The room was swallowed in darkness. The wind's howl was the only sound breaking through the silence. Suddenly, she felt a chill as the door slammed shut behind her. Her palms began to sweat as her gaze darted frantically around the room, stopping when they locked onto a pair of eyes—pure white, without pupils.
Her breath caught in her throat as she heard a cruel laugh, an ear-splitting shriek. Her heartbeat thundered against her ribs, and her eyes widened as a pair of black, clawed hands reached toward her, but her legs were frozen in place. Her lips parted and her eyes squeezed shut as tears began to flow, but no sound came out. The laughter rang in her ears more sharply as the shadow drew closer and whispered, "Welcome, Arin."
Before she could do anything, a knock jolted her awake. Tears still streamed down her face, sweat clinging to her skin despite the AC humming in the background. Clenching her hands into fists, she tried to draw a steady breath. She looked around before letting out a shaky sigh, realizing she was in her cabin.
Her throat felt as dry as if she hadn't drunk water for months. Wiping her tears, she grabbed the water bottle from her desk. Her hands trembled as she fumbled with the cap. She drank greedily, some water spilling onto her clothes. The nightmare wasn't new to her, yet it still hit with the same intensity. Perhaps it wasn't just a dream, but a piece of her life she could never bury, no matter how hard she tried.
Setting the bottle down, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Her chest tightened as she leaned back in her chair, a tear slipping from her eyes without permission. Before she could fully shake off the lingering panic, another knock sounded. She drew in a few deep breaths and walked to the bathroom to splash her face, trying to at least look presentable.
Outside the cabin door, a nurse stood, looking both annoyed and concerned. "Doctor Vale," she called, knocking again. The nameplate on the door read Aria Vale. When the door finally opened, the nurse offered a small smile that quickly faded into a frown.
The doctor's face was still damp from washing, hair clinging slightly to her forehead, showing she had just washed her face. A small, forced smile played on her lips, but her hands trembled visibly. The nurse's eyes swept over her from head to toe. "Is something wrong, Dr. Aria?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.
Aria shook her head and turned back into her cabin. "No." Her voice trembled, and she stumbled toward her chair. She wiped her face with a tissue, trying to hide the tension, but her eyes gave her away. The nurse noticed that Aria wasn't really looking at her; she could tell something was being kept hidden, but she also knew that pushing wouldn't help. So, she let it slide with a nod and leaned forward. "Doctor, there's an emergency case. You need to be there."
Aria put on her doctor's coat and stood up, still trying to regain her composure. She started walking, the nurse trailing behind her. "It's an accident case. The victim didn't get many cuts, but since she's a VIP, you need to treat her," the nurse explained, only for Aria to slow her pace and frown. "What? But Nia, you said emergency!"
The nurse, Nia, rubbed her temple. "Because that's what we say when a rich and famous VIP even gets a tiny cut." Aria threw her hands in the air, "Right..."
When they reached the room where the VIP patient was, Aria took a deep breath and opened the door with a smile. The woman was facing away from her, but Aria could see her expensive coat. "No wonder she's a VIP," Aria thought.
Nia watched as Aria walked in. Suddenly, Aria felt a chill, as if the temperature had dropped instantly, with a faint echo of a sound that seemed like a door opening. But deep down, she knew the door wasn't really opening here—it was opening in her mind. She stopped, feeling tension coil through her body, but pushed the voice away; the patient was more important than her own problems.
The patient didn't even turn around, despite knowing the doctor had entered. One thing was clear to Aria—the woman was either far too arrogant or had been forced to get bandaged.
Aria took a step closer, then froze mid-step. Her breath caught, her heart racing—but this time, not from fear. It was the ring on the woman's finger, identical to the one she wore on her chain, like a pendant.
Before the feeling could fully settle, she lifted a hand to her ear, tilting her head as she pressed it firmly to block out the cruel laughter that mocked her misery. The sound wasn't new, but what scared her was the ring's familiarity. It was too close to her heart, threatening to awaken the curse and drag back memories she had tried to bury deep inside her mind and soul.
She bit her lip, her hand instinctively clutching the pendant. Sweat beaded on her skin, and her heart skipped as she caught a glimpse of the woman's face. "This… no… this can't happen."
She took a shaky breath and fumbled for her mask in her pocket, hands trembling as she put it on before moving around to sit in the chair. Nia, noticing everything, muttered under her breath, "She's taking forever to get inside and start bandaging." With a sigh, she handed Aria the box of medicines and bandages—but when she saw Aria's trembling hands and fixed stare on the patient, Nia shook her lightly with a huff. "Doctor."
Meanwhile, when Aria saw the woman's bleeding hand and her eyes glued to her phone in the other hand, she felt her chest tighten. Questions and confusion swirled in her mind. "This can't be possible… I left everything to save you, and you end up here again? Why? Should I run away from here too? No, no… She still hasn't looked at me… Will she recognize me?" Her chain of thought broke when Nia shook her, and the woman finally looked up at the sound of Nia's voice.
When Aria's eyes met the patient's, it felt as if time froze. Memories crashed over her like a thousand bricks. But she didn't know she wasn't the only one feeling it.
Things were similar for the woman as well—she had indeed been forced by her secretary to get bandaged. But the moment the door opened and the doctor stepped in, her breath caught. She smelled the familiar perfume, her heart started pounding, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Though she was staring at her phone, her mind clouded with mixed emotions. Is it her? She held her breath, waiting until the doctor sat down in the chair. When Nia's voice rang out, she returned from her thoughts and finally looked up.
Her eyes met those green eyes. She could never forget them—the eyes of the woman who had left her without a word and shattered her completely. At the same time, Aria couldn't look away, her gaze locked onto those crystal-blue eyes.
Nia cleared her throat, noticing the way they were staring at each other. When they still didn't move, she huffed and placed the box on the table a little louder. This time, Aria gulped and looked at Nia. "You can go now. I know it's dinner time, and you must be really hungry." Nia smiled, though a slight frown appeared at Aria's changed tone. Still, hunger won, and she left.
Once Nia was gone, Aria turned toward the patient, who was still staring at her. She opened the box with her cold, sweating hands—but paused when the woman spoke. "Scared of facing me, Arin?"