"The stars look so free."
Seungho let out a breath, his gaze locked on the sky. The moon hung above him like a silent witness to his suffering, watching as he stood alone in the palace courtyard, cold wind tugging at his robes.
"I wish I was never born here." His voice barely carried over the breeze. "I wish I belonged somewhere else. Anywhere but this cursed place."
He swallowed hard, jaw tightening. If only he had been born into a small, poor family one where no one expected him to be strong, to be perfect. A life where he could just… be himself,Free.
His hands curled into fists. He could still hear their whispers, their laughter. His stepmother's sharp eyes, filled with disappointment. His father's cold silence.
His chest felt tight.
"If you're listening," he murmured to the universe, "take me away."
A wave of dizziness washed over him. His vision blurred, the stars above him twisting, warping. He stumbled, knees buckling.
Then everything went black.
Soft murmurs floated around him. His body felt heavy.
Seungho's eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above him was smooth and white nothing like the wooden beams of his room. His brows furrowed.
Where… was he?
"Minji…"
A woman's voice.
He turned his head, his movements sluggish. A middle-aged woman sat beside him, eyes red and swollen, as if she had been crying for hours. She grabbed his hand and squeezed.
"My baby, you're awake," she choked out.
Seungho blinked. What?
His throat was dry. He barely managed a whisper. "Who… are you?"
The woman gasped.
Another voice, calmer, more professional, cut in. "She might be confused. Head trauma can cause memory loss."
His gaze shifted. A woman in white was she a healer? She held a strange tool in her hands, pressing it against his wrist.
Seungho's breath felt unsteady. Something was wrong.
"What is this place?" His voice came out softer than usual.
The woman beside him let out a broken sob. "Minji, my love, it's me. Your mother."
His entire body stiffened.
Mother?
The door suddenly burst open.
"Minji!"
A girl rushed in, her ponytail bouncing. She looked familiar, but he didn't recognize her. She skidded to a stop beside the bed, eyes scanning him suspiciously.
"You're awake," she said, breathless. "But… you look weird."
Seungho stared at her.
She squinted. "You're being too quiet. That's not normal."
He swallowed, trying to gather his thoughts. He couldn't panic. Not now.
"I… I don't remember," he murmured.
The room fell into silence.
His 'mother' covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking. The girl's suspicious gaze softened. "You lost your memory?"
Seungho gave a slow nod.
She let out a relieved sigh. "That explains why you're acting weird." But then she crossed her arms. "Still, shouldn't you be freaking out? You hate hospitals."
Hospitals?
His head spun. His fingers curled against the bedsheet something soft and strange beneath his hands. His skin felt… different.
Something was definitely wrong.
His chest tightened. He needed a mirror. Now.
He threw the blanket off and tried to stand. His legs wobbled. Lighter. Smaller. His heart pounded.
"Where's the mirror?" His voice came out sharper than he intended.
The girl frowned. "Why do you" She stopped, then rolled her eyes. "Ugh, whatever. Here."
She pulled out a small rectangular object and flipped it open.
He grabbed it. The surface was smooth, polished too polished. It reflected his face perfectly.
A stranger's face.
Big, round eyes. A small nose. Soft lips. A delicate jawline.
His breath hitched.
His fingers trembled as he touched his cheek. The skin was real. It was warm.
This… wasn't him.
A sharp, panicked scream tore from his throat.
The woman his 'mother' gasped. The girl stumbled back. "Minji, what the hell?!"
Seungho dropped the mirror like it burned him, chest heaving. He grabbed at his clothes soft, stretchy, nothing like the silk robes he was used to. His body this body.felt wrong. Weak.
He turned to the ceiling, his hands fisting the sheets.
"You took me too seriously!" he shouted. "I wanted a different life, not… this!"
His 'mother' flinched. The healer froze. The girl gawked at him.
His breath was shaky. He squeezed his eyes shut.
Calm down. You need to think.
He forced himself to inhale slowly. Then exhale.
Fine. He wasn't in his body anymore. Fine. He needed to figure this out.
His gaze darted around the room. That's when he saw it.
A large rectangular box, mounted on the wall, flashing with moving images.
"What… is that?" he whispered.
The girl blinked. "The TV?"
His eyes widened. "It moves."
The girl frowned. "Of course, it moves. What's wrong with you?"
He barely heard her. His gaze shifted again this time, to a glowing object in her hand.
"What about that?"
She held it up. "My phone?"
His breath hitched. A tiny box that glowed? That moved? It was magic. It had to be.
Excitement flickered in his chest. He leaned forward to touch it, but the girl yanked it away.
"Okay, now I know something's wrong. You hate my phone."
Seungho ignored her. His mind raced. This world was unlike anything he had ever known. It was terrifying. It was confusing.
But it was also… fascinating.
His fingers curled. If I am here, then where is she?
The real Minji.
His stomach twisted. He wasn't the only one trapped in the wrong world.
He exhaled slowly, staring at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror.
"Where is the owner of this body?"