Xanatos' Curse

35 years ago a clan of mythical creatures shocked the world of Manhattan by revealing their existence. Then 30 years ago they all disappeared and nobody seems to remember their existence. What happened to Manhattan's midnight vigilantes knows as The Gargoyles?

The year is 2025. At the Youths for a Brighter Tomorrow convention in San Francisco, California, [a scientific conclave where the brightest minds from High schools around the world have been invited to come together and discuss global threats with today's top leaders], five high schoolers have each been given small mysterious giftboxes. There are no instructions or letters attached to the boxes, only a small salutation, "From, A.X.". Inside each box is a stone ring with a single gem laid inside.

Three try on the rings and are immediately plagued by nightmares, but cannot take the rings off.

One pawns the ring for money, so that he can pay to keep up his lie.

One finds a secret so terrible, it causes her to lock the ring away for good.