Soul Tracker

Chapter 1: Dreams of Tae Ah

In a Celebratory and Loving Memory of, The 10th Anniversary of Kim Jung Yoon and Kim Tae Ah

"This book is the reason they are still together in this lifetime. May their love, transcending time and worlds, inspire future lovers to come." - Dan Hammerstone

The soft glow of Seoul's city lights flickered in through the half-open window, casting faint shadows on the walls of Kim Jung Yoon's room. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, wide awake. His heart raced, yet his mind was clouded with confusion. Every night, without fail, the same dream haunted him—a dream of a girl, her name, Tae Ah, always lingering on his lips when he awoke, but her face just beyond his grasp of memory.

In his dream, she stood amidst a swirling mist, her silhouette barely visible. She never spoke, but her presence pulled at him, as if she was calling out for him. She had an otherworldly beauty, delicate and ethereal, her long black hair swaying in a breeze that seemed to exist only in the dream. There was something familiar about her, a connection he couldn't explain, but it was undeniable. Jung Yoon always woke up with an unshakable feeling of loss, as if someone precious had slipped through his fingers.

This night was no different. Sweat clung to his skin as he jolted awake, gasping for breath. The faint outline of Tae Ah in his dream still clung to the edges of his consciousness, but the more he tried to hold on to it, the more it faded away. He sighed and pushed himself out of bed, his bare feet sinking into the cold floorboards.

Jung Yoon glanced at the clock—3:33 AM. It was always the same time when he woke from the dream. "Why can't I remember her face?" he muttered under his breath, frustrated. He grabbed the glass of water on his nightstand and took a long sip, trying to calm his nerves. But even as he sipped the water, he knew sleep wouldn't come easily again.

The next morning, as the city buzzed with life outside, Jung Yoon sat quietly at the breakfast table, lost in thought. His younger sister, Ji Ah, sat across from him, chattering away about her day at school, but her words barely registered. His mind was consumed by the girl from his dreams. Who was she? Why did he feel so drawn to her? Was she even real?

"Yoon-ah, are you even listening?" Ji Ah's voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. Of course, I am," Jung Yoon replied absently, though he hadn't heard a word.

Ji Ah raised an eyebrow. "You're acting weird again. Is it those nightmares? You really should see a doctor or something."

"It's not a nightmare," Jung Yoon said quietly, his eyes drifting out the window. "It's... different."

"Different how?" Ji Ah asked, leaning in with curiosity.

Jung Yoon hesitated. How could he explain it to her? How could he make sense of something he didn't fully understand himself? "I... I don't know. It just feels real. Like she's... like she's waiting for me."

Ji Ah stared at him for a moment, her playful expression fading into one of concern. "Oppa, you've been having these dreams for months. It's not normal."

"I know, Ji Ah. But it's more than just a dream. I can feel it." He pushed his breakfast away, suddenly losing his appetite. "I have to figure out what it means."

Later that day, Jung Yoon wandered the crowded streets of Seoul, his mind still clouded by thoughts of Tae Ah. His feet carried him toward a familiar destination without even thinking—Insadong, the old district filled with art galleries, antique shops, and tea houses. It was one of the few places in the city where he felt a strange sense of calm.

As he walked, he noticed something odd. The people around him seemed distant, almost like shadows moving through a fog. A chill ran down his spine, and he stopped in his tracks. His heart began to race as a familiar feeling washed over him—the same feeling he had in his dreams.

There, across the street, standing among the crowd, was a girl. Her figure was faint, as if she were just barely there, like a reflection on water. Her hair, long and dark, billowed softly in an invisible wind, and her eyes, though distant, seemed locked on him.

Jung Yoon blinked, his breath catching in his throat. "Tae Ah?" he whispered, barely audible.

But just as quickly as she appeared, she was gone. The crowd moved on as if nothing had happened. Jung Yoon stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest.

Had he imagined it? Was he losing his mind?

No. She was real. He was sure of it.

Without thinking, he darted through the crowd, his eyes scanning every face, every figure. But Tae Ah was nowhere to be seen. He stood in the middle of the street, panting, his mind spinning with questions. Why did she appear now? Was she trying to tell him something?

Jung Yoon's hands trembled as he pulled out his phone. There was only one person who might understand—Minho, his best friend since childhood. If anyone would believe him, it was Minho.

That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Jung Yoon sat in a small café with Minho, his hands wrapped around a cup of coffee. He recounted the dream, the girl, and what he had seen earlier that day. Minho listened intently, his brow furrowed in thought.

"You're saying you've been seeing this girl in your dreams for months, and now she's showing up in real life?" Minho asked, his voice calm but skeptical.

Jung Yoon nodded. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's real. I saw her today. I swear."

Minho leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. "You said her name was Tae Ah, right? Have you tried looking her up? Maybe there's a connection you're missing."

"I have, but I can't find anything. It's like she doesn't exist," Jung Yoon said, frustration creeping into his voice.

Minho tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought. "Maybe she's not from this world."

Jung Yoon's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Minho's expression darkened. "There's an old myth about people who are trapped between worlds—the living and the dead. They say the Jeoseung Saja, the Grim Reaper, guides lost souls to the afterlife. What if Tae Ah is one of those souls?"

A chill ran down Jung Yoon's spine. "You think she's... dead?"

"I don't know," Minho admitted, "but if she is, it would explain why you're seeing her. You've always had that weird ability to sense things, remember?"

Jung Yoon nodded slowly. Ever since he was a child, he had always been able to feel the presence of spirits, though he had learned to ignore it. But now, it seemed like that ability was dragging him into something much bigger than he could understand.

"If she's a lost soul," Jung Yoon said, his voice barely above a whisper, "then what does she want from me?"

Minho's eyes met his, serious and unwavering. "That's what you need to find out."

And so, Jung Yoon's journey into the unknown began, with Tae Ah's presence haunting his every step, drawing him deeper into a world he never knew existed.