The rain poured down in torrents over Nyeosong's capital, Seorim. The drops crashed violently against the rooftops, sidewalks, and the few passersby rushing to find shelter. Jin walked under the storm, his hood partially covering his face, leaving the rest exposed to the rain. He had left the station, walking through familiar alleys that evoked memories he'd rather forget. This neighborhood had once been his refuge, but now, he was nothing more than a stranger in his own story. Stopping in front of a modest house with slightly worn shutters, he hesitated for a moment before pushing the small metal gate, which creaked under his hand.
The living room of the house was like a time capsule. Nothing seemed to have changed since he left. The floral curtains were slightly faded, the wooden furniture showed signs of wear, but every element exuded a familial warmth Jin hadn't felt in a long time. On the shelves were arranged memories, photo frames, simple trinkets, and a few of Ha-Yoon's toys.
Jin's eyes landed on a particular shelf. Among the other frames stood a photo he knew by heart. He reached out and gently took the frame.
In the picture, his father wore a military uniform. His expression was serious but proud. Behind him stood a smiling woman, his mother. She wore a white doctor's coat, her hair tied in a bun. Jin and his father were almost carbon copies, while his mother seemed to belong to another universe, always absorbed in her responsibilities. Jin's heart tightened. There he was, a small boy in the foreground of the photo, displaying a smile that felt so far removed from who he had become. He remembered the times he had desperately waited for his mother to return from her travels, even if only for a day or two.
But she had never had the time.
She called sometimes, but her words were brief. She would tell him how much she loved him and how important her work was, but to the child he had been, it all sounded hollow.
"You understand, Jin, what I'm doing is important, not just for us, but for thousands of people."
What he understood was that he was never the priority. He had learned to stop hoping, to find comfort elsewhere, but the emptiness remained. Staring at his father's face in the photo, Jin felt an old pain resurface. An absent father, a distant mother... Who had been there for him when he was afraid, when he cried silently in his room, unable to articulate all that he felt?
---
Flashback: His Father's Departure
The image of his father in his uniform was etched into his memory. Jin remembered that day as if it were yesterday, even 14 years later. Snow fell softly that morning. The house, though modest, was carefully decorated. Jin, wrapped in a scarf knitted by his aunt, watched his father prepare his bag. He was only eight years old but understood that this departure was unlike the others. His father, an imposing man but always kind to him, crouched to meet his gaze. The child's eyes met his father's, and he saw a feeling he couldn't comprehend at the time: fear.
"Listen to me carefully, son. I have to leave for an important mission. But I will come back."
Jin wanted to believe him. With all his heart, he wanted to believe those words.
"Do you promise?" he asked anxiously.
His father hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, but his smile remained.
"I promise."
He reached around his neck and removed the silver chain he always wore. Jin had often seen it without paying much attention. At that moment, his father placed it around his neck.
"Take this. It will remind you that I'm always here, no matter where I am."
Jin's fingers brushed the chain, cold against his skin.
"Dad… why isn't Mom here to say goodbye?"
His father sighed softly, then placed a hand on Jin's shoulder.
"Your mother is doing her best. She loves both of us, but her work takes a lot from her. You and I, we need to be strong for her."
Those words echoed in Jin's mind long after his father's departure. But the boy he was didn't understand why he always had to be the one who understood, the one who endured. Why didn't anyone ask him how he felt?
The day his father left the house, Jin stood at the window, watching his silhouette fade into the snow. He held the chain between his fingers, hoping it would be like a rope connecting him to his father.
But his father never came back.
---
Ha-Yoon's voice broke the silence weighing down the living room. Jin turned around, surprised. The little girl with round cheeks and sparkling eyes seemed even more fragile than he remembered, dressed in oversized pajamas. She held a stuffed rabbit by one ear, her faithful companion, "Mister Rabbi."
"Jin, is that really you?" she asked in a soft voice.
Jin smiled at her, a tired but genuine smile. He knelt to her level.
"Yes, it's me, little sister."
Ha-Yoon threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly as if afraid he might disappear again. Jin gently patted her back, but a wave of guilt washed over him. She hadn't done anything to deserve the chaos he brought wherever he went. Their reunion was interrupted by a sharp noise behind them. Jin turned just in time to see his aunt appear from the shadows, a kitchen knife in hand.
"Ha-Yoon, step away from him!" she cried, panicked.
Jin easily dodged his aunt's clumsy attack and firmly but gently grabbed her wrist.
"Aunt Hye-Jin, it's me, Jin. Calm down."
She squinted, her eyes wary. The dim light of the living room didn't help alleviate her doubts, but after a few moments, recognition seemed to dawn on her face.
"Jin? But… what are you doing here? Why now?"
He slowly released her wrist, carefully placing the knife on the table.
