The morning air felt as familiar as freshly brewed coffee. The 7 AM sunlight filtering through the windows was no different from yesterday, and the bustling sounds of Mother moving around the living room remained the same. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, creating a sense of tranquility. Yet something inside me had clearly shifted out of place.

  Reality was still morning, but my mind kept deepening like the night.

  As I sat down at the dining table, the anchor's calm voice flowed from the TV screen.

  [Kim Min-jun, the prime suspect in the IT company terror incident, has been arrested by police in a state of complete amnesia. Experts believe that the extreme psychological trauma he experienced has triggered temporary dissociative amnesia, and investigations into his criminal motives are expected to face significant difficulties.]

  I stared blankly at the screen, my spoon suspended in mid-air. On one side of the screen was Kim Min-jun's profile photo, and on the other was his current appearance, sitting dazedly in a mental hospital corridor. Unfocused eyes, an empty expression as if he had forgotten everything. There was no trace of the desperate conversation we had shared at the pinnacle of digital society.

  'Kim Min-jun... all his memories of me are gone.'

  The reporter's voice continued from the screen. [Suspect Kim Min-jun is currently receiving treatment at a mental hospital in Hangook City, unable to remember anything from his company employment to the recent incidents. Medical staff expect his recovery to take considerable time...]

  The camera showed the hospital corridor. Kim Min-jun's family members were visible there. An elderly woman who appeared to be his mother sat in a chair, looking at him. Her face held a complex mixture of worry and relief.

  The pain her son must have endured and the relief of escaping from a horrific incident were intertwined together.

  GNOM inside me silently agreed. The empathy we had shared to save him, the promise to change the system, the human remorse he had shown in his final moments—all of it had vanished without a trace, like footprints on white snow covered by overnight snowfall.

  A corner of my heart felt coldly hollow. It was like watching a roaring flame reduced to a handful of ash. All the moments we had shared together, the despair and anger he had confided in me, and even the single ray of hope he had shown at the end.

  All of it had evaporated along with his memories.

  Yet at the same time, when I saw his family on the news screen, I felt different emotions. On the faces of his elderly mother staying by his side and his exhausted-looking brother, there was a faint peace that seemed to have arrived after a very long time.

  The massive shadow of anxiety that had weighed down on them had disappeared along with their son's memories.

  Mixed feelings of regret and relief. I couldn't completely save him, but I had at least ended his suffering. Perhaps this was the best I could have done for him, and the finest ending he could have received.

  'Maybe... this is a better ending for him.'

  I quietly picked up the remote and turned off the TV. In the tranquility of the living room with the anchor's voice gone, I had to bear alone the weight of the questions the world was throwing at me. All those moments I had shared with Kim Min-jun had now become my memories alone.

  I had to carry that weight, that responsibility, by myself.

  Now, truly, everything had changed. Yesterday's me had died. A new me had to live from today onward with this unfamiliar power.

  But the world hadn't stopped. A new day was beginning, and I too had to live my daily life with these transformed senses.

  ##########

  "Chul, come eat breakfast!"

  Mother called me from the dining table. She was muttering to herself while watching TV.

  "Oh my, the prices these days... Money just flows like water when I go to the mart. Insurance premiums have gone up too."

  At that moment, complex economic indicators appeared in my mind, connected in three dimensions. Inflation rate 3.2%, disposable income decrease rate, insurance industry profitability changes... All the figures spread out like a massive network.

  'The impact on our household finances... it'll be about 70,000 won in additional monthly burden.'

  Though Mother didn't know it, I was already perfectly reconstructing our household budget in my mind. Spending patterns for each category, areas where we could save, optimization plans—everything came into view at a glance.

  "Still, things will get better once our Chul gets a job, right? Thanks to my good son, Mom feels secure."

  Mother's expectant voice made my chest feel warm.

  'Can I create a better future with this new ability?'

  As I left the house, the alien sensation became even clearer. Countless people passing by on the street. But to my eyes, I could see not only people but also the data streams flowing from the smartphones they carried.

  The entire city felt like an invisible spider web, a massive digital neural network.

  WiFi signals spread like ripples on a lake, call data became particles of light crossing through the air. At the subway station, I could see internet traffic from thousands of people connecting simultaneously pouring down like a massive waterfall. The strange sensation of peering behind the world's curtain, glimpsing its hidden side, made me dizzy.

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  'In such a complex and vast flow of information, how small must humans feel?'

