Ghost Behind You

1.19. A Mysterious Dream

After Zach left, Rose found herself alone in her room. She stretched lazily, munching on a piece of bread as she gazed out the window. It had been two days since her arrival, yet she hadn't set foot outside the hotel. Watching the tourists downstairs, laughing over drinks and casual conversation, she felt as though she was living in a completely different world. Her situation had taken such a strange turn that leaving wasn't even an option anymore. Normally, around this time, she would've been finishing dinner at the canteen or wrapping up work in the lab. If she wasn't busy, she'd be in her dorm room, reading, listening to music, or sleeping. TV didn't interest her much, and dramas even less. With so much work to do, her time was usually spent reviewing case files. In fact, just before coming here, she had been on the verge of closing a case—a woman in her fifties had been identified as the victim, and the suspect was already in custody. All that remained was for her to sign off on the final report. Surprisingly, she found herself wondering how her students were managing in her absence. She missed them.

Suddenly, she choked on a piece of bread, scrambling around for water. I need to wrap this up quickly, she thought, so I can get out of this place where I can't even find a drink of water.

Night had fallen.

Rose drew the curtains and turned on the TV. As she glanced up, she noticed a painting on the wall—something she hadn't paid attention to until now. It depicted a woman with a graceful figure, sitting by a river, washing her long hair. Rose wasn't much of an art enthusiast, but something about the image seemed familiar. Perhaps it was a cheap, mass-produced print used to decorate countless hotel rooms.

A creeping unease settled over her, keeping her from focusing on any one thing. It felt like the anxious tension of waiting for exam results—an uncertainty she hadn't experienced since middle school. Much like the dread of waiting for those results, she now had no idea what to expect from the future. Would they find the witch? Would the witch come for her first? Could the marks be removed?

She flipped through the channels, but nothing held her attention. Each program seemed to be some kind of celebration or variety show. Frustrated, she tossed the remote aside, feeling completely lost. An overwhelming urge to run outside and release all her pent-up tension washed over her. She imagined herself standing by the ocean, listening to the crashing waves.

No, better stay put, she thought.

Rose knew she was having a nightmare.

She found herself walking through a sparsely wooded forest. The ground was covered in damp, yellowed leaves, soft and slippery, as though it had just rained. She looked around, but the twisted branches and scattered leaves obscured everything. Even through the gaps in the trees, there was nothing to see. Puzzled as to how she had ended up there, she pushed the branches aside, searching for a path.

Not far ahead, fresh blood glistened on the leaves, as if someone had just passed through. Someone's injured, she thought, noting how bright the blood was. Whoever it was had clearly been moving quickly, possibly unaware of the severity of their wounds.

She quickened her pace, hoping to catch up with the injured person and offer help. With that much blood loss, they wouldn't last long. She pushed through the undergrowth.

Suddenly, the trees cleared, revealing a small open space. In front of her stood a shadowy figure, bent over and panting heavily as though he had been running for a long time. At his feet lay a blood-soaked corpse, a large axe buried deep in its neck, blood still oozing from the gaping wound.

Rose hadn't expected such a scene and instinctively crouched, covering her mouth to stifle any sound. The figure didn't seem to notice her, instead lowering himself to inspect the body. After scanning his surroundings, he pulled a small shovel from a bag and began digging, clearly intent on burying the corpse.