Chapter 1: "Your life is in danger."

A piercing gasp escaped her throat as she found herself hanging off a cliff by one hand. The wind was howling in her ears, her fingers slipping from the edge, a gut-wrenching pain searing right beneath her chest. 

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she spotted a bloody gash on her abdomen that her other hand clutched onto, her grip feeling weaker every second. The pain she felt wasn't just physical – it reeked of a certain betrayal, a heart-rending one. 

But she cannot die just yet; she cannot afford to die. She had goals to achieve, loved ones to care for, memories to make. 

Just as she felt like she was losing her grip, a shadowy figure appeared above her, reaching out with a hand. Desperation flooded her as she feebly reached out, trying to grasp hold of it, but her fingers just slipped through empty air. 

And then, as she struggled for one last time...

Ananya sat up, her heart pounding, having broken into a sweat. As the sun rays trickled their way in through the curtains, it finally dawned upon her that she was in her own new bed, far and safe from the nightmare that just had her in a chokehold. 

She shuddered in disbelief, immediately picking her phone to text Yuvi, her little brother, a good morning. Sure, it must be around 4:45 am in India, but it is technically 'morning' indeed – and he had to be the first one she reached out to after such a terrifying start to it.

The apartment was typically quiet as she sifted through her morning routine, the soft hum of the fridge and the shower being the only sources of sound across her home. Having fixed her hair and grabbed a peanut bar, she took a brief look at herself in the mirror before looking around. 

It had been a year since she moved to South Korea, and while the campus hostel was her abode for the first year, she had recently made the shift to a small apartment a mile away. It felt a lot more homely, but also a little lonely at times.

Her bell rang, breaking off her chain of thoughts. She quickly wiggled her feet in the shoes, grabbing the keys from the holder as she limped her way to the door. 

"Good morning, Annie!" Ji-yeon beamed, grabbing Ananya by the arm. She nodded with a soft smile, closing the door behind them as they made their way downstairs, with Ji-yeon chirping about her last evening at the mixer and the interesting man she met. 

Ananya had always admired how confident and assertive Ji-yeon was about her thoughts and opinions, and how her sunshine personality radiated through from the day they met. She had come across Ji-yeon on her third day at the university, who had guided her to the class they shared – quickly becoming friends during a single lecture.

"Did you see the dog Dae adopted last week? Gureum is such a cutie!" Ji-yeon exclaimed, shoving her phone in Ananya's face excitedly. 

"Yes, Dae sent me a picture the other day. He looks just like a cloud", Ananya smiled cheekily. Her thoughts drifted momentarily to Dae-jung, who she had met through Ji-yeon, as they have been friends since middle school. 

Dae-jung was different. He had a certain warmth about him that always made Ananya feel at ease. The way he treated her felt kind and sincere – probably something more too; a subtle connection that she couldn't quite define but secretly harboured within. Maybe it was his sweet (often cheesy) words, maybe it was his kind gestures, maybe it was all that playful flirting – or perhaps that peering gaze that she occasionally caught him looking at her with? 

But Ananya tried her best to keep these feelings hidden – whatever they were. She hadn't disclosed this to Ji-yeon either. Her academics was her priority over romance at this point, and no amount of feelings could possibly change that at the moment. She had a goal to live up to, and she could not afford to let a sweet little crush distract her from it. 

"Did you sleep well last night? You seem a little off."

Dae-jung's concerned greeting at the entrance took her out of her never-ending chain of thoughts, yet again. She glanced at him, noticing the way he smiled at her, his eyes filled with concern; making her feel a slight flutter in her chest.

"I'm completely fine, just had an odd nightmare." She brushed it off with a smile, a gasp from Ji-yeon making her turn to her side with a giggle, "It's nothing too serious, I promise."

"Guess Dae and I have some more people to beat up, apart from that annoying trio", Ji-yeon motioned at the three men sitting in the far end on the right. Ananya let out a sigh, shaking her head, "I'd rather not entertain them, because that will help them get what they want."

