Hannah had already been waiting for more than two hours, her patience slowly thinning as the minutes ticked by. Her friends were running late, and the silence of their absence pressed on her nerves. Restless, she wandered through the vast corridors of the hotel, circling it again and again, as if by tracing its every corner she could somehow fill the void of waiting. Every so often, she glanced at her phone, hoping for a message—any message—from the first one to arrive.
Yet her mind betrayed her, conjuring up foolish scenarios in which her friends had decided to make fun of her, leaving her stranded here on purpose. She scolded herself for such ridiculous thoughts, though she knew Bella had teased her relentlessly about this trip. Still, what if the joke had gone too far?
With a sigh, she stepped outside. The chill of winter air embraced her immediately, carrying with it a beauty that left her momentarily breathless. The castle hotel stood like something pulled out of a fairy tale, and around it stretched a landscape painted in silver and white. Clouds of snow rolled between jagged rocks, drifting lazily as though the mountains themselves were exhaling. The branches of towering spruce trees bowed beneath their crystalline burden, while the distant peaks gleamed like polished marble against the sunlit sky. For a fleeting moment, Hannah felt as though she had stepped into another world.
She pulled out her phone, intending to send a message in the group chat they had set up for the trip. But before she could type, a notification popped up: Jin had arrived. Relief washed over her as she lifted her gaze and spotted him approaching.
"I was already afraid you had set me up," she admitted with a half-smile, though her tone still carried the weight of her earlier unease.
"Give up our vacation in a place like this? Impossible." Jin's smile was calm, reassuring, the kind that instantly smoothed over her doubts. "Shall we wait for the others inside?"
They entered the hotel together, settling onto a leather couch in the lobby. Despite the warmth and luxury of their surroundings, an awkward air lingered between them. Hannah felt it as clearly as the ticking of a clock: Jin was keeping secrets from her, and the silence between them seemed filled with unspoken words.
"I heard about what happened before Christmas," he began cautiously, his brow furrowing. "Is it true the boy who attacked you mistook you for Danielle?"
"Yes," Hannah answered softly. She pulled at a loose thread on her sweater, her voice tinged with sorrow. "He cornered me in the parking lot. He was so furious that I thought he was going to kill me. He must have hated my sister very much."
"Did he say anything else? Who he was, maybe?" Jin's expression grew darker with concern. "Danielle had many enemies. It could have been anyone."
Hannah frowned. "What did she do that made so many people hate her?"
"At school, they saw her as a queen," Jin replied, his tone heavy with bitterness. "She was beautiful and commanding. Everyone wanted to be her friend, even when she humiliated those who didn't fit her standards. She was popular, and you know how that works among peers…"
"So she was the female version of Joseph?" Hannah quipped, tilting her head.
Jin shook his head. "No, Hannah. Joseph may have been powerful at school, but he didn't have enemies. Danielle was worse. She could be… evil to the marrow of her bones."
The words unsettled her. She remembered Danielle differently—selfish, reckless, even arrogant, yes—but not cruel. Not the monster Jin described.
"What do you mean by evil?" Hannah pressed. "I knew her. Not as well as you, but I still knew her. She could be difficult, but I would never say she was… cruel."
"She bullied the weaker ones," Jin confessed quietly. "She targeted shy, poor girls who were too afraid to fight back. She made their lives hell. And everyone stayed silent."
Hannah shook her head, refusing to accept it. In her eyes, Danielle had been a friend. Perhaps flawed, perhaps misunderstood, but not wicked.
"Then how could you love someone like that?" she whispered.
Jin lowered his gaze to his winter boots, shame flickering in his expression. "I fell in love with her before I knew what she was really doing. To me, she was different. She trusted me, relied on me. I was the only one who could shield her from trouble, the only one she confided in. That's the girl I loved, not the one everyone else knew."
And now Hannah understood. She herself was caught in the same trap—falling for someone others called the devil. Joseph was not as cruel as Danielle, perhaps, yet he, too, had a darker side. Still, her heart betrayed her, beating for him no matter how often he pushed her away.
A chilling thought seized her, and she spoke before she could stop herself. "Jin… tell me honestly. Is there a chance that the person you're protecting is my sister?"
His eyes widened, shock flashing across his face. He opened his mouth, but before he could answer, the sound of their friends' laughter and voices filled the lobby.
Hannah let the question slip away—for now.
"On the ice rink, I won't let go of your hand," Bella sang, hanging on Tom's arm with exaggerated sweetness. "Wouldn't want you to bump into a pretty girl."
At first glance, they looked every bit like a couple in love.
"Good to see you already here." The boys greeted each other with an easy handshake. "Have you seen Joseph anywhere?"
"For you, Mr. Joseph," He muttered. "Have you waited long?"
