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Chapter 1-THE FALL BEFORE THE RISE

"I hope you all are recording this!" Her voice echoed across the campus courtyard, sharp and ragged. Ha-eun arms stretched wide as she stood on the very edge of the rooftop. Students gasped. Dozens of phones were pointed at her. Cameras flashed. Some whispered in horror. Others laughed.

Go ahead! she screamed."let the whole school post it! At least this time, I'm choosing how it ends!".

The sun bore down on her tear-streaked face. Her hair whipped wildly in the wind, and her heart pounded louder than the noise below. Somewhere far down Mina was smiling.

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Five hours earlier.........

The lecture hall lights dimmed. A projector flickered on. And then.......her words appeared on the screen. Big. Bold. Exposed.

"Sometimes I dream of kissing Ji-hoon under the cherry tree after practice".

"I think I am falling in love with the boy who doesn't even know I exist".

Laughter erupted like thunder. Ji-hoon stood at the front of the hall stunned........and then smirked.

"You wrote this about me?". he scoffed. "You?". You're invisible. Not even worth rejecting".

The crowd howled. Someone threw a tissue box at her. Another recorded her frozen face. And Mina, her step sister... clapped slowly. Proudly. As if she had just delivered a flawless performance. Ha-eun ran.

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Back to the rooftop.......

Her body trembled as the wind soared pass her ears. No one came. Not the school counselor. Not a professor. Not even Ji-hoon. They just watched. Some Livestreamed.

Ha-eun closed her eyes."At least it will be quiet once I fall". she thought.

She took a step forward. Then slipped. Then fall. And then she hit the ground. Hard. Screams erupted. But then silence.

Ten seconds passed. Then thirty. Then a full minute. Suddenly her fingers twitched. Then her legs. Then her eyes snapped open. But they weren't hers anymore. For just a second, they glowed with ancient gold.Deep within her chest a slumbering spirit stirred. The punishment of centuries now woken by Ha-eun's pain.

"You begged for an end", the voice whispered inside her, cold and regal. I've been waiting for a doorway.

Ha-eun sat up. The students around her froze in stunned silence. She wiped the blood from her face, slowly stood......and looked around.

Her expression? Blank. Calm. Unbothered.

No words. No fear. She picked up her bag now stained red at the corner.......and walked straight through the stunned crowd es if she had only tripped. No one Knew what happened. But something had entered her. And it was only just the beginning.