Horror Night on the Bridge

It was a busy evening in Seoul as the crowds bustled through the streets. Among them was a young woman struggling to make ends meet through food deliveries. Life had become hopeless after her mother lost their savings to a phone scam. Exhausted from a long day of work, she now found herself on a bridge overlooking the Han River, deep in contemplation about her uncertain future.

Down below, the currents flowed silently as the last glimmers of daylight faded from the sky. She gazed into the dark waters wondering if an escape from her troubles could be found in their depths. All seemed still on the surface, but unseen undercurrents ran strong, carrying who knows what terrors or unknown fates.

Not far away, Professor Leon was engaged in a discussion about the nature of life and death with his colleague Colbert. As an expert in folklore and traditions, Leon had developed close contacts within the Seoul police over the years assisting with unusual cases. His focus tonight however, was merely an academic debate with a friend.

As they talked, something in Leon's peripheral vision caught his attention. Dark shapes appeared to be swarming up towards the bridge through the gloom. Turning, he was alarmed to spot a figure standing motionless at the railing. A woman appeared lost in tormented thoughts, swaying gently as if being pulled towards the abyss below.Leon's instincts kicked into gear.

"Get back from the edge!" he yelled, sprinting towards the distressed woman as fast as his legs could carry him. In his panic to reach her in time, Leon failed to see an oncoming vehicle until it was too late. Metal struck flesh with a sickening thud as he was sent tumbling across the road. Pain shot through his body but he paid it no mind, adrenaline overriding all else. Struggling back to his feet through sheer force of will, Leon finally grasped the woman's wrist.

To his surprise, she showed no signs of suicidal intent, merely lost in private worries while staring at the water's flow. But there was no time for explanations. The dark forms Leon had spotted were swarming again, rushing past them along the bridge towards another tormented soul. A man stood rambling to himself further down, clearly in the throes of some inner anguish or madness. Leon knew he had to reach him before it was too late.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he tried to run but his injured leg buckled beneath him. Colbert and others now rushed to assist but the distance was too great. They watched helplessly as the shadows engulfed the disturbed man, their cold touch driving him over the edge into the long fall into the deep black river. All was suddenly silent once more except for the lapping of waves against the pillars far below and Leon's anguished cries of frustration at his failure to save another life.

Who or what were those sinister shadows hunting troubled souls this night, and for what dark purpose? Leon could only speculate as the ambulance arrived to tend to his wounds. More questions than answers remained, but one thing was clear - there were powers at work in this city beyond rational explanation, and more lives may yet hang in the balance if their nature was not uncovered. This was only the beginning...