Morning came too early.
The house was already awake when Seo-yoon opened her eyes.
But something felt… different.
A strange heaviness lingered in her mind, like a dream she couldn't fully remember.
She sat up slowly.
Her head throbbed.
"…What was that?" she whispered.
She got ready in silence, as always.
Same routine. Same expectations.
But today—
Something didn't sit right.
At breakfast, her family spoke as if she wasn't there.
Voices overlapped. Words blurred.
Seo-yoon focused on her food, staying quiet.
But then—
A flicker.
She blinked.
And suddenly—
She wasn't in the kitchen anymore.
A different room.
Warmer. Brighter.
A younger version of herself sat at a desk, surrounded by papers.
Smaller hands.
Same focused expression.
But this… wasn't her present.
This was a memory.
Seo-yoon's breath caught.
"What…?"
The scene shifted again.
Another memory.
And another.
But these weren't just her memories.
They felt… older.
Worn.
Lived.
A whisper echoed inside her mind:
"The eldest daughter always remembers."
Seo-yoon froze.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"…Who said that?"
Silence answered.
Back in reality, her spoon trembled slightly.
No one noticed.
They never did.
But something had changed.
Seo-yoon slowly looked at her hand.
And for just a second—
The air around her seemed… different.
Sharper.
Heavier.
That afternoon, she walked alone after school.
She didn't know why.
Her feet just… moved.
The sky was dimming when she stopped near an empty street.
Quiet.
Isolated.
Perfect.
Then—
Another memory hit.
But this time—
It wasn't gentle.
Pain.
Pressure.
Voices.
Fear.
A different girl.
Not Seo-yoon.
But someone who looked like her.
Same face.
Different time.
And that girl was crying.
Seo-yoon stumbled back.
Her breath shook.
"What… is this…?"
The memory deepened.
The girl was whispering:
"If I fail… it's over.""I have to be perfect…""I have to carry everything…"
Seo-yoon's chest tightened.
Her hands clenched.
The feeling was too familiar.
Too real.
The voice returned.
Louder this time.
"You are the next."
Seo-yoon's eyes snapped open.
Her vision blurred.
Her heart raced.
"I'm not her," she said firmly.
But her voice shook.
The wind picked up around her.
Faint.
Unnatural.
Seo-yoon stood still.
Breathing slowly.
Trying to understand.
For the first time in her life…
she didn't feel alone.
And that scared her more than anything.