  After getting off the subway and walking down the street, a message appeared on an electronic billboard: "Line 2 delayed, please use nearby public transportation." Instantly, all alternative routes unfolded in three dimensions in my mind.

  'Transfer to Line 3, then Line 6, then bus number 145... The fastest route is 10 minutes on foot, 15 minutes by subway. Considering rush hour congestion, it'll actually take about 20 minutes...'

  The complex transportation network was calculated and optimized in real-time in my head. With this kind of ability, I felt like I could solve traffic congestion for the entire city.

  When I stopped at a convenience store, the sensation reached its peak. As I placed several drinks, snacks, and rice balls on the counter, a tired-looking part-timer scanned each barcode and said,

  "Drinks 1,500 won, snacks 2,800 won, rice balls 1,200 won... that's 5,500 won total."

  Before he could even touch the calculator, the exact total had already been calculated instantly in my mind.

  "Part-time work must be tough, right?"

  I naturally continued the conversation.

  "Yes... I'm pretty tired from the overnight shift."

  "Are you studying while working?"

  "Yes, I'm a job seeker. I need to build my specs and earn living expenses... It's not easy."

  Looking at his tired expression pained my heart. I was also living through the same period. A time of wandering, unable to find one's place in society's massive gears.

  "Stay strong. I'm sure good opportunities will come."

  As I left the convenience store, I opened a cold canned coffee. With a hiss, the carbonation burst out.

  'Things really have changed. The intelligence liquid's ability. But how should I use this power?'

  'It's strange... everything seems connected somehow.'

  A voice was taking shape in my consciousness, cold and solid like an icicle. It was no longer a vague resolution.

  'I won't be consumed by the system like Kim Min-jun. I'll use this power to utilize the system and protect people. To do that... I need to become stronger.'

  ##########

  That night, lying on my bed, I had a deep conversation with GNOM. It wasn't like the fragmented emotions or images from before. Since absorbing the intelligence liquid, our communication had taken the form of clear language.

  GNOM's thoughts were no longer fragmented waves. They flowed through my consciousness like deep ocean currents, with consistent direction.

  "Kang Chul, there's something you need to know now."

  GNOM's voice resonating in my mind was low and serious.

  "Something I need to know?"

  "Like me... like us... there are more entities scattered throughout this world."

  "More liquids?"

  My heart sank with a thud. An ominous premonition crept up my spine. It was the moment when vague speculation became cold reality.

  "Yes. I can't be certain yet, but I can sense that there are several things like us."

  GNOM's explanation continued. He and several liquids had originally been in one place, but due to an accidental incident, they had been scattered across the world like meteors, each with different abilities and wills.

  "One of them was 'Power.' The force that maximizes physical abilities that you first encountered."

  "The second was 'Intelligence.' The liquid Kim Min-jun once had, and which you now possess. It exponentially enhances information processing and analytical capabilities."

  "Then what are the remaining entities?"

  "To be precise... my memory is hazy. They and I were similar yet different. The other liquids each seemed to possess their own abilities, but I... I didn't have special abilities like them."

  "I don't know all the other liquids' abilities. But from what you've seen so far, it's clear. Those powers... they're things that shouldn't have leaked into the world. And..."

  GNOM's voice paused briefly.

  "And?"

  "One of them... I'm not certain. It seemed to be something special, a special entity different from the others..."

  He fell silent for a moment, then continued speaking.

  "But what's certain is that someone created us. And our emergence into this world might not have been... accidental."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Part of my memory is locked away. As if someone deliberately sealed it. But being with you, I feel like those seals are gradually being lifted."

  His voice carried very old confusion along with a desperate longing, as if searching for something. Soon, that longing transformed into an ominous warning.

  "Kang Chul... I think you need to be careful."

  "Why?"

  "The other liquids... they don't all go to good people like you. Depending on the host's will and desires, that power can manifest in completely different directions. Like how Tiger Tattoo's rage or Kim Min-jun's despair became threats to humanity."

  I swallowed dryly.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I can already... sense it. Very close by, a malice-tainted entity is awakening. Its wavelength is different from Kim Min-jun's despair. His was rage born from sadness, but this is pure greed and destructive desire."

  "Like the roar of a starving beast."

  I sat up in bed. Suddenly the air in the room felt cold.

  "What kind of liquid is it?"

  "I don't know. But what's certain is that this time... it'll be different from the previous two liquids. We could communicate with them, but this opponent..."

