EP 2

"Father!"

"..."

"P-please save me!"

Tears flowed continuously from the eyes of a girl who appeared to be in her late teens. Her desperate plea for help was quite pitiful, but the man watching her showed no sign of emotion. No, there was one emotion he displayed.

**Contempt.**

A cold gaze filled with disdain directed at her.

"Take her away."

"F-Father!"

As soon as the man's order was given, several knights nearby approached and seized her.

Dragged away by the knights, she continued to cry out for help. Yet, no one paid her any attention.

The gazes of those around her, including the knights, were all the same—filled with ridicule and scorn.

Moments later, a new figure approached her. A young man in his early twenties.

"Brother!"

His gaze toward her was equally cold.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"..."

The man silently watched her as she bowed her head to the ground, begging for forgiveness, before drawing his sword from his waist.

"Please...!"

Thud!

"Wow... damn it!"

Shia jolted awake and immediately placed a hand on her chest. A sigh of relief escaped her as she felt her still-thumping heart.

"Well, at least it's not the guillotine today."

Should I be glad about this? Shia let out a short sigh. It reminded her of the first time she experienced this phenomenon.

"Was I five years old then?"

It was the day she first saw a ghost.

"Mom..."

Her mother, who had died beside her.

That day, she witnessed her mother looking at her with a mix of sadness and relief before fading away, which allowed Shia to see other ghosts thereafter.

"Right."

Seeing ghosts was one thing.

"But what is this really?"

Shia began experiencing this phenomenon around that time. Shortly after her mother's death, she encountered it for the first time.

"It's not a dream."

It wasn't dreaming; it was a phenomenon that occurred whenever she closed her eyes. It felt as if she were being sucked into another world where a new reality unfolded before her eyes.

"The first scene I saw was..."

Thud!

Being stabbed by a sword. Just like just now.

"My heart..."

No, that girl's heart.

The chilling sensation felt as if she had possessed that girl, leaving her speechless for a while after waking up.

That was just the beginning.

Since then, whenever she closed her eyes, she would be pulled into that strange world again. She continued to live out that same life repeatedly.

In that place, Shia was always the same woman—a noble lady from medieval times! In short, that woman was...

**Dark.**

Dismal!

She spoke little and wore an incredibly gloomy expression. Yet, despite being a noblewoman, her pride was excessively high; she couldn't stand being ignored or looked down upon.

At first, Shia found it extremely annoying how angry she would get and lash out whenever something upset her. The end of such outbursts was always the same.

Death.

At the hands of someone who seemed to be her brother.

Or at the hands of someone who seemed to be her father.

Or dragged to the guillotine before many onlookers where her head would be severed cleanly.

**That feeling is truly...**

Horrific.

Having witnessed that scene for over 20 years since she was five years old, Shia still hadn't grown accustomed to those moments of death.

"Please stop dying; try living differently."

Seeing that woman die only to return to the past and repeat the same life again made Shia feel more than just annoyance; now she felt pity as well.

Perhaps it was because she had entered that woman's body each time and watched that life unfold? Gradually, Shia began to wish for that woman's happiness. But...

Thud!

Today too, the woman met her death.

"Damn..."

During a brief waiting period for filming, Shia closed her eyes only to be drawn back into that strange world again and cursed inwardly.

Her mood... truly terrible.

"Sis, are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?"

It was Ji-hyun who had just returned to set after cleaning up their grandmother's house. She had found nearly 30 million won under a persimmon tree and thanked Shia with teary eyes.

Thinking about their grandmother who saved that money without spending it for herself made Ji-hyun cry for several days again.

Anyway, Ji-hyun approached with concern in her eyes when she saw Shia sweating profusely despite sitting still as if asleep.

"…It's just a nightmare."

"Look at all this sweat. Let me redo your makeup."

"Okay."

Letting out a short sigh once more while feeling Ji-hyun's familiar touch, Shia closed her eyes again.

"...!"

But suddenly, Shia had to open them wide again.

"Sis?"

"..."

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Shia's complexion grow even paler startled Ji-hyun. However, Shia had no energy left to respond to her question.

"What... what is this?"

The moment she closed her eyes again, the previous vision immediately resumed in front of her eyes.

This had never happened before...

Typically after experiencing such phenomena once, there would be silence for several days. But this time when she closed her eyes again, that same place appeared before her once more.

Could it be because the woman died?

This was the first time seeing it without being possessed by that woman's body.

Their eyes met—Shia's and hers—bloodied and lifeless on the ground.

"..."

Staring into those eyes filled with resentment and sorrow made Shia unable to relax for some time afterward.

* * *

"Hey... Shia."

"What?"

"Get some sleep."

"I'm fine."

I'm not fine at all.

