Chapter 1: A Journey Begins

The train's rhythmic clatter provided a steady soundtrack as Jung-ho glanced over at his son, Min-jun. The boy had grown so much in the past year, now on the cusp of manhood at fifteen. They were headed to the small village of Geumsan, nestled in the mountains where Jung-ho's father had spent his final years. For Jung-ho, the journey was both a pilgrimage and a test of endurance, one that would force him to face the unresolved feelings toward his late father.

Min-jun stared out the window, his thoughts far from the passing scenery. The trip was a welcome distraction from his life in Seoul, where school pressures and social struggles weighed heavily on him. He had always been intrigued by the stories his grandfather had told, wild tales of another world filled with strange technology and legendary guns. He had often dismissed them as the fanciful imaginings of an old man, but a part of him always wondered if there was more to them.

As the train approached their destination, the landscape became increasingly rugged, with dense forests and steep cliffs flanking the tracks. The air felt fresher, cleaner, a stark contrast to the bustling city they had left behind. Jung-ho turned to his son, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Excited to see where your grandfather lived?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Min-jun nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Yeah, it's going to be interesting. I still can't believe he chose to live all the way out here."

Jung-ho sighed, his expression softening. "Your grandfather was always a bit of a mystery. Maybe being here will help us understand him better."

They arrived at the small, rustic station of Geumsan, greeted by a wave of nostalgia and a cool mountain breeze. The village was quaint, with traditional houses and narrow streets winding through the hills. They made their way to the modest home that had belonged to Jung-ho's father, nestled at the edge of the village.

Inside, the house was a time capsule, filled with relics of the past. Photographs, books, and old maps cluttered the shelves, each item a fragment of a life they knew so little about. Min-jun gravitated toward a dusty bookshelf, his eyes scanning the spines for anything that might reveal more about his enigmatic grandfather.

"Look at this," Min-jun said, pulling out a worn leather journal. "It looks like a diary or something."

Jung-ho joined him, curiosity piqued. "Let's see what it says."

As they opened the journal, a small, intricately designed key fell out, landing on the floor with a soft clink. Min-jun picked it up, examining it closely. "This looks like it could open something important."

Before Jung-ho could respond, the room was filled with an intense, blinding light. The air crackled with energy, and a deafening roar echoed around them. They instinctively reached for each other, but the world around them seemed to dissolve into chaos.

When the light finally faded, they found themselves in a completely different place. Gone was the familiar interior of the old house, replaced by a landscape that looked like it had been pulled from the pages of a dystopian novel. Tall buildings with a Wild West aesthetic loomed around them, but the streets were filled with people wielding futuristic weapons. The air was thick with tension, the kind that precedes a storm.

Jung-ho and Min-jun stood in stunned silence, trying to process what had just happened. A group of rough-looking men with strange, glowing guns approached them, their eyes cold and calculating.

"Welcome to the world of guns," one of them said with a sneer. "Looks like you two have a lot to learn."

Min-jun clutched the key tightly in his hand, a sense of foreboding settling over him. This was no longer a simple trip to learn about his grandfather. This was the beginning of an adventure that would challenge everything they thought they knew about their world—and themselves.