A chill crawled down Sange's spine as she stood in the middle of a vast, empty field. The sky above was an eerie mix of crimson and deep purple, swirling like ink in water. A storm loomed in the distance, the rumble of thunder vibrating beneath her feet.
Then came the whisper.
"When the two paths cross, fate will be awakened."
Sange spun around, searching for the source, but the field remained empty. The wind picked up, howling as shadows flickered around her. Shapes moved—figures she couldn't quite see, but she could feel their presence.
Then, suddenly, a hand reached for her.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she tried to move, but she was frozen in place. The hand grasped hers, pulling her forward—toward the storm, toward something unknown. A masked figure stood at the eye of the chaos, his presence overwhelming.
Her lips parted to scream—
And then she jolted awake.
Her body was drenched in sweat, her breath ragged. She blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the lingering terror.
"Not again."
Her mother's warning echoed in her mind, but she shoved it away. She was too exhausted for this.
A glance at her phone confirmed what she already suspected. She barely had any time left to sleep. Another long day at work awaited her.
---
More Pressure, More Problems
Sange felt like a zombie in a business suit.
The moment she stepped into J Corporation, the weight of another exhausting day crashed down on her. Her inbox was already overflowing, her to-do list had doubled, and she hadn't even taken a sip of coffee yet.
She barely got to her desk before a new notification popped up.
Urgent: Prepare the financial report before noon.
Her heart dropped.
"Before noon? Wasn't this due tomorrow?"
Hyun Jae's sharp voice interrupted her thoughts. "Sange, I need the client presentation polished before the meeting."
She turned, blinking at him. "Which meeting?"
"The one in an hour."
An hour?
Sange barely resisted the urge to scream.
Instead, she forced a tight smile. "Of course, sir."
Hyun Jae lingered for a second, his gaze flickering over her face.
She didn't notice it at first, too focused on the crushing workload, but when he turned away, she caught it—a hesitation, a flicker of something like guilt.
It was barely there, gone in an instant, but it made her pause.
Was he feeling bad for her?
No way. Hyun Jae Joo feeling bad? That was like expecting a fish to climb a tree.
Still, something about his expression stayed with her.
---
Something Strange
Forty-five minutes later, Sange was knee-deep in paperwork, her fingers cramping from typing so fast.
She stretched her back, rolling her shoulders, when—
"She actually has nice curves."
Her hands froze.
What?
She blinked at the screen, her mind scrambling. Had someone just said that?
Slowly, her gaze flickered up—to Hyun Jae.
He was at his desk, focused on his laptop, his face as unreadable as ever. His lips hadn't moved.
"No way… I'm hearing things. Right?"
She rubbed her temples. Lack of sleep. Stress. Too much coffee. That had to be it.
Still, her heart pounded in her chest.
Because for a brief, terrifying second, she was almost sure she had just heard his thoughts.
But that was impossible.
Right?
---