The world was a blur of salt and steel, the air thick with the tang of the ocean and the reek of rust. My head throbbed, my wrists burned against the coarse ropes binding them, and the cold metal floor of the ship's hold pressed into my knees. I blinked, trying to make sense of the darkness, the swaying motion, the faint sobs beside me. My body felt wrong—smaller, lighter, like it wasn't mine. Then it hit me, a flood of memories from another life, another world where i was a half-japanese half-american man. I was Jiwon Seo, Jiwoo's younger twin, in the world of Eleceed. And I'd just transmigrated into this kid's body.
"Jiwon… Jiwon, are you okay?" Jiwoo's voice, trembling but warm, cut through the haze. My older brother—by a measly few minutes—was slumped next to me, his face pale under the dim light seeping through the porthole. His wrists were bound too, his school uniform torn, but his eyes, those stupidly kind eyes, were fixed on me, wide with worry.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I croaked, my voice higher than I expected. My heart raced as I pieced it together. We'd been walking home from school, laughing about stray cats, when a van screeched up. Men in black masks, too fast to be normal, grabbed us. Now we were here, on a ship, kidnapped by some shady organization. My Eleceed knowledge kicked in—this wasn't in the manhwa, but it screamed "evil Awakened experiment" vibes. And Jiwoo, my favorite character, was in danger.
"Don't worry, okay?" Jiwoo whispered, scooting closer despite the ropes. "I'll get us out of here. I promise."
I wanted to laugh, to cry, to hug him. He was exactly like the manhwa—selfless, brave, too good for this world. But I wasn't the real Jiwon, not entirely. I was a fan, a nobody who'd binged Eleceed chapters late at night, and now I was in his twin's body, with powers I could feel humming under my skin. Speed, like Jiwoo's, but different—sharper, like every move could build into something bigger, something explosive.
The door clanged open, and a man in a lab coat stepped in, flanked by two goons with glowing hands. Awakened Ones. The man's glasses glinted as he studied us like lab rats. "The Seo twins," he said, voice cold. "Your synchronized speed abilities are… unique. Perfect for our amplification project."
"Leave my brother alone!" Jiwoo shouted, struggling against the ropes. One of the goons backhanded him, and my vision went red.
"Touch him again, and I'll rip you apart," I snarled, surprising myself. The goons laughed, but the scientist raised a hand.
"Feisty," he said. "Good. That'll make the tests more interesting."
They dragged us to a deck above, the ocean stretching endless and black around us. Machines hummed, wires snaking across the floor, connected to a glowing orb that pulsed like a heartbeat. My Eleceed knowledge screamed danger—this was some kind of power-siphoning device, probably meant to drain our abilities. Jiwoo's face was set, determined, but I saw the fear in his eyes. He was trying to be strong for me.
"Jiwon," he whispered as they strapped us to metal chairs, "if you get a chance, run. Don't look back."
"Shut up," I hissed, tears prickling my eyes. "We're both getting out of here." But I knew the odds. My powers were new, untested, and these guys were pros. Still, I had one advantage: I knew Eleceed. I knew how Jiwoo's speed worked, how Awakened fights played out. I could use that.
The scientist flipped a switch, and the orb flared, sending a jolt through us. Pain seared my nerves, but with it came clarity—my powers surged, my body vibrating with kinetic energy. Every twitch, every breath, felt like it was charging me up, like a spring coiling tighter. Jiwoo groaned beside me, his speed aura flickering. They were draining him faster.
"Stop it!" I yelled, thrashing. The ropes frayed under my speed, my kinetic amplification kicking in. I broke free, lunging at the scientist. The goons moved, but I was faster, my body a blur as I slammed one into the wall, my fist glowing with built-up energy. The deck shook from the impact.
"Jiwon!" Jiwoo cried, still strapped down. The scientist smirked, cranking the machine higher. Jiwoo's aura dimmed, his face paling.
No. Not him. Not Jiwoo. My brother, the hero I'd cheered for through every chapter, was fading. I dodged a goon's energy blast, my speed building, each step amplifying my force. I was a storm now, unstoppable, but my body screamed—muscles tearing, bones straining. My powers were too new, too wild.
"Get… away… from my brother!" I roared, slamming into the orb. My amplified strike cracked it, sparks flying, but the backlash hit me like a truck. I staggered, blood trickling from my nose. The machine sputtered, but it wasn't enough. Jiwoo was still trapped, and the scientist was reaching for a backup switch.
