Joselyn kicked her suitcase under the bed, the metallic clatter echoing against the polished parquet of a room far too elegant for her tastes. She collapsed onto the mattress, making the springs groan, and lay back with her arms crossed behind her head.
"You could've at least helped her with the bags, Jin-ho," she said, glancing toward her brother.
Jin-ho stood by the window. His Daewon uniform was already perfectly pressed, his gaze fixed on the skyscrapers carving up the horizon.
"She has a name, Jos. It's Ji-soo, and she's here because of you. But officially, for the next twelve months, she is my twin sister, Kim Hye-jin. She's the one my classmates will see at official dinners." He sighed, the weight of a thousand secrets in his voice. "Meanwhile, you've chosen to play Joselyn Reid. Learn to answer when they call you, or the game is over before dinner."
Joselyn let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
"Right. Ji-soo is the perfect Asian doppelgänger Dad always wanted. And I'm just... Joselyn Reid now, huh? The exchange student no one will notice because I'm just the roommate of your precious sister... No offense, Jis."
The girl shook her head with a timid smile. She grabbed her suitcase and retreated into the dressing area, leaving the twins alone.
Jin-ho turned around, a weary exhaustion clouding his eyes. "It's for your own good. After what happened in Seattle... this is the only way. Just try not to get expelled before Monday."
"No promises, big brother."
He gave her a meaningful look and shrugged. He didn't believe her, and Joselyn didn't blame him. This forced study-abroad life wasn't going to keep her caged for long.
Suddenly, the AirPod she never took off emitted a sharp, piercing whistle.
It wasn't music. It was a distorted frequency that made her head snap toward the window, drawn by a sort of Static-whisper.
"Welcome to Seoul, Bearer of Pain. The Wheel has stopped turning. Go to the balcony and look down. The Tower is about to fall."
There, reflected in the glass next to Jin-ho's serious face, Joselyn saw a silhouette that didn't belong to this world: a dark tower crumbling amidst digital flames.
"What the hell...?"
She scrambled to her feet, but a sudden wave of dizziness forced her back down. She gripped her head, glancing at her brother, who remained utterly oblivious.
The walls of the room—the luxury marble, the antique wood—suddenly flattened into a 2D black-and-white sketch. Only the window remained vivid, a glowing mirror into the outside world.
Struggling against the flicker blurring her vision, Joselyn caught a movement outside.
A hooded figure. A boy.
He had a slender face, pale Asian features, and eyes partially hidden behind round glasses. He looked like a ghost, yet he felt real. For a split second, their gazes locked.
The boy looked surprised. He narrowed his eyes and then smiled—a thin crescent moon curving on his lips. He gave a slight nod toward the falling tower and raised a finger toward her.
You.
Joselyn jolted. He was pointing at her. But how...?
"Welcome home, Joselyn," a digital voice crackled in her ear. "The simulation is over. The game begins now."
She rushed to the window, but the vision had vanished. All that remained was the back of a boy walking away with a light, rhythmic step.
"Did you see that?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Jin-ho huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Remember the deal, Jos? I don't know you. Don't drag me into your paranoias and, above all, stay out of trouble."
Stung and irritated, Joselyn landed a punch on his arm. "Get out of my room, brother! My paranoias and I have had enough of you and your self-righteousness!"
Unfazed, Jin-ho turned his back and left the room.
Joselyn leaned against the balcony railing, her eyes fixed on the mysterious figure disappearing down the campus path. A sudden, intense heat flared in her pocket. She reached into her hoodie, her fingers brushing the rough edge of a card that shouldn't have been there.
Without looking, she already knew what it was.
The Tower.
It was still warm, as if it had just been pulled from a fire.