The moment she took the first step out of the woods, Su-Jin was met with a startling scenery.
Right in front of her eyes was a large body of water. It should have been a lake, but somehow it gave Su-Jin the impression that it stretched far and wide like an ocean.
The waters were a deep, dark blue and were extremely quiet.
Like the surface of an oversized mirror, the lake water reflected the dotted sky above. Watching the horizon line blending with the lake created the impression of two worlds merging into one. She couldn't tell where one stopped and the other began.
Su-Jin quietly approached the shore. Her footsteps were soundless as she took step after step towards the bank.
Stopping just when the tip of her shoe was about to be drenched, Su-Jin bent her body forward. Then she glanced into the deep waters.
Darkness. That was all she could see beneath the still surface of the lake.
Su-Jin felt her spine tingling with apprehension and, for just a short moment, a strong feeling of uneasiness took hold of her.
And it wasn't just because of the strange body of water that spread well beyond her line of sight. Even without the ominous abyss, the eerie solitude would have been enough to give Su-Jin goosebumps.
But to her amazement, Su-Jin felt more than just that. In fact, she felt rather… impatient. It was almost as though she was expecting something… waiting for someone to appear.
But who? And why would she come all the way there to see that person?
Just as Su-Jin was wondering about that, the surface of the water began to ripple. Small waves started to form somewhere far away where Su-Jin couldn't see. They undulated gracefully across the lake's surface, stopping to caress the shore with light, swaying movements.
A small piece of paper was brought to the shore by one of the waves. The small object swayed gently in a back and forth motion, appearing to tease anyone who thought of catching it. Then the water playfully pushed the paper forward, turning it along with the water and allowing Su-Jin to see it better.
It was a small photograph.
Without thinking beforehand, Su-Jin sprang forward, dashing into the water without reserve. The cool liquid swirled around her ankles, causing her to shudder. It was cold, much colder than she had anticipated, but that didn't make her stop.
Before she realized what she was doing, Su-Jin was already pinching the paper between her fingers, fishing it out of the lake waters. She gave the object a small flick, trying to chase away the cold droplets that hung by its corners.
As she played with it, Su-Jin finally noticed the contents of the photograph. The picture was rather dark, probably taken somewhere around twilight. Despite the poor lighting, the last sun rays coming from below the horizon were enough to allow Su-Jin to see the image of two people. They had been captured with their backs towards the fading light, a bright smile hanging on their lips.
Based on their raven black hair and delicate features it was clear that they were related.
The photographer had also managed to capture something of their surroundings as well. In the low left corner stood a beautiful traditional two-story building. The massive building was made entirely of wood, with a hip-and-gable roof style and upturned eaves.
Su-Jin gawked at the image in utter disbelief. There was a powerful sense of familiarity as she stared at the two people's faces.
But where had she seen them before?
Then, all of a sudden, the water began to churn as though something big was struggling to get out from the depths.
Su-Jin flinched in fright and was just about to step backwards, when the water surface unexpectedly stilled.
As suddenly as it had begun, the rippling stopped and the lake quieted down. The water remained unmoving, mirroring the sky just as it did before.
Yet, something was different now.
After glancing at the lake, Su-Jin froze. She felt as though all the air had left her lungs and she struggled to breathe. No matter how hard she tried, Su-Jin wasn't capable of comprehending what had just happened.
Like a mythical water creature, a wooden bridge now spread its length across the entire lake. Just like those ancient tales, one could see the dragon's head, but not its tail. The massive body of the bridge stretched far from the shore where Su-Jin was, until it got lost into the darkness ahead.
Just as she was peering towards the new apparition, Su-Jin's nose suddenly twitched. She caught a whiff of perfume and her eyes widened in surprise. The scent was very light, but it somehow tugged at her heartstrings. Like a long forgotten memory, it caused her to be a little melancholic, but joyful at the same time.
The first thing that popped into Su-Jin's mind was that her mother was there. But then she realized that the scent was very different from her mother's perfume. Instead of being delicate and sweet, it resembled the late summer night breeze; cool and refreshing.
A moment later Su-Jin noticed the outline of a person walking along the bridge. Even as the person walked onto the wooden surface, their steps made almost no noise at all.
Based on the stature, the newcomer seemed to be tall and lean.
A man.
Along with that realization, Su-Jin could easily recognize the contour of a man's body, the long arms and legs, as well as the round shoulders and sturdy upper body.
Slowly, the person's steps brought him closer to the shore. But, to Su-Jin's disbelief, she couldn't see his face. A blur, thick like a fog, covered the man's features. All she could see from that distance was his tousled dark colored hair and white skin.
While Su-Jin was wavering between apprehension and curiosity, the man finally reached the end of the bridge. However, his footsteps halted just before he could reach the shore.
Su-Jin and he stared at each other for a moment. The silence stretched Su-Jin's nerves taut and she began to feel anxious in her heart. She wanted to speak, the words pooled and roiled inside her mind, but her throat felt inexplicably dry. She swallowed hard a few times, but the parched feeling wouldn't disappear from her mouth.
'Who are you?'
The unspoken question hung in the air before gradually dissolving like mist.
Then the person moved. He raised a hand, stretching his long fingers towards Su-Jin.
Just when Su-Jin thought he would speak, she felt an icy cold grip on her wrist.
With a jolt of panic, she looked down, expecting to see someone or something holding onto her tightly. But she didn't see any of that. All she could see was her own hand, gripping the picture between her fingers. She was crushing the paper so hard that the two people's faces were barely visible anymore through the wrinkles.
Su-Jin wanted to ask him what he was looking for, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out. She blinked in his direction, trying to convey her puzzlement.
At the same time, the man unexpectedly lunged forward, cutting the distance between them in a few strides.
Then everything went black.
On the other side of the dream, Su-Jin was jolted awake.. Her body sprang up on the hospital bed and she violently gasped for air.