Kim So Hyun lived a normal and peaceful life with her parents, her mother was a music teacher and father was a professor in History at Seoul University. She loved her parents so much and the three of them lived in their small world. Although she used to wonder if she had any relatives and found out that her father's mother was still alive and became estranged towards each other for many years since he was a young adult. He never spoke of his mother and his father passed away in his teenage years. She was sure whether if it was due to the bitterness or fallout between them, but she hoped to find out more about them

One day, she was in high school and received news that her parents have gotten into an accident, she rushed to the hosptials and was heartbroken to see her parents bodies in the stretchers and a doctor announcing their death on arrival. She never realised that she would lose her parents like this but she never knew that it was the first of few events that were going to follow her life, whether it was good...or bad......

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"Kim Minho and Kim Sujin were good people, they always fulfilled their duties as responsible parents and honorable members of the community. I've seen the sadness and grief everyone goes through after losing their loved ones, but it's still hard for me to see my parents go, I will never forget their love and care and I'm proud to be their daughter..." Kim So Hyun delivered her eulogy to her parents before she started to cry. 

Her father's lawyer and family friend, Park Jayni held her close while the priest called the people to throw dust onto the coffins of her parents, she looked around with teary eyes and saw an elderly woman crying far away from her. She realised that they might be her Halamoni who was estranged to her father and wondered what she was doing in the funeral but her answer arrived once she had a talk with her father's lawyer...

"According to your father's will, he bequeath his savings to your college fund and the person listed as your guardian is your paternal grandmother, Kim Luna." Lawyer Park read the remaining will to So Hyun who was surprised.

"So I have to leave my home and stay with Appa's mother..?" So Hyun asked and felt torn in being away from her childhood home and living with a grandmother that she hasn't known for a long time.

"Well I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, otherwise you will be put into a foster home.." The lawyer explained until the door opened and an elderly woman entered the room. 

"Andwe! I will not put my granddaughter in an stranger's house, she will come and live with me and we will take care of her. I may have lost my son and I don't wanna lose her either..." The grandmother spoke out.

Her grandmother approached So Hyun and hugged her in a loving manner. The grandmother kissed her cheeks and patted her on the back. 

"Mianhe for not coming after all these years, I've tried to contact your Appa for so long but he was still angry with me after your Haraboji's death." Halamoni spoke in a gentle tone while So Hyun was overwhelmed at seeing her Halamoni.

"I've contacted him recently and we talked through our problems, we were planning to tell you but then the car accident happened..." Halamoni explained while So Hyun still felt raw about the accident.

"Mianhe for troubling you and if you don't want to see me right now, I'll understand..." Halamoni was about the leave the room until she heard a voice to wait and looked back to see So Hyun approaching her.

"I'll come to stay with you Halamoni.." So Hyun replied before hugging her grandmother in gratitude while she hugged back with tears in her eyes.

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So Hyun and her Halamoni were riding in a black Mercedes with the chauffeur driving them towards a countryside mansion, the black gates opened and led the car inside and stopped outside the mansion. The chauffeur opened the car doors for them and they stepped outside the car, the chauffeur was taking So Hyun's luggage out while So Hyun was looking at the exterior of the mansion.

The mansion was huge and looked rather gothic with whithered roses around the roof and a crow standing on top of the roof, kakawing outside. She felt unsure about the atmosphere until she saw three women step outside who were dressed in gothic attire. One woman looked like she was a maid and the other two women looked her like relatives in the mansion. 

"There they are! Come and I'll introduce you to the family.." Her grandmother informed So Hyun who walked side by side and approached the three women standing outside. 

"Ladies, this is So Hyun who was your Uncle Minho's daughter..." So Hyun bowed to the ladies who acted indifferent towards her.

"This is our family maid, Park Bom. Her father used be our family butler when your Appa was young but passed away after Minho left. " Park Bom bowed her head to So Hyun who nodded at her.

"These are your cousins, Shin Young and her sister Tae Yeon. Their mother and my daughter died of an illness when Tae Yeon was 13 and Shin Young was 19." Shin Young and Tae Yeon bowed to greet her. She noticed that her cousins were not conventioanlly beautiful as Shin Young was more tomboy-ish and Tae Yeon had a slight scar under her bangs.

