“Awakening in the White Coffin”

...The first thing Min-Sol felt was not pain, but cold....

...A metallic coldness seeped into her back, and the sharp scent of formalin pierced her lungs, reminding her of cadavers in anatomy labs. She tried to move her hand to rub her eyes, but something restrained her....

...She slowly opened her eyelids to find a stark white ceiling above her, fluorescent lights flickering in an irritating rhythm: buzz… buzz… buzz....

...“Where am I?” she whispered, but her voice came out hoarse, as if rising from the bottom of a deep well....

...“You’re safe now, my love.”...

...The blood in her veins froze. That smooth, gentle voice—the one that had whispered words of love to her only weeks ago—was now standing beside her bed. She turned her head with difficulty to see him....

...Do-Hyeon....

...He wore his perfect black suit, his hair neatly styled as always, holding a bouquet of white flowers that resembled funeral lilies....

...“Do-Hyeon? What happened? Why am I restrained?” she asked, panic beginning to rise in her chest as she noticed the leather straps binding her wrists to the metal bed....

...He stepped closer slowly, placed the flowers on the bedside table, and sat at the edge of the bed. His fingers brushed her cheek—yet the touch was not tender. It felt like a butcher inspecting a cut of meat....

...“You’ve had more than enough of your breakdown in Seoul, Min-Sol. Everyone saw how you tried to jump from the balcony. Everyone believed your fragile little mind couldn’t handle the pressure of work… and the pressure of my love.”...

...Her eyes widened in shock....

...“I didn’t try to kill myself! You pushed me! You put those pills in my evening tea!”...

...Do-Hyeon let out a soft laugh that sent chills down her spine....

...“Who would believe a ‘patient’ in Cheong-an Psychiatric Hospital? I signed the papers myself. You’re now completely under my guardianship… and now, it’s time to sleep.”...

...He pressed a button beside the bed. Two nurses entered, their faces fully hidden behind masks, their eyes empty of any human expression. One of them held a large syringe filled with murky yellow liquid....

...“No! Please! Do-Hyeon, I love you! Don’t do this!” Min-Sol screamed, struggling against her restraints, but her body betrayed her—weak from the previous sedatives....

...Do-Hyeon leaned close to her ear. His smile vanished, replaced by a cold, sinister look she had never seen before....

...“Love is a prison, Min-Sol… and I’ve decided to lock you in a place that suits your madness. Goodbye… to your new life.”...

...The needle pierced her arm. Heat burned through her veins, and the white ceiling began to spin and spin—until everything sank into complete darkness....

...Hours later (or days… no one knows time here):...

...Min-Sol awoke again, but this time the room was completely dark. The restraints were gone, yet the door was heavy iron, with only a small hatch....

...Suddenly, she heard a sound from the wall beside her bed—soft, steady knocking....

...Knock… knock… knock… knock....

...She moved closer to the wall and whispered fearfully, “Who’s there?”...

...A man’s voice came from the other side, low and hoarse:...

...“Don’t look at their faces, girl… If you stare into the nurses’ eyes for too long, you’ll forget your own name—just as I forgot mine....

...Welcome to Korean hell.”...

......................

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***