The morning arrived with a dull, gray sky.
When Ha Yoon opened her eyes, she didn't recognize where she was. The bed, the blanket, even the paintings on the wall all whispered the same thing: You don't belong here.
She blinked a few times, trying to gather her memories.
Then it came back.
The rain. The fall. The car… Kang Joon.
But after that…?
A warm aroma drifted in from under the door — coffee. It pulled her back into the present. She quickly grabbed something to wear and stepped out of the room.
Kang Joon was in the living room.
Dressed in a black shirt, holding a coffee mug, reading a newspaper — looking every bit like someone who didn't belong in this world either.
"You're awake," he said, not even turning to her.
"You had three nightmares. You were mumbling your own name the second time."
Ha Yoon stopped in her tracks.
"You heard that?"
"You were in my house. I hear everything unless you can pass through walls."
She shrugged. "It was just a dream…"
But it wasn't just a dream.
In it, Kang Joon had been standing at the edge of a cliff. She had reached for him, shouting, "Come back!"
And then a voice — echoing, cold, and vaguely familiar — whispered into her ear:
"Not yet."
The chill it left inside her hadn't gone away. And when she'd woken up, there had been a faint bruise on her arm.
She checked now — it was still there.
---
Kang Joon folded the paper.
"Where do you want to go today?"
"My home…"
"No."
His tone was calm, but final.
"The men from last night haven't been found. I won't risk them following you."
"So, I'm your prisoner now?"
"No. You're protected. There's a difference — you'll need to learn it."
She rolled her eyes.
But deep inside, staying didn't feel that bad. It was weird.
He was cold, distant, arrogant.
And yet, around him… she felt strangely safe.
---
They had breakfast together.
There wasn't much talking, but Kang Joon kept watching her — not obviously, but carefully, like he was trying to figure her out.
Ha Yoon, meanwhile, gazed out the large window beside the table. That's when she saw it.
On the fogged-up glass...
A mark.
Not a fingerprint.
It looked like someone had drawn a small circle with their fingertip.
She leaned closer.
In the center of the circle… a strange symbol. ᛣ
What… was that?
Before she could say anything, Kang Joon's voice echoed from the kitchen.
"What's on the window?"
"Nothing," she replied quickly. Her voice was just a little shaky.
"Just steam."
---
That night, Ha Yoon returned to the guest room.
As she lay in bed, her eyes slowly closing, a whisper echoed through the silence:
> "She is mine. Do not let her go."
Her eyes shot open.
She sat up quickly, scanning the room.
No one.
But the air felt… heavier.
---
Downstairs, Kang Joon was in his study.
He opened a shelf behind the bookcase and took out a dusty box.
Inside it, wrapped in aged cloth, was an old letter.
He opened it slowly.
In neat, faded handwriting, it read:
"Mu Ryeong will return. She will stand beside Ha Yoon."
Kang Joon's eyes narrowed.
"So… it's finally starting."
---
To Be Continued…