SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: You are reading [Threshold Walker: The Silver Circuit]
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Jin Hyeon's Threshold Integration: 60.2% (critical threshold passed)
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: New Ability Unlocked: [Reality Anchoring Level 1]
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Current Location: Between-Space (Stable Pocket)
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Time Remaining: 4 hours 28 minutes
The Between-Space laboratory surrounded Jin like a dream constructed from pure threshold energy. Silver-gold geometric patterns flowed through the environment, responding to his movements as if the space itself were alive and aware.
Jin stared at his father, emotions warring inside him—joy at finally finding him, anger at the revelations about his mother, and confusion about everything he'd just learned.
"I need to understand," Jin said, forcing his voice to remain steady despite the threshold energy churning inside him. "All of it. From the beginning."
Dr. Seo nodded, his transformed appearance still jarring to Jin—the silver-white hair, the circuit patterns across his skin, the geometric light in his eyes. He looked simultaneously more and less than human.
"The threshold disturbance has passed for now," his father said, glancing toward where Eu-Ri had created a barrier. The Immersed entity had receded to the edges of the laboratory space, her silver-violet form maintaining vigilance. "We have time. But we must use it wisely."
With a gesture, Dr. Seo conjured a complex visualization in the center of the laboratory—a three-dimensional model showing two overlapping spheres of reality.
"Let me show you what the Division never understood—what they refused to understand."
"The threshold is not what the Division believes," Dr. Seo explained, manipulating the model with casual mastery. "It's not an invasion from another dimension. It's not a disease to be cured or a threat to be contained."
Jin watched as his father's hands traced patterns through the model, the Between-Space responding fluidly to his touch.
"It's a boundary space between realities," Dr. Seo continued. "A permeable membrane that allows limited interaction between worlds that normally remain separate."
The visualization shifted, showing two distinct realities with the threshold as a silver-blue boundary between them.
"And boundaries... shift. They move. They sometimes break down entirely. It's a natural cosmic cycle that has happened before and will happen again."
Jin struggled to process the implications. "You're saying realities naturally merge?"
"Yes. We're in the early stages of what I call a convergence cycle," his father confirmed. "The signs have been there for decades, but accelerated five years ago. The increased threshold breaches, the entity appearances, the sensitivity awakenings in people like you—all symptoms of the boundaries thinning."
The model transformed to show the two realities gradually overlapping, merging into one.
"The Division believes they can stop it," Dr. Seo continued, his expression grim. "They're developing technology to 'seal' the threshold permanently. But that's like trying to stop continental drift or hold back an ocean with a dam. The pressure would build until it catastrophically failed."
"And the Evolved?" Jin asked.
"They've gone to the opposite extreme. Dr. Kang believes we should accelerate the merger—force a complete threshold collapse that would fully integrate the realities immediately."
The model shifted again, showing violent energy patterns tearing through both worlds.
"Either approach leads to the same outcome," Dr. Seo said. "Catastrophic destabilization of both realities."
Jin stared at the chaotic energy tearing apart the model worlds. "So that's why you created the circuit? To manage this... convergence?"
"Yes. The convergence is inevitable, but how it happens is not. The circuit can guide the process—make it harmonious instead of destructive."
A new visualization appeared, showing the seventeen circuit points across Seoul connected in a complex geometric pattern.
"The primary circuit you've completed creates a stable connection to the Between-Space," Dr. Seo explained. "But the complete circuit would form a stabilization network capable of regulating threshold energy across the entire city—a prototype for larger networks that could eventually manage the worldwide convergence."
Jin studied the model with new understanding. "And that's why you encoded the circuit activation in a way only Jin-Ah and I could complete. I provide the genetic resonance..."
"And your sister provides the mathematical stabilization," his father finished. "Both are necessary. The silver lines respond to your genetic signature because I designed them that way—using my own DNA as a template. But Jin-Ah's mathematical abilities are what prevent the energy from destabilizing during activation."
A question formed in Jin's mind as he observed his father's transformed appearance. "How have you survived here for five years? Dr. Ha said prolonged threshold exposure is fatal to humans without proper protection."
His father's expression grew troubled. "That's where we come to the most difficult part of my explanation."
He waved a hand, and a new image appeared—Jin's mother, lying in her hospital bed at Serene Meadows Care Center.
"Your mother's condition isn't what you've been told."
"An anchor?" Jin repeated, struggling to understand. "You're saying Mom isn't sick with threshold exposure, but... tethered to you somehow?"
