SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: You are reading [Threshold Walker: The Silver Circuit]
Morning light filtered through the trees as Jin, Dr. Ha, and Tae-Woo made their way across the Seoul National University campus. Students hurried to early classes, researchers carried coffee to laboratories, and campus security maintained a casual presence at the main entrances—all perfectly normal for a university morning.
That normality offered them the best possible cover.
"The physics building is on the north side of campus," Tae-Woo explained, leading them along tree-lined paths that minimized their exposure to security cameras. He looked like any other graduate student with his backpack and tired eyes. "Professor Park's lab is in the basement. That's where the shielding is strongest."
Jin walked alongside them, wearing borrowed clothes and a university-branded cap pulled low over his eyes. The silver lines had diminished significantly since they'd entered campus grounds, becoming fainter threads that pulsed lazily rather than the vibrant network he'd grown accustomed to.
"The threshold signature suppression is working," he observed. "I can still see the lines, but they're muted."
Dr. Ha nodded. "The Network has been installing specialized equipment across campus for months. The technology disrupts threshold detection without completely blocking it—a delicate balance."
"How many sensitives are hiding here?" Jin asked.
"Twelve confirmed," Tae-Woo replied. "Mostly students and faculty who developed sensitivity after the major breach three years ago. Some were Division recruitment targets before the Network found them."
They approached a modern glass-and-steel building with "Advanced Physical Sciences" emblazoned above its entrance. Rather than using the main doors, Tae-Woo led them to a service entrance at the back, using his student ID to access a service elevator.
"Professor Park isn't officially aligned with the Network," Dr. Ha explained as they descended to the basement. "She maintains plausible deniability, allowing her to continue her research without Division scrutiny. But she's been helping sensitives for years."
The elevator opened into a utilitarian corridor lined with storage rooms and maintenance closets. Tae-Woo led them to what appeared to be a janitor's supply room, but when he knocked in a specific pattern and swiped his ID, the back wall slid aside to reveal a hidden laboratory.
"Welcome to the real physics department," Tae-Woo said with a hint of pride.
Jin stared in amazement at the space before them. The laboratory was expansive, clearly occupying what should have been several basement rooms. Equipment of every description—both standard university research tools and devices Jin couldn't begin to identify—filled the space. Multiple workstations were occupied by people focused intently on their tasks. Along the walls, Jin noticed the same overlapping circles symbol that had marked the bookstore.
Most striking was the absence of the ever-present silver lines that had haunted Jin's vision for weeks. Here, they were barely visible—just the faintest shimmer at the edges of his perception.
A woman in her fifties approached them, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in a practical ponytail and rectangular glasses perched on her nose. She carried herself with the confidence of someone who had faced skepticism her entire career and outlasted it all.
"Dr. Ha," she greeted warmly. "It's been too long."
"Professor Park," Dr. Ha replied with respect. "Thank you for taking the risk."
Professor Park turned her attention to Jin, studying him with scientific intensity. "So you're Seo Jin-Woo's son. The resemblance is remarkable." She extended her hand. "Professor Park Mi-Sook, Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics."
Jin shook her hand. "You knew my father?"
"I was a junior faculty member when he was developing his theories," she replied. "We collaborated occasionally. His approaches were... unconventional, but brilliant." She gestured toward a quieter corner of the lab. "Come. We have much to discuss, and the Division is increasingly active in the university district."
They followed her to a conference area surrounded by equipment Jin recognized as similar to what Dr. Ha had used to stabilize the breach at the hospital. Screens displayed data feeds, including what appeared to be security camera footage from around campus.
"You're monitoring Division movements?" Jin asked.
Professor Park nodded. "We have a sophisticated early warning system. So far, they're maintaining their standard presence—two agents posing as campus security near the administration building, and occasional drive-bys. Nothing to suggest they've tracked you here."
"Yet," Tae-Woo added grimly, setting up his own monitoring equipment.
Professor Park gestured to chairs around the table. "Now, Dr. Ha tells me you have data from The Collector. I must say, dealing with that man is rarely without consequences."
Jin removed the thumb drive from his pocket, its silver geometric patterns catching the light. "He said it contains my father's research on the convergence points, including the final two locations."
"The Collector rarely gives anything valuable without expecting something in return," Professor Park warned. "But let's see what we're dealing with."
