The moon cast a silver glow over the deserted hill road, its light reflecting off the winding path that Seo Yejin's father, Seo Joon-ho, navigated with ease. The night was eerily silent, save for the faint hum of the car's engine as it ascended the lonely route. It was a familiar drive, one that Joon-ho had made countless times before, but tonight felt different—there was a strange tension in the air, an unsettling stillness that clung to the darkness.
Joon-ho's thoughts wandered to his daughter, Yejin, who was thousands of miles away, studying in a foreign land. He smiled softly, pride swelling in his chest at her accomplishments. But that smile was fleeting, as the headlights of an oncoming truck suddenly appeared around a bend, barreling straight towards him at an alarming speed.
There was no time to react. The truck crashed head-on into Joon-ho's car with a deafening impact, the force of the collision sending his vehicle spinning off the road and down the steep embankment. Metal twisted and screamed as the car tumbled, a chaotic blur of shattered glass and crushing steel.
The truck, its mission seemingly complete, sped away into the night, leaving behind only destruction in its wake. Joon-ho's car lay mangled at the bottom of the hill, a broken shell of what it once was. Inside, Joon-ho struggled to breathe, pain wracking his body with every shallow inhale. He tried to move, to call for help, but his strength was waning, his vision blurring as unconsciousness threatened to claim him.
And then, with a sudden, horrifying burst of light and heat, the car exploded. Flames roared into the night sky, consuming everything in their path, a fiery beacon in the darkness. Joon-ho's world dissolved into a sea of burning pain and then... nothing.
Miles away, in a quiet university library, Seo Yejin's phone buzzed insistently. She glanced at the screen, frowning at the unfamiliar number. With a sense of foreboding, she answered, her heart sinking as she listened to the frantic voice of her father's assistant.
"Ms. Seo, it's your father. There's been an accident. You need to come home. Now."
The flight back to Korea was a blur of tears and sleepless hours, Yejin's mind a whirlwind of fear and sorrow. She barely registered the drive from the airport, the city passing by in a haze until she found herself on another quiet hill road, not unlike the one her father had traveled just nights before.
The night was as quiet as ever, the moon casting its cold light over the desolate landscape. Yejin's heart pounded in her chest, a sense of unease washing over her as she navigated the winding path. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of another vehicle behind her, its headlights bright and blinding.
Panic surged through her veins as the car sped up, closing the distance between them with alarming speed. Yejin's hands tightened on the steering wheel, her mind racing. She tried to accelerate, to escape, but the car behind her was relentless, ramming into her with brutal force.
Her car swerved dangerously, tires screeching as she fought to maintain control. But it was no use—the attacker was determined, intent on driving her off the road. With a final, desperate shove, her car was sent careening off the edge, tumbling down the same treacherous slope that had claimed her father.
The impact was bone-jarring, the car coming to a violent halt at the bottom. Yejin's world spun, pain flaring through her body as she struggled to stay conscious. She could hear footsteps approaching, slow and deliberate, and her heart raced with terror.
A shadow loomed over her, a figure silhouetted against the moonlight. She couldn't see their face, but she could feel their malevolent intent. They reached for her, and she tried to scream, but no sound came out.
And then, just as suddenly, the figure retreated, their footsteps fading into the night. Yejin's vision blurred, her strength fading as darkness closed in. Her last thought was of her father, and the unspoken promise she made to find out who had done this, to both of them.
As the night swallowed her whole, one thing was clear: this was no accident. This was a deliberate act of violence, and Yejin would stop at nothing to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.