The moment she said it…
The world felt heavier.
Not something.
Someone.
The words echoed in my mind like a crack spreading through glass.
Rainwater dripped from the streetlights. The wet pavement reflected the glow of our rings, five different colors trembling in the darkness.
And standing in front of us…
The girl with the crimson ring watched me like she had been waiting centuries for this moment.
Seo-yeon broke the silence first.
"…You're joking."
Her voice sounded small.
"Right?"
The crimson-ring girl didn't answer.
And somehow…
That made everything worse.
Tae-jun sighed loudly beside me.
"Okay. I officially hate this story now."
But I couldn't laugh.
Because something inside my head had started to move.
Like an old door slowly opening.
The bronze ring on my finger burned faintly.
A strange warmth spread through my hand.
Then up my arm.
Then deeper.
Dae-hyun stepped closer to me.
His sharp eyes studying my face.
"You remember something."
I swallowed.
"…Not clearly."
Fragments floated in my mind like broken glass.
Stone walls.
Fire.
A massive gate.
And someone standing in front of it.
"I remember the gate."
My voice sounded distant even to me.
"And someone… behind it."
Hae-in whispered softly,
"…Someone trapped."
The hunter leader clapped slowly.
The sound echoed down the empty street.
"Excellent."
Seo-yeon pointed at him immediately.
"You need to stop enjoying this."
But he ignored her.
His eyes stayed on me.
Cold.
Interested.
Like a scientist watching an experiment.
"You were the one who sealed him."
The street went quiet again.
The wind moved through the broken glass around us.
"…Him?"
I asked.
The hunter nodded calmly.
"Yes."
His smile was thin.
"The King Beyond the Gate."
Tae-jun frowned.
"That sounds like the final boss of a video game."
But Jin-woo wasn't joking.
His silver ring flickered nervously.
"…I've heard that title before."
Everyone turned toward him.
I blinked.
"You have?"
Jin-woo nodded slowly.
"In the organization."
He hesitated.
"They talked about the gate."
The hunter's smile grew wider.
"Oh?"
Jin-woo looked uneasy.
"They said it wasn't just a prison."
He swallowed.
"They said it was a seal."
The crimson-ring girl nodded quietly.
"Yes."
Tae-jun crossed his arms.
"Seal for what?"
Her answer came softly.
But it hit like thunder.
"For the first ruler of the rings."
The wind picked up.
Somewhere far away, thunder rolled.
Hae-in spoke carefully.
"…There was someone before the guardians."
The girl nodded again.
"He created the rings."
My head started to hurt.
Memories pressed against the inside of my skull.
Seo-yeon groaned beside me.
"Okay wait."
She pointed at everyone.
"Why would someone create seven magical rings and then get locked behind a giant gate?"
The crimson-ring girl looked at her.
Her eyes were tired.
Ancient.
"Because power changes people."
The hunter leader laughed softly.
"That's a generous version of the story."
She glared at him.
"Silence."
But he kept talking anyway.
"He wasn't corrupted."
The hunter said calmly.
"He was betrayed."
My bronze ring suddenly flared.
Light flashed across the wet street.
Pain exploded behind my eyes.
Another memory slammed into me.
Hard.
I grabbed my head.
The world tilted.
"Ji-hoon!"
Seo-yeon grabbed my arm.
But I barely heard her.
Because the memory was clearer this time.
A hall of stone pillars.
Seven figures standing in a circle.
Arguing.
Voices raised.
Anger.
Fear.
And someone standing in front of us.
A man.
Tall.
Powerful.
His eyes burning with something dangerous.
My chest tightened.
"…No."
The hunter tilted his head.
"Ah."
I slowly lifted my head.
My breathing uneven.
"That's not what happened."
Everyone froze.
Even the crimson-ring girl looked shocked.
"…You remember?" she asked.
I nodded weakly.
"Pieces."
The memory trembled in my mind.
"I remember the argument."
Lightning flashed across the clouds.
"He wanted to open the gate."
My voice felt strange.
Like someone else was speaking through me.
The hunter's smile faded slightly.
I continued.
"He said the world was broken."
I clenched my fists.
"And that only he could fix it."
The crimson-ring girl closed her eyes.
"Yes."
Tae-jun scratched his head.
"Fix it how?"
The answer came before I could stop it.
"…By remaking it."
Seo-yeon stared at me.
"You mean destroying it."
I nodded slowly.
The hunter leader sighed.
"Such a dramatic interpretation."
He spread his arms.
Rain dripping from his sleeves.
"He simply wanted to create a better world."
Dae-hyun glared at him.
"And how many people die during that process?"
The hunter shrugged.
"History always requires sacrifices."
Seo-yeon rolled her eyes.
"Wow. That's the most villain sentence I've heard this week."
Tae-jun nodded.
"Top three easily."
But the crimson-ring girl suddenly stiffened.
Her gaze locked on the hunter.
"…You're stalling."
The hunter smiled again.
"Of course."
Before any of us understood what he meant—
He snapped his fingers.
The sound of engines roared through the street.
Black vans turned the corner.
Doors slid open.
More hunters stepped out.
One after another.
Dozens.
My chest tightened.
Seo-yeon stared in disbelief.
"…You brought backup?!"
The hunter leader bowed slightly.
"We came prepared."
Dae-hyun muttered under his breath.
"…Too many."
Tae-jun cracked his knuckles.
"Well."
He sighed.
"I guess we're fighting."
But the crimson-ring girl shook her head.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
Her crimson ring began glowing brighter.
And brighter.
And brighter.
The air started to vibrate.
The hunters hesitated.
Even their leader frowned.
"…You wouldn't."
She ignored him.
Her eyes turned toward me.
Urgent now.
"Ji-hoon."
The bronze ring burned again.
"You must remember the last command."
My mind spun.
"…What command?"
Her voice grew firm.
"The one you gave us before the final battle."
My ring pulsed violently.
Another memory breaking through.
The stone gate.
Seven guardians.
Chaos everywhere.
And my past self shouting something.
My eyes widened.
"…Run."
The crimson-ring girl nodded.
"Yes."
The hunters rushed forward.
But she lifted her hand.
The crimson ring exploded with light.
A shockwave blasted across the street.
Glass shattered.
Streetlights burst.
Hunters were thrown backward like leaves in a storm.
I shielded my eyes.
The ground shook beneath my feet.
When the light faded…
She was standing beside us now.
Closer.
"Listen carefully," she said urgently.
"The hunters already have one ring."
She looked at all of us.
"If they collect four…"
Her voice dropped.
"…the gate will begin to open."
My heart pounded.
"…And then what?"
She looked toward the dark sky.
"…Then he will wake up."
I whispered the name before I could stop myself.
"The King Beyond the Gate."
She nodded slowly.
And then she said something that made my blood run cold.
"…And he remembers us."
Behind us…
One of the hunters slowly stood up.
Bleeding.
Smiling.
Because in his hand…
The blue ring was glowing brighter than before.
And suddenly…
The ground beneath the street trembled.
Like something deep underground…
Had just heard our conversation.