The Song Residence
This night, sleep didn't come gently. It came in pieces.
Shattered.
Unsteady.
Like something trying to surface from deep beneath layers of forgotten time.
Ji Eun shifted slightly in her bed, her brows tightening as the dream began to take shape.
At first, it was quiet.
Bright.
A child's laughter echoing faintly.
She was small again.
Too small.
Her world larger than it should be.
The Song estate stretched endlessly around her, its walls towering like something both familiar and distant. The garden was vast, trimmed perfectly, but in the dream, it felt… different.
Too still.
Too watchful.
She could feel it...
That childish confidence.
That belief that someone was always behind her.
Always watching.
Always there.
"Nanny?" her younger voice called out.
Light.
Careless.
She didn't turn back immediately.
Because she knew...
The nanny would be following.
She always did.
Ji Eun skipped forward across the garden path, her small shoes tapping softly against the stones.
But then...
The air shifted.
Something wasn't right.
The sound behind her, was gone.
Her steps slowed.
"Nanny?" she called again.
This time...
Softer.
Uncertain.
No answer.
The wind moved faintly through the trees. The leaves rustled.
Too loud.
Too close.
And then...
She turned.
Empty.
No nanny.
No servant.
No one.
Her chest tightened instantly.
That childhood fear...
Sharp.
Sudden.
Devouring.
"I…" she whispered, her small hands curling tightly around the hem of her dress.
The garden suddenly didn't feel safe anymore.
Then...
A low growl cut through the silence.
Ji Eun froze.
Slowly…
Her eyes lifted.
And there, across the narrow path, stood the dog.
A mastiff.
Massive.
Muscles rippling beneath its dark coat.
Its eyes locked onto her like a predator finding its prey.
It didn't bark.
It watched.
And that...
Was worse.
The sound of its breathing filled the air.
Heavy.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Ji Eun's breath caught. Her small body stiffened. Every instinct screaming...
Run.
But her feet didn't move.
Not yet.
The dog took one step forward. A low, warning growl followed. And that was enough.
Ji Eun turned...
And ran.
Her small legs moved as fast as they could carry her.
Through the winding paths.
Past hedges that seemed taller than usual. Everything blurred. Her heart pounded wildly. Her breathing uneven.
It was behind her.
She could hear it.
The sound of claws against stone.
Rapid.
Closing the distance.
"Help—!" she cried.
Her voice thin.
Breaking.
Tears blurred her vision.
The world tilted.
The garden no longer felt familiar.
"Someone—!"
And then...
Her foot caught.
She stumbled.
Fell hard onto the ground.
The air knocked out of her lungs.
Her small body shaking.
The sound of the dog grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
Ji Eun squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart screaming in her ears.
It's going to bite me.
It's going to hurt...