She wrinkled her nose. Sometimes she genuinely wanted to punch him for his constant mockery.
"Oh, it was hilarious," Bella giggled, covering her mouth as if that could hide her amusement. "And tell me, Hannah—are you really sharing a room with him?"
Hannah shrugged indifferently, though her pulse quickened.
"Hola, my grown-up beavers!" Jimmy's voice rang out, and everyone turned toward him at once.
At last, the group was complete.
"Where's Mariah?" someone asked.
"Family trip," Jimmy answered cheerfully. "But she gave me permission to come alone."
Bella's eyes sparkled as she sized him up. "So this is the missing piece of the puzzle? He's cool."
"He's not cool—he has a girlfriend. And you have a boyfriend," Hannah snapped, turning Bella firmly in the opposite direction. "Let's just pick up the room keys."
"Hannah, won't you say hello to me?"
She rolled her eyes as Jimmy walked up and pulled her into a hug.
"I've never liked you much," he said bluntly, "but I've heard rumors you're starting something with my best friend."
"What kind of relationship?" Hannah and Joseph demanded at the same time.
They exchanged a long, tense glance, and their friends chuckled at the awkwardness of it.
"Isn't it obvious?" Jimmy pressed. "Joseph would rather share a room with you than with me. That has to mean something, unless you're playing at open cards."
"Maybe you're right," Joseph admitted, his words laced with irony. "After all, a relationship is the only war where you sleep with the enemy."
Hannah's jaw dropped in outrage.
"Fine. If Jimmy wants to share a room with you, great," she snapped, her temper flaring. "Then I'll swap and go with Jin. Our relationship isn't in the best place, and we need to talk. Evenings are perfect for that."
Joseph forced a crooked smile, but beneath it his anger simmered like fire beneath ice.
"I pity my friend for having to deal with you," he muttered as he brushed past her.
Hannah's hand twitched, aching to smack the back of his head, but she quickly smoothed her hair instead, masking the impulse. No one would know just how close she had come.
*
Hannah sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes fixed silently on the older boy, hoping he would sense what was weighing on her heart. She did not speak; instead, she waited, almost pleading inwardly, for Jin to find the courage to explain whether the person he was protecting was truly her sister—or whether she had simply allowed paranoia to consume her.
"Do you really want an answer to that question?" Jin exhaled heavily as he lowered himself onto his own bed. For a long moment, he studied her, as if searching for the right words, or perhaps for the strength to speak them. "I would rather not hurt you any further with these lies. Back in December, I told you I was sick of all the secrets, and that one day I would break... I think that day has finally come."
Her eyes brightened instantly, a spark of both fear and anticipation flickering within them.
"You want to tell me everything?" she asked breathlessly. "To remind me of the memories I erased from my mind?"
Jin's expression darkened, his voice low and heavy with unease. "Those memories would only reveal how cruel and merciless your sister could be. There was a reason you chose to forget them."
Hannah curled her toes against the blanket, her fingers knotting together anxiously as she stared at him. Curiosity gnawed at her, but so did dread. She longed to know what truly happened that day, yet she trembled at the thought of uncovering the horror she had forced herself to bury.
"You know…" she began hesitantly, her voice soft, "when we were at the club, I overheard your conversation in the bathroom by accident."
Jin's brows furrowed as he tried to recall that night.
"You were on the phone," she continued. "You mentioned a dead girl. For the longest time, I thought you were talking about my sister. But when I was attacked in the parking lot, that boy also mentioned her. He claimed that someone close to him was dead because of Danielle. Lately, I've started to piece it together."
Jin stiffened with each word, unease written across his face.
"You wouldn't protect someone you didn't love," Hannah pressed, her voice trembling, though determination edged every syllable. "That night on the phone, you said everyone around you had been deceived, and that the truth would eventually cause chaos. Why, Jin? Why is Danielle the first person I think of when I try to connect it all?"
Jin swallowed hard, his throat tight with nerves. His hands trembled slightly against his knees. As much as he wanted to free himself from the burden of silence, fear of her reaction chained his tongue.
"Danielle… she—" He shut his eyes, bracing himself to speak the truth at last.
But before he could finish, a sharp, insistent pounding rattled the door.
"Open up, damn it! What are you doing in there?"
Hannah rolled her eyes instantly at the sound of that unmistakable voice.
"I knew it would be like this," Jin muttered under his breath, frustration flashing in his eyes.
Hannah reluctantly opened the door, only for Joseph to barge in without hesitation. He brushed past her as though she were nothing more than an obstacle, ignoring the fury in her stare. Anger bubbled within her—he had interrupted at the very moment Jin was about to reveal everything.
"Something happened here…" Joseph squinted at Jin's unsettled expression. "I know you. You're rattled. I can see it all over your face. I interrupted something, didn't I?"
