relayed this information to the others as they took their positions. Dr. Kang moved to the chamber entrance, where the silver-blue patterns beneath his skin began to pulse with increasing intensity. He placed his hands against the tunnel walls, and the water in the entrance passage began to swirl in unnatural patterns, creating a barrier of rapidly circulating current.
"That will slow them down," he explained, "but not for long. You should begin immediately."
Jin and Jin-Ah approached the central platform, which rose just enough above the water level to provide secure footing. The dual interfaces—one designed for Jin's genetic key, the other for Jin-Ah's mathematical input—glowed with increasing brightness as they approached.
"The water will become part of the activation medium," Jin-Ah explained, reviewing the equations she'd memorized from the data crystal. "It creates a more fluid energy distribution that can adapt to inconsistencies."
Jin nodded, feeling the silver lines beneath his skin responding to the chamber's energy. His integration rate had temporarily stabilized following Dr. Ha's treatment, but he could feel the threshold energy surrounding him, pulling him toward further transformation.
As they prepared to begin the activation sequence, distant sounds of commotion reached them—Division forces engaging with Network operatives who had established defensive positions in the upper maintenance areas. Tae-Woo's voice came through their communications: "We've engaged Division advance team. Dr. Ha and Dr. Park are secure. Proceed with activation immediately."
Jin looked at his sister, seeing determination in her eyes despite the danger. "Together," he said simply.
Jin-Ah nodded. "Together."
They placed their hands on their respective interfaces simultaneously. The effect was immediate and dramatic—more powerful than any previous activation. Jin's silver lines flared with brilliant light as Jin-Ah's interface illuminated with complex golden patterns. The water surrounding the platform began to glow with silver-blue energy, circulating in precise geometric patterns that matched those appearing beneath Jin's skin.
The sensation was unlike anything Jin had experienced before. The threshold energy flowed through him with extraordinary intensity, amplified by the water medium. He could perceive the connections forming between this point and the six previously activated points across Seoul—a complex network of silver lines converging to form a complete pattern.
Jin-Ah's hands moved across her interface with practiced precision, her eyes glowing golden as she implemented the complex mathematical sequences that stabilized the energy flow. The equations manifested physically in the water around them, golden patterns interweaving with the silver lines to create a balanced, harmonious structure.
"The synchronization is perfect," Jin-Ah reported, her voice strained with concentration. "The water is enhancing the mathematical conductivity exponentially."
Jin could barely respond, overwhelmed by the threshold energy coursing through him. His perception expanded dramatically, allowing him to sense the entire circuit taking shape across Seoul. All seven points pulsed in perfect harmony, creating a resonant pattern that strengthened with each passing second.
At the chamber entrance, Dr. Kang maintained his water barrier against the approaching Division forces, but his attention was clearly divided—part of his focus monitoring the activation process with evident fascination. The patterns beneath his skin mirrored certain aspects of the activation sequence, suggesting he was attempting to influence specific parameters despite his agreement.
As the activation reached its peak intensity, the water throughout the chamber began to defy normal physics, flowing in impossible patterns and occasionally suspending in mid-air before resuming its circulating motion. The walls of the chamber shone with brilliant silver-gold light, creating underwater beams that extended outward through the river.
Suddenly, Jin felt a new sensation—a powerful connection forming between all seven activated points. For a brief moment, his consciousness expanded beyond the physical chamber, perceiving the entire circuit as a unified whole. He could see silver lines becoming visible throughout Seoul, connecting all seven points in a complex geometric pattern that momentarily became perceptible to normal human vision.
At that precise moment, Dr. Kang's water barrier collapsed as Division forces breached the chamber entrance. Agents in specialized diving equipment emerged into the chamber, led by Director Choi herself in advanced threshold containment gear. At the same instant, additional Evolved operatives appeared from concealed positions around the chamber, their silver-blue eyes fixed on the activation platform.
Jin was vaguely aware of the three-way confrontation developing around them, but his focus remained locked on the activation sequence. The threshold energy had reached critical intensity, his integration rate accelerating dramatically despite Dr. Ha's treatment. The silver lines beneath his skin spread and intensified, creating complex geometric patterns that now covered most of his visible skin.
Just as Division agents raised specialized containment equipment, the activation reached completion. A pulse of silver-gold energy emanated from the platform, expanding outward through the water and beyond. Jin could sense the identical pulse occurring simultaneously at all seven points across Seoul, creating a resonant harmonic that vibrated through the very fabric of reality.
The intensity of the energy momentarily overwhelmed the Division equipment, causing systems to short-circuit and forcing the agents to retreat temporarily. Dr. Kang and the other Evolved operatives seemed to absorb the energy, their silver-blue patterns intensifying rather than recoiling from the pulse.
As the activation stabilized, Jin felt a momentary direct connection to his father—stronger and clearer than any previous contact. Dr. Seo's voice resonated directly in his mind: "The pathway is open, but only temporarily. Come find me, son. There's so much I need to tell you."
