Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Hannah suddenly moved again, her body twisting in a blur as she launched herself at Jinhyu with unnatural speed. Jinhyu barely had time to dodge, his feet stumbling back, but her claws still grazed his cheek, slicing the skin as warm blood ran down the side of his face. He gasped, falling to one knee, clutching his face while staring at her in shock.

Then, like a shadow in the middle of chaos, Seojun appeared behind Hannah—so sudden and silent that even the wind didn't carry his presence.

Hannah sensed him and tried to turn, but Seojun's hand snapped forward, grabbing her by the neck. He lifted her off the ground with ease, her feet dangling, struggling. Hannah screeched like a beast, her hands slashing across Seojun's arms, nails digging into his flesh, but he didn't flinch.

His other hand was already glowing with mana, prepared to strike.

But Jinhyu, filled with desperation, ran forward and grabbed Seojun's sleeve.

"Master! Please! Don't hurt her! That's Hannah! It's Hannah!"

Seojun didn't look away from the thrashing girl in his grip, but he sighed, his voice heavy.

"She's no longer Hannah, Jinhyu…" he said, low and cold. "Hannah is gone. Her body… it's now just a vessel."

Jinhyu's eyes widened, trembling as he looked at Hannah—her face still hers, her voice still silent, but everything else… wrong.

"T-That… can't be…" he whispered, his voice shaking.

Seojun spoke clearly so the boy could understand, even if the truth would hurt more than any blade.

"The Siphon Wraiths that attacked us before—those insects that steal bodies and consume mana—they were all wiped out. But one survived." Seojun's eyes narrowed at Hannah. "This one hid, infected Hannah, and waited. Because it was the only one left, it evolved into the Siphon Wraith Queen. That's not Hannah anymore. The insect used her as a host… and now controls everything—her voice, her body, her aura."

Jinhyu couldn't breathe for a second.

"No…" he muttered. "No, we're just going to lose her like that… without doing anything…?"

He clenched his fists and looked at Seojun. "H-How… how did no one sense this?!"

Seojun answered without emotion, voice grim.

"It should've killed Hannah and moved to another host, but it didn't. It stayed. It manipulated her mind and avoided everyone—especially me. It knew I'd find it. That's how smart it became. And now…" Seojun's voice grew colder, "it's looking for a new host. It's already eaten most of what made Hannah, Hannah."

Jinhyu dropped to his knees, eyes filling with tears, face pale and hopeless.

"Master… please… there has to be a way… you can do something, right? Bring her back… please, I'm begging you."

Seojun looked down at the creature—at what remained of Hannah—then, without a word, he knocked her unconscious with a strike to her neck. She went limp.

Still holding her, he placed a firm hand on Jinhyu's shoulder, and in a flash of energy—

They disappeared.

In the next second, they appeared in a room where Minseok was still sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall, recovering.

Jinhyu stumbled forward as soon as they landed and saw Minseok still alive.

"Minseok!" he shouted, running to him.

Minseok looked up, eyes tired but focused. He stood up slowly.

"What happened to Hannah?! Where is she?!"

Jinhyu sighed in relief and turned to where Seojun stood, holding Hannah's unconscious body.

Minseok's face twisted in confusion and fear. "Hannah! Master—what happened to her?!"

Jinhyu turned, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I… I'll explain it to you, Minseok. But—Master, please… give us more time…"

Seojun stared at the two boys, his face unreadable.

"I'll give you two chances to say your goodbyes." His voice was firm. "But this can't last. In the end… we need to kill her."

"What?!" Minseok's voice exploded, panic spreading through him. "Kill her?! What is this?! Jinhyu—what is Master talking about?!"

Jinhyu lowered his head, voice breaking as he answered, "I… I'll tell you everything, Minseok…"

Jinhyu looked at Minseok, trying his best to explain what had just happened, how the creature had taken Hannah, how they didn't notice, how everything spiraled out of control in a moment. His voice cracked as he spoke, and he kept pausing, like it was hard to breathe.

But as the explanation ended, Minseok suddenly stood up.

He didn't say a word. He just turned around and ran.

"Minseok!" Jinhyu shouted, startled, but Minseok was already gone from the room.

Jinhyu stood frozen for a moment before dragging both hands over his face, gripping his hair tight, pulling it down to his eyes as if to wake himself up.

"This happened so fast... Is this a dream...?" he whispered. "No, I need to talk to her,"

Jinhyu stood and ran through the hallways, He turned corners blindly, pushed open a heavy door, and entered a silent corridor.

There—one door slightly ajar. He pushed it open and stepped inside.The room was dim and quiet. Cold. He took a breath as his eyes landed on her—

Hannah.

She was sitting on a metal chair, her arms tied down to the rests, her hands limp. Her body leaned slightly forward, and behind her… wings. Black, thin, unnatural wings, folded and chained so they couldn't spread. Her head was down. Still.

Minseok stood at the doorway, frozen. She looked so much like herself. But everything inside him screamed that she wasn't.

Then—

She moved. Her head slowly lifted.

"…Jinhyu…?" her voice called, hoarse, trembling. "It hurts… it hurts so much…"

Jinhyu;s heart jumped in his chest. He looked around, frantic. "Professor?" he called out. No answer.

He turned back to her. "Hannah…?"

"Please…" she said, her voice low and weak, "help me… it's cold… it's so dark…"

Jinhyu stepped closer, unsure, eyes scanning her face. Her expression… it was the same. Those eyes he knew. That soft voice. The way she used to look at him.

"Hannah… is it you?"

She nodded slowly, tears falling from her eyes.

"I can't… control it… I'm scared…"

Minseok fell to his knees beside her. "I'll get you out, okay? I'm here. I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier… I should've—"

He reached out, untying the restraints around her wrist. One by one.

She stayed quiet.

He untied the last one and gently touched her hand. "Hannah… we'll fix this…"

Then—

Her smile widened.

A slow, cruel, crooked smile that didn't belong to her. Jinhyu froze.

"Fool."

The voice… it was Hannah's voice, but warped—distorted, deeper, with a terrifying echo beneath it. Before he could react, her hand snapped up and wrapped around his neck, lifting him slightly off the floor.

His eyes widened as he gasped, her grip tightening like iron.

"You think I'd beg like that? You really thought she was still in here?" she whispered, her smile stretching wider, inhuman.

The Hannah he knew… the one he trusted… that wasn't her anymore.