The rain had stopped.
But the night still felt strange.
Seo-yeon and I stood near the Han River railing, staring at the empty space where the violet-ring man had been standing just seconds earlier.
Gone.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just… gone.
Seo-yeon blinked twice.
Then she looked at me.
"Did we just meet a magician?"
I stared at the wet pavement.
"No."
"Then what was that?"
I rubbed my face.
"Someone who clearly enjoys dramatic entrances."
She crossed her arms.
"You're way too calm about this."
"I'm not calm."
"You look calm."
"That's because my brain hasn't caught up yet."
Seo-yeon pointed at the ground.
"And the coin?"
I picked it up again carefully.
The strange symbol was still carved into the surface.
But now the metal felt normal.
Cold.
Lifeless.
Like it had never reacted at all.
Seo-yeon leaned closer.
"Does it still feel warm?"
"No."
"So the glowing moment thing was real?"
"Yes."
"And the violet ring man was real?"
"Yes."
She sighed dramatically.
"Great."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
She spread her arms.
"I ran away from my wedding thinking life would become simpler."
I waited.
"And now I'm involved in mysterious rings, secret military files, and disappearing strangers."
She pointed at me.
"This is somehow your fault."
I blinked.
"My fault?"
"You were the one lying on the road injured when I met you."
"That's not how responsibility works."
For a moment we both stood there silently.
Then suddenly Seo-yeon started laughing.
Not a small laugh.
A full laugh.
I looked at her.
"What?"
She shook her head.
"This is ridiculous."
"What is?"
She pointed toward the river.
"We're standing here like characters in some fantasy drama."
I looked at the coin again.
"…It does feel like that."
The wind from the river blew softly now.
Cars passed on the distant road.
And slowly the world started feeling normal again.
Almost normal.
Seo-yeon stretched her arms.
"Okay."
"Okay what?"
"I need coffee."
"You always need coffee."
"That's because coffee solves problems."
"No it doesn't."
"It solves emotional problems."
She grabbed my sleeve.
"Come on."
Before I could protest, she was already walking toward the street.
Ten minutes later.
We were sitting inside a small late-night café.
Warm lights.
Soft music.
And the comforting smell of roasted coffee beans.
Seo-yeon placed two cups on the table.
"One Americano."
"And?"
"One extremely confused Ji-hoon."
I took the cup.
"You're enjoying this too much."
She sipped her drink.
"Because panic won't help."
"Fair."
I placed the coin on the table.
The symbol reflected the café light.
Seo-yeon stared at it carefully.
"So this symbol appeared in the envelope."
"Yes."
"And now it appeared here."
"Yes."
"That means someone left it for us."
"Most likely."
She frowned.
"But how would they know we'd be there?"
I thought about that.
Good question.
Too good.
"Maybe," I said slowly, "they were watching us."
Seo-yeon froze.
"…I regret asking."
At the next table, two college students were laughing loudly over something on their phones.
The normal sound of people talking helped calm the tension.
Seo-yeon leaned forward again.
"Ji-hoon."
"Yes."
"That violet ring."
I nodded.
"You saw it clearly?"
"Yes."
"What color exactly?"
"Deep violet."
"Purple?"
"Closer to dark violet."
She sighed again.
"So that means…"
"Another ring exists."
She looked at her own hand.
Her gold ring rested quietly on her finger.
No glow.
No strange reaction.
Just a normal ring.
"That man said something," she said slowly.
"Which part?"
"'The golden one has awakened.'"
I remembered.
"Yes."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
"But he sounded like he knew about the rings."
"Definitely."
She tapped the coin.
"Maybe this symbol connects them."
"Possible."
"But why give it to us?"
"That's the bigger question."
Seo-yeon suddenly leaned back in her chair.
"You know what the worst part is?"
"What?"
"I have a feeling we're about to get dragged into something complicated."
I took a sip of coffee.
"We already are."
She pointed at me again.
"And you're suspicious."
I nearly choked on my drink.
"Excuse me?"
"You recognize military symbols."
"That's because I was in the military."
"You also have secret files."
"I didn't know they existed."
"And random ring people seem interested in you."
"That part is new for me too."
Seo-yeon sighed.
"Fine."
She leaned forward again.
"But I still feel like you're hiding something."
I looked at the coin.
"…Maybe."
Her eyes widened.
"Wait seriously?"
I shook my head.
"I mean I don't remember everything."
"What does that mean?"
I hesitated.
Because the truth sounded strange even to me.
"Sometimes," I said slowly, "I get flashes of memories."
"Memories?"
"Yes."
"From when?"
"…I'm not sure."
Seo-yeon stared at me.
"That is the most suspicious sentence I've heard tonight."
Before I could respond—
Something happened.
The coin on the table vibrated slightly.
Just once.
Tick.
Both of us froze.
Seo-yeon whispered,
"Please tell me that was the table moving."
"It wasn't."
The symbol on the coin glowed faintly.
Very faint.
Like a small pulse.
Then—
The café door opened.
A cold wind rushed inside.
Everyone glanced toward the entrance.
A man walked in quietly.
Tall.
Calm.
Wearing a grey jacket.
Seo-yeon leaned closer to me.
"Do you know him?"
"No."
But the moment I saw his face—
Something inside my head flickered.
A memory.
A training ground.
Rain.
Soldiers running across mud.
And a voice shouting orders.
The man looked around the café.
Then his eyes landed directly on me.
Not Seo-yeon.
Me.
His expression changed slightly.
Surprise.
Then recognition.
He walked toward our table.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Seo-yeon whispered nervously,
"Ji-hoon… why does he look like he knows you?"
"I don't know."
But deep inside…
I had a terrible feeling.
Maybe I did know him.
The man stopped in front of our table.
His eyes moved from me…
To the coin.
Then to Seo-yeon's gold ring.
He smiled slightly.
Not friendly.
Not threatening.
Just… knowing.
Then he said the one sentence that made my heart stop.
"Ji-hoon."
Seo-yeon looked at me.
Her voice barely above a whisper.
"…You definitely know him."
The man pulled out the chair.
Sat down calmly.
And placed something on the table.
Another coin.
Same symbol.
But this one had a different mark carved across the center.
Then he looked directly into my eyes.
And said quietly—
"Your past is catching up faster than expected.