---
— "Leave this house? Just like that?" Hye-Jin broke the silence, her tone oscillating between disbelief and irritation. "And why should I believe you, Jin? You show up here, unannounced, after months of silence, and tell us to abandon everything? It makes no sense!"
Jin sighed. He knew this conversation would be difficult, but he didn't have the luxury of wasting time.
— "Listen to me, aunt. I can't explain everything, not now. But trust me, staying here is dangerous. You won't be safe."
Hye-Jin raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
— "Dangerous? And why is that? Is this another one of your wild stories? Jin, you've always been unpredictable, but this is too much. Are we supposed to follow you blindly? Ha-Yoon has school here, and I have my job. We can't just abandon everything on a whim!"
Jin gritted his teeth. He understood her hesitations, but the urgency of the situation made him impatient.
— "You don't need to understand right now, but trust me. The world is about to change, and not for the better. I don't want you caught in the chaos."
Hye-Jin took a step back, shaking her head.
— "Trust you? Jin, you're my nephew. I raised you after your mother left you here and your father… disappeared. But you can't just show up after months without contact and expect me to put my life on hold because you say so."
Jin stood up, his gaze growing more intense.
— "You think I'm joking? Aunt, you don't know what's happening outside this house. The government, the media… everything is about to collapse. Things are happening—things you can't even imagine."
Hye-Jin remained silent for a moment, unsettled by the conviction in his voice. She searched for her words, visibly torn between fear and anger.
— "And you? What do you know about all this? You always get yourself into complicated situations, Jin. How can you be sure what you're saying is true? You're not a hero; you're just…"
— "Just what?" Jin interrupted, his voice cold. "A failure? A boy running from his responsibilities? Maybe. But I'm telling you the truth. Staying here is a death sentence."
— "And why should we believe you? You can't even tell me exactly what's going on!" Hye-Jin snapped, her tone rising.
Jin hesitated for a moment. How could he explain the inexplicable? How could he talk about the visions, the entity he had encountered, the meteors? He chose another approach.
— "Because I care about you, damn it! You raised me, gave me a home when everything else was falling apart. And Ha-Yoon…" He lowered his gaze to the little girl, who was watching him with an innocence that broke his heart. "I couldn't bear it if anything happened to her."
Hye-Jin seemed slightly softened, but her face remained guarded.
— "And you? What are you going to do? You're telling us to leave, but where will you be, Jin? I've seen you break down so many times, and I'm not sure you've changed."
Jin looked away.
— "I'll manage. That's not your problem."
Hye-Jin shook her head, exasperated.
— "Of course, it's my problem! You're part of this family, Jin. But you've always been so… unpredictable. How am I supposed to follow you in all this?"
A tense silence settled again. Jin took a deep breath before responding, his voice calmer.
— "I know it's hard to believe. But do it for Ha-Yoon, at least. If you don't trust me, protect her. I can't be there for you. And if something happens to you…" His voice cracked, but he looked away to hide it.
Hye-Jin sighed deeply, her gaze shifting between Jin's determination and Ha-Yoon's innocence as she clung to him.
— "And where exactly are we supposed to go?" she asked finally, resigned but still wary.
— "To my mother's old house. It's empty, but you'll be safer there than here. Some men will come to take you to Kovalia. I trust no one will dare come after you there."
A long silence followed, broken only by the sound of rain beating against the windows. At last, Hye-Jin nodded, though reluctantly.
— "Fine. But if anything goes wrong, Jin… I'll never forgive you."
Jin nodded slowly, accepting the condition.
He left the house under the pouring rain, his face turned to the dark sky, letting the drops stream down his skin. Passing by a lit sign, he stopped, his eyes catching the faces of wanted criminals. Those faces, frozen in defiance or fear, surrounded by astronomical bounties, seemed to challenge him in return.
A wry smile crossed his lips.
— "Soon, my face will be up here in full."
He ran a hand over his silver chain, feeling the memories it represented. Then, in a barely audible whisper, he spoke to himself.
— "I've never been a hero. I never wanted to be. But the world is about to change, and so am I. If I have to become a monster to protect the ones I love, so be it. No matter the cost."
He clenched his fists, his thoughts focusing on what lay ahead.
— "I will become stronger. Stronger than my fears, stronger than these memories that haunt me. And stronger than the uncertain future approaching."
He began walking, disappearing into the stormy night, resolved to face whatever destiny had in store for him.
— "I'm no longer the person I was. The kid who waited for his mother to return or his father to keep his promises is gone. I'm alone, and that's just fine. The ghosts of the past have haunted me for too long. But it's time… time to face them."
He lifted his head, staring at the stormy sky.
— "The world is about to tip over. And me? I won't just survive. I'll be reborn. Stronger, freer, and ready to crush anything that stands in my way."
Thunder rumbled in the distance, as if responding to his resolve. Jin quickened his pace, gradually disappearing into the dark alleys of Seorim.