She took the drive to a standalone system—not connected to any network—and inserted it into a specialized reader rather than directly into a computer.
"Security precautions," she explained. "The Collector has been known to include... surprises in his data packages."
The system hummed to life, running what appeared to be multiple security protocols before accessing the drive's contents. Finally, files began appearing on the screen—hundreds of them, organized in folders with names like "Seo Protocol," "Convergence Matrices," and "Threshold Mapping."
"Impressive," Professor Park murmured. "This appears to be a significant portion of your father's private research database."
Dr. Ha leaned forward, scanning the filenames. "These weren't in any of the Division archives I had access to. This is all new material."
Professor Park opened a file labeled "Circuit_Complete_Projection.sim" and immediately an image appeared on the main display—a three-dimensional map of Seoul with seventeen points connected by pulsing silver lines, forming an intricate geometric pattern.
Jin felt his breath catch. The pattern matched exactly what he'd been seeing in his silver line visions, but completed—showing connections his perceptions had only hinted at.
"The convergence circuit," Dr. Ha whispered. "The complete pattern."
Professor Park manipulated the display, zooming in on specific points. "Fifteen are marked as 'confirmed' in the data—these would be the points your father had successfully established before his disappearance. The final two are marked 'theoretical'—positions calculated mathematically but never implemented."
Jin studied the map, recognizing several locations. "I've encountered three of these already. The hospital, Dr. Ha's lab, and the abandoned subway station."
"And there's one right here on campus," Professor Park noted, highlighting a point in the physics building. "Though it's never been fully activated."
Jin's attention was drawn to a specific file in the directory: "Message_for_Jin.vid"
"That file," he said, pointing. "Can you open it?"
Professor Park hesitated. "Video files can contain sophisticated malware. I should scan it first."
"Please," Jin insisted. "If my father left me a message..."
After running several security checks, Professor Park nodded and opened the file.
The screen flickered, and Jin's heart nearly stopped as his father's face appeared. Dr. Seo Jin-Woo looked tired but determined, silver flecks visible in his eyes—just like Jin's now. The timestamp in the corner showed the recording was made only days before the First Breach event that had taken him.
"Jin," his father began, his voice sending a wave of emotion through Jin. "If you're watching this, then two things have happened: I've failed to return from the Threshold, and your inherited sensitivity has awakened."
Jin leaned forward, hands gripping the edge of the table.
"I don't have much time, so I'll be direct. The convergence circuit isn't just research—it's a rescue system. A way to create stable pathways through the Threshold without the catastrophic effects of natural breaches."
Dr. Seo looked over his shoulder, as if worried about being overheard, then continued.
"The Division doesn't understand what they're dealing with. They see the Threshold as something to contain and weaponize. But it's so much more—a space between realities with its own rules, its own... intelligence."
He ran a hand through his hair—the same gesture Jin often made when stressed.
"I've established fifteen points in the pattern. The final two require a specific threshold signature to activate—one that matches the genetic key I've encoded in you, Jin. You are the only one who can complete the circuit safely."
Jin felt the weight of those words settle on him.
"When all seventeen points are active and synchronized, they'll create a stable pathway—one that can bring home those who've been trapped in the between-space. People like me."
Jin's breath caught. "He's alive," he whispered.
His father continued: "The data on this drive includes everything you'll need: the coordinates for all points, the activation sequences, and most importantly, how to use your abilities to connect the circuit. Your threshold sensitivity should have begun manifesting around your twenty-fifth birthday—earlier if exposed to a significant breach event."
"The silver lines aren't a symptom of threshold sickness, Jin. They're your inheritance—a way of seeing the connections between realities that most can't perceive. Trust what they show you."
Dr. Seo's expression softened. "I'm sorry for the burden this places on you. I tried to protect you and your sister from this world, but I always knew you might be drawn into it eventually. Take care of your mother and Jin-Ah. And be careful who you trust. Not everyone who claims to help has your best interests at heart."
The recording began to break up, static interrupting the image.
"One last thing—" his father's voice came through the interference. "The anchor points... use them to... stabilize your... Don't let the Division... circuit before... my research... home..."
The video ended abruptly, leaving the room in stunned silence.
