PROLOG ✧_________ ✧
---
Warm light softly filled the room.
A man stood near the master bedroom door. He wore a dark turtleneck that fit him well, his black hair neatly styled, giving him an elegant appearance under the light. His eyes were a deep shade of blue, like the night sky.
A pair of glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, adding to his calm and composed presence. A faint smile curved his lips as he turned to the side.
There, a woman stood.
She returned his gaze with a warm smile of her own. Her long, slightly wavy pink hair fell to her waist, and her green eyes shimmered like crystal.
Her face reflected a simple kind of happiness—the kind that comes from living peaceful, undisturbed days. Her hand moved lightly, smoothing the hem of her clothes in a relaxed, familiar gesture.
They walked side by side out of the bedroom, their steps soft, almost soundless. The wide hallway felt quiet, filled only with the faint echo of their footsteps.
When they reached the front door, the man stopped.
The woman stopped beside him and turned. Without hesitation, she rose slightly on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
“Be careful on your way,” she said softly.
He smiled, but this time there was something different in his eyes—something difficult to explain.
He leaned closer, lowering his voice near her ear.
“Don’t wander too far, okay?” he said lightly, his tone almost playful.
She let out a small laugh. “Do I really get lost that often?”
“Often,” he replied without hesitation, as if he already knew.
Then his voice dropped slightly.
“And… don’t go into the inner part of the house.”
She paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. “The inner part?”
He smiled again, casually, as if it meant nothing.
“This house is big. I just don’t want you getting confused again.”
She let out a small sigh, then nodded. “Alright, alright. I understand.”
He looked at her for a few seconds longer, as if making sure of something. Then, finally, he opened the door.
“If you need anything, call me.”
“I’m not a child,” she replied with a smile.
---
The door slowly closed behind him.
And the house fell silent once more.
Time passed.
The woman wandered through the house, her steps light, without any clear destination. Every now and then, she paused, observing corners that felt both unfamiliar and strangely intriguing.
“The inner part of the house…” she murmured softly.
Curiosity began to grow.
To her, a warning was almost like an invitation.
A mischievous smile slowly formed on her lips.
She stopped in front of a door she had rarely noticed before. It was slightly hidden, as if it wasn’t meant to be found.
Her hand lifted, hesitating for a moment.
“I’ll just take a quick look… it should be fine, right?”
Slowly, she turned the handle.
Click…
The door opened.
Darkness.
There were no visible stairs—only a hollow void waiting beyond.
She swallowed, then stepped forward.
One step.
And—
Her foot found nothing.
“Huh—?!”
Her body dropped instantly.
Not stairs.
But a massive hole hidden behind the door.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
---
She fell.
And kept falling.
The wind vanished. Sound disappeared. There was no impact, no pain—as if her body had lost all weight.
Then… everything faded.
Silence.
Darkness.
Not the kind that comes from the absence of light—this was different. Deeper. Emptier. As if the world itself had never existed.
She tried to move.
But she couldn’t feel her body.
( Where… am I? )
her voice echoed strangely, as if it had no direction.
No answer.
She tried to move her hands. Her legs. Even just to breathe.
Nothing.
All that remained was her awareness.
A mind, still alive in the void.
( Is this… a dream? )she whispered.
Seconds passed. Or maybe minutes. Or maybe time didn’t exist here at all.
Panic began to rise.
( No… no, this can’t be… )
Her voice trembled, though she wasn’t even sure if she was truly speaking.
( Why can’t I— )
Suddenly—
A sensation.
Light.
As if something was pulling her.
Or… pushing her.
The darkness around her began to shift.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Like curtains being drawn apart.
( …What is that? )
Light.
Faint. Distant. But there.
And little by little… it grew clearer.
---
She gasped.
Her eyes flew open.
A ceiling.
No… not her ceiling.
The surface was unfamiliar—thin cracks spreading in uneven lines, its pale color tinged with gray.
She blinked several times, trying to focus.
( Am I…? )
She slowly lifted herself up.
Her body responded again.
Her hand trembled as it touched the ground beneath her—cold, hard, and… dusty.
She inhaled sharply.
( I’m… alive… )
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
She looked around.
The room felt… wrong.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
And what disturbed her the most—
She had no memory of ever seeing this place before.
( This isn’t… my house… )
She stood up slowly, still unsteady.
( Then… where am I? )
No answer came.
Only the silence—
watching her.
The building… looked like a school.
But not an ordinary one.
Its floors were polished marble, cold beneath her feet. Massive pillars stretched upward—so high their tops nearly disappeared into shadow, as if swallowed by darkness.
She looked down.
