The news had become relentless.
"Another student found dead at Daehan University."
"Authorities baffled as mysterious death toll rises."
"Nation in panic: Is this a curse or a killer on the loose?"
Each day, the country drowned deeper in fear. The headlines never seemed to end. What started with a few cases had now grown into a full-blown crisis.
And Joon's university was at the center of it.
Choen scrolled through her phone in disbelief. She saw the names of some students she'd met before—smiling faces, now cold headlines. The silence around her felt heavier than ever.
At home, Meena had changed.
She moved slower. Her thoughts often trailed off. She would look at the corners of the room like she saw something no one else did.
"Mom, are you okay?" Choen asked once, her voice laced with concern.
Meena had simply smiled and said, "Just tired, darling."
But Choen knew it was more than that.
Some nights, she would hear Meena humming old lullabies from her childhood, sitting alone in the dark. Other times, she would whisper names Choen didn't recognize. The smell of incense and old memories lingered in the air.
Then came that one bitter evening.
The sky was bruised with deep violet hues, and the wind carried a strange kind of stillness. Meena called Choen to the rooftop.
Wrapped in a shawl, her hands trembling slightly, Meena looked up at the stars.
"I used to bring you up here when you were little," she said quietly. "You'd cry every time the wind was too strong, and I'd hold you and say the stars are watching over you."
Choen sat beside her, her heart tightening. "Why are you saying this, Mom?"
Meena didn't answer right away. Her eyes glistened, and her voice softened like wind brushing past an old photograph.
"I've made many mistakes," she said. "But the one thing I know I've done right in this world... is you."
Choen's eyes welled up. "Don't talk like this... Please."
Meena reached over and held her daughter's hand.
"You're strong, Choen. Too strong for your own good sometimes. You carry everything and show nothing. I just want you to know—whatever happens, wherever I go... you were my light. You always were."
The stars above them twinkled faintly, unaware of the storm building in Choen's heart.
They sat there in silence.
Until the chill pushed them back inside.
That night, Meena tucked herself into bed like always. Choen watched her for a moment longer than usual before returning to her room.
Morning came too quickly.
Birds chirped outside. The café below started its day. Everything was just as it always was—until it wasn't.
"Mom?" Choen knocked softly. "Wake up. I made breakfast."
No answer.
She stepped inside. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, brushing against Meena's peaceful face.
"Mom…?"
Still no answer.
She reached out and gently shook her.
The world shattered.
"Mom!!" Her voice cracked.
Meena lay there, unmoving. Peaceful. As if she had simply drifted away while dreaming.
Tears spilled before Choen even realized they'd formed. Her sobs echoed through the apartment, sharp and unending.
No matter how many times she called, Meena would not wake up.
The world outside kept turning.
But Choen's had stopped.