Jin stared at the final frozen frame of his father's face, emotions churning. After five years of believing his father dead, this confirmation that he might still exist somewhere in the Threshold was overwhelming.
"He's alive," Jin repeated, stronger this time. "And he left a way to bring him back."
Dr. Ha placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Jin, the Threshold is... complicated. Time flows differently there. This recording is five years old."
"But it confirms what the echo entity said at the hospital," Jin insisted. "He's trapped between realities, not dead."
Professor Park was already examining other files. "Your father's research was decades ahead of anyone else in the field. If anyone could survive extended threshold exposure, it would be him." She opened another file, displaying complex equations. "Especially if he had prepared for that possibility."
Jin turned to her. "What do you mean?"
"These equations," she said, gesturing to the screen. "They're calculating threshold resonance patterns customized to a specific genetic signature—your father's. He was developing a way to stabilize himself within the Threshold."
Tae-Woo, who had been monitoring his equipment, suddenly straightened. "We have movement. Division vehicles entering the south campus entrance."
Professor Park moved to the security feeds. "Standard patrol or targeted search?"
"Three vehicles, tactical team configuration," Tae-Woo reported. "Director Choi's personal transport in the lead."
Jin felt a chill. "They found us."
"Perhaps not," Professor Park said, studying the feeds. "They're heading for the administration building, not the physics department. Standard procedure would be to present credentials and request cooperation from university officials before conducting a search."
"That gives us some time," Dr. Ha noted.
Jin turned back to the circuit map. "We need to understand the full pattern. If completing the circuit can bring my father back..."
Professor Park nodded. "Let's focus on what we can learn while we have time. The drive contains substantial data that will take days to analyze properly, but we can extract the essentials."
Over the next few hours, they worked through the most critical files. Professor Park explained the mathematical principles behind the convergence circuit, while Dr. Ha identified correlations with her own threshold research. Jin absorbed as much as he could, finding that concepts that should have been beyond his understanding somehow made intuitive sense.
"Your threshold sensitivity likely enhances your comprehension of these principles," Dr. Ha explained when Jin questioned this. "Your father mentioned similar effects in his early research—threshold sensitives often possess intuitive understanding of concepts that would require years of study for others."
As they worked, the laboratory door opened, admitting several people who Jin assumed were other sensitives. They glanced at him with curious expressions but maintained their distance, respecting the intensity of the group's work.
One young woman, however, approached directly. She appeared to be a graduate student, with short-cropped hair and intense eyes that showed the same subtle silver flecks Jin had seen in his own.
"You're Jin Hyeon," she stated more than asked. "I'm Min Yuna. E-Tier sensitive, like you."
Jin nodded in greeting. "You can see the silver lines too?"
"For about two years now," she confirmed. "Started after I was caught near a minor breach in the engineering department. Not as clearly as you can, according to Professor Park."
"Yuna has been helping us map threshold signatures across campus," Professor Park explained. "She's developed impressive control over her abilities."
Yuna smiled slightly. "Which means I can teach you a few things about managing yours. Professor Park said you've been experiencing threshold sickness symptoms?"
"Headaches, nosebleeds, fatigue," Jin confirmed.
"Classic manifestations," Yuna said with a nod. "I can show you some techniques that help suppress your threshold signature while minimizing strain."
Jin glanced at Dr. Ha, who nodded encouragingly.
"That would be helpful," Jin agreed. "Especially if we need to move around campus without being detected."
Yuna led Jin to a quieter section of the laboratory, where specialized equipment monitored threshold energy fluctuations. "The first principle of signature control is understanding that your perception and emission are connected. When you actively perceive threshold phenomena, you emit a stronger signature—like turning on a flashlight helps you see in the dark but also makes you more visible to others."
She demonstrated a meditation technique, showing Jin how to visualize containing his threshold energy within defined boundaries. As he practiced, the monitoring equipment showed fluctuations in his signature strength.
"Good," Yuna encouraged after several attempts. "You're getting it faster than most. Try to maintain that state while walking around."
Jin found that with concentration, he could reduce the brightness of the silver lines in his vision, which apparently corresponded to a reduction in his detectable threshold signature.
"This is similar to what the Division suppressant did," he observed, "but without losing the ability completely."
