As she shouted for Seo Tae-joon again, a distant web of lightning illuminated the bruised sky. It had been cloudy all day, but as the first fat drops of rain began to fall, her mouth went bone dry.
Then she saw it: a drone whirring high above the wreckage of the forest. She threw her arms up, waving frantically. “Here!” she screamed, her voice cracking. “I’m here!”
The landslide had been massive. A disaster management team would already be mobilizing. Rescue was coming. A knot of dread tightened in her throat at the thought of being pulled from this muddy hell without Seo Tae-joon.
She had to find him. Now.
She forced herself onward, her feet sliding and sinking in the thick sludge. Every step was a battle. She used her arms to haul herself through the mire, her clothes, heavy with muck and water, clinging to her like a leaden shroud.
Where could he be?
Her lips began to tremble as hopelessness set in. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a ragged breath. Tears pricked at the corners of her vision, but she refused to let them fall. Not yet.
When she opened her eyes, she saw it: a human form, pinned between the splintered trunks of two fallen trees.
With a surge of adrenaline, Ji-woo scrambled forward, running until her legs gave out and she collapsed. “Seo Tae-joon!” she sobbed, crawling the last few feet.
He was in much the same state as she was, his features almost completely obscured by a mask of mud.
She struggled toward him, finally reaching his side. Fumbling in her bag, she pulled out a rope and secured it around his waist. She turned him over as gently as she could, and her heart stopped. His eyes were closed.
He was utterly still. For a terrifying moment, Ji-woo was certain he was dead. A dark gash, likely from a sharp rock, split the skin on his forehead, blood mingling with the grime. Shaking, she pressed her ear to his chest.
“Seo Tae-joon?” she whispered. “Can you hear me?”
It felt like talking to herself, but the silence was unbearable. Her trembling fingers found the side of his neck, searching for a pulse. A faint, thready beat met her touch. She let out a long, shuddering breath, unsure if it was one of relief or resentment.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice choked. “Please stay with me.”
She carefully tilted his head, clearing the dirt from his mouth with her fingers. She had never cared for saving people; her life’s passion was tending to trees. Now, she bitterly regretted knowing so little.
She clenched her jaw. She would not give up until he was awake.
As she reached into her bag for a blanket to cover him, his eyelids fluttered. She lurched toward him, cradling his head as his eyes slowly opened and met hers.
Tears streamed down her face, washing clean tracks through the mud on her cheeks. In that instant, all she felt was overwhelming gratitude. His choice to save her had terrified her, and she knew with chilling certainty that she could not bear to be alone again.
“I think I understand now,” she said, her voice soft and raw. “Those two trees I wrapped with wire… it may have seemed strange, but I know now. They just wanted to feel each other’s warmth.”
Seo Tae-joon’s brow furrowed. His gaze was distant, his eyes unfamiliar and empty of recognition. He looked different. Completely different. Perhaps it was the pain, she thought, or the shock.
Then, in a raw, husky voice, he asked, “Who are you?”
Ji-woo’s eyes widened.
Seo Tae-joon’s gaze swept over their surroundings. “Fuck,” he rasped. “What the hell is this?”
She froze as he surveyed the devastated forest, cursing under his breath. His voice was glacial, his eyes scanning everything but her.
He staggered to his feet, then grabbed his arm, hissing in pain.
“Are you hurt?” Ji-woo asked, quickly getting up to stand beside him. “Are you okay?”
She reached out a hand to steady him, but he slapped it away.
“Don’t touch me,” he snarled.
His eyes were glazed, as if he were drugged. He gripped his shoulder and, with a rough, sickening motion, jammed it back into its socket. Ji-woo shrank back, watching in horror as the man she knew vanished before her eyes.
He looked down at her and clicked his tongue, groaning as a fresh wave of pain shot through him.
Ji-woo stood motionless, her mind reeling from the whiplash of relief and terror. He suddenly grabbed her arm, his grip bruising.
“What is all this?” he demanded. “Who the hell are you? Why am I here?”
She remained silent as he continued to ramble, his eyes darting around frantically. A new reality was crashing down on her, and she refused to face it. The pain was sharper and more profound than anything she had endured during the landslide.
“I’m asking you,” Seo Tae-joon said, his voice dangerously low. “Who are you?”
Without thinking, Ji-woo stepped forward and struck him hard across the side of the head.
He clutched the spot she’d hit, turning to glare at her with pure menace. “Do you want to die?”
Panic seized her, and she stumbled backward. “No,” she stammered, shaking her head. “It’s not that.”
“Then what the hell are you doing?”
Ji-woo swallowed hard. “Just faint again.”
“What?” Seo Tae-joon looked at her as if she were insane.
“This isn’t right!” Ji-woo cried out, her voice breaking. “This isn’t supposed to happen.”
Everything had shattered into a complete and utter mess.