The rain had turned the streets of Seoul into long rivers of light.
Street lamps reflected across the wet road, and the Han River wind carried the cold smell of water and metal. Seo-yeon walked beside me quietly, holding her bag tightly.
Inside that bag was the envelope from her grandmother's journal.
And somehow…
That small envelope had already started changing everything.
"You've been quiet for ten minutes," Seo-yeon said.
"I'm thinking."
"That's never a good sign."
I glanced at her.
"You're the one who opened a mysterious envelope connected to ancient rings."
She crossed her arms.
"Excuse me? You're the one who looked like you'd seen a ghost when you saw the symbols."
Fair point.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"I didn't say ghost."
"You didn't have to."
We reached the riverside road.
The Han River stretched beside us, dark and endless. The water moved slowly under the bridges, carrying the city lights with it.
Normally this place felt peaceful.
Tonight…
It felt like the city was holding its breath.
Seo-yeon stopped walking.
"Ji-hoon."
"Yeah?"
"Tell me the truth."
I sighed.
"I am telling the truth."
"No," she said softly. "You're telling half of it."
The wind blew her hair across her face.
"You recognized those symbols."
I didn't answer immediately.
Because she was right.
I had seen them before.
Just not where she expected.
"Military training," I finally said.
Seo-yeon blinked.
"…What?"
"Not exactly the same symbol," I continued slowly, "but something similar."
"Why would the military have symbols connected to ancient rings?"
"That's what I'd like to know."
We started walking again.
But something inside me felt uneasy.
A strange pressure.
Like the air had become heavier.
And then—
I noticed something strange on the ground.
Near the metal railing facing the river.
A small object.
Half-buried in rainwater.
"Wait."
Seo-yeon stopped.
"What is it?"
I crouched down and picked it up.
It was a coin.
Old.
Extremely old.
But it wasn't a normal coin.
A symbol had been carved into it.
Three lines crossing a circle.
My chest tightened.
Because it was the same symbol we had seen earlier in the envelope.
Seo-yeon leaned closer.
"That's impossible."
"I know."
She looked around nervously.
"Did someone drop it?"
"No."
I turned the coin over slowly.
"Someone left it."
At that exact moment—
A strange pulse moved through the air.
Very faint.
Like a ripple in water.
Seo-yeon suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Ji-hoon…"
"What?"
"My ring."
Her gold ring.
The one from her grandmother.
It had started glowing faintly.
Not bright.
Just a soft golden flicker.
Like a heartbeat.
And then something strange happened.
The coin in my hand grew warm.
Very warm.
Too warm.
I dropped it instantly.
It hit the pavement with a metallic sound.
Clink.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then the coin rolled slowly.
Stopped.
And pointed toward the dark river.
Seo-yeon whispered, "Okay… that's creepy."
"Yeah."
We both stared at the river.
The water moved quietly.
Too quietly.
Then—
A voice spoke behind us.
"You shouldn't touch things that belong to others."
Seo-yeon jumped.
I turned instantly.
A man stood under the streetlight behind us.
Tall.
Wearing a long dark coat.
His face was calm.
Too calm.
Seo-yeon whispered, "Do you know him?"
"No."
But something about him felt familiar.
Like a memory that refused to appear clearly.
The man stepped closer.
Rain slid off his coat.
His eyes moved between us.
First me.
Then Seo-yeon.
Then her ring.
"So," he said quietly.
"The golden one has awakened."
Seo-yeon stepped back.
"How do you know about this?"
The man smiled faintly.
"Because I've been waiting for it."
My eyes narrowed.
"For what exactly?"
"For the rings to start calling each other again."
The wind across the river grew stronger.
Seo-yeon's voice shook slightly.
"How many rings are there?"
The man didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
He raised his hand.
And for a brief moment…
I saw a ring on his finger.
A faint violet glow pulsed across its surface.
Seo-yeon gasped.
"Another ring…"
The man looked at me again.
But his expression changed slightly.
Almost like he recognized something.
Strange.
Confused.
Interested.
"That's unexpected," he murmured.
"What is?" I asked.
The violet ring glowed once.
The man smiled slowly.
"You."
I frowned.
"What about me?"
His answer was quiet.
Almost like a whisper carried by the rain.
"Your story isn't supposed to begin yet."
Before we could react—
The streetlight flickered.
The wind roared across the river.
And when the light returned—
The man was gone.
Completely gone.
Seo-yeon grabbed my arm.
"Ji-hoon…"
"Yes."
"Please tell me you saw that."
"I did."
She looked down at the coin on the ground.
The symbol was still pointing toward the river.
Then she whispered something that made my stomach tighten.
"What if the rings are looking for each other?"
I didn't answer.
Because deep inside…
Something told me that might be true.
And if it was—
Then this night wasn't the beginning of a mystery.
It was the beginning of a hunt.