Dr. Seo nodded solemnly. "To exist in the Between-Space long-term, I needed an anchor in the physical world. Someone with compatible threshold resonance. Someone whose consciousness could partially extend into this space."
Horror dawned as Jin fully understood. "Mom's disconnected state—her 'threshold sickness'—it's because part of her is here with you?"
"Yes," his father confirmed. "The anchor bond keeps me stable here, but it draws on her consciousness. That's why she appears disconnected from reality. Her mind exists partially in both places."
Anger flared in Jin, hot and sudden. "You did this to her without asking? You just... took her mind?"
"It wasn't planned," Dr. Seo said defensively. "The Third Breach was expanding exponentially. The Division's containment measures were failing. Thousands would have died if it wasn't controlled from within."
"So you sacrificed Mom instead?"
"I made a choice in a desperate moment," his father insisted. "There was no time for detailed explanations or consent forms. The breach was collapsing around me. Your mother was there—she'd been helping with my research. Our resonance patterns were already aligned from years of working together."
Jin stepped back, his mind reeling. Silver lines around his body pulsed with his emotional turmoil, disrupting the stability of the Between-Space laboratory.
"So if you return to normal reality..."
"Breaking the anchor bond improperly could cause your mother irreparable harm," Dr. Seo confirmed grimly. "That's the truth I've been wrestling with for five years."
Jin felt physically ill, threshold energy churning inside him. The father he'd idolized, the researcher he'd admired—had effectively sacrificed Jin's mother for his work.
"That's why you created the full circuit, isn't it?" Jin accused. "Not just to stabilize convergence. You're looking for a way back that won't kill Mom."
"Yes," Dr. Seo admitted. "The complete circuit could potentially allow for safe dissolution of the anchor bond. But it requires all seventeen points activated in the correct sequence, with proper mathematical stabilization."
Jin's fists clenched. "How convenient. You trap Mom's mind, then tell me the only way to save her is to finish your work."
Pain flashed across his father's luminescent eyes. "I understand your anger, Jin. But the circuit's completion is necessary regardless of my situation. The convergence is accelerating. Without proper management, both realities will suffer catastrophic breakdown."
From the edge of the laboratory space, a resonant pattern emanated from Eu-Ri's silver-violet form.
Jin turned toward the Immersed entity. "And what are you? Another one of his experiments?"
"The Immersed are native to the Between-Space," Dr. Seo explained as Eu-Ri's form drifted closer. "They've existed in the boundary between realities for longer than humanity has walked the Earth."
Jin studied the entity warily. Unlike his father's solid presence, Eu-Ri seemed to exist in multiple states simultaneously, her edges blurring into the surrounding Between-Space.
"They call themselves the Immersed because they are fully integrated with threshold energy—it's their natural state of being," Dr. Seo continued. "When I first arrived here, they found me. Helped me survive. Taught me to stabilize this pocket of reality."
Eu-Ri's form shifted, complex geometric patterns flowing through her silver-violet light.
The alien thought patterns flowed directly into Jin's mind—not words exactly, but mathematical impressions layered with emotional resonance.
"She's trying to communicate with you," his father explained. "The Immersed perceive reality as mathematical patterns and resonances. They don't speak as we understand language."
Jin concentrated, trying to interpret the impressions. "She's saying... this convergence has happened before?"
"Many times throughout cosmic history," Dr. Seo confirmed. "The Immersed hold the memory of previous cycles. They understand the process better than any human could."
Eu-Ri's form pulsed, projecting another series of impressions.
"The Immersed believe in what they call 'harmonic convergence,'" Dr. Seo translated. "A balanced merger that preserves the essential nature of both realities while allowing them to integrate naturally."
Eu-Ri gestured, and the visualization in the center of the laboratory changed to show a harmonious blending of realities—not chaotic destruction, but organized integration.
"This is what the circuit is designed to facilitate," Dr. Seo explained. "A controlled convergence that preserves the best of both worlds."
Jin looked between his father and the Immersed entity, his anger temporarily giving way to wonder at the scale of what he was learning.
"Why didn't the Division know about them?" he asked.
"They've known about threshold entities for years, but they classify all of them as invasive threats," Dr. Seo replied. "The Division refuses to accept that some entities, like the Immersed, are beneficial—or that the threshold itself is a natural phenomenon rather than an invasion."
Jin thought about Director Choi's hardline containment policies, about the Division's "purification" protocols for threshold-contaminated sites.
