Madrid, Spain – Year 2099
The lake was still, silver moonlight dancing on its rippling surface. The villa at the edge of the water glowed faintly, its tall windows lit from within, warm and golden against the cool night air.
Inside, laughter echoed — low, familiar, warm.
"Yuna, have you seen the latest newsfeed? Another headline about Myra. 'World's Most Anticipated Launch.' I think we're about to become public property," Shin Donghyun chuckled, swirling wine in his glass.
Across the table, Dr. Shin Yuna smiled softly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Let them talk, Donghyun. Let them anticipate. They don't know even half of what's coming."
Her husband leaned back, a rare softness in his sharp features. "I can't believe it, you know. Ten years. Ten years, Yuna, and we're here. Just a few months away from release."
Yuna's eyes sparkled. "It's not just a game, Donghyun. We both know that. ReLife… it's a salvation."
Donghyun's smile faded slightly. He set the glass down, gazing out the tall window where the moonlight painted silver streaks over the lake.
"It's strange," he murmured, "to know the world's ending and yet… to carry on, pretending."
Yuna reached across the table, her slender fingers brushing his. "That's why we do this. For Jin Young. For everyone."
A beat passed. A quiet sigh.
"Speaking of Jin Young," Donghyun murmured, "have you told him yet?"
Yuna hesitated. "No."
"Yuna—"
"I can't, Donghyun. Not yet." She shook her head, voice trembling slightly. "He's still grieving her. And he just graduated, he's trying to figure himself out. How can we drop the fate of the world on his shoulders?"
Donghyun exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. "He's our son, Yuna. He has a right to know."
Yuna looked away. Her voice softened. "I just want him to live a little longer without the weight we carry. Just a little longer."
Outside, the wind stirred, ruffling the curtains slightly. Neither of them noticed the subtle flash of a camera drone hovering silently beyond the window, its lens glinting faintly in the dark.
Twelve hours later...
The bodies were pulled from the lake just as dawn broke over the hills.
A double suicide, the reports said. Signed digital notes. Confirmed biometric signatures. Perfectly in order, perfectly explained.
But none of it made sense.
Not to Jin Young.
He stood behind the police barricade, fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. His eyes burned as he stared at the zipped-up body bags being loaded onto hover transports.
"Mr. Shin," a detective approached carefully. "We're very sorry for your loss. We'll need you to come to the station to finalize some—"
"No," Jin Young said flatly.
The man blinked. "I— I understand this is difficult, but—"
"I said no." Jin Young's voice was sharp, eyes like steel. "I'll cooperate. But not now."
The detective hesitated, then gave a slight nod. "Of course. We'll be in touch."
As the officers moved away, Jin Young turned back to the lake.
His mind reeled.
His parents were the two smartest, strongest people he had ever known. They had never been the type to break under pressure, never the type to run from challenges.
Suicide? No. That wasn't them.
There was something else here.
Something bigger.
He stared at the smooth, rippling water where his parents had spent their final moments.
I'll find the truth, he promised silently.
No matter what it takes.