"Exactly," Yuna confirmed. "Their approach is like turning off the flashlight entirely—effective but limiting. Ours is more like using a dimmer switch—you control the intensity based on your needs."
As Jin practiced, he found himself able to adjust his perception with increasing precision. The silver lines remained visible but subdued, and the constant background headache he'd been experiencing began to recede.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Ability [Energy Manipulation Level 1] has awakened!
"What was that?" Yuna asked, noticing his sudden expression change.
"I just... felt something shift," Jin explained, not wanting to mention the system notification only he could see. "Like I gained better control suddenly."
Yuna nodded knowingly. "Threshold abilities often develop in quantum jumps rather than gradually. One moment you're struggling, the next you've mastered it."
Their practice was interrupted by Tae-Woo's urgent call from the monitoring station.
"Division's moving through campus. They've got threshold detection equipment."
Jin and Yuna rejoined the others, where the security feeds showed Division agents in plain clothes moving methodically through buildings, carrying what appeared to be standard equipment bags but which Jin now recognized as concealed detection devices.
"They're following standard search protocol," Professor Park noted. "Building by building, starting from administration and working outward. They'll reach physics within two hours at this rate."
"We should leave," Jin said. "I'm putting everyone here at risk."
"Not necessarily," Professor Park replied. "Our shielding is designed to withstand standard Division detection. If you can maintain the signature suppression you've been practicing, their equipment shouldn't register your presence."
"And if it does?" Jin asked.
"Then we have contingency plans," she assured him. "The Network has been preparing for this possibility since we established this facility."
Jin wasn't convinced. "They brought Director Choi herself. This isn't a standard search."
Dr. Ha studied the feeds. "He's right. This is a targeted operation. They must have tracked us from the subway system."
Tae-Woo enlarged one of the camera feeds, focusing on a familiar figure accompanying the Division team. "They brought Jin's sister for questioning."
Jin felt his blood run cold as he saw Jin-Ah being escorted across campus by Division agents. She didn't appear to be in restraints, but her body language showed clear discomfort.
"Jin-Ah?" he whispered. "Why would they bring her here?"
"Leverage," Dr. Ha said grimly. "They're using her to draw you out."
Jin's first instinct was to rush to his sister's aid, but Dr. Ha gripped his arm. "That's exactly what they want you to do."
"She's my sister," Jin protested. "I can't just hide while they use her as bait."
"We need a plan," Tae-Woo insisted. "Rushing out there only ensures both of you end up in Division custody."
Professor Park was already pulling up building schematics on a display. "Your sister is being taken to the administration complex for questioning. Standard Division protocol would place her in a secure room with at least two agents present."
Jin stared at the security feed showing his sister. Even through the grainy footage, he could see the worry on her face. As he watched, something strange happened—for just a moment, Jin thought he saw the faintest silver lines surrounding Jin-Ah, pulsing in time with his own.
"She's sensitive too," he realized aloud.
Dr. Ha looked skeptical. "Are you certain?"
"There are silver lines around her... fainter than mine, but there," Jin insisted. "Maybe F-Tier, but definitely something."
Professor Park nodded slowly. "It would make sense. If your father encoded threshold sensitivity genetically, both his children might inherit it."
Tae-Woo was already typing furiously at his workstation. "I'm checking Division communications... They're conducting what they're calling a 'routine security interview' with Jin-Ah regarding her brother's whereabouts."
"Standard intimidation tactic," Dr. Ha noted. "They'll threaten consequences for harboring a fugitive while suggesting cooperation could help both Jin and her mother."
Jin's resolve hardened. "I need to get to her."
"Not alone," Yuna interjected. "I can help. I know this campus better than anyone, including the service tunnels between buildings."
Professor Park looked concerned but nodded. "Yuna has successfully evaded Division detection multiple times. If anyone can guide you safely, she can."
Dr. Ha still seemed unconvinced. "This is exactly what the Division wants."
"We don't have a choice," Jin replied. "If I don't show myself, they'll take Jin-Ah to a Division facility for 'extended questioning.' Once she's off campus, getting her back becomes nearly impossible."
Reluctantly, Dr. Ha nodded. "You're right. But you need a plan beyond just reaching her."
Professor Park pointed to a section of the campus map. "There's a maintenance tunnel that connects the physics building to the administration complex. Originally designed for utilities, the Network has modified it to shield threshold signatures. You could approach undetected."
