Respirator

Chapter Two

우리라는 같은 꿈이 생겼고

벅찬 한숨도 같이 내쉬어 줄 내가 있으니

"Now we share the same dream called "Us"

As I'm here to let out a deep breath with you"

I'm beginning to feel like I'm living in a dream—a strange, shifting dream where reality itself feels uncertain. Ever since that day I bumped into Jisung in the hallway, something has been off. I've tried to convince myself that it's just stress or overwork, but every day, there's another sign that something isn't right. The air feels heavier, charged with an energy I can't quite place. At first, it was little things: a clock ticking too loudly, the lights flickering in and out in the practice rooms. But then, the sensations started growing stronger. Today, as I sit in a meeting room at JYP, I can't shake the feeling that I'm not entirely here.

"Are you with us, Ae-ri?" Bang Chan's voice snaps me back to the present. I blink, realizing I've been staring blankly at the projector screen without taking in a single word of what's been said.

"Y-yeah, sorry," I stammer, trying to focus. "Just a little out of it, I guess."

Bang Chan nods, though I can see the concern in his eyes. "Make sure you're getting enough rest. We've got a lot of work coming up, and we need everyone at their best."

I nod, but my mind is already drifting again. I can't help it. Every few minutes, I feel like I'm being pulled somewhere else—somewhere that's not this room, not this building. Somewhere that feels achingly familiar and completely foreign at the same time. When the meeting ends, I'm one of the first to leave, needing to get some air. I push open the door to the rooftop, breathing in the cool afternoon breeze. The sky is overcast, clouds rolling in with the promise of rain. As I lean against the railing, I close my eyes and let the wind whip through my hair, trying to clear my head.

That's when it happens again. A flash—so bright and sudden that it blinds me for a second. But this time, it's not just a flash. It's a vision, vivid and sharp, pulling me under like a riptide. I see a palace garden, lush and green, with cherry blossoms falling around me like snow. I'm running, my heart pounding in my chest, and there's someone beside me—a man with dark hair and gentle eyes, his hand gripping mine tightly.

"Ae-ri!" he shouts, his voice filled with urgency and fear. "Keep going! Don't stop!"

I feel a surge of panic and a desperate need to keep running. But then, just as quickly as it began, the vision fades, leaving me gasping for air, clutching the railing for support.

I open my eyes, and I'm back on the rooftop, the city skyline stretching out before me. My heart is racing, and I feel like I've just run a marathon. What... what was that? My hands are trembling, and I clutch the railing tighter, trying to steady myself.

This isn't normal. None of this is normal. I need to figure out what's happening to me.

Han:

Something is definitely wrong. I can feel it in my bones. It's like the universe itself is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Ever since Ae-ri brushed against me in the hallway, the energy around JYP has been different. And I know it's not just me who feels it. I've been spending more and more time in the practice rooms late at night, trying to make sense of what's going on. Last night, I even pulled out some of the celestial texts Arella used to have, hoping they might hold some answers. They're old and worn, filled with symbols and languages I don't fully understand, but I'm determined to try.

As I pore over the texts, my phone buzzes on the floor beside me. It's a message from Hyunjin.

"U up?"