  GNOM's final words settled heavily in my heart. It was like a prophecy that this wouldn't be an opponent we could resolve through dialogue, that an unavoidable fight was about to begin. I stared at the ceiling in the darkness.

  My heart beat anxiously.

  The city lights visible outside the window seemed colder than usual.

  ##########

  10 PM. Before GNOM's warning had even fully faded, signs began appearing on the TV news.

  It started like ordinary social news.

  [Police have launched an investigation into a series of theft cases suspected to involve advanced technology in the Gangnam area.]

  I was watching the news casually. But as the reporter's next words followed, I straightened up.

  [The first incident occurred at a luxury brand store in Gangnam, where the perpetrator left no traces and wasn't captured on CCTV at all, baffling the police. Store representatives made the difficult-to-understand statement that 'items vanished in an instant'...]

  'Vanished in an instant?'

  GNOM inside me showed a subtle reaction. An anxious wave brushed across my consciousness.

  A second breaking news story filled the screen.

  [Breaking news: The vault of a commercial bank with triple security systems was robbed overnight. The estimated damage is 2 billion won in cash, and the security guard on duty gave the bewildering statement that 'bundles of money disappeared in an instant,' causing confusion for police.]

  An interview with the security guard appeared on screen. A middle-aged man's trembling voice could be heard.

  [It really was... really just an instant. I was doing my patrol rounds when suddenly the alarm went off. I rushed over and the vault door was intact, but the money inside... it just disappeared. Like it evaporated into thin air...]

  And finally, a third urgent bulletin dominated all channels. The anchor's face was flushed with excitement.

  [Breaking news! Rare diamonds worth 30 billion won have mysteriously disappeared from a high-end jewelry store in the heart of Gangnam. Again, no traces of the perpetrator were found, and the jewelry store owner said he 'couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the empty display case.']

  The jewelry store owner's interview followed.

  [I've been in this business for 30 years, but this is a first. The diamonds that were definitely there yesterday evening... disappeared without any trace. The doors were intact, the security system didn't activate... it's like a ghost did it...]

  The internet was on the verge of explosion. SNS timelines were flooded with hashtags like '#PerfectCrimeThief,' '#GhostThief,' and '#SuperpowerCrime.'

  "Isn't this really a superhuman?"

  "Too many incidents that science can't explain."

  "Is the government hiding something?"

  "Real-life X-Files?"

  YouTube videos analyzing the incidents poured out in real-time. Some channels were conducting emergency live streams titled "Who is the Perfect Crime Thief?" and comment sections were filled with speculation.

  Community boards were similar.

  "How is it possible not to be caught on CCTV?"

  "Maybe a government secret experiment subject escaped?"

  "Has the age of superhumans finally arrived?"

  GNOM inside me spoke with a confident voice.

  "Kang Chul... it's begun."

  "What has?"

  "The third entity has awakened. And... this time it's truly dangerous. Completely different from Kim Min-jun."

  The TV anchor continued with a serious expression.

  [Police have currently established a special investigation headquarters and begun investigations with the forensic science team, but have failed to secure a single piece of physical evidence. Experts suggest this case may be an entirely new type of crime never experienced before...]

  That was the exact moment.

  In an abrupt snap, the TV screen went black. The fluorescent lights went out, and the city lights visible through the window lost their life all at once. It wasn't just our apartment.

  Hangook City's heart was engulfed in pitch-black darkness. It was a massive power outage.

  But it felt different to me. This wasn't a simple power outage.

  GNOM inside me whispered urgently. His voice was more tense than ever before.

  "This is... a signal that a new liquid is announcing its awakening."

  Simultaneously with his words, countless alarm sounds began echoing throughout the city. Car alarms, building emergency alerts, and siren sounds in the distance.

  These were the sounds of Hangook City falling into chaos in the darkness.

  I closed my eyes. Through my intelligence ability, I felt the chaos unfolding in the darkness. It wasn't simply a paralysis of the power system. Something more fundamental, more primal was being twisted.

  It was the soundless scream of space itself being warped.

  Looking down outside the window, I saw people trapped in darkness turning on their phone lights and wandering in confusion. But there was something they didn't know.

  This power outage was just the beginning.

  I clenched my fists tight. My heart pounded violently. Along with fear, a burning resolve for this inescapable destiny surged up.

  'This time too... I can hear the sound calling me.'

  An iron resolve solidified firmly in my heart. The power of Power and Intelligence, and GNOM. Everything I was feeling right now was coming together as one.