The night was unusually restless over Seoul.
Clouds swirled as if dragged by invisible hands, stars flickering like dying embers. The air carried a heaviness, unnoticed by the people below, but in the higher planes of existence, the Rulers were already stirring.
> "It has begun," one of them murmured, their voice resonating across realms.
"Two sparks where there should have been one."
In a small hospital room, far removed from cosmic whispers, Sung Il-hwan's heart raced as he gripped his wife's hand. Sweat soaked her pale skin, her lips trembling as she pushed with all her strength. The cries of nurses and the hurried instructions of the doctor blurred in his ears.
And then—
A sharp, weak cry pierced the room. A tiny body, slick with blood, wriggled in the doctor's arms.
"It's a boy," the doctor announced, his tone routine, though there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Il-hwan's breath caught. His son.
But before he could even cradle the child, another cry erupted.
The doctor froze. His hands trembled.
"…Twins."
A second boy, smaller but somehow more imposing, emerged into the world. Unlike the first, this child's cry was not weak—it was sharp, defiant, filled with a strength no newborn should possess. His dark eyes opened briefly, meeting the fluorescent lights above with unsettling calm.
Il-hwan's wife wept, joy overwhelming her exhaustion.
"Two… Il-hwan, we have two sons…"
Il-hwan could barely contain the warmth flooding his chest. He leaned close, touching both children's tiny hands. One reached weakly, grasping his finger. The other—silent now—stared at nothing, as though gazing into a world far beyond this room.
"Jinwoo," Il-hwan whispered, pointing to the frail one. His wife nodded weakly, smiling.
"And Grey," she said softly, naming the calm one whose eyes seemed too knowing for his age.
But beyond the mortal joy of parents, unseen eyes were locked on the scene. The Rulers gathered, their divine forms casting no shadows, their gazes heavy.
> "This is wrong," one said coldly.
"Shadow and Dragon cannot coexist in one world."
"The balance will shatter."
The air rippled, and the destiny of the twins trembled.
Il-hwan felt none of it. He pressed his lips to his wife's forehead, whispering, "We'll raise them together. No matter what."
He could not know that even now, powers beyond gods had decided otherwise .....