She ran, her feet pounding against the pavement. "Help! Somebody help!" Her cries echoed into the empty night, but no one answered.
She reached the car, hands trembling as she tried to pull at the door. It was jammed, the glass shattered and cutting into her palms as she fought with it. Tears stung her eyes as she screamed again. "Please… someone!"
With a desperate strength, she smashed the side glass with a nearby stone, the shards scattering like deadly rain. Reaching inside, she unlatched the door, and with all her strength, pulled his heavy body out. He was taller, stronger, heavier than her fragile frame, but adrenaline burned through her. Somehow, she managed to drag him onto the passageway, laying him down on the cold concrete.
"Tae Hyun…" Her voice broke. His breaths were shallow, uneven. Blood seeped down the side of his face.
Sita fumbled with her phone, dialing the ambulance. The line rang, but no one picked up. She tried again. And again.
No answer.
Her tears spilled over, falling onto his cheek. "Please… don't die. Please, you can't."
And then—it happened.
The air shimmered. The moment her tears touched his skin, a faint golden aura flickered into existence, curling like smoke around his wounds. The blood began to retreat, the cuts knitting together as if time itself had reversed. His shallow breathing grew steadier.
Sita gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. She didn't understand. She couldn't.
But it was real.
Moments later, sirens wailed in the distance. The ambulance arrived, lights flashing red and white against the night sky. Paramedics rushed over, lifting Tae Hyun onto a stretcher.
Sita followed, dazed, her scarf still wrapped around the tiny kitten in her arms.
At the hospital, the receptionist recognized her. "You again?" But Sita barely heard the words.
"It's an emergency—he was in an accident," she said breathlessly.
Doctors took him inside. Yet as they checked him, murmurs rose in the room. His wounds… were healing on their own.
"What in the world…" one whispered.
Before Sita could ask, a hand touched her shoulder. Minseo stood there, holding a phone. "It's fine. You can go. I'll take it from here."
Sita blinked. "But—"
"He's my responsibility," Minseo said firmly, slipping Tae Hyun's number back into her pocket.
And just like that, Sita found herself outside the hospital, the weight of everything pressing down on her chest. The night air was heavy, the kitten purring softly in her scarf.
Her heart trembled.
She had just witnessed the impossible.
Loc: Velaria City Medical Center
The white walls of the hospital seemed to press down on Sita, suffocating her with the weight of her guilt. The faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air as the rhythmic beeping of machines filled the silence of the room. She stood frozen near the corridor, staring at the closed door where Tae Hyun lay unconscious inside. Her hands trembled.
It's all because of me.
She clenched her fists, the memory flashing in her mind again and again—his body collapsing, the blood, the chaos, her own helplessness. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she forced herself to keep walking.
By the time she stepped outside, the sky had turned gray. A rumble of thunder echoed across the city of Velaria, and moments later, raindrops began to fall, scattering across the hospital steps. She didn't carry an umbrella. She didn't care.
Each drop struck her face like a punishment, cold and heavy, but she welcomed it. The rain blurred her vision, mingling with her tears as she dragged herself back home. Her clothes clung to her, heavy and damp, as though nature itself wanted to weigh her down for her mistake.
When she pushed the door open to her small apartment, Lili, her roommate, immediately looked up.
"Sita! What happened? Why do you look like this?" Lili's cheerful voice faltered the moment she noticed her friend's pale face and hollow eyes.
Sita dropped her wet bag by the door and sank into the chair. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but no words came out. Lili rushed to her side, holding her shoulders.
"What happened? You were so excited when you called me earlier. Where's my surprise? Don't tell me you forgot the cake."
Sita closed her eyes, biting down hard on her lip until it almost bled. "I… I couldn't bring it. Something happened. It's my fault, Lili. Someone is badly hurt because of me."
And with that, the entire story spilled out. She told her everything—the accident, the blood, the hospital. Her voice cracked in the middle, tears finally slipping down her cheeks.
Lili listened quietly, eyes wide with shock. When Sita finished, silence filled the room, broken only by the patter of rain against the window.
"But… why did that girl tell you to leave?" Lili finally asked. "If you were there, maybe you could've been more helpful. Why would she chase you away?"
Sita shook her head miserably. "I don't know. Maybe she blamed me. And she was right to. I was there, Lili.
I could've done something, but I didn't. I froze. It's all my fault."
Lili tightened her grip on Sita's hand. "No. Don't think like that. You've already done so much by taking him to the hospital.
You were brave enough to act when no one else did. Don't drown yourself in guilt."
Sita blinked through her tears, searching Lili's face.
"It's okay," Lili continued softly. "Forget the cake. I'll order another one, okay? Right now, what matters is that you tried. You saved someone's life. Don't carry this blame all by yourself."
A faint, broken smile tugged at Sita's lips, though the guilt still lingered heavy in her chest. Lili hugged her, whispering reassurances, but the weight of what happened refused to lift.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Min-seo sat silently at Tae Hyun's bedside. Her sharp eyes never left his unconscious face, pale against the pillow. A strange cocktail of emotions swirled within her—fear, jealousy, and satisfaction.
Her hands tightened around the strap of her purse. So it was the girl who brought him here, she thought bitterly. But she doesn't deserve the credit.
When the doctor entered and asked who had carried the injured boy in, Min-seo's lips curved into a small smile.
"It was me," she lied smoothly, her voice steady.
The doctor nodded gratefully, jotting down her name. Min-seo's smile deepened—not outwardly, but within her heart. She imagined Tae Hyun's parents thanking her, imagined him opening his eyes and seeing her first, not that girl. For once, she would be the one who mattered most.
Minutes later, the door opened again. Tae Hyun's parents rushed in, their faces etched with worry. His mother's hands trembled as she reached for the doctor.
"Doctor, how is our son? Please, tell us."
The doctor led them to the corner, speaking in hushed but firm tones. "It's remarkable he's even stable right now. The accident was severe. What troubles me most is that his body shows signs of internal strain that don't match the injuries. Almost as if something unnatural is interfering with his recovery."
Both parents stiffened. Their eyes met, and without speaking, they communicated the same fear: The curse.
TO BE CONTINUED...