Jung slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he couldn't understand where he was.
He lifted his head and looked around.
He was lying on the grass beside the pond.
Jung quickly sat up.
His eyes widened.
He looked down at his clothes.
They were completely dry.
Not even a drop of water was on them.
Jung touched his shirt and then his hair.
"How...?"
He clearly remembered falling into the pond.
He remembered the cold water.
He remembered someone pushing him.
But now...
He was outside the pond.
And he wasn't wet.
Jung slowly stood up and looked around.
"Where did he go?"
He searched around the pond, looking behind the trees and bushes.
There was no sign of the strange person.
Nothing.
Jung stood there for a while, trying to remember what had happened.
"Maybe..." he muttered, "maybe I forgot the path and somehow came here."
He shook his head.
"Yeah. Maybe that's what happened."
Jung turned around and began walking home.
He didn't notice the figure standing behind a tree.
The strange person was still there.
Hidden in the darkness, he silently watched Jung walk away.
He didn't move.
He didn't say anything.
He simply watched him.
Above the trees, the moon had turned a strange, deep red.
Jung continued walking, completely unaware that the strange person was watching him from behind.
When Jung reached home, he quickly went inside.
He took a shower, changed his clothes, and sat on his bed.
But the strange incident wouldn't leave his mind.
"What was that?"
He remembered the strange person.
The pond.
Being pushed.
Waking up outside the pond.
And his completely dry clothes.
Jung stared at the floor.
"Who was that strange guy?"
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"Maybe I'm thinking too much."
He tried to convince himself.
"Maybe it was just a dream."
Jung lay down on his bed.
"I should forget about it."
He closed his eyes.
Slowly, he fell asleep.
7:00 AM
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Jung's alarm rang loudly.
He opened his eyes and turned it off.
Morning sunlight entered through the window.
He sat up.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then he remembered the previous night.
The pond.
The strange person.
The strange feeling of being pushed.
Jung sighed.
"It felt so real..."
He got ready for school.
While brushing his teeth, he thought about it.
While changing his clothes, he thought about it.
Even while packing his school bag, the memory remained in his mind.
"How could it be false?"
He looked at himself in the mirror.
"It was real..."
He paused.
"But how?"
Jung picked up his bag and left for school.
The morning air was cool.
Jung walked along the road while checking his phone.
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
Something flew past him.
Jung stopped.
He quickly turned around.
Nothing.
He looked at the road and then toward the trees.
There was nothing there.
"Maybe it was a flower."
He shook his head.
"I'm probably imagining things again."
He continued walking.
When Jung reached school, the students were gathering for morning prayer.
He joined the others and stood quietly.
Then something caught his attention.
The principal was standing near the stage.
A book was lying several feet away from her.
She looked toward it.
Then she simply pointed at the book.
Suddenly—
The book lifted from the ground.
It floated through the air and moved directly toward her hand.
Jung's eyes widened.
He stared at the principal.
"Wait..."
His heart began beating faster.
"Was that... magic?"
He looked around at the other students.
Nobody seemed surprised.
It was as if this was completely normal.
Jung stood there, completely confused.
First Period
The teacher entered the classroom.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, ma'am."
She placed a pencil on the desk.
"Today, we're going to learn a basic form of magic."
Jung froze.
"Magic?"
The teacher continued.
"This is called attraction. You can pull an object toward yourself without touching it."
She placed the pencil a short distance away.
Then she stretched out her hand.
The pencil slowly moved across the desk and into her palm.
Several students smiled.
Jung stared at the pencil.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
The teacher looked around the classroom.
"Now, who wants to try?"
Jung immediately looked down.
Please don't pick me.
"Jung."
His heart dropped.
"Come here."
Jung slowly stood up.
He walked toward the teacher.
He already knew he couldn't do it.
He had never been able to use magic before.
Still, he had no choice but to try.
The teacher placed the pencil on the desk.
"Focus on it."
Jung stretched out his hand.
"Imagine that the pencil is already in your hand."
Jung took a deep breath.
"Now, attract it."
He concentrated.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Jung already knew it wouldn't work, but he kept trying because the teacher had told him to.
He concentrated harder.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
After several attempts, the teacher finally stopped him.
"Alright, that's enough."
Jung lowered his hand.
"Go back to your seat. Practice after school."
Jung nodded and returned to his seat.
He wasn't surprised that it hadn't worked.
He already knew he couldn't perform magic.
But now he was even more nervous about being asked to practice it.
After school, Jung walked home alone.
He kept thinking about everything that had happened.
The pond.
The strange person.
The red moon.
The strange thing that flew past him.
The principal using magic.
And the magic lesson.
"What is happening around me?"
Jung looked down at his hand.
He remembered the pencil sitting completely still on the desk.
He sighed.
Then he continued walking.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the construction site ahead.
Suddenly—
CRASH!
Jung looked up.
A heavy piece of metal had broken loose from the construction site.
It was falling directly toward him.
His eyes widened.
There was no time to move.
Jung instinctively raised his hands.
"NOOOOO!"