Everything was broken.
The street was filled with fire and smoke. Buildings had fallen over each other like they were made of paper. Screams echoed in the air loud at first, then quiet, fading into silence. Blood ran down the cracked ground. Some people were running, others were crying, and many were just. gone. The whole city was falling apart.
Under one broken building, crushed between chunks of stone and metal, there was a small open space. Inside it, a man was crouched. His white shirt was dirty and torn, with blood stains across the chest. His black hair was sticking to his forehead, and a fresh cut above his eyebrow was bleeding down his cheek. His breathing was heavy, but his eyes were focused.
Next to him, a woman lay on the ground. Her long purple hair was messy and covered her face. She was unconscious. A deep wound in her stomach was bleeding badly. Her skin was pale. Her breaths were weak shallow and slow, like she was slipping away.
A little boy, maybe five years old, sat beside her. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her like she might disappear. He was crying softly, his voice almost lost in the noise outside. His purple hair, messy like his mother's, covered his face. On his small wrist, there was something strange, a black watch that looked like smooth glass. It didn't shine. cold and quiet.
The man placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. His voice was low and gentle.
"Listen, my son. don't cry. Don't make any noise, okay? The hunters will come. They'll find you. I'll lead the monsters away. You stay here with your mother. Stay hidden."
The boy grabbed his hand tightly, not letting go.
"No. Dad, please don't go," he whispered through his tears.
"Stay with us. please."
The man knelt down again. He moved the boy's hair away from his face, revealing big, tear-filled blue eyes. His heart ached seeing that face, so scared, so small.
He gave the boy a soft smile.
"I know you're scared. But Dad has to do this. The monsters can smell the blood. If I don't leave, they'll come here. I'll distract them. I'll run fast. I'll be back soon."
He wiped his son's tears with his thumb and gently kissed his forehead. His hand trembled, just a little. He didn't want to leave. But he had to.
With one last pat on the boy's head, he stood up, turned away, and ran. He didn't look back.
When he was far enough from them, far from the broken building, far from the blood, he stopped.
He looked into the flames. His voice cracked as he screamed:
"COME ON, YOU MONSTERS!"
"I'M RIGHT HERE! COME AND GET ME!"
"DAD, COME BACK!"
The boy screamed, his right hand reaching out into the air. The black watch on his wrist caught the light as he jolted up from the bed.
He was breathing hard. His white t-shirt was soaked in sweat, even though the air conditioner was running. His blue eyes were wide open, filled with tears. He sat there for a moment, frozen. Just breathing. That dream again.
A nightmare.
He stayed like that for a few minutes, trying to calm his heartbeat. Then slowly, he took a long breath and got off the bed. His steps were quiet as he walked toward the balcony. He pulled the curtain aside.
The soft morning sunlight spilled into the room, bright and golden.
His room was big way too big for someone his age. One wall had a tall shelf packed with books, all neatly placed. On the other side was a huge wooden closet that looked heavy and expensive. In the far corner was something that didn't fit the room's vibe at all a bright, flashy gaming setup. Dual monitors, consoles, controllers.. all in loud pinks and reds. The gaming chair had cartoon stickers all over it. It felt out of place, too cheerful for a room that felt so quiet.
He walked to a door in his room, opened it, and stepped into the bathroom. The lights came on with a soft hum. He pulled off his t-shirt and dropped it in the basket. His body was lean but strong he had a good build, not too bulky. But there was one thing that stood out.
A large scar on the left side of his chest, near his heart. It was shaped like a perfect circle. Dark, rough like a burn that never healed right.
He looked at it for a second in the mirror. Just stared. Then he stepped into the shower and let the water run over him. He stayed there for a while. Not moving much. Just breathing.
A few minutes later, he walked out, drying his hair with a towel. He headed to the closet and opened it. Neatly hung inside were rows of different clothes, jackets, shirts, pants, everything organized by color.
He picked out a clean white shirt, dark blue pants, and a matching jacket. His school uniform.
Once he was dressed, he left his room and walked down the long stairs. The house was quiet except for the soft footsteps of the people working there. A few maids and butlers passed by. Each one bowed slightly and greeted him with polite smiles.
He gave them a small nod in return, not saying much.
He sat down on one of the chairs near the end of the massive dining table. The table stretched far across the room fancier than anything he needed, really.
In front of him was a cup of milk tea. He dipped a slice of bread into it and quietly took a bite. No one else was eating. The room was quiet except for the faint clink of the cup and plate.
Once he finished, he stood up and glanced toward the main maid standing nearby.
"Why haven't you all eaten yet?" he asked, his voice cold and sharp. "You don't need to wait for me every morning."
The maid, a woman in her forties with soft features and neatly tied hair, smiled gently.
"We can't eat before you, young master. You're our first priority," she replied calmly, like it was simply a fact.
He looked at her for a moment, expression unreadable. Then he turned away.
"Whatever. I'm going. Bye."
He walked out through the mansion's grand doors. Parked in the circular driveway was a sleek black Audi A8. The driver stepped out quickly, opened the back door, and bowed slightly.
He slid into the back seat without a word. The driver got back behind the wheel, started the engine, and they rolled out through the iron gates.
The morning sun filtered through the tinted windows. He leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes, trying to relax.
After a minute, the driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. His voice was soft.
