The room was swallowed in darkness. The wind's howl was the only sound breaking the silence. Suddenly, she felt a chill as the door slammed shut behind her. Her palms grew sweaty, and her gaze darted frantically around the room, stopping when it locked onto a pair of eyes, pure white, without pupils.
Her breath caught in her throat as a cruel laugh pierced the silence, followed by 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 refused to move. Her lips parted, her eyes squeezed shut, and tears began to flow, silent tears. The laughter grew sharper as the shadow drew closer and whispered, "Welcome, Arin."
Before she could react, a knock jolted her awake. Tears still streamed down her face, sweat clinging to her skin despite the AC humming in the background. She scanned the room, letting out a shaky sigh as reality sank in; she was back in her cabin.
Wiping her tears, she grabbed the water bottle from her desk. Her hands trembled as she fumbled with the cap, drinking greedily, some 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 leaned back in her chair.
Before she could fully shake off the lingering panic, another knock pulled her attention. She drew in a few deep breaths before heading to the bathroom to splash her face.
Outside the cabin door, a nurse stood, looking both annoyed and concerned. "Doctor Vale," she called, knocking again. The nameplate on the door read Dr. Aria Vale.
When the door finally opened, the nurse offered a small smile that quickly faded into a frown. Aria's face was still damp from washing, hair clinging slightly to her forehead. 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, stumbling toward her chair. She wiped her face, trying to hide the tension, but her eyes gave her away. The nurse knew something was off, but also knew pushing wouldn't help. With a nod, she let it slide. "Doctor, there's an emergency case. You need to be there."
Aria stood, pulling on her coat, still trying to regain her composure. As she started walking, the nurse trailed behind her. "It's an accident case. The victim didn't get many cuts, but... She's a VIP," 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 she's a rich and famous businesswoman getting a tiny cut." Aria threw her hands in the air, "Right..."
At the VIP's room, Aria inhaled deeply before opening the door with a smile. The woman faced away, but Aria could see her expensive coat. "No wonder she's a VIP," Aria thought.
When she stepped into the room, she felt a chill wash over her, the air feeling suddenly colder. A faint echo, like a door opening, whispered in her mind. She pushed the thought away; the patient mattered more than her own anxieties. But the woman didn't turn around, even though she knew Aria had entered.
One thing was clear to Aria that the woman was either far too arrogant or had been forced to get bandaged. She took a step closer, then froze mid-step. Her heart was racing, but not from fear, and she couldn't understand why. Then her eyes fell on the ring on the woman's finger, and everything clicked. Her eyes widened because it was identical to the one she wore on her chain, like a pendant.
Suddenly, she heard a cruel laughter in her head, mocking her misery. The sound wasn't new, but what scared her was the ring's familiarity. It was dragging back memories she had tried to bury deep inside her mind and soul.
Biting her lip, she instinctively clutched the pendant. Sweat beaded on her skin, and her heart skipped as she caught a glimpse of the woman's face. "This… this can't happen."
Taking a shaky breath, she fumbled for the mask in her pocket, hands trembling as she put it on and moved to sit in the chair. Nia, noticing everything, muttered under her breath, "She's taking forever." With a sigh, she handed Aria the box of medicines and bandages, but when she saw Aria's fixed stare on the patient, Nia lightly shook her shoulder. "Doctor."
But Aria wasn't listening to Nia. Her eyes were fixed on the face she had longed to see for years. Her chest tightened; she wanted to reach out, to hug her, but she knew it would bring nothing but misfortune. Questions swirled in her mind. She still hasn't looked at me… Does she even remember me?
Her chain of thought broke when Nia nudged her lightly, and the patient finally looked up.
When Aria's eyes met the woman's, it felt as if time had stopped. Memories crashed over her like a thousand bricks. But she didn't know she wasn't the only one feeling it.
The woman had indeed been forced by her secretary to get bandaged, yet the moment the door opened and the doctor stepped in, she caught a familiar scent of perfume she hadn't smelled in years. Her heart raced, and she closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to convince herself it was really there.
Though her gaze lingered on her phone, her mind was clouded with mixed emotions. Is it her? She held her breath, waiting for the doctor to sit down, waiting to see with certainty who this person before her really was.
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 stared at each other. When neither moved, she huffed and set the box she was holding on the table a little louder than necessary.
Aria's head snapped toward Nia, flinching. She shook her head and dismissed the nurse with a small hand gesture. "It's dinner time. You must be really hungry. You should go." Nia smiled, though a slight frown lingered at Aria's sudden change in tone. But she was too hungry to care and left anyway.
Once the door closed, Aria turned back to the patient, who was still staring at her with critical eyes. Her leg tapped nervously against the floor as she opened the box with cold, sweating hands and then froze when the woman finally spoke.
"Scared of facing me, Arin?"