"Maybe it's for the best," Jin said quietly, his voice burdened. "I'm not sure what to do anymore."
"Not for the best at all!" Hannah snapped, her voice rising without restraint. For once, she didn't care that she was shouting at someone older. "Why did you come barging in here?"
Joseph strode toward her and, without warning, clasped her chin between his fingers.
"Be quiet."
"I will not be quiet!" she fired back, her fury boiling over. "You're disturbing us. Get out!" She thrust her arm toward the door, her hand trembling with rage. "For once, can you listen to me?"
"Of course not."
There was no point in arguing with him. He never gave in.
"Did you come here just to satisfy your curiosity," Jin asked coldly, rising from the bed, "or do you actually have something to tell us?" He shot Hannah a meaningful glance, silently promising they would continue their talk later.
"There's an ice rink behind the hotel. We're all going," Joseph announced curtly. "Get ready. Now." He turned toward the door, but when neither of them moved, he looked back sharply. "Quickly."
With a few strides, he returned and seized Hannah's hand, tugging her with him.
"Let's go."
*
Tom turned out to be the perfect teacher for Bella, who could barely stand upright on the skates. He guided her patiently, showing her the proper technique, and each time she stumbled he caught her eagerly in his arms. Soon, the two of them looked like the sweetest pair on the rink, laughing together as if the ice had been made only for them. Yet, despite their charm, it was not Bella and Tom who drew the attention of the others. All eyes gravitated instead toward Hannah and Joseph, whose constant bickering and teasing became the true spectacle of the afternoon.
Hannah was fuming when she skated past him, only for Joseph to give her a mischievous pat on the back. The push sent her off balance, and she landed squarely on the ice with a graceless thud. The sting in her pride burned more than the fall itself. Determined not to let it slide, she shot back onto her feet and darted after him, her cheeks flushed with both anger and exertion. Their friends, leaning lazily against the railing, burst into laughter at the sight.
"Don't you think Joseph is hounding her just because she went into your room?" Jimmy asked, glancing sideways at Jin.
"I'm convinced Hannah won't know a moment of peace for the rest of the trip," Jin croaked, his tone a mixture of annoyance and resignation. "He'll torment her until she changes rooms. And honestly, so will I—those constant visits will drive me mad."
"I still don't get it," Jimmy muttered, shaking his head. "How did anything even start between them? They couldn't stand each other in high school. And Joseph? He never wasted time on younger girls."
"That's true," Jin admitted with a slow nod. "And yet, he was the one who helped her the most during a difficult period. That brought them closer. Everyone in the dorm already knows they're crazy about each other. The trouble is—they're both too stubborn, always running away from the truth." He gave a small shrug. "Anyway, what about you and Mariah? Tell me, how many breakups have you survived so far?"
Jimmy rolled his eyes. "There are days I feel like handing her a broom and tossing her right out the window. Since we started college, she's turned into a witch. She's jealous of every single girl I talk to. I can't even have female friends without her making my life hell."
"Mariah? Really?" Jin raised his brows.
"We've had plenty of crises, but apparently our love's strong enough—we're still together."
Meanwhile, Hannah shouted across the ice, her voice sharp with fury. "Stop running, Joseph! Face me like a man and take your punishment!"
Instead of escaping, Joseph skidded to a halt, spun around, and threw his arms open wide in mock surrender. Caught off guard, Hannah crashed straight into him, and before she knew it, she was trapped in his iron embrace.
"Let me go!" she demanded, wriggling in vain. "Can't you hear me?"
"I can't hear a thing," he teased, tightening his hold.
Her breath quickened as the pressure of his chest against hers made it harder to breathe. "You're going to strangle me."
"That's the plan," he replied with a devilish grin. "Then I'll finally have some peace."
She jerked against him, struggling, but her resistance only made him laugh harder. "So small, yet so brave."
Although she wore a mask of anger, her heart betrayed her, hammering so violently she was certain he could feel it. Deep down, the warmth of his hold sent waves of exhilaration through her, though she would never dare admit it.
"Have you fallen asleep already?" Joseph teased after she went quiet, his lips curving into a smirk.
Hannah seized her chance. As soon as he loosened his grip, she flicked his forehead with her finger. Startled, he groaned, and she tried to slip away—but he was quicker. He caught her wrist, yanked her back toward him, and both of them toppled to the ice in a tangle of limbs.
She landed on top of him, her palms pressing against his chest. The sudden closeness stole her breath away. Their faces hovered just inches apart, his warm breath brushing against her cheek.
Hannah blinked rapidly, her pulse racing. She knew she wouldn't last this time. The feeling pressed too hard, demanding to be acknowledged. If ignoring it meant her death, so be it.
With a trembling breath, she cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his.
What will be, will be, she thought wildly. At worst, he'll kill me.