The manager Hyunseok looked at Shia with an awkward smile. Her bloodshot eyes glaring back at him were quite unsettling indeed.

As soon as they entered the waiting room, he told her to rest for a bit; yet every time he said so, Shia seemed even more determined not to close them at all.

With those already large eyes glaring fiercely like this made it somewhat eerie.

"There's still over an hour left until your scene ends."

"I know."

"You should sleep."

"I said I'm fine."

After trying one last time to persuade her, Hyunseok shook his head gently. He didn't understand why she was acting like this today.

"I also want to close my eyes."

I want to sleep!

In situations where filming continued overnight like this one, finding even brief moments of rest was crucial—Shia knew that well enough too.

"But..."

For some reason today felt different. Remembering the scene from earlier today—the last gaze of the woman who died—Shia let out another small sigh.

"It'd be better playing with headless ghosts than seeing that again."

She didn't want to see that sight ever again.

Throughout all these years watching countless horrific scenes through various ghosts had never once frightened her. She knew very well that unless one got scared themselves, ghosts rarely inflicted physical harm on humans.

But...

"Why?"

The moment she saw those resentful eyes of the deceased woman sent chills down her spine strangely enough.

It wasn't like this was the first or second time witnessing that woman die either.

"Something felt different today."

Those eyes seemed as if they were looking directly at Shia herself.

She didn't want to see that sight or those eyes ever again; something in her chest thumped oddly as if something sharp were poking at every part of her body.

**Sympathy?**

No way.

While that woman's life felt frustrating and pitiful at times—she didn't feel heartbroken enough about it now after having watched over 20 years' worth of deaths together... or rather experienced them alongside each other already! Why would such feelings arise now?

Only today's final gaze lingered in Shia's mind without fading away...

**Damn it...**

Just live better already!

*『In an apartment in Daegu, three family members were found dead. Mr. A, suffering from financial difficulties, reportedly killed his wife and six-year-old son before taking his own life...』*

"Oh dear..."

At that moment on TV in the waiting room came news flowing through about sad stories capturing people's attention naturally towards it instead.

Hyunseok standing next to Shia clicked his tongue with an expression of pity too while watching along silently alongside others' reactions too...

"..."

Shia turned towards what they were showing on TV: A small basement room where an entire family had died—a clear depiction revealing how much they struggled against their circumstances leading up until then!

"How hard must they have had it… tsk."

"If it's tough like this can they just do something like that?"

"Huh?"

Hyunseok involuntarily muttered aloud without realizing when suddenly hearing soft words spoken back startled him awake from thoughts drifting elsewhere momentarily!

"Well then let him die alone!"

Shia's expression remained calm despite saying such harsh words while staring fixedly at whatever dreadful images appeared onscreen! The realization struck Hyunseok hard making him unable to hide his shock anymore...

"H-Hey… Shia."

"What did that child ever do wrong?"

"T-That's true."

Hyunseok quickly wanted to turn off their TV but couldn't find any remote control anywhere nearby!

"At least he died together with his wife."

Seeing Shia smirk slightly made Hyunseok finally yank out all cords connected directly leading into their television system altogether! He turned back awkwardly towards watching over everything else happening around them instead too! But still remained transfixed by what lay upon blank screens ahead!

"Shia… are you okay?"

Just as Hyunseok tried speaking up again suddenly someone from filming crew came rushing inside calling out loudly!

*Phew.*

Letting out a short breath finally freed up within herself after having been staring blankly ahead earlier made way towards slowly standing back upright once more!

**Not good…**

Suppressing another sigh escaping involuntarily while heading straight towards filming location ahead now feeling uneasy about everything going on around them lately too!

Today feels particularly off somehow; maybe spending so long alongside these spirits lately has caused some kind of connection forming unexpectedly?

There are days when things seem destined toward disaster ahead without fail regardless whether big or small events occur inevitably afterwards too!

On days like these best course would simply involve returning home early getting proper rest instead…

"You both ready?"

This romantic comedy drama centers around handsome capable young CEO alongside his devoted secretary navigating through various challenges together throughout storylines unfolding next! Today shouldn't prove difficult whatsoever since no complex scenes required either! Just attending party alongside main lead ensuring everything runs smoothly while fulfilling duties expected accordingly too!

Creeeak—

'Creeeak?'

While filming a scene where she checks the food that the picky male protagonist cannot eat as a secretary, Ishia suddenly raises her head at the sound of an unfamiliar cracking noises.

"Whoah!!"

"Ishia!"

Upon raising head upwards instantly realizing chandelier above crashing downward meant trouble looming overhead causing panic erupting throughout entire area below too!

"...!"

Staring wide-eyed helplessly witnessing ghost hovering above chandelier just moments prior before losing consciousness altogether thereafter…