When people talk about trust, I don't think I can truly say I trust anyone completely—except my mother, and Jan, because she is like a sister to me.
I stepped out of the bathroom and noticed that the room had grown dark without me realizing it. Night had completely taken over. I picked up my phone, scrolling absentmindedly, when a soft breeze suddenly slipped into the room and gently pushed my window open.
I frowned.
Getting up from the bed, I walked toward the window to shut it. Just as I reached out, my eyes caught a figure downstairs.
A girl was standing there, holding a phone.
I leaned forward slightly, squinting into the darkness.
She looked like… Jan.
"Jan?" I called softly.
She didn't respond.
"Jan," I called again, louder this time.
She finally looked up, smiled, and motioned for me to come down with her hand.
I checked the time on my phone.
11:00 p.m.
"Jan, isn't it late already?" I asked, though she was too far to hear me.
She still didn't speak. She only gestured again, urging me to come.
"Okay, Jan. I'm coming," I said to myself.
I closed my door and stepped out. As I was about to leave, something caught my attention.
Jan's room.
Her door was open.
"That's strange," I murmured. "She even left her door open?"
A faint unease brushed against my chest, but I ignored it and continued downstairs.
The hostel was unusually quiet.
I reached the spot where I had seen her standing—but there was no one there.
"Jan?" I called.
No response.
"Jan!" I shouted, my voice echoing slightly.
Nothing.
I turned around, ready to go back upstairs, when suddenly—
A tall figure stood right in front of me.
I froze.
Slowly, I lifted my eyes to look at its face.
And what I saw made my blood turn cold.
The face was neither fully human nor fully animal—a terrifying mixture of both. Its eyes were hollow and wild. Its expression was twisted, unnatural.
Before I could react, its nails grew instantly—long, sharp, and deadly.
I tried to scream.
But no sound came out.
It felt like my voice was being dragged deep inside me, swallowed by fear.
In one swift motion, the creature grabbed me by the neck and lifted me off the ground until my face was level with its own.
I struggled wildly, kicking and clawing, but its grip only tightened.
My lungs burned.
My vision blurred.
The creature raised its clawed fingers, ready to slash my neck—
"Jina!"
A voice screamed my name.
"Jina, fight it!"
I turned my eyes slightly and saw Yoon.
She was standing a short distance away, her face pale but determined.
"Jina, the power is inside you!" she screamed.
"Do it! Yes, you can! First—remove fear!"
Remove fear?
How was I supposed to remove fear when the thing holding me looked like something pulled straight out of a nightmare?
"Jina, try!" Yoon kept shouting.
My strength was fading.
Desperation took over.
Slowly, I closed my eyes.
The creature still held my neck tightly, but I forced myself to think.
Images rushed through my mind.
My family.
The warmth of home.
The people who loved me.
My mother—alone, broken, if I were gone.
The thought crushed my heart.
I didn't want to die.
I couldn't die.
As my eyes remained closed, my hands began to rise on their own—slowly, trembling—like a wave gathering strength before crashing.
I stopped thinking about what was holding me.
I focused only on one thing.
Surviving.
My body started shaking violently.
The creature still gripped my neck, but suddenly—
I opened my eyes.
Fire.
Flames burst out—wild, uncontrollable.
The creature screamed in terror and released me instantly.
I fell to the ground,
As it turned to run, my eyes locked onto its movement.
Something shifted inside me.
Without lifting my hands, I felt a powerful force surge from my eyes.
The creature froze mid-step.
And then—
It burst apart like dust carried by the wind.
Gone.
Nothing remained.
I coughed again, my body giving up, and collapsed.
When I woke up, I found myself lying on a bed.
A familiar room.
Yoon's room.
"No… this must be a dream," I whispered as I sat up slowly.
What was I doing here?
I turned and saw Yoon sleeping nearby.
Carefully, I climbed down from the bed, ready to leave.
"Jina."
I froze.
Yoon was half-awake.
"How did I get here?" I asked quietly.
"Jina, you don't remember anything?" she asked, staring at me.
"I don't think I do," I replied honestly.
"I remember a dream… but I don't know how I got here."
Yoon's expression changed—surprise flashing across her face.
"A dream?" she repeated.
"Yoon, I really can't remember anything," I said, confused.
She didn't reply.
She only stared at me.
"I'll be in my room," I said softly and left.
Back in my room, I went straight into the bathroom.
It was already 5:00 a.m.
As I looked into the mirror, my breath caught.
Clear marks.
Finger-shaped bruises.
Right on my neck.
I raised my hand and touched them gently.
A sharp sting answered me.
Pain.
Real pain.
My heart began to race.
"That wasn't a dream…?or.." I whispered.
Then—
My phone rang.