SWNOVELXO Chapter : Epilogue - "The Betrayal That Marked His Beginning"
Epilogue
"The Betrayal That Marked His Beginning"
A cold wind swept through the ruins, carrying the scent of ash, blood, and something far worse—the stink of a world that had already died once before.
Han Kyung-min lay motionless on the cracked pavement, his breath ragged, his body trembling from blood loss. Rain dripped from the broken buildings around him, washing away the crimson pool beneath him, as if trying to erase his existence.
Above him, the five figures who had once been his closest comrades stood in silence. Their faces were obscured by the dim light of the burning city, but he could still recognize them.
Seok-hoon. Min-jun. The two names that should have meant safety. Trust. Loyalty.
Yet, here they were, standing over him as his body refused to move.
The system notification flickered weakly in his blurred vision.
[You have been abandoned.]
[Your party has removed you.]
A sharp, bitter laugh threatened to rise in his throat, but even that took too much strength. Instead, he exhaled slowly, letting the betrayal settle into his bones.
"Why?" His voice was hoarse, barely audible over the distant screams.
Seok-hoon didn't answer. His best friend—no, his former best friend—simply tightened his grip on the sword in his hands, refusing to meet his eyes. Min-jun looked away, his expression unreadable.
Then came the final blow.
A boot pressed down on his chest, forcing what little breath remained out of his lungs. A shadow loomed over him. Not Seok-hoon. Not Min-jun.
Her.
She crouched down, her silver hair illuminated by the flickering embers around them. Her gaze was distant, hollow, as if she had already moved on from this moment—like he was nothing more than an afterthought.
"It's not personal, Kyung-min," she murmured. "You just… weren't meant to survive this cycle."
The dagger slipped between his ribs. A perfect strike. One she had practiced a hundred times before.
[You have died.]
[Soul Archivist - Class Activation: Initiated.]
As the darkness swallowed him whole, he felt it—a whisper, a presence, a force greater than the system itself.
A door creaked open.
And something… looked back at him.
Foreshadowed Events from Future Chapters
— A throne made of bones, rising from the ruins of a fallen city.
— Seok-hoon's panicked scream as shadowed hands dragged him into the abyss.
— A war between the undead and something worse—something that should have never existed.
— Min-jun, standing alone in the rain, whispering a name as if begging for forgiveness.
— A woman with silver hair, bound in chains, her once-calm eyes filled with something new—fear.
— A final cycle where even the gods trembled.
"Your class was never meant to be combat-oriented."
"But death is merely a record—one that you can rewrite."
The world reset.
And Han Kyung-min opened his eyes.
END OF EPILOGUE
(This moment will happen. The betrayal is set in stone. If the events that follow do not match, the world itself will notice. The readers will know. There is no escape from this fate.)