"And the Evolved?"
Dr. Seo's expression darkened. "Dr. Kang began as my research partner. He glimpsed the truth about convergence but drew the wrong conclusions. He believes humanity should be forcibly transformed to survive in the merged reality—that we should accelerate the process through artificial threshold integration."
"Like what's happening to me," Jin said, looking down at the silver lines visible beneath his skin.
"No," his father said firmly. "Your transformation is controlled, calibrated. The Evolved are forcing threshold integration at rates the human mind and body can't safely adapt to. The results are... unstable."
Eu-Ri pulsed with urgency.
Jin felt suddenly vulnerable. "They can track me here?"
"Your threshold signature is unique," Dr. Seo explained. "And now that you've crossed 60% integration, it's strong enough to be detected across realities. The Evolved want to use you, Jin—your genetic key to the circuit."
Another ripple passed through the Between-Space, like distant thunder.
"We don't have much time left," Dr. Seo said urgently.
The laboratory shifted as Dr. Seo manipulated the Between-Space, bringing forth a holographic display of the remaining convergence points.
"The remaining ten points must be activated in a specific sequence," he explained, highlighting each location in turn. "Point 8—Seoul Tower—serves as the vertical stabilizer for the circuit. It must be next."
Jin watched as his father demonstrated the activation requirements for each remaining point—the specialized equipment needed, the mathematical formulas Jin-Ah would need to develop, the timing factors critical for stable activation.
"Some points require specific astronomical conditions," Dr. Seo continued. "Others need exact mathematical harmonics that only Jin-Ah can calculate. The sequence matters as much as the activation itself."
Jin studied the complex patterns with growing apprehension. "This is beyond anything we've done so far."
"Because the stakes are higher," his father replied. "The primary circuit established the framework. The complete circuit will determine how the convergence unfolds."
Dr. Seo reached into the fabric of the Between-Space itself, manipulating threshold energy until it condensed into a crystal-like object. Complex mathematical formulas and circuit diagrams swirled inside it, pulsing with silver-gold light.
"This contains everything you need to know," he said, offering the crystal to Jin. "Specifications, activation sequences, mathematical stabilization formulas. Jin-Ah will understand the mathematical principles even if the applications seem impossible at first."
Jin hesitated before taking it. "How do I know activating the remaining points won't harm Mom more? How do I know this isn't just your way of completing your research at any cost?"
Pain flashed across his father's face. "Because I love her, Jin. Everything I've done—the circuit, the research, surviving in this place—has been to find a way to fix what I did. To bring us both home safely."
The crystal felt warm against Jin's palm, pulsing in time with the threshold energy flowing through his veins.
"The complete circuit is designed to stabilize all threshold phenomena," Dr. Seo insisted. "Including the anchor bond. It's your mother's best chance—our best chance."
Another, stronger ripple shook the laboratory. In the distance, silver-blue light flared—different from the silver-gold of his father, different from the silver-violet of Eu-Ri.
Eu-Ri's form fluctuated anxiously.
Dr. Seo's expression grew urgent. "There's something else you need to know, Jin. Something about the Division."
He manipulated the visualization to show a classified facility deep beneath Seoul.
"Director Choi isn't just trying to contain the threshold. She's weaponizing it. Project Spearhead—a program to develop weapons that can create controlled threshold breaches."
Jin stared at the images of experimental weapons, testing chambers filled with threshold energy, research subjects exposed to controlled doses of radiation.
"She believes threshold weapons could give Korea military supremacy," Dr. Seo explained. "But she doesn't understand that weaponizing threshold energy accelerates the convergence in the most chaotic way possible."
A third, violent ripple shook the Between-Space. Equipment in the laboratory began to destabilize, geometric patterns breaking apart and reforming.
Dr. Seo gripped Jin's shoulders. "You need to go. Use your Reality Anchoring ability—it's awakened now that you've passed 60% integration. Focus on stabilizing your connection to the Origin Point."
"Dad, I can't just leave with half-answers!" Jin protested. "I need to know if there's a way to save both you and Mom!"
His father's eyes flashed with silver-gold energy. "Theoretically, yes. If the complete circuit is activated in the correct sequence, with the proper harmonics, it could create a resonant field that allows the anchor bond to dissolve naturally—returning both our consciousnesses to their proper places."
"Theoretically?" Jin repeated skeptically.
"It's never been attempted," Dr. Seo admitted. "But the mathematics are sound. Jin-Ah will confirm it when she studies the crystal."
