'Now it's my turn.'
That voice wasn't his.
It came from Ji-hoon's mouth, but it was deeper. Colder.
That 'I' had taken over again.
Ji-hoon screamed inside. Get out. This is my body!
But there was no sound. His hand gripped the pencil.
His body moved on its own. The phone unlocked. Eun-young's number.
'Stop! Don't touch her!'
The phone rang.
"Ji-hoon? Are you okay?"
"Something urgent came up. Can we meet? Now?"
His voice was gentle. Too gentle. But it wasn't his.
"Let's meet at the park. 30 minutes."
The call ended. His lips curled into a smile.
That smile.
Suddenly, it split. Ji-hoon and that 'I'. Two minds in one body.
"Why did I forget you?" Ji-hoon asked inwardly.
'Because you buried me. Twice.'
"What do you mean twice?"
'The first time was after you met Su-yeon.'
Her voice. That day. "You don't need him. You need healing."
'You thought you could live without me. But I am you. And you are me.'
Memories returned. Childhood rage. Shame. Fear. Things he had buried.
They had grown. Become sentient.That 'I'.
'You denied me. So I became stronger.'
He remembered. The mirror. The pencil. The moment he stabbed his memory.
"Did I create you?"
'Yes. And now, you must face the price.'
"Why now?"
'Because the cycle must end. It's not just you. Your family carries this.'
That name—Sera. His mother's shadow.
The dream. Her voice. Her hand. Her smile… not hers.
'Your birth father is the last key.'
Ji-hoon woke up, drenched in sweat. It's not over.
→ [To be continued in Episode 14]
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