It had been years since they relocated to a new place. The nature and environment back in Lagan City had still been good, but something kept tugging at their minds, whispering that they needed to explore—needed to know how other places felt. And now here they were, standing in front of their new house.
Lyn and Luca, the only children of Mr. and Mrs. Sun Han, had moved to a new city because their father had been forced to retire due to certain circumstances. Lyn took a deep breath, her left hand resting gently on her little brother's shoulder, then knelt down to pick up their luggage.
"Papa, Mama… this is the place. Welcome to Ban City!" she said, a huge smile brightening her small face.
"Wow! I kinda like it," Luca said excitedly. "I can't wait to bring my friends here, Siz."
"Oh? And I didn't know you were this good at picking houses, Lyn. How did you even find this place?" Mrs. Sun Han asked as they stepped inside.
"My friends Linet and Alexander helped me. They'll be visiting us tomorrow."
With a soft scoff, Mrs. Sun Han switched on the lights while her quiet husband pulled in the remaining suitcases. He was a man of few words and never enjoyed interrupting women's conversations.
"Ahhh… what a long journey. Finally, I can rest," Mr. Sun Han sighed, dropping onto the couch, one arm draped over his forehead.
"Are you alright, Papa? Do you want some water?" Luca asked.
"Yes, bring me some. My throat is dry."
Leaving the others in the sitting room, Lyn headed upstairs to her new bedroom. It was so huge that she couldn't even compare it to the one she had in Lagan City. She stared at the white curtains fluttering gently, walked towards the already-open window, and leaned forward to peek outside.
Her body immediately froze.
Something unknown lay on the floor beside the window. The cold breeze drifting in only made the chill in her body worse. Slowly, she knelt down and picked up a small diamond ring—beautiful, shining, a bright shade of icy blue.
"Who could have forgotten this here?" she wondered, turning it in her palm.
But what shocked her most was what happened when her fingers made full contact with it.
The ring shattered instantly into tiny fragments, leaving only the small diamond at the center. The gem no longer shone, but something about it sparked a strange, unsettling suspicion deep in her mind. She examined the diamond closely, trying to figure out what it meant, but her thoughts remained blank.
Before she could think further, Luca burst into the room, jolting her out of her thoughts.
"What's up, Siz? Mom's been calling you a hundred times but you're not responding. Were you dead?"
"Tsk, Luca! Did she call me? Sorry—I didn't hear."
"Ehhh! And what's that in your hand?"
"No… nothing. Nothing important. Do you want something?"
"Yes."
"Hmph. What now, Luca? Tell Mom I'll be down in a minute," she said, slipping the small diamond into her trouser pocket.
"Nope. She told me to drag you downstairs. I'm not leaving you here." He crossed his arms, glaring as though he were the older sibling.
"Jeez, sometimes I wonder who's older around here. Fine, let's go. I'll arrange my room later."
"Good. Ladies first, woman," he said dramatically, bowing like a gentleman and extending his hand.
She chuckled and walked past him as he closed the door.
After supper, they prayed as usual and returned to their rooms. Lyn threw herself onto her soft, sweet-smelling bed and pulled the blanket over her—until something caught her attention.
She rose quietly and walked toward it. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew through the open window, pushing her back a step. It felt—no, she felt—as if someone was staring at her.
Her heart thumped.
She shut the window, but froze again when her amber eyes caught sight of a dark figure standing alone in the field. Though far away, she could tell it was a man. A man standing completely still… staring at their house. At her window.
She shuddered, brushing off the unsettling thought, and turned back to the strange object on the wall. It was covered with a white cloth that looked untouched for years. Something about it made her insides twist, but curiosity pressed harder than fear.
She pulled the cloth down.
The moment her eyes locked onto what lay beneath, she gasped—her legs trembling, her breath caught in her throat.
"Oh God… who could have left this… this… this sweet…" she stammered, unable to look away.