Kim Aera lay beneath her blanket, watching her favorite artist Jackie's concert on the tiny screen of her phone. She let out a deep sigh. She could've been there—at the concert, surrounded by the noise, the lights, the crowd. But here, under layers of warmth and silence, felt safer.
Because she could see them.
The spirits.
Some were stuck in this world, unable to leave their families behind. Others had surrendered to darkness, their souls decaying into something far worse. And for some reason, Aera was the only one in her family who could see them. Why her? She had no idea.
When she was little, she didn't know that other people couldn't see ghosts. The first time she asked her teacher to let her imaginary friend sit beside her, something shifted. That day, she was sent to a psychologist.
Of course, it didn't help.
The only one who believed her was her grandmother—the woman who raised her. Her parents had divorced when she was young and rebuilt their lives with new people, new families. They didn't call anymore. Maybe they were right. Who would want a freak like her in their life?
At school, they called her that to her face: "Creep Aera."
Her only friend had been Soo Min, who had lost his parents and now lived with a grumpy distant relative. Aera still remembered how he came running to her after hearing the rumors. No one else had ever done that.
He had shown her a photo of his parents and asked, "Can you see them?"
She hadn't—at least not then. But he didn't leave.
Later, when he invited her to his home, she finally saw them—his parents standing quietly in the corner. When they shared their final farewell, their spirits faded. That night, Aera and Soo Min made a promise: if no one else would have them, they'd be family to each other.
Now Soo Min was studying medicine at university.
And Aera? She was still in her grandmother's old house, doing nothing but watching Jackie's concert under a blanket.
Jackie had gone to the same high school. Aera had loved him since then. They couldn't have been more different—while she hid in corners, Jackie lit up every room he entered. Of course he became a star. He was always meant to be.
Aera hated her life. But what could she do?
Some spirits were terrifying—impossible to ignore. Others were worse. Souls that refused to pass on began to rot. They used people just to cling to this world a little longer.
A chill ran down her back. She didn't want to think about them. No matter how long she'd lived among ghosts, she could never truly get used to them. How could anyone?
That night, a storm raged outside. The house was old—losing power was a real possibility. The thought made her uneasy, so she got up and began lighting candles throughout the house.
She had just lit the last one when lightning split the sky.
Every light went out.
Even the candles.
This wasn't normal.
Hands trembling, she turned on her phone's flashlight. Whispering prayers under her breath, she slowly moved toward the fuse box.
That's when she saw it.
A black figure stood in the living room, its red eyes staring directly at her.
She froze.
Tried to run.
But it moved first.
It lunged at her. Aera screamed and dropped to the floor.
Then—
Light.
A bright, blinding light burst into the room.
So this is it, she thought.
Death. Quiet... painless.
She kept her eyes shut, waiting for it to pass.
Then came the voice.
"Are you the girl who can see spirits?"