The cold wind swept fiercely through the pine trees on the high mountain. The old wooden house clung to the cliff like a ship adrift in a sea of deep green. Thick mist enveloped the roof, yet inside, the house glowed with the flickering warmth of the fireplace.
Kim Valentaris sat on the kitchen floor, cooking over the old stove. His hands were lean but precise, each movement honed from years of practice since childhood. His eyes were sharp and cold, yet beneath that icy exterior lingered a hint of worry — his parents were gravely ill, his little sister was still young, and tonight he had to go out to work in the garlic fields on the mountain until late.
"Looks like the rain will be heavy tonight…" he murmured softly, as if predicting what awaited outside.
Suddenly, the crack of gunfire shattered the storm. The bullets echoed like a call from some restless spirit. Kim's hand shot up instinctively. His body moved faster than any ordinary human, propelling him out the door. Through the rain, he saw the silhouette of a woman standing alone. Her eyes shone with a strange, otherworldly light, as if reflecting something from another world.
"Help…!" the trembling voice called out, yet there was a power in it that Kim could feel deep in his bones.
He did not hesitate. The spiritual energy coursing through his demigod blood surged from his hands, as if the bullets themselves were not shot from a gun, but fired directly at the truths of the world.
Ella Serentis — her eyes were filled with pain and secrets. She was both human and god, half of her world bound by an unending curse, the other half fighting desperately for survival.
Kim yanked her body beneath the roof's overhang. The wooden house shook from the gunfire. "Who… are you?" His voice was icy, yet a thread of concern lingered underneath.
Ella met his gaze, her eyes glinting as though she could see the future. "I… don't know, but they're going to kill me."
The storm raged on, but time seemed to slow between them. Something intangible tied them together — secrets and curses waiting to be unraveled, bullets reflecting souls, and a story that would change both their lives forever.
Kim drew a deep breath and nodded. "Then stay with me… tonight."
The shadow of the wooden house on the mountain, the echo of bullets, and the eyes that mirrored the souls of spirits — all made it clear. This was not an ordinary night… but the beginning of a war, a curse, and hearts waiting to be healed.