Her breath caught.
My body…
Small.
Her hands were shorter. Lighter. The uniform she wore—
it wasn’t the one she had now.
It was… from long ago.
'
Am I… a child again?
'
Her voice came out soft, unfamiliar to her own ears.
She turned toward the open corridor.
Below… there was no schoolyard.
Instead, a steep mountainside stretched out, blanketed in thick fog. Her gaze couldn’t pierce through it. Everything looked distant, blurred, and… unreal.
An uneasy feeling crept in.
She tried to move her hand.
Nothing.
Her legs?
Nothing.
The only thing she could control… was her eyes.
Her pupils moved, following her will.
“Why…?”
Yet her body kept walking.
As if it already knew this place. As if it had done this before
She descended a grand spiral staircase, her steps steady—despite not controlling them herself.
Around her, other children were walking down as well.
Some of them… looked normal.
Their faces were clear. They smiled. Some even whispered to each other.
But others…
Their faces were covered in a gray haze.
Blank. Unreadable.
As if her mind refused to recognize them.
(
This… has to be a dream…
)
she muttered inwardly, trying to convince herself.
Her body kept moving.
Down.
Out.
And then stopped.
---
In front of her…
a massive hole gaped in the ground.
Not just a hole.
A chasm.
A narrow wooden bridge stretched across it, fragile-looking, connecting one side to the other.
Some children walked across it, their steps slow and careful.
The ones with visible faces… were smiling.
As if this was normal.
Meanwhile, those with blurred faces hesitated.
Their bodies trembled.
Yet they kept walking.
Forced—or… accustomed.
A cold wind cut through her skin.
At the edge of the chasm, among large rocks, stood desks and chairs.
Neatly arranged.
Too neatly.
And far too close to the edge.
As if a single shift… would send them falling.
Some children were already seated there, hunched over, writing on sheets of paper.
She didn’t know what they were working on.
There were no voices.
No laughter.
Only faint scratching sounds… and the wind.
Her body moved again.
Toward one of the chairs.
And sat down.
Her heart pounded.
She could feel the cold air.
And fear… slowly creeping in.
(
I don’t like heights.
)
Slowly, her gaze drifted downward.
Darkness.
Deep.
Endless.
As if the chasm could swallow anything that fell into it.
She held her breath.
Then—
she noticed something.
At several corners…
stood adults.
Teachers.
They remained still, watching.
Their gazes were cold.
Sharp.
Observing every child—
those crossing the bridge,
those sitting,
those writing.
No smiles.
No words.
Only… surveillance.
---
And then—
a sound.
“Ah—!”
Short.
Cut off.
She turned quickly.
A child—
slipped.
His body tipped over the edge of the bridge.
And—
vanished.
Falling into the chasm.
Her heart stopped for a moment.
(
He fell—!
)
She wanted to scream.
But no sound came out.
Her eyes widened.
Waiting.
For a reaction.
Anything.
But—
there was nothing.
The other children kept walking.
Kept writing.
The teachers remained still.
Silent.
As if… nothing had happened.
As if it was…
normal.
Her blood ran cold.
(
What… is this place…?
)
No one answered.
And for the first time—
she truly wished
this was only a dream.
She remained frozen.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the chasm—on the very spot where a child had just… disappeared without a trace.
Then—
“Hey.”
A small voice came from beside her.
She turned.
A little girl stood there.
Her blonde hair was tied into two pigtails on either side. Her face was bright—too bright for a place like this. She wore a wide smile, her eyes sparkling as if nothing around them was strange.
“Long time no see,” she said casually, as if they had known each other for a long time.
She frowned.
Did she… know her?
No.
She was certain she didn’t.
Yet her body—
remained still.
“You haven’t changed. You always look this confused,” the girl continued, letting out a soft giggle.
She stepped closer without hesitation, then bent slightly to meet her at eye level.
“You’re late again,” she whispered, her tone teasing. “Be careful, or you’ll get in trouble.”
She wanted to ask.
Wanted to say that she didn’t understand anything.
But her body wouldn’t move.
Her lips remained sealed.
The girl didn’t seem to mind. She simply smiled, then brought something out from behind her back.
A balloon.
Its color was pale—almost a faint gray.
She held it out.
“Here. Take care of this for me, okay?”
Her voice was light. Too light.
“Don’t let it slip away again.”
(
Again?
What did she mean… again?
)
Her hand moved.
Not because she wanted it to—
but because her body… moved on its own.
The string was placed into her hand.
Cold.
Strange.
She could only stare at it, unable to do anything.
The girl smiled, satisfied, then took a step back.
“I’ll go now.”
She gave a small wave.