"What then?" Tae-Woo asked. "Even if you reach her, you'll need to get back out."
"I have an idea," Jin said, studying the map. "But I'll need a diversion."
They quickly developed a plan. Yuna would guide Jin through the maintenance tunnels to the administration building. Meanwhile, Tae-Woo would create a threshold energy fluctuation in the humanities building—far from both physics and administration—to draw Division attention. Once Jin reached Jin-Ah, they would use an emergency exit route Yuna had mapped out.
"What about the thumb drive?" Jin asked, nodding toward the system still displaying his father's research.
"I've copied the essential files to a secure storage device," Professor Park assured him, handing him a small metallic cylinder with familiar geometric patterns. "The original stays here for analysis. This contains the convergence point coordinates and activation protocols."
Jin pocketed the device. "Be careful. If the Division finds even part of this research..."
"We know how to protect our data," Professor Park assured him. "Now go. Your window of opportunity is narrowing."
Before leaving, Jin turned to Dr. Ha. "I'll come back as soon as possible with Jin-Ah."
Dr. Ha surprised him by pulling him into a brief, tight hug. "Be careful," she whispered. "Your father would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you now."
Jin nodded, feeling a complex mix of emotions at her unusually demonstrative gesture. Then he followed Yuna toward a service door at the back of the laboratory.
The maintenance tunnel was cramped and dimly lit, with pipes and conduits running along the ceiling. Yuna moved with confident familiarity, leading Jin through turns and junctions that would have quickly disorientated him without her guidance.
"How long have you been living here?" Jin asked as they navigated the labyrinth.
"Almost two years," Yuna replied without slowing. "After my threshold sensitivity developed, the Division tried to recruit me. When I refused, they became... insistent. Professor Park helped me disappear."
"And your family?"
A flash of pain crossed her face. "Limited contact. It's safer for them."
Jin thought of his own mother, ailing and confused from threshold sickness, and his sister now in Division custody. "I'm sorry."
Yuna shrugged. "We all make sacrifices. At least here I can learn to control my abilities rather than suppress them."
They reached a junction where the tunnel split in three directions. Yuna checked a small device that resembled the threshold detector Dr. Ha had used.
"Administration complex is through the right passage. The central security office should be on the second floor, east wing." She handed Jin an earpiece. "This connects to the Network's communication system. Tae-Woo will guide you once you're inside."
Jin inserted the earpiece, immediately hearing Tae-Woo's voice confirming the connection.
"Division has your sister in Interview Room 2," Tae-Woo reported. "Two agents present, standard questioning protocol. Director Choi is observing from the adjacent room."
"How did you access their communications?" Jin asked.
"We haven't," Tae-Woo replied. "But we have cameras and microphones in most administration rooms. University security installed them years ago, and we... repurposed them."
Jin turned to Yuna. "You're not coming with me?"
She shook her head. "I'll create a secondary diversion from the east entrance. More effective if we split their attention three ways."
Jin nodded gratefully. "Thank you for the help."
"Just get your sister out safely," Yuna replied. "And remember your training—keep your signature suppressed."
Jin concentrated, dimming the silver lines in his perception as he'd practiced. Then he moved into the right-hand tunnel, following it toward the administration building.
The passage eventually led to a utility room filled with electrical panels and water heaters. From Tae-Woo's instructions, Jin found the service stairs and made his way cautiously to the second floor.
The administration building was surprisingly quiet. Jin had expected more activity during a Division operation, but the hallways were nearly empty. Through his earpiece, Tae-Woo guided him toward Interview Room 2, warning him when to pause as Division agents passed nearby.
As Jin approached the interview room, he noticed something odd—the silver lines were behaving strangely, seeming to bend away from certain areas while clustering more densely in others.
"They've got threshold dampening fields active," Jin whispered into his communicator. "I can see the distortion patterns."
"That's new technology," Tae-Woo responded with concern. "It shouldn't be detectable to E-Tier sensitivity."
Jin realized his abilities were continuing to develop, allowing him to perceive things that should have been beyond his range. He filed that information away for later as he positioned himself near the interview room, trying to catch a glimpse through the small window in the door.