The laboratory began to destabilize around them as whatever was approaching drew nearer. Eu-Ri's form expanded, creating a barrier of silver-violet energy.
Jin clutched the threshold crystal, torn between lingering anger, new understanding, and the urgent need to escape.
"How do I know you're telling the truth about any of this?" he demanded.
"Ask your mother," Dr. Seo said quietly. "In her lucid moments, she remembers. She knows what we did—what we're trying to do."
Jin's eyes widened. "She consented? You said there wasn't time—"
"There wasn't time for full explanation," his father clarified. "But she understood enough. Your mother and I had discussed threshold anchoring theory for months before the breach. She knew the principles, if not the specific application I was forced to attempt."
The Between-Space shuddered violently. Jin could see the silver pathway he'd originally followed beginning to destabilize.
"Use your new ability," Dr. Seo urged. "Focus on the crystal—it's keyed to your threshold signature. It will help guide you back."
Jin gripped the crystal and reached out with his threshold senses. He felt the new ability—Reality Anchoring—responding to his need, creating a stable pocket of energy around him as the chaos increased.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Reality Anchoring Level 1 active
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Return pathway stabilizing
The silver pathway flickered back into clear view, leading back to the Origin Point, to Jin-Ah and the team.
"Wait," Jin said, a new question forming. "If I'm going to complete the circuit—if I'm going to fix what you did—I need to know: did you choose me for this? Did you design me to be your backup plan?"
Dr. Seo's expression softened. "I didn't design you, Jin. But I did recognize your potential from an early age. The threshold sensitivity, the genetic resonance with the silver lines—they were always part of you. I simply created tools that would respond to what was already there."
"And my transformation? Crossing 60%? Was that part of your plan too?"
"I had hoped it wouldn't be necessary," his father admitted. "But the circuit requires a Walker to complete it properly. Someone who can move between realities. I'm sorry, Jin. I would have spared you this if I could have."
The Between-Space laboratory began to collapse at its edges as the Evolved forces drew closer. Eu-Ri's barrier flickered, her form straining to maintain protection.
Jin took a step toward the pathway, then paused one last time. "One more thing—if Mom's mind is partially here with you, why can't I see her?"
"Because her consciousness exists in a different state than physical manifestation," Dr. Seo explained quickly. "But she's here, Jin. Part of her has been with me all along. And she wants both of us to come home."
Another violent surge rocked the Between-Space. Jin felt his Reality Anchoring ability straining to maintain stability.
"Go!" his father urged. "The pathway is collapsing!"
Jin focused on the crystal, on the pathway, on his newly awakened ability. The laboratory and his father began to fade from view.
"Complete the circuit, Jin!" Dr. Seo called, his voice growing distant. "It's the only way to save both worlds—and both your parents!"
The silver-violet form of Eu-Ri flashed once in farewell, then extended toward the approaching threat, her geometric patterns realigning into a defensive configuration.
"I'll try to contact you through the circuit connection!" his father's voice echoed. "But if I can't—trust the crystal! Trust Jin-Ah's mathematical insight!"
Then everything dissolved into streaming lines of silver light. Jin felt himself being pulled along the pathway, back through the boundary between realities. The Between-Space collapsed behind him, and the last thing he saw was his father and Eu-Ri turning to face the approaching silver-blue light, threshold energy gathering around them like living lightning.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Reality Anchoring has increased to Level 2!
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: You can now stabilize threshold fluctuations within a 5-meter radius.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Relationship with Dr. Seo Jin-Woo: 82/100 (Guide and Partner)
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: New Knowledge Acquired: Circuit Completion Protocols
WARNING: Between-Space stability decreasing
WARNING: Return protocol initiated
WARNING: Arrival at Origin Point in 3... 2... 1...
The world around Jin exploded in silver light as he crashed back into physical reality, the crystal clutched tightly in his hand and his father's final warning echoing in his mind: "The Division doesn't just want to stop the circuit—they want to weaponize the threshold. Director Choi knows more than she's revealed."
Next Chapter: Return Protocol - Jin returns to normal reality with critical knowledge, facing immediate threats from Division forces while struggling to share the truth about his mother's condition with Jin-Ah.
Author's Note: Jin finally learns the truth about the threshold, the circuit, and his parents! Do you think Dr. Seo is telling the whole truth? Is there really a way to save both parents, or will Jin be forced to choose? Share your theories in the comments!