3:00 AM.
The warehouse looked abandoned—broken windows, rusted gates, silence so thick it felt deliberate.

Do Rae approached it alone. Or so she thought.

Do Rin was two rooftops away, crouched low, hoodie pulled tight, watching with binoculars and a pounding heart.

If Rae was the fist,
Rin was the shield.

And right now, that shield was ready to break every rule.

Inside the warehouse, Rae’s boots echoed off the concrete.

There were no guards. No weapons. Just a single light overhead and a half-circle of women already waiting.

Young. Old. Scarred. Serene.
Every one of them radiated power. Not just physically—but in how they held space.

The one in the center stepped forward.

“Welcome, Do Rae. You’re late.”

“Sorry,” Rae said casually. “I don’t usually RSVP to anonymous threats.”

A few of the women chuckled. One cracked her knuckles and muttered, “She’s got the fire.”

The leader nodded. “My name is Yoon Sae Jin. I’m what your mother used to be—a protector. But we go by a different name now.”

She pointed to the wall.

Painted in red:

The Iron Circle

“We’re the ones who refused to vanish,” she continued.
“While your mother buried her legacy to protect it, we built ours in the shadows.”

“Why me?” Rae asked.

“Because we’ve been watching you. You're strong, untrained, and brave enough to act without waiting for permission.”

A woman to the side spoke up—older, sharp eyes, a tattoo running down her arm.

“You’re what we were before we were told to hide.”

On the rooftop, Rin listened in through a small mic she slipped into Rae’s jacket. Her laptop glowed softly beside her as she hacked into the warehouse’s internal system.

Every woman inside had a file.

Every file had red flags.

But one in particular stood out—a file with no name. Just an image. A blurred face. Redacted everything else.

Subject: “NOVA.”

The timestamp on the file was just two weeks old.

Rin’s eyes widened. This wasn’t a meeting.

It was a recruitment.

And Rae didn’t know she was the star target.

Back inside, Sae Jin offered her hand.

“Join us, Rae. Don’t let your legacy be a leash. Let it be a weapon. Let us teach you what Bong Soon won’t.”

Rae hesitated.

“I don’t know. You talk about legacy like it’s a war.”

“It is,” said the older woman.

“And the ones who pretend otherwise? They’re just waiting to lose.”

Suddenly—CRASH.

A skylight shattered above.
Rae looked up.

Do Bong Soon landed in the circle like thunder, eyes blazing.

“That’s enough.”

Rae spun around. “Mom?!”

Bong Soon looked at Sae Jin. “Recruiting children again? You haven’t changed.”

Sae Jin smiled. “Neither have you. Still acting like silence is strength.”

Rae stepped between them. “Can someone please explain what’s happening?”

Bong Soon stared at her daughter, heart heavy.

“They’re not heroes, Rae. They’re the reason Mi Na lost everything.”

Outside, Rin packed up, heart racing.

Because the name “NOVA” in the file?

That wasn’t about Rae.

It was about her.

And someone out there knew exactly how powerful she was going to become.