"Jiwon, stop!" Jiwoo sobbed, his voice breaking. "You'll die!"
I looked at him, his tear-streaked face, his stupid, selfless heart. "You're the hero, Jiwoo," I said, my voice cracking. "You have to live. For the cats. For Mom. For everyone." Tears blurred my vision as I realized what I had to do. My Eleceed knowledge, my powers, my life—it was all for this moment.
I sprinted, faster than ever, my kinetic amplification at its peak. My body glowed, every step a supernova of energy. I tackled the machine, pouring everything into one final strike. The orb shattered, a shockwave rocking the ship. The scientist screamed as the deck collapsed, and I saw Jiwoo's straps break free.
"Jiwon!" he yelled, reaching for me, but the explosion threw me back, over the railing, into the black ocean below. Cold water swallowed me, my body numb, my powers spent. Jiwoo's voice faded, his silhouette against the burning ship the last thing I saw.
I sank, the world growing dark. I'd saved him. My brother, my hero. It was enough.
===========================
Hours later, lights flashed above the water. Boats roared, several voices shouting.
"Jiwoo! Jiwon! Where are you!" It was Jiwoo and Jiwon's mother, her voice raw with desperation, escorted by an Awakened backup—a Korean faction drawn by the explosion. "Miss Yugeong Kang, it's dangerous. Let us handle this and wait here on the boat," an officer said, his tone firm but kind. "We'll bring them to you."
"Okay, people! We're looking for two missing kids, twins. Both with amber eyes and cream-colored hair. Their safety is our priority!" the leading officer announced. "Search every inch of that ship!"
"Sir, yes, sir!" Several Awakened Ones rushed aboard the wrecked vessel.
Minutes later, they found Jiwoo, battered and barely conscious, clinging to a piece of debris. His amber eyes were glassy, unfocused, and he didn't respond to their calls at first.
"Kid, can you hear me?" an officer asked, prying him free.
He sobbed, screaming his younger brother's name, begging them to search for him. But the ocean was vast, the waves merciless. They pulled him aboard, promising to keep looking, but their faces said it all: Jiwon Seo was gone. Jiwoo clutched a scrap of his little brother's jacket, tears streaming. "Jiwon...." he weakly whispered before fainting. An officer managed to catch his fall and decided to bring him to their boat first.
"Search for the surrounding area and this ship's route. We might still be able to find the other one!" Commanded the leading officer.
===========================
They brought Jiwoo on the rescue boat and immediately rushed him to the medical bay.
"Jiwoo? Jiwoo! My baby!" shouted Jiwoo's mom, her voice cracking as she pushed past the officers, her hands trembling as she reached for her son.
His face was pale, bruised, his cream-colored hair matted with seawater and blood. He stirred faintly, still clutching the torn scrap of Jiwon's jacket, his knuckles white.
"What happened to him?! And where's Jiwon?!" she demanded, her eyes wild with panic as she scanned the faces of the Awakened officers.
The leading officer, a stern man with a scar across his jaw, stepped forward, his voice low but steady. "From the evidence compiled and your son's current state, we believe this organization was attempting to drain your sons of their Awakened powers. The process was interrupted when their machine was destroyed."
Jiwoo's mom gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "What?! And Jiwon? Where is he?!"
"We're still looking for him, ma'am," the officer said, his tone softening. "From the looks of it, Jiwon was thrown off the ship during the explosion. We've got teams scouring the surrounding area and retracing the ship's route. We won't stop until we find him."
Her knees buckled, and an officer caught her, guiding her to a seat. "No… no, not my Jiwon," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "They're twins… they're supposed to stay together…"
At the medical bay, Jiwoo's eyes fluttered, but his gaze was distant.
"Sir the patient is awake!" alerted the doctor to the officer.
"Jiwoo!" his mother screamed, shoving past the officers to reach him. She dropped to her knees beside the medical bed, her hands hovering over his bruised face, his matted cream-colored hair. "My baby… Thank god...where's Jiwon? Jiwoo, where's your brother?"
"Jiwon…?" he whispered, his voice faint and confused. His brow furrowed, pain flashing across his face as he tried to grasp the name. "Who…?"