“Don’t disappear again.”
And just like that—
she was gone.
Blending into the other children.
---
The wind blew.
Cold.
She was still holding the balloon.
Or… she should have been.
Because slowly—
her grip loosened.
The string slipped free.
The balloon dipped slightly, getting caught beneath the table, blocked by the leg of a chair.
She could only watch.
Unable to reach.
Unable to hold on.
A few seconds passed.
Then the wind blew again.
Stronger this time.
The balloon came loose.
Floating upward slowly.
Rising.
Gently.
As if it had no destination.
(
Don’t
… )
She tried to speak.
But still—
no sound came out.
The balloon kept drifting.
Moving in a straight line.
Toward the edge.
Toward the chasm.
Her heart began to pound faster.
Someone… grab it… quickly…
But no one moved.
No one cared.
Until—
a boy stood up.
His chair scraped softly as he rose.
He stepped toward the edge, his eyes fixed on the balloon.
His hand reached out.
Slowly.
As if time itself had slowed down.
Just a few centimeters more—
his fingertips were about to touch the string.
And below him—
the endless chasm yawned open,
waiting.
Her fingertips—
almost brushed against the string.
And at that very moment—
her body moved.
Her chair scraped softly as she rose.
(
…Huh
? )
She hadn’t commanded it.
Hadn’t intended to do anything.
Yet her feet stepped forward.
One.
Two.
Walking calmly along the rocky edge of the chasm—too calmly.
Her heart began to race.
Faster… hurry…
The boy was already at the edge.
Just a little more.
Just a little—
His hand closed.
He caught the balloon.
For a moment—
time seemed to stop.
Then—
his foot slipped.
“—?!”
His body tilted.
His balance broke.
And he began to fall.
(
No—!
)
Her body—
finally moved faster.
Her steps changed.
Longer.
More urgent.
As if only now it had realized the danger.
Her hand reached out.
Trying to grab him.
To reach him.
“Hold on—!”
But—
too late.
Her fingertips met nothing but air.
And—
her own footing gave way.
One second.
Just one second.
That was all it took.
Her body fell—
with him.
----
The wind crashed against them.
Cold.
Sharp.
Their bodies dropped side by side, sinking into the same darkness.
She couldn’t scream.
Couldn’t move.
All she could do was watch—
the boy beside her.
His eyes were wide open.
The balloon was still in his grasp.
Its string wrapped tightly around his fingers.
Strange.
Even as he fell—
he was smiling.
Faint.
Empty.
As if…
he had known this would happen.
Her chest tightened.
(
What is this…?
)
The darkness beneath them drew closer.
Or perhaps—
they were the ones being pulled deeper into it.
And for the second time—
she fell into a place
she was never meant to reach.
She fell.
Again.
And this time… she wasn’t even surprised.
The exhaustion came first, long before any fear.
“Enough…”
Her body drifted through the void, falling without direction, without any clear end.
She didn’t even try to resist.
What was the point?
It all felt like an endless cycle.
Then—
she blinked.
And everything changed.
---
She was standing.
Not falling.
Not drifting.
Standing.
Her breath caught.
Her body—
felt different.
Heavier.
Taller.
Her hands… no longer small.
Slowly, she looked down.
This wasn’t the body of a child.
It was her own.
Her adult self.
“…I’m back…?”
Her voice came out unsteady.
But there was no time to process it.
Because—
she wasn’t where she had been before.
---
She stood on a grand staircase.
Magnificent.
Cold.
The building… resembled a castle.
Towering walls stretched upward, adorned with dim, dark gold tones, as if the light here was never meant to shine fully. Intricate carvings covered every surface, and the air felt heavy—like it carried something long buried.
She stood at the center of the stairs.
Right at a split.
Two directions.
Up.
And down.
And in front of her—
a large painting.
She froze.
It was her.
A younger version of herself.
She recognized it instantly.
The hair.
The expression.
The way she stood—
it was undeniably her.
But—
she wasn’t alone.
Beside her stood a boy.
His hair was black.
Neatly parted in the middle.
His eyes were dark.
Too dark.
He was smiling.
Soft.
Genuine.
And yet—
something about it felt… wrong.
Too perfect.
Too smooth.
Until it became unsettling.
Her breath hitched.
“…Liam?”
No.
This wasn’t the Liam she knew.
There were no glasses.
No warmth in his presence.
This one—
was darker.
Deeper.
More… unfamiliar.
And yet—
she knew.
She was certain.
“That’s him…”
Her hand trembled.
She turned slowly, taking in her surroundings.
Only then did she realize—
the walls around her were covered in frames.
So many of them.
