Something thin and tight wrapped around her entire body, sticking to her mouth and nose each time she inhaled. The material crinkled faintly as she struggled, the sound loud and terrifying in the empty darkness surrounding her.
A bag.
Panic surged through her chest as she twisted desperately, her weak arms pushing uselessly against the slick surface.
Her fingers clawed at it, nails scraping across the plastic as she tried to tear it open, but the strength simply wasn't there. Her body was already too weak, drained from blood loss and exhaustion.
Each breath grew harder than the last.
The air inside the bag became warmer, thinner.
Her movements became frantic for a moment, her shoulders shaking as she tried to roll her body, hoping to find even the smallest tear.
Then—
Something pressed against the outside of the bag.
At first it felt soft, brushing against her side as she struggled. But when she shifted again, more of it slid across the plastic— gritty, heavy.
Dirt.
The realization crept into her mind slowly, like a cold water filling an empty room.
They hadn't just hidden her.
They had buried her.
Her movements began to slow as the panic drained what little strength she had left. Her chest burned with every breath, her lungs fighting desperately for air that no longer existed.
The darkness pressed in from all sides, heavy, scary.
Her fingers twitched weakly against the plastic one last time.
Then the struggle faded.
And eventually—
everything stopped.
***
(Back to Doyeon… damn World shifting is hard.)
"…So yeah."
Ha-eun finished quietly, her voice soft as if the story she had just told belonged to someone else. She gave a small, almost careless shrug, like the memory no longer held the weight it once did.
"I guess I starved… and bled out down there."
Her gaze drifted lazily toward the dark ceiling while she spoke, the faintest hint of a smile touching her lips. There was something strangely casual in the way she said it, as if she were describing an old inconvenience rather than the moment her life ended.
"I remember feeling dirt while I was twisting inside the bag," she added after a moment, her tone thoughtful. "But… I was probably too weak to get out."
As the words faded, she shifted slightly on the bed. The movement was small and natural, but it brought her a little closer to him, until her head rested more comfortably against Doyeon's arm like it had always belonged there.
Silence settled over the room.
Outside, rain tapped gently against the window, the steady rhythm filling the quiet space between them.
Doyeon stared up at the ceiling, his chest tightening slightly as the weight of her story sank in.
(That must've been hard.)
The thought slipped through his mind before he even realized it.
Without really thinking about it, his hand slowly lifted. His fingers hesitated for only a brief moment before settling gently on top of Ha-eun's head, brushing softly through her hair.
He began stroking it absentmindedly.
The motion was slow, careful.
Comforting.
Ha-eun froze for a second at the sudden contact.
"Hey," she murmured quietly.
But she didn't pull away.
Instead, after that brief moment of surprise, her body slowly relaxed beneath his hand. Her breathing softened as she settled more comfortably against his arm, allowing herself to sink into the quiet warmth of the moment.
The rain continued tapping gently against the window.
Doyeon's hand was still resting on top of Ha-eun's head, slowly brushing through her hair without thinking about it. The strands were cool to the touch— almost like touching mist, but somehow still soft.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Ha-eun's breathing stayed slow and steady as she leaned against his arm, her weight light but noticeable.
"You know," she finally murmured.
Doyeon glanced down slightly.
"What?"
Her eyes remained half-closed.
"You're weird."
He blinked.
"Weird?"
"Most people would be screaming right now," she said lazily. "But you're lying down in a motel with a ghost, and the ghost is using your hand as a pillow… and you're petting her like a cat."
Doyeon frowned a little.
"Should I stop?"
Ha-eun was quiet for a second.
Then she shifted slightly closer instead.
"…No."
For a long time after that, neither of them spoke.
The quiet in the small motel room slowly grew heavier, filled only by the gentle tapping of rain against the window and the faint hum of the air conditioner. At some point during the night— without either of them realizing it, their exhaustion finally won.
They fell asleep.
Then—
RING!
The sudden alarm shattered the silence.
Doyeon stirred with a groan, his eyes slowly opening as the harsh sound dragged him back to reality. His first instinct was to reach for his phone, fumbling across the small bedside table until he managed to silence the alarm.
Only then did he notice something.
His arm felt… strange.
Heavy.
And completely numb… like something staticking in his arm.
Doyeon blinked down at himself, and the reason became obvious almost immediately.
Ha-eun was still there.
Curled comfortably against him like she had never moved all night, her head resting on his arm while her hair spilled softly across his sleeve.
Her breathing was slow and peaceful, her expression relaxed in a way that made her look almost ordinary— like a girl who had simply fallen asleep during a late night conversation.
For a moment, Doyeon just stared at her.
Then he carefully shifted his arm, wincing slightly as pins and needles shot through it.
"…I can't even feel my fingers," he muttered under his breath.
Trying not to wake her, he gently eased his arm out from beneath her head and adjusted the pillow so she wouldn't notice the change.
Ha-eun stirred slightly but didn't wake, only mumbling something unintelligible before settling back into the mattress.
Doyeon quietly stood up.
The room still felt dim and gray from the early morning light leaking through the curtains, so he walked over to the window and slowly pulled it open.
A soft flood of sunlight spilled inside.
Fresh morning air drifted into the room, carrying the faint scent of rain-washed streets.
Doyeon stretched his shoulders before glancing down at his phone.
6:27 A.M.
He exhaled quietly.