"Take this!" Yurim laughed, splashing water right at his face.
Rian blinked, dripping wet, his expression a mix of disgust and disbelief. "What…" he muttered, wiping his face. But when he turned toward her again, his breath caught — her hair glowed softly under the fading sun, her laughter carried warmth that didn't belong to this cruel world.
He looked away quickly, pretending to frown.
Seeing him go silent, Yurim's laughter faded. "I'm sorry, Rian…"
He glanced at her, puzzled. "For what?"
"I mean… only if you hadn't met me, you could've saved your grandmother," she said softly, her eyes lowering to the sand. "I made things worse for you. I dragged you into this. I'm really sorry."
For a while, there was only the sound of waves. Then, Rian spoke — his voice quiet, rough at the edges.
"When I was a kid, it used to rain hard at night. My parents would go out for work, and I'd sleep next to my grandmother. She used to hold me tight… her hands were so warm." He paused, a faint smile touching his lips before it faded. "But one night, I woke up and heard her crying. I didn't understand why. When I asked about my parents, she just said they'd be home soon."
He stared down at the water. "But they never came back."
Yurim stayed silent, listening.
"As I grew up, I stopped asking. I already knew." His voice trembled slightly. "She was all I had left. But then she started changing… talking to herself, locking herself in my father's room." He swallowed hard. "One day, I saw her kill a girl. I don't even know why. I ran — but she found me. She hugged me, crying, begging me not to leave. I was scared but… she was still my grandmother. I couldn't push her away. I thought she'd stop."
He looked at the sea again, voice barely above a whisper. "But now, she's gone too."
Yurim's eyes glistened. She wanted to reach out, to hold his hand and tell him he wasn't alone—but before she could––
"Wow! So beautiful!" Mira's cheerful voice echoed as she came running toward the water, splashing the waves with her feet.
"I came out of that boring house after so long! I'm so happy, Yurim!" Mira spun, laughing, going deeper into the waves.
Yurim smiled faintly at her joy, then turned to Rian again.
"Who said you're alone now?" she said softly. "I'll be your best friend. I don't know if I can ever go back to my world, but I know this— not everyone here is a monster. We'll take care of your grandmother's house together, until you find a way to send me back."
Then, smiling a little, she added, "Or maybe… you can come to my world instead?" She placed her hand gently on his shoulder.
Rian stared at her for a moment, then exhaled through his nose, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Whatever," he whispered.
But before Yurim could respond—
"Help! Rian! Yurim!" Mira's voice tore through the calm.
Both turned. Mira was thrashing in the deep water, her arms flailing as waves pulled her under.
"Mira!" Yurim screamed, panic flooding her voice.
Rian threw off his jacket and sprinted into the sea without hesitation.
Yurim tried to follow, but then—
"Yurim… Yurim…"
A soft, melodic voice brushed past her ears — beautiful, enchanting, otherworldly. The sound shimmered like a lullaby carried by the wind.
Her eyes widened. The world around her began to blur.
"Yurim… come to me…" the voice hummed again, closer this time, almost inside her mind.
Her breath hitched. She tried to step back, but her body wouldn't listen. Her feet began to move on their own — slowly, dreamily — away from the sea and toward the dark line of trees beyond the beach.
Her eyes grew distant as the waves roared behind her.