Inside, Jin-Ah sat at a table facing two Division agents in business attire. She appeared composed but exhausted, answering questions with short, careful responses.
"Ms. Jin," one agent was saying, "we're trying to help your brother. His condition is deteriorating, and without proper medical supervision, the threshold sickness could cause permanent damage."
Jin-Ah's expression remained skeptical. "You've been 'helping' my mother for five years. She's worse now than when you started."
The other agent leaned forward. "Your mother's case is advanced. Jin Hyeon's condition is still treatable, but time is critical. Help us find him before it's too late."
Jin watched his sister's face carefully. Anyone else would see only stubborn resistance, but he recognized the slight narrowing of her eyes—she was buying time, already suspecting he might be nearby.
Jin needed a distraction to separate Jin-Ah from her handlers. As if on cue, alarms began blaring throughout the building.
"Threshold fluctuation detected in humanities, east wing," announced an automated voice over the intercom. "All personnel implement containment protocol beta."
The agents exchanged glances. One stood, speaking into a wrist communicator. "Maintain position with the subject. I'll check the alert status."
Perfect. With one agent leaving, the odds improved significantly. Jin waited until the door opened and the agent stepped into the hallway, then immediately implemented his hastily developed plan.
Focusing on the silver lines running along the ceiling, Jin channeled his newly awakened energy manipulation ability. The fluorescent lights directly above the remaining agent flickered violently before shorting out with a small shower of sparks.
As the agent looked up in surprise, Jin entered the room, finger to his lips as he caught Jin-Ah's eye. She showed only momentary shock before composing herself.
"Fire hazard," Jin announced in an authoritative tone. "We need to evacuate this section immediately."
The agent turned, hand moving toward his concealed weapon. "Who—"
Jin focused again, channeling threshold energy to create a brief disruption in the room's electronics. Every device—lights, recording equipment, the agent's communication earpiece—emitted a high-pitched whine before failing.
In the momentary confusion, Jin moved forward and pressed the silver cylinder Professor Park had given him against the agent's neck. A mild electrical charge—nothing dangerous, but enough to disorient—pulsed through the device, causing the agent to stagger.
"Jin!" Jin-Ah exclaimed, rising quickly. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting you out," he replied, taking her hand. "Follow me, and stay close."
They hurried into the hallway, Jin guiding them away from the direction the first agent had taken. Through his earpiece, Tae-Woo directed them toward a service exit.
"Second agent is returning," Tae-Woo warned. "Take the next left and then immediate right into the file room."
They followed the instructions, ducking into a room filled with filing cabinets just as footsteps echoed down the corridor behind them.
"Where are we going?" Jin-Ah whispered.
"Physics building," Jin replied softly. "There are people there who can help us."
Jin-Ah's eyes widened. "The Network? They're real?"
Before Jin could ask how she knew about the Network, the door to the file room began to open. Jin pulled his sister behind a tall cabinet, concentrating on suppressing his threshold signature as Yuna had taught him.
A Division agent glanced into the room, scanning it briefly before continuing down the hall.
"That was close," Jin-Ah breathed. "How did they not see us?"
"I'll explain later," Jin promised. "We need to keep moving."
Tae-Woo guided them through back corridors and service areas, avoiding the main search patterns. As they descended to the first floor, Jin felt the building's atmosphere change—the air became charged with energy, and the silver lines pulsed more vigorously.
"They're activating stronger threshold detection equipment," he told Tae-Woo. "I can feel it."
"Hurry," came the urgent reply. "East exit, then across the quad to the physical sciences service door. Yuna will meet you there."
They had just reached the east exit when Jin sensed a powerful presence behind them—one that appeared as an absence in the silver lines, a void where energy should flow.
"Hello, Jin Hyeon," came a calm, authoritative female voice.
They turned to find a striking woman in her forties, dressed in an impeccable suit, her presence commanding respect. Director Choi Min-Jung, head of the Threshold Containment Division.
Unlike Agent Song, who simply lacked silver lines around her, Director Choi seemed to actively repel them—creating a deadened zone in Jin's perception.
"Your abilities are developing impressively," she observed. "Energy manipulation already? Your father would be proud."
Jin pushed Jin-Ah slightly behind him. "What do you want?"
"The same thing you want," Director Choi replied smoothly. "To find your father and bring him home."