Small.
Medium.
Large.
Each one holding… images.
Photographs.
Memories.
And all of them—
were about her.
There she was, playing in a park.
Running.
Laughing.
Living.
And—
in every single one—
he was there.
Always there.
Behind her.
Beside her.
Sometimes barely visible.
As if deliberately hidden.
But still—
present.
“No…”
Her chest tightened.
“I… never…”
She had never remembered any of this.
Never.
She had never had memories like these.
She had never—
had a family like this.
The faces in those photographs…
looked like her family.
But to her—
they were strangers.
Completely unfamiliar.
And yet—
at the same time—
they felt close.
Too close.
“Why…?”
A sharp pain struck her head.
Sudden.
Piercing.
As if something was being forced inside.
Fragments of memory surfaced.
Brief.
Flickering.
Incomplete.
Laughter.
Small footsteps.
A voice calling—
“Zea—”
She froze.
That name—
felt unfamiliar.
And yet—
it felt like it belonged to her.
“Zean…”
The word slipped from her lips without her realizing.
And in that instant—
the pain intensified.
As if something locked away—
was beginning to crack.
The boy in the painting—
seemed to change.
Or perhaps…
she was finally seeing him for what he truly was.
“Liam…”
“…or…”
Her voice trembled.
“Zean?”
The name felt heavy on her tongue.
Yet it felt right.
Like something she should have known all along.
As if—
he wasn’t someone new.
Not someone who had entered her life.
But someone who…
had always been there.
Only—
his face changed.
His name changed.
The way he spoke changed.
Everything changed.
Except—
his presence beside her.
And the most terrifying part—
those memories…
felt as if they were never meant to exist.
The steps beneath her felt colder.
Silent.
Too silent.
Ah…!
Images began to surface.
Fast.
Too fast.
Like water forcing its way through a broken crack.
She saw—
a park.
She was running.
Laughing.
And behind her—
him.
Always him.
────────────
“Don’t go too far.”
STT—
A hallway.
A door that must never be opened.
STT—
Stairs.
A chasm.
Children falling.
A balloon.
A small hand holding on—
then letting go.
────────────
“Look at me.”
Faces.
Blurred.
Then clear.
Then… gone again.
“Zean.”
The name echoed.
Not from outside.
From within.
As if someone was calling her.
Or…
as if she was remembering something she was never meant to forget.
────────────
The pain intensified.
Unbearable.
As if her head were about to split open.
“Stop…!”
THUD—
She collapsed to her knees.
Her hands trembled.
Her breathing faltered.
────────────
But the memories—
didn’t stop.
They flooded in.
Forcing their way through.
Filling every empty space that had always felt… missing.
────────────
And among all of it—
she saw him.
Clearer than ever before.
The boy.
Standing.
Still.
Watching her.
His eyes were dark.
But this time—
his smile wasn’t warm.
It was… knowing.
“You remember now.”
His voice.
Close.
Too close.
────────────
She froze.
Her body refused to move.
That smile—
it felt wrong.
Not unfamiliar.
Not strange.
Worse.
Familiar.
As if some part of her had always known him.
Always remembered him.
Even when her mind couldn’t.
Her eyes widened.
And for the first time, she realized something terrifying.
Those memories were never lost.
They were hidden.
Buried.
Locked away.
She didn’t understand what was really happening.
Yet deep within her—
something was slowly becoming clear.
Something had happened to her.
Something that was never meant to be remembered again.
Those memories were never truly lost.
They were only hidden.
Buried.
Locked deep inside her.
And far beyond those fractured memories…
something had been waiting for her all this time—
waiting for her to remember.
Meanwhile, at the same time—
Liam had just arrived home.
His footsteps echoed softly through the dark and silent hallway.
“Eli…”
No response.
He let out a quiet sigh as he loosened the tie around his neck.
“Darling?”
Still nothing.
But a few seconds later—
his steps came to a halt.
His eyes fixed on the end of the hallway.
That door.
The hidden room door that was supposed to remain tightly shut.
Now slightly open.
────────────
Liam fell silent.
The dim light cast shadows over his blue eyes, making them appear darker than usual.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
As if… he had always known this day would come sooner or later.
Then—
the corner of his lips slowly curved upward.
A faint smile, difficult to read.
“You really can’t stay out of trouble, hm?”
His low voice was barely above a whisper.
He stepped closer slowly.
His gaze never left the door.
“It always ends like this.”
His tone was gentle.
Yet somehow, that only made him feel far more dangerous.
“And now…”
He stopped right in front of the door.
That faint smile remained on his lips.
“…I’ll have to clean everything up again.”
