Whispers Under the Moonlight
Prologue
The city lights of Seoul blurred into streaks against the backdrop of a moonlit autumn sky. A whisper of wind carried the scent of drying leaves through the bustling streets, a stark contrast to the stifling weight on Lee Serin's chest. She sat on a park bench by the Han River, the river's calm surface mirroring the turbulent chaos within her.
Five years. Five years she had poured her life into a demanding career, only for it to crumble in a single, brutal day. A betrayal from her boss, the icy indifference of her colleagues, and then, the final, crushing blow – a text message, short and devoid of emotion, ending a three-year relationship.
"This is it," she murmured, the words barely audible above the rustling leaves. "The absolute worst."
Tears, hot and stinging, traced paths down her cold cheeks, but she felt oddly numb. There were no more sobs left, just a hollow ache where hope used to be.
Then, a voice cut through the stillness. Low, gentle, and unexpectedly warm.
"Are you alright?"
Serin's head snapped up. A tall figure stood silhouetted against the streetlamp's glow, an aura of calm radiating from him. Their eyes met, and in the soft, ethereal moonlight, she saw a face that seemed sculpted from a dream, yet held a profound, undeniable warmth.
It was a meeting that felt less like chance and more like a cosmic alignment. A whisper in the universe, hinting that even in the darkest of nights, a new dawn might be just around the corner.