Just a...

Jon stood in front of his old room, his thoughts clouded by two pressing reasons for returning.

First, he wanted his belongings—the only comfort he could feel in this unfamiliar world was old belongings.

Second, he was here for the strange energy that led him here.

Still, he hadn't truly expected to come back here, not after everything that had happened at least not yet.

As he stood before the door, memories of his now-dead roommates crept into his mind.

Betrayal lingered like a sour aftertaste, making him wonder if what had happened to his roommates mirrored the actions of his own parents.

Just standing in front of the door brought back an overwhelming rush of memories, and stepping inside would likely be even worse. The familiar smell of his old life would greet him, but he knew his trait wouldn't allow him to dwell on it for long.

'I really need to get rid of this trait', he thought to himself.

If only he knew—such a thing was impossible, like trying to scrape away a part of his very soul.

With a deep breath, Jon pushed open the door.

The room still felt oddly homely, but he couldn't find comfort in it anymore. He'd left for a quick jog, expecting to return soon, never imagining the world would change so drastically while he was gone.

But he was here now for two reasons: to collect his belongings and investigate the strange energy he had been following. As soon as he stepped inside, the energy became more potent, prickling his skin like static electricity.

The energy filled the room, so Jon knew he'd need to use his Moon Gaze ability to pinpoint the exact source.

After a quick sweep, the answer came back to him: it was centered around his bed.

He immediately felt wary. First, it was his room. Now, his bed? What next? His watch, perhaps—the one he'd left there before he went out? Wariness crept in, but with a sense of irony, he couldn't have been more right.

As he moved closer, it was indeed his watch.

"What kind of bullshit is this?" Jon muttered.

He distinctly remembered placing the watch on the bed before leaving.

Thanks to his Mind World ability, his recent memories were as clear as if they'd happened yesterday.

Jon furrowed his brow as he tried to recall how he'd even come into possession of the watch in the first place.

"Wasn't it... Wait, how did I get this watch?" His thoughts suddenly blanked. He could remember it had been given to him on his 10th birthday, but by who?

The more he tried to focus on it, a serious headache took him,"Argh!" He clutched his skull, the memory dancing just out of reach.

'Why is this happening to me?' he thought, but the moment he let go of the thought, the pain eased.

It was strange—he should be able to remember. It was a family member, that much he was sure of.

But the more he grasped at the memory, the sharper the pain became.

"ARGHHHH!" he screamed, collapsing to his knees. Minutes passed as he fought with his own mind, but in the end, he had to stop.

His head couldn't take the strain anymore.

'Is something stopping me from remembering? ' The thought struck him, but no clear answers followed. His first instinct was to blame his father. His hatred for the man had only grown over time, so why not pile this on him as well? It made Jon feel better, even if it was irrational.

Frustrated but unwilling to dwell any longer, Jon finally reached for the watch. It still looked like the ordinary wristwatch he was used to—plain silver, unremarkable in every way.

He'd worn it for the past nine years, and there was nothing special about it. Or at least, there hadn't been before.

This time, however, something was different.

[ ?????*** ?? watch (???? Realm): ??????? ]

"Ha... why am I even surprised?" Jon sighed at the partially concealed message.

For a while now, he'd been unable to fully see the descriptions of some of his skills and items, simply because he was too weak to handle them.

This watch was clearly no exception.

"But if this is some kind of treasure, shouldn't Cynthia's skill have detected it?" He pondered the absence of his companion's insight.

'It is Either this watch is way beyond her abilities, or her skill isn't as overpowered as I thought.'

He studied the watch for a moment longer.

Despite its hidden power, it didn't feel particularly special.

Sure, it was important to him personally, but nothing about it explained why time seemed to have stopped throughout the dorm. Still, something in him knew there was more to it.

When he tried to examine it with his Moon Gaze, the ache in his head returned.

"I guess I'll figure it out later," Jon muttered, turning his attention to the rest of the room.

He quickly packed his clothes, food, and other personal items into his bags.

His books he left behind—he wouldn't need those where he was going.

As he cleared his side of the room, his eyes fell on his phone.

A wave of anger surged through him.

Even before the world fell apart, the people he wanted to contact rarely answered. Now? The chances were even slimmer. Still, he grabbed the phone and tossed it into his bag.

After a few minutes of packing, Jon hesitated before gathering some of Alex's things as well. He wasn't sure if Alexa would want them for sentimental reasons, but it felt right to take them just in case.

"Time to leave," he said quietly, slinging the two bags over his shoulders—one filled with his things, the other with Alex's. Before leaving, he slipped the watch onto his wrist out of habit.

Almost immediately, he felt a sharp pain radiate from his wrist. The pain was intense, but for someone who had endured his body being restructured alive, this was nothing more than a mild annoyance.

"What now?" Jon muttered, just as a system message flickered before his eyes.

[ ?????*** ?? watch (???? Realm): ???????

Passive: Pocket Storage ]

He froze, staring at the message in disbelief. As he processed the information, knowledge of how to use the storage ability flowed into his mind.

"So that's how it works," Jon said, a small smile creeping onto his face. For the first time in a while, he felt a flicker of excitement.

There was something about discovering the unknown that thrilled him, even if he didn't want to admit it.

With a thought, Jon's consciousness slipped into the watch. He wasn't physically there, but his mind manifested in an ethereal form, much like when he was in his Mind World.

Only this time, it wasn't a mental construct—it was a storage space for physical objects.

The space resembled a warehouse, roughly the size of his dorm room, with white walls and empty shelves lining the area.

In one corner, however, there was something. As Jon approached, he found ten books resting on a single shelf.

"Well, that would've been too easy," he mused, imagining what might have been stored here.

Still, his curiosity piqued, he picked up the first book.

The cover read, 'General Knowledge About a Newly Awakened World.'

Jon's eyes widened. This book could be invaluable.

It might hold information that would make surviving in this new world ten times easier.

But as he opened it, flames suddenly erupted from the pages.

"No... no... NO!" Jon shouted as the book burned before his eyes.

Desperate, he tried to snuff out the flames, but he couldn't use his skills in this space. So he pulled the book outside, but it was too late.

All that remained was a single page.

The page read: 'Never take the easy way.'

Before it too turned to ash, Jon caught a glimpse of the author's name:

By Mervil.