The mysterious rift, dubbed the Blossom Dimension by the media, became the talk of the world overnight. News anchors speculated endlessly about its origin, tying it to the Zodiac Invasion, ancient myths, and even new alien threats. Scientists scrambled for explanations, while governments declared a state of high alert.
Within the Office of the Prime Minister, Gok sat casually in his chair, the chaos of the newsroom audible from the monitors. A team of reporters entered for a live interview, cameras pointed at the man who had just been elected to lead the world through yet another mystery.
Reporter: "Prime Minister Gok, the rift above the Statue of the Five Saviors has captivated the entire world. Do you have any idea what this Blossom Dimension might be?"
Gok leaned back, crossing his arms.
Gok: "No idea. But if it's anything like the things we've faced before, it's either a gift, a curse, or some messed-up game we've been dragged into again."
The reporters exchanged nervous glances, but Gok's bluntness only added to his mystique.
Reporter: "The world is looking to you for answers, Prime Minister. Are you saying we're unprepared?"
Gok's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward.
Gok: "What I'm saying is, we don't panic. Not yet. We've been through worse. Whatever's on the other side of that rift, we'll handle it. End of story."
As the interview wrapped up, Gok's phone buzzed. The ID read King D, and Gok sighed, already guessing the state his old friend would be in.
King D's slurred voice came through, overlaid with the faint sounds of a loud bar.
King D: "Gok! Listen, man, I just... I just saw him! Wu-Ji, man! He was at some big tree, wearing—get this—a freaking samurai suit! And I swear, the blossoms were glowing... or maybe that was the booze... but I know it was him, Gok. I know it!"
Gok pinched the bridge of his nose, half-amused, half-annoyed.
Gok: "You're drunk, D. Go home, sleep it off."
King D: "No! I'm serious. It's all connected, man! The rift, the blossoms, Wu-Ji... it's all—"
Click.
Gok hung up, his expression turning serious. He stared out of his office window at the faint shimmer in the sky where the rift had appeared, deep in thought.
Elsewhere, Sung Min Ki sat alone on the balcony of his apartment. A cigarette dangled from his lips, its faint glow the only light in the dim evening. His thoughts drifted to his younger brother, Kim Hansoo, whose sacrifice still weighed heavily on his heart.
He exhaled a cloud of smoke, muttering under his breath.
Sung Min Ki: "Hansoo... I wonder if you knew how much you'd leave behind."
Suddenly, the air in front of him shimmered, and a small round rift opened, glowing with the same ethereal light as the one above the Statue of the Five Saviors.
Min Ki froze, his cigarette falling from his hand.
From the rift emerged six or seven figures, their forms clad in intricate samurai armor, each bearing an insignia of a different blossom. Before he could react, they moved with inhuman speed, grabbing him in an instant.
Sung Min Ki: "What the hell—?! Let go of me!"
His shouts echoed into the night, but it was over in a second. The rift closed, leaving nothing behind but the faint smell of cherry blossoms and the smoldering remnants of his cigarette.
When news broke of Min Ki's disappearance, it sent shockwaves across the globe. As the hero of the Korean resistance and a key figure in rebuilding Asia, his abduction was seen as an attack on humanity's newfound stability.
Back in his office, Gok received the report. His fist clenched, and his eyes glowed faintly—a dangerous sign of his devil form stirring beneath the surface.
Gok: "First the rift. Now Min Ki. If these samurai want a fight... they'll get one."
MADMAN - Part 3: End