His mother froze, her breath hitching. "What do you mean, 'who'? Jiwoo, it's Jiwon, your twin! What happened to him?" Her voice rose, trembling with fear.
The leading officer, a grizzled man with a scar on his jaw, knelt beside them, his expression grim. "Ma'am, he's been through severe trauma. The explosion, the power drain—it might've affected his memory. We see it sometimes with Awakened kids under extreme stress. Their minds… shut down to cope."
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, he has to remember. Jiwoo, please…" She gripped his hand, tears streaming down her face. Jiwoo's fingers twitched, but his eyes remained vacant, searching for something he couldn't name.
In the medical bay, the officers worked to stabilize Jiwoo. His injuries were serious—bruises, cuts, and signs of energy depletion from the machine—but the real concern was his mind. A healer with glowing hands scanned him, frowning. "His awakened aura's intact, but it's unstable, like it's reacting to something he can't process. The amnesia's likely tied to the trauma. He might remember fragments, but the details of the incident… they're buried deep."
Jiwoo's mother sat beside him, clutching the scrap of Jiwon's jacket she'd pried from his hand. "What happened out there?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Why can't he remember Jiwon?"
The officer sighed, glancing at the wreckage visible through the porthole. "From the evidence, the organization was trying to siphon their powers. The machine was destroyed, likely by an explosive force—maybe one of their abilities overloading it. The explosion alerted us. Jiwoo was thrown clear, but Jiwon… we're still searching the ocean. The currents are strong, ma'am."
"Jiwon's alive," she said fiercely, clutching the jacket tighter. "He has to be. And Jiwoo… he'll remember. He loves him."
The search stretched into the night, divers plunging into the dark waves, helicopters sweeping the area. But the ocean was merciless, its depths untouched by the searchlights. Jiwoo's mother stayed by his side as he drifted in and out of consciousness, murmuring Jiwon's name like a question, each time with less recognition. The medical officer eventually gave him a sedative to calm his restless aura, and he fell into a fitful sleep.
Jiwoo's mom sat beside him, stroking his hair, her sobs quiet but unrelenting. The boat rocked gently on the waves, the hum of the engines and the distant shouts of the search team the only sounds breaking the heavy silence.
Hours passed. The search continued, but the currents were strong, the night unforgiving. The officers exchanged grim looks as the hours stretched into dawn, the first rays of sunlight painting the waves in cruel, indifferent gold.
Jiwoo, now wrapped in a blanket, sat on the deck, staring at the horizon. His injuries were bandaged, but the pain in his chest was beyond any healer's reach. He hadn't spoken since the medical bay, his eyes fixed on the sea.
An officer approached Jiwoo's mom, his hat in his hands. "Ma'am… we've covered the entire radius. The divers are exhausted, and the currents…" He hesitated, his voice thick. "We'll keep searching, but you should prepare for the possibility that—"
"Don't," she snapped, her voice sharp despite her tears. "Don't you dare say it. My son is out there. He's strong. He's… he's Jiwon." Her voice broke on his name, and she turned away, clutching Jiwoo's hand.
Jiwoo's fingers twitched, his speed aura flickering faintly.
'Jiwon...'
'My brother?'
'But why can't I remember him'
Jiwoo's mother pulled him close, her warmth a fragile barrier against the cold. "We'll remember him for you," she whispered, her voice a vow. "And we'll find him. We won't give up."
Jiwoo leaned into her, his tears silent. He didn't understand why his heart ached, why the sea felt like it had taken half of him away. But he held the jacket scrap, its weight a tether to a brother he couldn't recall, a hero whose light had faded from his mind but not his soul. Somewhere, the ocean hummed, its waves carrying Jiwon's energy, a promise that even lost memories couldn't erase the ripples of a twin's sacrifice.
As the rescue boat turned toward home, Jiwoo's empty gaze lingered on the horizon, his aura pulsing faintly, as if searching for the brother he'd forgotten—but whose love would fight to be remembered.
Far below the waves, where the light didn't reach, the ocean kept its secrets. Jiwon's body had vanished into the depths, carried by currents no search could follow. But in that cold, silent darkness, a faint pulse lingered—not of life, but of something else. The kinetic energy Jiwon had unleashed hadn't fully dissipated. It hummed in the water, a restless echo of his sacrifice, as if the world of Eleceed itself refused to let his spark fade entirely.
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