The morning sunlight was softer than usual, like it didn't want to disturb anyone.
Inside their shared house, everything felt quieter.
As if something had settled in the air after yesterday's chaos.
Re-ha was still in the hospital for observation, so the house felt strangely incomplete without her bright energy.
Lila kept checking her phone.
Agani kept touching her pendant unconsciously.
Nira kept staring at her shoes, as if thoughts were following her like shadows.
They parted ways silently.
Each of them stepping into a day that was about to change them again.
---
Nira at the University
Campus was lively, loud, full of chatter and rushing footsteps.
But Nira felt oddly distant from everything, as if she were walking through a memory instead of the present.
She reached the literature building, her bag strapped tightly against her shoulder.
As she entered the hallway, she heard someone call:
"Professor Nira!"
She turned.
A boy stood near the stairs — tall, neatly dressed, with soft brown hair falling over his forehead.
He looked familiar, but not familiar enough.
His eyes were warm.
Too warm.
As if he had known her much longer than the few days she'd been there.
He walked toward her with a concerned expression.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
His voice was calm, polite — but something about the tone made her heart jump ever so slightly.
Nira blinked.
"Yes… I'm fine. Why?"
He hesitated, then smiled in a way that was almost relieved.
"You looked pale yesterday. And today, your steps seemed… slower."
She frowned lightly.
How did he notice her steps?
But she pushed the thought aside.
"Just tired. A friend collapsed last night."
His eyes softened.
"I hope she recovers soon."
Something about the sincerity in his voice made her chest warm unexpectedly.
She nodded.
"Thank you…?"
"Jae-hyun," he said. "First year. Creative writing. I had your class last week."
Jae-hyun.
She repeated the name silently.
It fit him.
Gentle. Quiet. A little mysterious.
He shifted his books nervously.
"If you need anything… even if it's just help carrying things, you can ask me."
Nira felt an odd pull in her chest — not romantic, not fear.
Just a strange familiarity, as if this boy had once been a part of her life.
And yet… she was meeting him for the first time.
"Thank you, Jae-hyun," she said softly.
He gave a small smile.
A smile that lingered in her mind long after she walked away.
---
Agani on the Staircase
Agani was running late.
She jogged up the office staircase with a stack of files clutched to her chest.
Her head was still full of yesterday — Re-ha fainting, the pendant glowing, the map with 4114.
As she reached the middle landing, her foot slipped slightly — and every file in her hand scattered across the stairs.
"No, no, no—!"
Papers slid everywhere.
She knelt quickly, gathering them.
Her hair fell forward, her hands clumsy with panic and frustration.
As she reached for the last file, her shirt shifted—
and her pendant slipped out, catching the light.
A small silver symbol.
Simple.
But ancient-looking.
At that exact moment, footsteps echoed behind her.
Re-ha's voice from behind:
"Agani… your pendant—"
Agani turned.
Re-ha was standing on the landing.
Pale, weak, but dressed to leave the hospital.
And staring straight at the pendant.
Her eyes widened — so wide they looked glassy.
"That symbol…"
She took one step forward.
Then another.
And suddenly — her vision blurred.
"Re-ha?" Agani stood quickly.
But Re-ha couldn't hear her.
Her chest tightened.
Shadows— blurred images— flashes of fire—
A hallway.
Running footsteps.
Smoke.
Someone shouting her name—
Her body swayed.
Agani reached for her—
But Re-ha collapsed… again.
Agani's scream echoed through the stairwell.
"Help! Someone— please!"
Her hands trembled violently as she knelt beside her friend.
The pendant glowed faintly once…
then dimmed.
---
Lila at the Café
Café Bubble&Bean was crowded as always.
Lila was behind the counter, her apron slightly crooked, her hair tied in a messy bun.
Even in the chaos, her playful energy returned — or at least she tried.
She handed a cappuccino to a customer, forced a smile, and turned to grab another cup.
A soft voice spoke:
"Excuse me… is this yours?"
She turned.
A man stood across the counter — tall, elegant, wearing a black coat even though it wasn't cold.
His face was calm, unreadable.
His eyes, a deep charcoal gray.
He held out a small napkin she had dropped earlier.
Lila laughed nervously.
"Ah— yes! Thank you, I'm such a klutz."
The man smiled politely, but the smile didn't touch his eyes.
"You work here now?" he asked quietly.
Lila froze for half a second.
How did he know that?
She tried to keep her tone light.
"Uh… yes. Just started."
He nodded slowly.
"Good."
His gaze was steady.
Too steady.
Lila felt her heartbeat pick up — not fear, but… something strange. A pressure.
He placed money on the counter and took the coffee she had prepared.
"Have a peaceful day, Lila."
Her fingers tightened around the empty cup.
She hadn't told him her name.
---
Nira Receives the Message
Just after her last class, Nira's phone buzzed.
A single text.
From an unknown number.
"Come to the hospital.
Re-ha collapsed again."
Her blood ran cold.
She grabbed her bag and ran.
---
The Hospital Again
Lila arrived first.
Nira a minute later.
Both breathless.
Agani stood at the entrance, pacing, tears in her eyes.
When she saw them, she shook her head helplessly.
"I don't know what happened— she just saw the pendant and— and—"
Nira pulled her into a tight hug.
Lila placed a hand on her shoulder.
They didn't speak for a long moment.
Only breathed.
Only held each other.
Only existed in the same fear.
---
Inside Another Apartment…
The boy on the sofa flipped through photographs again.
But this time, he paused on a different one.
Lila.
Her smiling face.
Her bright eyes.
Her gloves.
He traced the glove gently.
The door creaked.
The tall man entered quietly.
He removed his coat and approached the board.
His gaze swept across the four photos pinned there.
"It begins," he murmured.
The boy rose and stood beside him.
"What about the pendant?"
The tall man's eyes darkened subtly.
"It reacted. Just as expected."
The boy smirked.
"Then it won't be long."
Both stared at the four women's faces.
Both waited.
Both planned.
Both watched.
The tall man whispered:
"The past is waking up.
One by one, they will remember."
The boy added softly:
"Soon… they will all return to us."
---