Jin felt his sister's surprise at these words, but kept his focus on the Director.
"Then why chase me like a criminal?" he demanded.
"Because untrained abilities are dangerous—to you and to others," she replied. "The threshold sickness you're experiencing will accelerate without proper treatment. Ask your mother about that." Her gaze shifted to Jin-Ah. "Or has she forgotten who you are in her more confused moments?"
Jin fought back a surge of anger. "Don't talk about my mother."
Director Choi took a step forward, and Jin noticed something unusual—she wore a silver bracelet with geometric patterns that matched those on his father's thumb drive.
"Your father was my friend and colleague," she said, her tone softening slightly. "We worked together before the Division existed. I promised him I would protect his family if anything happened to him."
"By experimenting on my mother? By hunting me down?" Jin challenged.
"By keeping you safe from those who would use you," she countered. "Like The Collector. Did he tell you what he really wants with the convergence circuit? What activating all seventeen points would actually do?"
Before Jin could respond, the lights throughout the building suddenly went out. Emergency systems kicked in seconds later, bathing everything in red—eerily similar to the hospital during the breach.
Through his earpiece, Jin heard Tae-Woo's urgent voice: "Major threshold fluctuation detected! Not our diversion—this is real!"
As if confirming his words, the silver lines around them began pulsing erratically, and Jin felt the familiar pressure behind his eyes that preceded a breach event.
Director Choi's expression changed instantly from persuasive to alert. She touched her communication device. "Full containment protocol. Secure the sensitives and prepare breach response teams."
She looked back at Jin. "This discussion isn't over, but right now you need to get to safety. Both of you."
To Jin's surprise, she pointed toward the exit. "Go. The physics building has threshold shielding. You'll be safer there than with me."
Jin hesitated, confused by her apparent cooperation.
"Go!" she repeated more forcefully. "I have a breach to contain."
Jin grabbed Jin-Ah's hand and pulled her toward the exit. Outside, the campus was in controlled chaos—students being directed to secure buildings while Division agents moved purposefully toward the humanities complex, where a distortion was becoming visible even to normal perception.
"Was that your diversion?" Jin-Ah asked as they hurried across the quad.
"No," Jin replied grimly. "That's a real breach event."
They reached the physical sciences building just as Yuna appeared at the service entrance, waving them urgently inside.
"Hurry!" she called. "The threshold barrier is fluctuating!"
They followed her into the building and down to the hidden laboratory, where organized activity had given way to controlled urgency. Professor Park and Dr. Ha were monitoring equipment displaying alarming spikes in energy readings.
"What's happening?" Jin asked as they joined them.
"The threshold is thinning across campus," Professor Park explained, pointing to a map showing multiple fluctuation points. "It's not a single breach event, but multiple weak spots appearing simultaneously."
"Like nothing we've seen before," Dr. Ha added. "It's as if the entire threshold boundary is destabilizing."
Jin-Ah stared at the monitors, then at the people around her. "Jin, what is all this? Who are these people?"
"They're like me," he explained. "Threshold sensitives. People who can see and interact with the energy between realities."
His sister's expression shifted from confusion to something closer to recognition. "The silver dreams," she whispered. "I've been having them too. Not as vivid as what you described, but similar."
Before Jin could respond, one of the laboratory's alarms began blaring. On the monitor, a new fluctuation point appeared—directly beneath the physics building.
"That's not possible," Professor Park exclaimed. "Our shielding should prevent—"
Her words were cut off as the floor beneath them shuddered. The silver lines in Jin's perception suddenly flared blindingly bright, concentrating toward a point in the center of the laboratory—exactly where the campus convergence point was located on his father's map.
"It's activating!" Dr. Ha shouted over the noise of equipment failing and alarms blaring. "The convergence point is activating on its own!"
Jin moved toward the center of the disturbance, drawn by an instinct he couldn't explain. The silver lines were forming a complex pattern on the floor—the same geometric design he'd seen at other convergence points, but more elaborate, more complete.
As he approached, the pattern responded to his presence, the lines brightening and expanding. Through the chaos around him, Jin heard Tae-Woo's voice:
"All the convergence points are activating simultaneously! The whole circuit is lighting up!"
