In Duyen's dream, everything felt hazy—childish yet strangely magnificent in its own way. She dreamt that somehow, she had already finished the ten-hour flight and actually landed in Japan. The scenery in Hokkaido was stunning, dazzling with snow-covered hills stretching endlessly. Duyen's eyes widened, sparkling with excitement.
She rushed out of the airport like a little kid and immediately began playing with the snow. She scooped it into balls, jumped onto piles of it, even lay down on them. The snow in Hokkaido felt so odd—springy and warm, almost like soft cotton. Duyen felt light, floating, as if the snow itself was gently pulling her in. She giggled uncontrollably, poking her head out from a mound and calling out:
"Shana! Come play with me! It's so much fun!"
She called again and again, but Shana never answered.
Confused, Duyen climbed out of the snow and turned left and right, searching.
"Shana?"
Strange. She was sure Shana had gotten off the plane with her. How could she disappear in just a blink? Shana was always right beside her… wasn't she?
But all around her was nothing but endless snow, far and wide. And in the distance, everything dissolved into fog. The sight made a chill run down Duyen's spine. She had no idea what was happening.
She called out again, her voice smaller this time:
"Shana? Where are you?"
Still no answer.
Duyen tried to take a step forward, but suddenly her entire body went numb—as if frozen in place. She couldn't move even a single inch.
Why? What was happening?
Panicking, she screamed and tried with all her strength to force her body to move. She even punched her legs over and over, but felt nothing—not pain, not sensation at all, as though they weren't even hers.
Then out of nowhere, a field of purple primroses bloomed across the snow, thick and overwhelming, wrapping around her until she was surrounded by a sea of violet petals. Darkness followed—gentle, soothing, as if trying to calm her mind.
In the dimness, Duyen saw a figure—she couldn't tell if it was male or female—standing before her, back turned, long wavy hair tinted purple drifting softly in the air. Their voice was smooth like wine, yet echoed directly inside her skull:
"Wake up, Duyen… You shouldn't be here…"
Duyen frowned, her vision growing blurry. She murmured weakly,
"Huh…? Why?"
The stranger continued,
"You must get there quickly. You must save the nine-tailed fox. Do not let the crimson petal rise from the earth. Absolutely… you must save her."
Duyen clutched her chest, gasping.
"Shana?"
Then suddenly the purple figure lunged straight at her. Their face was horrifying—half decayed, revealing raw flesh and bone. Only their one side eye remained untouched: stunning pale-violet eyes, haunting in their beauty.
"Duyen… wake up!"
Shocked and terrified, she screamed—
—and abruptly opened her eyes.
She was lying on an enormous bed in an extravagant, luxurious room. Panicked, she sat up and looked around. It felt like she was inside a massive mansion. Beside the bed was a huge window overlooking a breathtaking garden filled with vibrant flowers releasing sweet fragrances.
But surrounding the mansion was a towering wall, so tall it nearly blocked the sunlight. Wherever this place was, it was completely unfamiliar. The last thing she remembered… she was still at the airport. So why was she here?
Everything was too beautiful—so beautiful it frightened her.
She tried to get off the bed—
—and froze.
She couldn't move her legs.
Her eyes widened as she threw the blanket aside. Her legs were still there, but she couldn't control them. She punched them, slapped them, dug her nails into them—nothing. No sensation at all. The skin was cold, lifeless. Just like the dream.
This… this can't be…
On the edge of panic, she let out a desperate scream—just as the door burst open.
A stunning girl with long black hair cascading over pale, slender shoulders rushed in, her face full of fear and worry.
"Duyen, are you okay!?"
Duyen stopped screaming and lifted her head toward the door.
She could hardly believe her eyes.
"Mina…?"
Mina didn't hesitate for a second. She ran straight to the bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Duyen. Meanwhile, Duyen just stared, overwhelmed and bewildered. None of this made sense.
Mina pulled back slightly, her brows creasing.
"What's wrong, Duyen? Is something bothering you?"
Duyen remained stiff, still in shock. She could barely force out words:
"My… my legs…"
Mina instinctively looked down, then simply replied:
"Oh."
She wasn't surprised at all. No panic. No confusion. Instead, a beautiful, serene smile curved on her lips as her fingers gently brushed through Duyen's hair.
"…So what if you can't use your legs? That doesn't matter, does it, Duyen? What matters is that you're here with me. And everything will be just fine…"
Duyen frowned. She couldn't accept that. She had been perfectly normal just moments ago—so how could she suddenly lose all sensation? And what shocked her even more was Mina's indifference. She acted like it was nothing. Like it was normal.
As frustration rose in Duyen's chest and she opened her mouth to speak, Mina's hands slid under the buttons of her shirt, beginning to unfasten them.
Startled, Duyen grabbed her wrists.
"Mina? What are you—!?"
Mina blinked, surprised by the resistance. Then she let out a soft, almost amused laugh.
"Oh, sorry. My bad. I just meant… I wanted to help undress you so I could bathe you."
Duyen's face flushed bright red. She clutched her shirt desperately to cover her chest.
"B-bathe me!?"
Seeing Duyen's stubborn resistance, Mina's smile dimmed slightly, though it never disappeared.
"Duyen, look around."
Duyen glanced at the room again. It truly looked like a chamber from a grand castle—luxurious wallpaper, a dressing room, giant bookshelves, a billiard table, a TV, and every imaginable comfort.
