She flinched when her ears caught sounds they were unfamiliar with, even before opening her eyes. The moment she heard them, her eyes snapped open.
Though she had already allowed the noise to seep into her ears, flow through her body and course within her veins. That thunderous pressure was spreading through her blood, furiously.
When she finally opened her eyes, the sight before her shook her where she stood, like a building on the verge of collapse. Her pulse began to race so fast that her heartbeat left her with the delusion of dizziness.
She was at the forefront of a massive stadium. Blue, purple, and pink neon lights lit up the interior, accompanied by the countless lightsticks held by the crowd in front of her.
The glare of so many lights made her feel as though her eyes were burning, yet, strangely, it didn't take long for her to get used to it.
Thousands of people stood before her, shouting words she couldn't understand and names she couldn't recognize. So many voices overlapped that she couldn't make out a single one.
When smoke suddenly burst out from the machines at the edges of the platform she stood on, she flinched and stepped back a few paces. It was then that she noticed the microphone in her hand.
The first thought that crossed Evelyn's mind was, Why am I here?
Why was she here? Why were thousands of strangers watching her, cheering her on?
Then she noticed her manicured hands clutching the mic, and the glittering midnight-blue dress she wore. It was unlike anything she had ever put on before— ruffled sleeves and hem, ending just above her knees. Her hands were immaculately groomed, her nails perfectly polished.
Then she remembered.
The moment the memory of what she had experienced before opening her eyes came rushing back, the microphone slipped from her hand. Its fall echoed with a broken, mechanical sound.
The crowd, as if waiting for this very moment, fell into silence. Evelyn realized then that the fear coiled inside her was tightening around her throat like a knot.
Still, thousands of eyes remained fixed on her, and her head began to spin. Within seconds, she turned her back to the audience, scanning her surroundings.
On stage with her stood six men, but without sparing a glance at any of their faces, she hurriedly stepped away. When she spotted the stage exit, she broke into a run, pouring all her strength into escaping.
When she stepped off the stage, many people tried to stop her.
Hearing strangers call out her name made her feel as though she was losing her sense of place and her ability to think. Yet she never once looked back and kept running. The only thing she could do was to keep going.
After running for several minutes, she finally reached where she wanted to be. But the moment she arrived, she realized something was different.
She was in the city center. The crowd moved in all directions without paying her any mind, while cars blared their horns, impatiently trying to cut in front of one another.
Evelyn looked around carefully, trying to make sure she was in the right place. Just then, she heard her own name being called.
"Eve!"
The only ones who ever called her by that name were her sister and her family. But when she realized it was a man's voice, the lump in her throat grew tighter.
And the moment she turned and saw the young man running toward her, her lips parted in shock.
She hadn't even noticed that the focus of the crowd around her had shifted onto her. The blaring horns of cars, the shouts of people— all of it faded away. The only thing in her perception now was this young man.
"Haha… that's right. You used to call me like that too," she murmured, just as the young man reached her and shoved her toward the other side of the street.
As Evelyn stumbled from the push, it didn't take her long to notice the car speeding straight at her.
But now, she was no longer the one in its path— the young man was. Without a second thought, she threw her arms out and pulled him toward her with all her strength.
Amid the screams of the crowd, their bodies were hurled toward the far side of the road. As Evelyn rolled on the ground, she noticed the young man tightly wrapping his arms around her.
When they finally came to a stop at the corner, Evelyn's vision darkened and her ears began to ring. The young man who had shielded her quickly pulled back, bringing his hand to her face, trying to lift it from where it rested against the curb.
"Eve! Are you okay?!"
The car that had nearly hit them screeched to a halt just a few meters ahead, and the crowd gathered around in shock and concern. Among them, a few had already realized who the two were and started recording videos on their phones.
When the young man managed to tilt Evelyn's face toward him, he saw tears streaming from her vacant eyes. His expression twisted with pain as he leaned closer, desperate to understand if she was alright.
Evelyn blinked slowly, clearing her blurred vision just enough to focus on the young man before her.
"I… where am I…? Where is my sister..?" she whispered, her voice frail.
Relieved just to hear her say something, the young man quickly replied,
"Don't worry, Eve, you'll be fine. We're going straight to the hospital."
No matter how long Evelyn looked at him, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Why was he standing here before her now?
Was this the afterlife? Or was it her soul's final farewell to the world?
As the young man lifted her into his arms, these were the questions that spun endlessly in her mind.
After all, what other explanation could there be for a dead man standing alive before her?
Well… to understand this, we need to go back in time a little.