Jin reached the center of the pattern and knelt, placing his hand on the floor as he had at the transit point. Immediately, energy surged through him, and the silver lines exploded outward in a visible wave that everyone in the room could see.
Images flooded Jin's mind—not just memories this time, but live connections:
The hospital convergence point pulsing with energy... the transit point in the abandoned subway glowing silver-blue... Dr. Ha's laboratory equipment activating on its own... the plaza downtown where silver light erupted from the pavement... his father's old office where documents swirled in a threshold wind...
And then, something new. A voice—his father's voice—crystal clear despite the five years of separation:
"Jin. You found it. The Science Point. Now you can see what I built."
Jin's eyes glowed silver as his perception expanded beyond the laboratory, beyond the campus, encompassing the entire city. For one brief, transcendent moment, he could see all fifteen established convergence points simultaneously, connected by pulsing silver pathways that formed an incomplete but magnificent circuit.
And in the center of that circuit, a shadowy figure with familiar eyes looked directly at him across the gulf between realities.
"Find me," his father's voice echoed. "Complete the circuit. Bring me home."
Then the connection broke. The silver lines receded to their normal intensity, and Jin collapsed to the floor, blood trickling from his nose as the wave of energy dissipated.
Dr. Ha was instantly at his side, checking his pulse. "Jin! Can you hear me?"
Jin blinked up at her, his vision swimming. "I saw him," he whispered. "My father. He's alive in the Threshold."
Jin-Ah knelt beside him, her own eyes wide with shock. "I saw him too," she said quietly. "For just a moment... I saw Dad."
Around them, the laboratory slowly returned to normal as the threshold fluctuation subsided. Equipment rebooted, and people regained their composure. Professor Park was already analyzing data from the event.
"Unprecedented," she declared. "A synchronized activation of multiple convergence points without direct interaction. Something triggered the entire network simultaneously."
Jin struggled to sit up, wiping blood from his nose. "Not something," he said. "Someone. My father did this. He's showing us the circuit is real, and it works."
Dr. Ha helped him to a chair. "How do you feel?"
"Like my brain tried to download the entire internet at once," Jin replied with a weak smile. "But I'm okay."
Jin-Ah was staring at her brother with new understanding. "You're really connected to all this, aren't you? The silver lines, the convergence points, Dad's disappearance... it's all real."
Jin nodded. "And now you're part of it too. The Division won't just let you go back to your life after this."
His sister straightened her shoulders, suddenly resembling their father in her determination. "Then I guess I'm coming with you, wherever you're going next."
Tae-Woo approached with a tablet displaying campus security feeds. "Division is conducting a full sweep of campus following the fluctuation event. They'll reach this building within thirty minutes."
Professor Park nodded. "We need to implement evacuation protocols. Jin, you and your sister should go with Dr. Ha to our secondary facility. I'll coordinate the campus response here."
"What about the research?" Jin asked, thinking of his father's thumb drive.
"Already secured," Professor Park assured him. "And now we have new data from today's event to analyze."
Dr. Ha gathered essential equipment while Tae-Woo prepared an exit route. Jin turned to his sister, who was watching the activity with a mixture of fear and fascination.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "Once you're in, there's no going back to normal life."
Jin-Ah met his gaze steadily. "Normal ended five years ago when Dad disappeared. I've just been pretending otherwise." She touched his arm gently. "Besides, we're family. Where you go, I go."
As they prepared to leave, Jin thought about Director Choi's warning about The Collector and the true purpose of the convergence circuit. What wasn't his father telling him? What would really happen when all seventeen points were activated?
But those were questions for later. Right now, they needed to escape campus before the Division locked it down completely.
One thing was certain—he was no longer alone in his quest. With his sister at his side, Dr. Ha's scientific knowledge, and the Network's support, finding the remaining convergence points seemed possible for the first time.
And somewhere in the space between realities, his father was waiting for him to complete what he had started.
Author's Note: Jin's ability to influence the convergence points is growing stronger! What do you think Director Choi knows about The Collector's true motives? And did you notice Jin-Ah's sensitivity manifesting? Share your theories in the comments!
Coming Next: Chapter 6: Family Ties - As Division pressure increases, Jin must find a way to help his ailing mother while protecting his newly-involved sister. Plus, Agent Song reveals an unexpected connection to the Seo family!