"And that's why I have been holding back so far", Dae breathed out, giving the three men a glare before settling down next to Ananya. "Exactly, we're just waiting for your word!" Ji-yeon chimed in, holding a fist up as she casted a glance towards them.

Ananya shook her head, assuring them that she was okay. While her experience in this country had been a dream come true so far, it did come with its own share of challenges. Being one of the only 6 foreigners in a batch of 200 can be a challenge, but she wasn't quite prepared for the unsolicited comments that some would make on her appearance, her complexion, her accent, her way of carrying herself. While these people were far and few, and the vast majority had been very welcoming so far, the three sitting in the back were certainly among those putting her through such an ordeal quite often.

As a non-confrontational person, Ananya had always had a hard time putting people like them in place. But she considered herself absolutely lucky for having come across Ji-yeon and Dae-jung, who had been by her ever since she met them, often taking a stand for her whenever things would go out of hand.

She shook off those thoughts, pulling out her notepad. Despite the early hour, the campus seemed to be buzzing with activity. And before she knew it; the day had passed in a blur of classes and conversations, the routine of it all giving her a sense of normalcy and reassuring her that the nightmare from earlier was, indeed, just that.

"Shall we head to that cat-themed cafe that just opened? It has been all over my Insta!" Ji-yeon chirped, prancing ahead of the two to face them as they walked towards the main gate of the university. 

"Not today", Ananya shook her head with a chuckle, "The pile of clothes on my bed are going to take over the little space that I sleep on anytime now. And there are a couple more chores that I have been putting off ever since I moved in there."

"We're all serial procrastinators", Dae-jung chuckled along, "I have been meaning to clean my room for the longest time now." 

"Maybe today's the day?" Ananya smiled.

"Ah yes, that would make me feel like I'm doing chores by your side – like a couple", Dae-jung gave her a playful wink, before turning to Ji-yeon, "Do you want to come over? I know you've been dying to meet Gureum."

"Of course!" Ji-yeon exclaimed, "Are you sure you can't tag along today, Annie?"

"Some other day, for sure." Ananya smiled, waving them bye before heading towards her apartment. She had a long list of chores she had been procrastinating for a while now, and her anxious trot made it obvious that she was already trying to figure out where to start from.

*****

WE ARE HIRING!

As she noticed the sign outside of the convenience store next to her new apartment, her thoughts wandered to her finances. The cost of living in South Korea was undoubtedly high, and she was starting to feel the strain on her budget. While her scholarship covered a major share of her expenses, it was still not enough for her to be able to lead a decent life out here while also providing for Yuvi back at home, and occasionally spoiling him.

She wondered if she should consider this part-time job to help ease the financial burden. Lost in thought yet again, she was brought back to reality by a sudden noise beside her. She turned to see a man she had never seen before, staring at her with wide eyes after having just let out a very audible gasp.

"A-Ananya?"

Ananya froze, her heart skipping a beat. How did this man know her name? She looked at him, her thoughts racing as she tried to recognise him but in vain. Who was he, and why was he looking at her like he knew her?

"Oh my goodness, it's really you!"

Before she could react, he grabbed her by the shoulders, his eyes getting teary and his voice breaking a little. Her eyes grew wide as he hugged her tightly, stifling his cries as he caressed her back, "I cannot believe this!" 

Ananya cleared her throat, finally recovering from her frozen state due to this absolutely odd encounter. She had no idea who this person was, or why he seemed so emotional – maybe even relieved – upon seeing her. 

"Um, do we know each-other?" She finally spoke as she broke the hug, stealing a curious glance at the man who stood in front of her. He seemed like he was around her age, and could be a fellow classmate; but she really had never seen him before. 

"I don't care how hard this is to believe, but listen to me." He looked at her pensively, his hands still grabbing onto her shoulders. "Your life is in danger."