" WHEN THE DEVIL LEARNED TO WHISPER "

Chapter 1 — The Nightmare

Lee Soha jolted awake.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to breathe.

Darkness surrounded her small room.

The nightmare again.

The screeching tires.

The shattered glass.

The rain.

The terrified screams.

Even after twelve years, the memories refused to leave her alone.

Her trembling hands immediately searched across the bed.

"Dian-Dian..."

No sound left her lips.

There never was.

A soft meow answered instead.

The gray cat lifted her head sleepily.

Relief flooded Soha's eyes.

She quickly pulled Dian-Dian into her arms and hugged her tightly.

The cat purred against her chest.

"It's okay."

That was what the purring always seemed to say.

Soha buried her face in Dian-Dian's fur.

Slowly, her breathing steadied.

For a moment, everything felt safe.

Then—

BANG.

The bedroom door swung open.

Soha flinched.

Her body immediately tensed.

The smell hit her first.

Soju.

Alcohol.

Her uncle staggered into the room.

His eyes were bloodshot.

"Lee Soha..." he slurred.

Soha lowered her gaze.

She hated when he was drunk.

Which meant she hated most nights.

"I need money."

He looked around the room.

"Where is it?"

Soha shook her head.

She barely had enough money for herself.

Her uncle ignored her.

He started searching through drawers and shelves.

The room was so small that it took him less than a minute.

Soon he found her wallet.

Soha's heart dropped.

That was money she had been saving for university expenses.

Her uncle pulled several bills out.

"Good."

He shoved the wallet back onto the desk.

Then he stumbled toward the door.

Before leaving, he glanced at her.

"You should be grateful."

The door slammed shut.

Silence returned.

Soha sat frozen.

Dian-Dian rubbed against her arm.

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

She quickly wiped it away.

Crying never changed anything.

After making sure the door was locked, she climbed back into bed.

Sleep never returned.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the cracked curtains.

Soha stepped out of her room.

The apartment looked exactly as she expected.

Empty bottles.

Dirty dishes.

A strong smell of alcohol.

Her uncle was asleep on the couch.

She quietly began cleaning.

This was her normal routine.

Pick up bottles.

Wash dishes.

Open windows.

Clean everything.

By the time the apartment looked presentable again, her uncle finally woke up.

His bad mood appeared immediately.

"What are you staring at?"

Soha lowered her eyes.

"I swear your parents left me with nothing but trouble."

His voice grew louder.

"A burden. That's what they left me."

The words should not have hurt anymore.

She had heard them for years.

Yet somehow they always did.

Soha simply stood there.

Silent.

As always.

Because she could not answer.

Because she had no voice.

Twelve years ago, she had been trapped inside a twisted car filled with broken glass and blood.

After the accident, she survived.

Her voice did not.

Doctors called it trauma.

A frightened child who had stopped speaking.

And somehow never started again.

Her uncle continued complaining.

Soha quietly prepared breakfast from the little food they had left.

When he finished eating, he left without even thanking her.

The apartment became silent again.

The kind of silence Soha understood best.

Returning to her room, she began organizing her belongings.

There wasn't much.

A few books.

A small desk.

Several worn-out clothes.

University documents.

And Dian-Dian's toys.

That was almost everything she owned.

As she gathered some laundry near the bathroom, her movements slowed.

There were faint bloodstains on one of her old shirts.

Her eyes lingered on it for a moment.

Then she folded it quietly and placed it aside.

Some scars faded.

Others never truly disappeared.

Outside the window, the city moved on as if nothing had happened.

Tomorrow would be her first day at her new university.

A place filled with rich students.

A place where she did not belong.

A place that would change her life forever.