Chapter 1: The Dream That Won't Let Go
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Crack… Boom…
Thunder and rain lashed against the penthouse windows, as if nature itself were trying to break in. A small girl—barely six years old—stood frozen behind the staircase. Her wide, glowing blue eyes shimmered with terror as she watched the scene unfold in the grand hall below.
Her tiny body trembled, clutching a soft toy tightly in her arms.
On the floor lay her mother, lifeless and soaked in blood. Standing over her was a man—her father—his expression deranged, eyes wild, a gun in his hand. Slowly, he lowered the weapon… and then looked up.
His gaze—cold and piercing—met hers.
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Mia jolted awake, breathless.
Sixteen years had passed, yet the dream returned again and again…
A nightmare that forced her heart into a panic she could never control.
She sat up in bed. Her long hair was messy and damp with sweat. Her pulse was beginning to slow.
Outside, the soft sound of rain tapped against the windows.
Mia turned to look at the glass, her voice barely a whisper.
"Damn it…"
She covered her face with her palm and let out a soundless laugh—something between madness and misery.
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Morning.
In the kitchen of a traditional hanok house, Nayoung was preparing breakfast. When her husband entered through the back door, she yelled without turning:
"Seriously?! How can someone take this long just for eggs? Where have you been?"
Her husband chuckled, "Come on now, I'm way past the age of charming old ladies in the streets."
"Stop mocking me," she snapped. "Our girl's coming home soon and breakfast isn't even ready. If she leaves for school hungry, it'll be your fault."
She grabbed the eggs from him and turned back toward the stove.
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The door opened.
Mia returned from her morning jog, her athletic body still glistening with sweat, her breathing calm and steady.
"Don't worry, Grandma," she said with a grin, giving Nayoung a kiss on the cheek. "I won't leave without eating your pancakes."
Then she turned to Grandpa Mansu and greeted him with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy fist-bumping his buddy.
"Morning, partner! I saw some old ladies whispering and giggling after you on your walk."
Mansu's face went pale.
As soon as Nayoung heard that, she picked up the flyswatter and advanced toward her husband.
"N-Nayoung… You know she's just kidding!"
"Oh, so now you're calling my precious girl a liar?"
Mia just laughed. "Anyway, I'm gonna go shower."
In the background, their voices continued—half bickering, half playful. Mia liked listening to their silly little arguments. They were a happy couple, really. Just a jealous wife and a husband afraid of making her mad. Forty years of marriage had made them inseparable.
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In the bathroom, Mia stared at the mirror.
Five years had changed everything.
Her face was calm, emotionless… detached. She removed one black contact lens—and suddenly, the cold, glowing blue eye reappeared.
"Damn it…"
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At the low breakfast table, Nayoung sat with feigned indifference, waiting for Mia. Her husband was still trying to win her over.
"Come on, darling. I'm 65. Who else would want me besides you?"
"Oh please, don't act like you've been abandoned on the streets. Still flirting with grandmas, are you?"
Mia sat down at the table and smiled.
"By the way, Grandma… I forgot to mention—Grandpa didn't even look at those ladies. In fact, he held up his left hand and pointed at his wedding ring like this."
She mimicked the motion with a smirk.
Nayoung's expression softened slightly.
"Now let's eat," Mia said. "You need to take your medicine after breakfast."
Grandpa Mansu beamed at Mia, grateful.
Mia winked at him.
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Daejeon's street
She stepped off the bus and started walking toward her university.
People bustled around her—men and women heading to work, teens rushing to school, students hurrying to campus.
The crisp autumn breeze caught her wolf-cut hair and lifted it slightly.
No one recognized her here.
And that's what she liked most.
She finally felt like she could breathe… but then she stopped.
Her eyes narrowed.
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"Have you seen this girl?"
A man stood near the curb, showing a photo on his phone to two students.
"No," one replied. "Never seen her at the university."
Even from a distance, Mia could feel the intensity of the search.
Two more eyes were hunting her. Again.
She sighed through her teeth.
"Goddamn it... I'm so sick of this."
The most important thing is to stay unnoticed.
But then—
A voice shouted from behind her.
"MIAAA—!"
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🔚 End of Chapter 1