𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 | 정원

33

Ji-ah jolted awake, her body lurching forward before she tumbled off the bed. Her elbows slammed against the cold floor, sending sharp pain up her arms. She winced, tears pricking her eyes as she lay there, trying to steady her breathing.

Her trembling hands instinctively pressed against her abdomen. She glanced down, fearing for the sight of blood. But there was none. Her skin was unbroken, smooth under her fingertips. Relief flooded her, but it didn't last.

The pain in her dream had felt so vivid, so real. For a moment, she'd believed she had been stabbed.

Ji-ah stayed on the floor, unable to muster the strength to move. Her mind raced with fragments of the dream—the cold, the forest, Sunoo's voice, the searing pain. She stared blankly at the wall, her tears rolling silently down her cheeks.

She didn't understand the purpose of these dreams. Even if she was the reincarnation of Ae-ra, she was living a different life now, a life already burdened with enough suffering. Why couldn't the past stay buried where it belonged?

She didn't know how long she lay there, clutching her stomach as if the wound might return, until her breathing finally began to slow.

Thunder rumbled outside, a sudden flash of lightning illuminating her room for the briefest moment. The steady patter of snow against the window filled the silence, broken only by Ji-ah's shallow breaths.

Her gaze shifted to the mirror across the dark room. The face staring back at her was pale and tear-streaked, her eyes rimmed red with exhaustion.

She almost couldn't recognize herself. For a moment, she thought she saw someone else. She pondered, if this was what Ae-ra looked like in her final moments.

She wanted to leave this palace—to escape the suffocating weight of it all.

Was it mistake to stay here?

A soft knock on the door shattered the stillness, jerking Ji-ah from her thoughts.

"Ji-ah? Are you asleep?" a voice called softly.

Ji-ah stilled. She was too tired to move.

The door creaked open, and through the dim light, she made out a familiar figure.

Jungwon stepped into the room, pausing for just a moment when his eyes landed on her. Then he rushed forward, his expression shifting to alarm.

"Ji-ah! Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

He dropped to his knees beside her, pulling her into his arms without hesitation. His touch was warm, steady, and grounding against her cold, trembling frame.

"What's wrong?" Jungwon asked, his gaze scanning her face. He froze when he saw the faint streaks of dried tears. His expression contorted, fear flickering in his eyes. For a moment, Ji-ah thought he might cry, but he didn't.

"I had another dream," she murmured, her voice raw and barely audible, as though the cold had stolen the strength from her words.

Jungwon's brows furrowed deeply, worry shadowing his expression. His arms tightened around her instinctively, as though her fragile form might disappear if he let go.

"I was in the forest," Ji-ah began, her words faltering as she tried to piece together the fragments of her dream.

"I saw Sunoo, and... someone stabbed me." Her voice cracked, breaking on the last word. Her hand moved unconsciously to her abdomen, remembering the intensity of the pain.

Jungwon's hold on her shifted, his arms pulling her closer. "It's okay," he murmured, his voice steady and soothing. His fingers stroked gently through her hair.