Rain fell relentlessly.
The sound was so loud that it felt as if the world itself had been drowned beneath it. Yet strangely, the rain did not touch her—unless the wind shifted and cold droplets splashed against her skin.
A sharp, unbearable pain pulsed through Seralin's head.
It felt as if someone was pulling her hair from the roots, twisting it the wrong way, the way a single mis-braided strand could make the entire scalp ache for hours. The pain refused to fade.
With difficulty, Sera slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision was blurred at first, but as it cleared, she realized she was staring at a wooden ceiling. Old. Cracked. The kind seen in countryside houses or forgotten village homes. Water leaked through several holes, dripping steadily onto the floor below.
Buckets were scattered everywhere, placed beneath the cracks in a desperate attempt to catch the rainwater. But there were too many holes, far more than the buckets could handle. Half the ceiling seemed almost nonexistent.
She shifted slightly and felt something cold land on her hand.
Droplets.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Sera turned her head, trying to understand where she was. The bed beneath her was hard and uneven, nothing like the soft mattress she remembered falling asleep on. One of her arms hung loosely over the side, soaked by the leaking rain.
She lay there for a moment, staring at the broken ceiling, her thoughts tangled in confusion.
Then her other hand brushed against something warm.
A body.
Sera froze.
Her breath caught in her throat as panic surged through her. Where am I? Who is that? Her heartbeat raced so fast she thought she might stop breathing altogether.
Before she could react, a voice broke the silence.
"What the hell?"
The voice was soft but sharp, unmistakably belonging to a girl.
Sera turned her head slowly.
Beside her lay another girl, about the same height as her. As Sera's gaze traveled downward, she noticed their feet—almost identical in size.
The girl frowned, rubbing her forehead in irritation, her eyes still closed. Then she muttered, her voice filled with annoyance, "That crazy golden lady went insane again this morning. She even made her stupid kid lick my feet. Hush, hush. Go away."
Sera's breath hitched.
Golden lady. Stupid kid.
Those words—those exact words—were something only one person used.
Her twin.
Her throat tightened. Hesitating only for a second, Sera lightly touched the girl's arm.
"…Eli?"
The girl stirred and let out a lazy sound. "Hmm?"
Sera pushed herself upright, sitting on the broken bed. Her voice trembled as she called out louder, "Eli! Is that really you?"
The girl frowned, confusion flickering across her face. "Sis? What are you talking about? Of course it's me. Who else would it be—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her eyes snapped open.
Her gaze locked onto Sera, and shock flashed across her face. Slowly, she raised a trembling finger and pointed.
"You… who are you?"
Sera forced an awkward smile.
If Eli's face wasn't the same, then why would hers be?
The girl—Eli—sat up abruptly and began scanning the room, just as Sera had earlier. Only then did she realize that what she thought had been licking her feet earlier were nothing more than rain droplets leaking through the ceiling.
For a moment, Eli forgot her question.
Then she snapped back to her senses and pointed at Sera again. "Hey! Who are you? And why did you bring me here? Dude, you can't just kidnap people from their house like this!"
Sera didn't panic.
Because she didn't understand it either.
Instead of answering, she stood up and began searching the room. Eli continued demanding answers, but Sera ignored her and moved toward a broken cabinet near the wall.
There, among the debris, she found a cracked piece of mirror.
She walked back to the bed and silently held it in front of Eli.
Eli frowned, confused, then looked into the mirror.
Her face drained of color.
The reflection staring back at her was unfamiliar—paler, weaker, yet undeniably beautiful. But it wasn't her face.
Slowly, she turned her head toward Sera.
And that was when she noticed it.
The girl standing in front of her had the same facial features as the reflection.
"E-Excuse me…" Eli began, her voice shaking.
Before she could finish, Sera turned the mirror toward herself.
She studied the reflection calmly before saying, "Don't worry. I'm not the real owner of this body either."
Then she looked straight at Eli.
"Just like you aren't the owner of yours, Eleanor Roosevelt."
Eli's mind went blank.
"Y-you?" she whispered.
"Seralin Roosevelt," Sera replied quietly. "Your sister."
Silence filled the room.
Eli stared at her, unable to process the words. Sera understood—this situation was unacceptable, terrifying, and impossible.
Yet the cold rain droplets on her skin told her one thing clearly.
This was not a dream.
Sera sat beside Eli and gently took her hand.
Eli finally spoke, her voice trembling. "Sis… what's happening? How did we become like this?"
They were twins.
Though their family had been well-off, they had never truly felt loved. Since childhood, strange things had happened—especially to Sera. Whenever she sensed something unusual, both sisters would end up sharing the same disturbing dreams that night.
Their mother had never shown them warmth, and after they spoke about those dreams, their family began to distance themselves even more. Their needs were met, but affection was absent.
So the sisters became each other's family.
And now, without warning, they were here.
These bodies were more beautiful than their own, yet frighteningly weak—as if they hadn't eaten properly for days.
Sera noticed it too.
Eli suddenly smiled.
Sera frowned. "Why are you smiling?"
Eli tilted her head thoughtfully. "Sera… if we changed bodies, does that mean we won't have those dreams anymore?"
Sera froze.
For a brief moment, the thought felt tempting.
But reality struck mercilessly.
Without warning, Sera's vision blurred.
She saw a child.
A child holding something dangerous.
The image was unclear, distorted—but the child's mouth was sealed shut, her expression empty, almost doll-like. Only her fingers moved slightly.
Sera gasped and snapped back to reality.
Cold sweat soaked her back.
Eli immediately noticed and held her hands, rubbing them gently. But even as she did, a terrible realization settled between them.
The dreams hadn't left.
Sera forced a weak smile. "Let's… look around first."
Eli nodded.
When Sera opened the door, they stepped into a small, old Chinese-style hall. The house was tiny—only a few steps from the hall to the main gate. On one side stood a wooden table with stools, and on the other was a small pond, no bigger than a large bucket, where a few fish swam quietly.
The rain had softened, but dark clouds still covered the sky, making it impossible to tell the time.
"Let's check the time," Sera sighed, then added quietly, "And find something to eat."
The kitchen was small but intact, thankfully free of leaks. Dry wood lay stacked in the corner. There were only two rooms in the house—a bedroom and a bathroom.
This place felt like a remote village high in the mountains.
Curious, Eli went to open the main gate while Sera inspected the kitchen.
Outside, the muddy road stretched through scattered houses. Visibility was poor due to the rain.
Then Eli stiffened.
Someone was approaching.
A middle-aged woman walked toward the house, wearing a wide yellow hat that completely hid her face.