But this wasn't her home. She didn't know why she was here. She didn't know why Mina was here.
Sensing her confusion, Mina smiled again—soft, mysterious.
"This is only one part of the mansion. From now on… this place will be your home. No—our home. From now on, you and I…"
Her fingers traced the curve of Duyen's chest.
"…will be together, happily, forever."
Duyen suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively leaned back. But Mina still didn't seem willing to give up on whatever she had in mind.
"From now on… all those painful things in the past, you can forget them. I've prepared everything you'll ever need here. As long as you behave—"
"You kidnapped me, didn't you?" Duyen cut her off, blunt and sharp.
Mina flinched for a moment, but then let out a soft laugh.
"How can you call it kidnapping? When all I'm doing is… taking back what belongs to me?"
Duyen's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe Mina dismissed everything with such a ridiculous excuse. But Mina's confidence didn't waver. She sat up straight, spreading her arms theatrically as she gestured around the room.
"Duyen, you see, your heart—since the very beginning—has always been mine. Those months you spent with her were just me letting her borrow you for a while. So that when the day came that I achieved everything I needed to… I'd bring you home. This was destined, Duyen."
Duyen frowned. Every word coming out of Mina's mouth felt insane.
"How can you say something like that? Bringing me here like this—"
She looked down helplessly at her legs. Mina followed her gaze.
"Oh, that? Yeah, I did that."
Duyen's eyes widened in horror. "Mina!? How could you!?"
But Mina only chuckled softly.
"Ever since the last time we met… I've realized how capable you've become. I don't know what Shigonami Shana did to you, but your skills are… quite extraordinary. If I just brought you here by force, someone like you could easily slip away. I simply had to be careful, that's all."
Duyen's eyes turned red. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"So that's why… you crippled my legs…?"
Mina seemed slightly surprised by how broken Duyen sounded. But she simply smiled, stood up, and walked over to the bed, gently brushing a hand against Duyen's cheek again.
"You're saying it like I'm cruel, Duyen. I'm not going to keep your legs like this forever. It's just temporary. If you behave, and promise you'll never run away from me, I'll give you the antidote soon. I want you to walk around the estate with me… and do many, many things together."
Promise never to escape… just to get the antidote?
How could she possibly say that?
And even if she tried to escape—where would she even go? Even if she sprouted wings and flew out of this place, she didn't even know where "this place" was.
Duyen desperately wanted to get out, but right now she had no plan, no strength, no chance. The helplessness weighed on her chest.
And what about Nayeon…? Was she suffering the same fate?
The thought jolted her. She quickly wiped her tears and asked:
"So… is Nayeon here too? She's here, right?"
The moment another woman's name left Duyen's mouth, Mina's smile vanished. Annoyance flickered across her face as she replied coldly:
"Oh, her? Unfortunately for you—she's not here."
"Then where is she? Mina, please… just tell me."
Duyen grabbed Mina's shoulders. It was the first time she voluntarily touched her, and Mina's face flushed instantly. Her arms slid around Duyen's waist, holding her possessively.
"Alright. Since you're already here with me, I don't have to hide it. She's not here. Another woman—her name is Yu—is keeping her."
"Yu?"
Duyen had never heard that name before. Why would someone named Yu want to hold Nayeon captive? She pressed on:
"But why would she keep Nayeon?"
Mina only shrugged.
"That, I don't know. And honestly, I've told you enough. You're staying here with me anyway, so why do you need to know more? Just remember this from now on, Duyen: you belong to me. And I forbid you from saying any other woman's name in front of me. Understood?"
Duyen wanted to argue, but the words stuck in her throat. She knew she had no freedom—not to escape, not to help Nayeon, not even to save herself.
Seeing how sad Duyen looked, Mina felt a slight pang of guilt. But she forced herself to stay firm. If she loosened her grip now, Duyen might break free. And Mina couldn't allow even the smallest risk.
Not until Duyen completely submitted—until she depended on Mina for every part of her life.
Then Mina rolled a wheelchair next to the bed. Duyen, still gloomy, looked up in surprise.
Mina smiled.
"It's bath time."
Duyen's face flushed instantly. Why was Mina so eager to bathe her!? She rushed to come up with an excuse.
"A-actually I don't shower that often… I mean—I shower like… every two or three days, so…"
Mina blinked.
"Really? But you always smell like soap. How can someone who barely showers smell that good?"
"Well, that's because—"
Mina gave her a bright, innocent smile.
"But who cares? What matters is that I want to bathe you now. With your legs like this, you can't wash or use the bathroom properly on your own. You're going to need me. If you want to bathe yourself later, then behave for now. As for right now… just indulge me."
Mina suddenly moved closer. Duyen panicked, waving her hands defensively.
"Wait! Hold on! What if—you just push me to the bathroom door? I still have my hands, I can wash myself!"
"Oh?" Mina's eyes widened slightly. "…If I'd known that, I would've made both your arms useless too."
"What?"
Duyen didn't catch what she muttered, but Mina only smiled sweetly afterward.
"Anyway, I don't care. I'm bathing you, and that's final. Stop arguing. Who knows—maybe I'll even let you see Nayeon someday."
Duyen's eyes lit up immediately. "Really!?"
Then her excitement faded again… while Mina pressed on triumphantly.
"So it's settled, right? Come on—sit here."