"So, young master. it's the first day of your last year in high school. How are you feeling?"
He opened his eyes slowly. "Not feeling great today, Uncle Joon."
Joon's eyes sharpened, and without a word, he gently pressed the gas pedal a little harder. The car sped up.
The boy noticed. He raised an eyebrow and smirked a little. "Whoa, whoa. I'm fine. Relax. I just had that dream again. That's all."
Joon's shoulders relaxed slightly. He nodded, easing off the gas. "I see.."
A small silence followed.
"Then how about this?" Joon said with a light smile. "Let's skip school today. I'll take you somewhere better. Somewhere you can feel a little more alive."
After that, Joon made a quiet turn and started driving out of Seoul.
They didn't speak much during the ride. The city slowly faded behind them, replaced by open roads and a clearer sky. After about an hour, they reached Incheon.
Joon finally stopped the car near a quiet beach. The sound of waves filled the air as the boy stepped out, his shoes crunching gently against the sand.
He spent the next few hours alone, walking along the shoreline. The cool wind brushed against his face, and the salty breeze carried a strange kind of peace. He watched the water come and go at his feet, like it was trying to wash something away.
Joon stayed in the car the whole time, just keeping watch from a distance.
By afternoon, they stopped by a small restaurant not far from the coast and had lunch together nothing fancy, just something warm and filling. After that, they returned to the beach and stayed there for the rest of the day.
Now, the sun was low, casting a golden glow over the water. The sky was starting to turn orange and purple. It was already past 7 p.m.
"Let's go, young master. It's getting late," Joon called out from near the car.
Jinhwan heard him and slowly stood up, brushing off the sand from his clothes. He turned to walk back. but suddenly
"Hello, hello, is this working?"
A voice echoed from nowhere. Familiar. Too familiar.
He froze in place.
His eyes darted around the beach, looking for where it came from but there was no one else there.
"Of course it's working. Who do you think built this thing?"
This time, it was a woman's voice. Soft, sweet, warm.
"Mom?" he whispered.
He looked down and then noticed it.
The voice wasn't coming from around him.
It was coming from his watch.
"Happy birthday, Jinhwan," his mother's voice came again, gentle like a lullaby.
A single tear slipped from his eye.
Then another voice joined hers stronger, steadier.
"Let me talk too! Happy birthday, son. If you're hearing this. it means it's your 18th birthday."
He stood there, frozen in the fading light, the watch glowing faintly as his father's voice continued.
"You probably have a lot of questions. but don't ask them now. This is just a recording. Ask me instead," his mother added playfully, "just because it's a recording doesn't mean we're dead in the future, silly."
Jinhwan's lips trembled as the tears rolled down faster, silently. His shoulders shook.
"This watch. the one you've never been able to take off it's not just any watch. Your dad and I made it. For your safety."
"We couldn't fit much into it, this was the best we could do with what we had. But if we're not there with you in the future...."
There was a pause. A gentle sigh. Then her voice came again, barely above a whisper.
"Live happily, my sunshine."
And together, both voices said one final thing:
"Bye bye. Take care."
Jinhwan couldn't speak. He dropped to his knees, clutching his chest.
"I..... miss you, Mom.. Dad...." he whispered through hiccups, crying so hard it hurt.
Then, the watch let out a soft beep.
The screen on its surface lit up for the first time in his life.
[Activation complete.]
[Player: Lee Jinhwan.]
[Verification: Success.]
[Level: 01]
[Chapter 1 end]
[Optional Summary – The full history will unfold through the characters. You can skip this if you prefer to discover it slowly.]
The Year the World Changed
In the year 1899, something impossible happened. All across the world at the exact same moment gates appeared.
Not built. Not summoned. Just... appeared.
These gates weren't doors made by human hands. They tore through reality like cracks in a mirror, glowing faintly, humming with energy no one could explain. Some hovered midair. Others stretched open across the land, vast and unmoving. No matter the shape or size, they all shared one thing: mystery.
At first, humanity did what it always does when confronted by the unknown. They observed. They feared. Then they explored.
A few brave souls entered. Scientists. Soldiers. Wanderers. But none of them returned.
For two days, the world held its breath. And then the gates began to open from the other side.
Creatures twisted, feral things emerged from within. Monsters not of this Earth, carrying instincts only to destroy, devour, and spread chaos. Cities fell. Countries staggered. Humanity stood on the edge of extinction.
But when all seemed lost, a new spark ignited.
Some humans only a rare few began awakening to something deep within them. A force previously dormant. They called it mana, and those who could wield it stood a chance against the monsters.
These awakened individuals fought back. They didn't just survive they pushed the beasts back into the gates, defended the broken cities, and gave humanity a reason to believe again.
People began calling them Hunters—not soldiers, not saviors, but those willing to walk into the jaws of death and come back alive. Not everyone could become one. In fact, most couldn't.
And so, the world changed.
Wars, politics, even history itself bent around the gates. Events that once defined mankind technological revolutions, global conflicts, even culture either vanished, were delayed, or took entirely different shapes. Everything that followed was shaped not by ambition, but by survival.
This is not the Earth you know.
And now, in the year 2025, the story begins.
The gates still stand.
The monsters still come.
And the Hunters still fight.
But something else is stirring something beyond monsters and mana.
And once again, the world holds its breath.