AINA
I escape my room, run down the long dark hallway congested with cladding gray stone walls, and step out in the garden, gently placing my stark feet on the cold wet grass.
It has become my daily routine.
Everyone else in the orphanage is asleep, even Miss. Song, our warden, a very strict nun. I always come out after midnight to meet my best friend, Sera. She lives nearby.
Sera is the second daughter of the most prestigious and richest family in Cloverwood. It's a small town in Korea, far from Seoul, surrounded by huge pine and maple trees, mountains, lakes, and wild animals.
Her mansion is opposite the orphanage. Her family owns it.
Despite the strict rules and curfew, she comes to meet me every night, entering through a hole in the wall guarding the orphanage.
No one knows about our hidden passageway, a secret that only we share. Together, we dug it out under the cover of a gloomy rainy day. Armed with only a shovel, we crumbled a few bricks down from the wall.
The passage itself isn't much to look at—just a narrow tunnel that leads beneath the surface.
There's a thick bush at the entrance of the hole, its thick green leaves hiding our secret from prying eyes.
A drop falls upon me from the dark sky.
The rain is a regular customer in Cloverwood. Trees, roads, and grass are always wet but I still prefer this weather.
"A-Aina." A breathless voice calls me.
My head turns in the direction of that voice.
"Sera?" I am horrified.
She kneels on the grass, her white nightdress is covered in blood.
"SERA!" My feet stride toward her.
I kneel beside her and gently hold her in my delicate arms. Her body melts in my embrace and she rests her head on my thighs.
She is shivering, barely breathing, struggling for her breath.
"W-What happened to you? Who did this?" Tears stream down my face and a sense of panic stirs within me.
The rustling sound of boots on the opposite side of the wall turns her body colder.
"They're coming for me. Go and hide." She commands, frightened.
"Who? Who is trying to kill you?"
She struggles to speak.
"Let me take you to your father and brothers."
"NO!" Her voice refuses strongly.
"You can't trust anyone. Go and hide somewhere before they see you."
"I am not leaving you."
"Aina, please!"
"J-Just go." Her eyes are flickering.
She inhales a soft breath.
"I won't survive, my body has given up, but you have to live for both of us. No matter what happens, don't come out."
"Jeori ga, jebal."
"Sera. No, nothing will happen to you." My voice sobs, losing strength.
"GO, NOW!" She shouts angrily.
Trembling and crying, I let go of her with a heavy feeling. My feet are hesitant but she forces me out of the way, lying cold on the grass, awaiting her last breath.
My heart is clenching, sinking deeper, twisting underneath a sharp pain.
I hide behind a pillar, watching her in silence.
Suddenly, a tall shadow stands before her, preying on her wounded body and sending a shiver down my spine.
In a flash, the shadow grabs her neck, lifting her in the air inches above his height.
Horror shrouds my heart but my eyes can't catch a glimpse of his face.
The shadow starts twisting her neck while she aggressively kicks her legs in the air, attempting to free herself.
"S-Sera." I step out of the pillar, yet her eyes peek at me, sensing my movement. She squints her eyes, hinting me to stay hidden.
Strangely, a strong wind roams through the garden, turning into a tornado, pushing me to close my eyes momentarily.
I feel as though I might be swept off my feet at any moment. The tornado rages with such intensity that it rattles the very foundations of our orphanage, making the sturdy pillars tremble under the pressure. The sound is deafening, a roar that drowns out everything else, and I can see debris swirling dangerously in the air outside. It's terrifying, and I can't help but feel a mix of fear and anxiety as my arms cling to the pillar.
As the tornado withers away, they both disappear.
"Sera?" I am startled.
"W-Where are you?"
"Sera? Come back, please."
My feet run to the wall, but she is just gone without a trace, and with the tornado.
Her blood is still on the grass.
"Sera, no."
The tears won't stop rolling down my eyes.
She was my only family, my solace.
S-Sera."
"Come back, p-please." My legs drop to the grass, the sharp edges scratch my knees, and I break down, feeling miserable and helpless.
"You can't go like this."
"You can't leave me alone."
I have always been weak, never strong for once, and tonight, I couldn't even save her.
"SERA!" My voice cries out.
***
The next morning…
We stand in the main hall on Miss. Song's command. She sighs, holding a thick white candle in her hands.
A large, framed photograph of Sera occupies a spot on a rustic wooden table. She is smiling so brightly in the photo. Delicate white flowers are covering the wood and candles flickering, sending a dim shimmer to her eyes.
The setup exudes a sense of mourning in Sera's memory.
"You all need to pray for the decrease, an innocent soul. Sera Ryu is no longer among us. A wild wolf attacked her."
My heart drops to my stomach.
"The Ryu family is holding her funeral today. Since it's private and outsiders aren't allowed, we can pray for her here."
"Sera always used to celebrate her birthday with us. She will be remembered forever."
"What do you mean by an animal attack?" I come forward, slashing through the crowd, looking straight into her eyes, unwavering.
Her eyes darken.
"A wolf brutally attacked her and she died on the spot."
"That's not true."
Her brows furrow, a wrinkle appears on her forehead, and doubts arise in her mind.
"Something else had happened last night. She didn't die because of a wolf attack. It was a shadow and he grabbed her neck."
"AINA!" Her voice echoes through the walls.