The connection faded as Jin collapsed onto the platform, physically drained by the intensity of the activation. Jin-Ah caught him, her own face pale with exhaustion but her eyes bright with accomplishment.
"We did it," she whispered. "The primary circuit is complete."
Before Jin could respond, Division forces regrouped, their equipment recalibrating to the new energy signature. Director Choi stepped forward, her expression cold and calculating behind her specialized breathing apparatus.
"Jin Seo, Jin-Ah Seo," her voice came through an external speaker. "You are hereby detained under Division authority for unauthorized threshold manipulation and public security violations. Surrender immediately."
Dr. Kang moved with unexpected speed, placing himself between the Seo siblings and the Division forces. "I think not, Director," he stated calmly, the water around him beginning to swirl with threshold energy. "You've lost your window of opportunity."
The standoff intensified as Evolved operatives and Division agents positioned themselves for conflict. Jin struggled to his feet, feeling the strain of the activation process throughout his transformed body. His threshold integration had accelerated dramatically—he could feel it approaching 49%, dangerously close to the critical threshold Dr. Ha had warned about.
At that critical moment, the chamber's secondary entrance erupted with activity as Tae-Woo led a Network extraction team into the space. Specialized threshold disruptors created momentary confusion among both Division and Evolved forces, providing a brief opening.
"This way!" Tae-Woo called, gesturing toward the extraction route they had prepared.
Jin supported Jin-Ah as they moved toward the extraction team, but Dr. Kang's voice halted them momentarily.
"The Between-Space awaits you, Jin Seo," he called. "But what you find there may not be what you expect. Your father's transformation is further advanced than you realize."
Jin didn't respond, focusing instead on their escape. As Division and Evolved forces engaged in direct confrontation, the Network team created a protective corridor through which Jin and Jin-Ah reached the secondary exit tunnel.
Dr. Ha waited there with monitoring equipment, her expression grave as she took readings of Jin's condition. "49% integration," she confirmed. "The activation accelerated the process beyond my projections."
"How long until critical threshold?" Jin asked, already knowing the answer.
"Hours at most," she replied. "Entering the Between-Space in your condition..."
"Could push me past the point of return," Jin finished. "I know."
As they reached their emergency extraction point—a maintenance shed near the river—Jin experienced a sudden powerful vision. His perception expanded through the fully activated circuit, creating a momentary connection to the Between-Space. In that brief glimpse, he saw his father waiting in what appeared to be a laboratory filled with advanced equipment unlike anything in normal reality.
Dr. Seo appeared significantly transformed, with silver-white hair and geometric patterns similar to Jin's but more advanced, covering much of his visible skin. Yet his eyes remained recognizably human despite the silver patterns within them, and his expression conveyed both anticipation and concern.
"Hurry, Jin," his father's voice echoed through the connection. "There's something I've discovered about the threshold—something that changes everything. The third faction isn't what you think."
The vision faded as Jin returned to full consciousness, finding himself in the extraction vehicle with the others. Jin-Ah watched him with concern.
"You saw him, didn't you?" she asked.
Jin nodded. "He's waiting for us." He looked at Dr. Ha and the others. "The pathway will remain open for approximately five hours. We need to reach the Origin Point—it's the strongest connection to the Between-Space now that the circuit is complete."
"Your condition—" Dr. Ha began.
"Isn't going to improve," Jin finished. "This is our one chance to find him and learn the truth." He turned to Jin-Ah. "But I can't ask you to take that risk."
Jin-Ah's expression hardened with determination. "I'm coming with you. The mathematical stabilization will be essential for safe passage. Besides," she added with a faint smile, "we've come this far together. We'll finish it together."
As the extraction vehicle carried them away from the Floating Islands, Jin could see Division and Evolved forces still converging on the location. The activation had created visible threshold phenomena throughout the river area—shimmering silver lines in the water, momentary reality distortions, geometric patterns appearing in the air above the islands.
The circuit is complete. The pathway is open. Now they faced the most dangerous phase of their journey—entering the Between-Space to find their father before Jin's transformation reached the point of no return.
The countdown on Dr. Park's specialized watch now showed a new timer: 4:56:32. Less than five hours to reach the Origin Point, enter the Between-Space, find Dr. Seo, and return before the pathway closed—and before Jin's threshold integration passed the critical 60% threshold.
The race against time had entered its final phase.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Primary Circuit Status [Point 7 Activated] - Primary Circuit: 7/7 Complete!
Author's Note: The primary circuit is complete, but at what cost? Jin's transformation is approaching the critical threshold, Division and Evolved forces are in open conflict, and the pathway to the Between-Space will remain open for only five hours. What will Jin and Jin-Ah discover when they finally come face-to-face with their father? And what is the truth about the mysterious "third faction" that Dr. Seo warns about? Share your theories in the comments!
Coming Next: Chapter 14: Between Spaces - Jin and Jin-Ah journey through the threshold to find their father, while their allies defend the Origin Point against Division and Evolved forces. As Jin's transformation approaches the critical threshold, the truth about Dr. Seo's research and the threshold itself will finally be revealed.