"I hope you ladies treat So Hyun well and make her feel welcomed into the family." The grandmother instructed the ladies whilst going upstairs to put So Hyun's things away with the maid. She was about to go upstairs until her cousins spoke out a warning.

"Leave while you can, this mansion is not what it seems.." Shin Young warned So Hyun who felt confused at their tone.

"Mianhe...what's that supposed to mean..?" So Hyun replied to Shin Young.

"You have no idea you just made a big mistake coming here." Tae Yeon warned further until the grandmother called for So Hyun to come upstairs.

"Mianhe...I need to see my Halamoni.." So Hyun ignored the cryptic warnings and went upstairs, while her cousins and maid were having grave thoughts.

"If you only knew Agasshi, your life was in danger the moment you came onto the threshold..." Park Bom uttered amongst Shin Young and Tae Yeon.

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"How do you like your room So Hyun-ah..?" Halamoni asked So Hyun who was looking around the room, the walls were cream coloured with dusty rose bed duvet set and curtains. A small desk was there with a chair for studying and puting away her study tools. 

"It's really lovely here but I miss Appa and Omma so much, miss my friends in the city..." So Hyun replied in a sombre tone while Halamoni put something on top of her chair. She looked back and saw a antique doll that looked pretty, dressed in cotton white dress with pigtails but almost human.

"This is Sera, she is a wonderful companion for young girls and can talk too." Halamoni described Sera and swtiched a button that made Sera speak.

"Annyeonghaseyo! My name is Sera and I would like to be your best friend!" Sera spoke with moving which amazed So Hyun.

"Wow! She's really cool, where did you get this doll?" So Hyun asked while picking up to observe Sera the doll. 

"Well I used to manufacture dolls in my company, this was my last creation before I retired and I want you to have it." Halamoni explained and gifted the doll to So Hyun who hugged her in gratitude. 

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So Hyun had dined with her grandmother along with Bom serving the food and her cousins eating quietly at the dining room with them. Once she was finished, she was wondering to the living room where she is looking at old family photos with her dad and his family, she came across an old photo that looked like it was during the early 1990s. She saw her father in his teenage years with another girl who wasn't her mother or a family member.

"Who is the girl with Appa?" So Hyun asked while Bom accidentally dropped a book in alarm while the cousins stared at her. She managed to pick the book back to the shelf and left the room. 

"Mianhe...this was Yoo Jung who used to be a friend of your Appa's and Bom's cousin." Halamoni replied to So Hyun who nodded at her.

"What happened to her now? So Hyun asked while her grandmother felt slightly flustered but recovered her slip.

"She's gone now, she died of an accident.." Halamoni informed So Hyun who sympathised for the young girl, not realising that her cousins were feeling their own concerns over her knowlege regading the late Yoo Jung.

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"Good night my sweet So Hyun." Halmoni kissed So Hyun on her forehead.

"Good night Halamoni." So Hyun replied while her grandmother left the room, she looked at Sera the doll sitting in front of her with a wistful smile.

"Good Night Sera.." So Hyun informed the doll before turning the lamp off and closed her eyes to sleep.

Few hours later, she heard echoes of crying around the room. So Hyun woke up in the room and still heard crying of a young girl.

She tried to get up from the bed to look around, she looked in front of her and saw a girl sitting in the corner with her head covered by her arms and knees.

The girl was crying while her body shook, So Hyun wasn't sure why and as soon she was stepping closer to check, the girl suddenly lifted her head up and...

"AAAAAHHH!" So Hyun screamed.

"YOU'RE NEXT TO DIE!" A girl screamed at her with blood running down her face which made So Hyun scream in fright.

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So Hyun woke up in fright in her room, she looked around and saw there was no one but herself in the room. She held her heart and tried to breathe normally.

"Must've been a scary nightmare..." So Hyun muttered to herself and tried to get a glass of water from the pitcher on top of her desk. She filled the glass of water to gulp the water but saw something.

"CRASH!" The glass dropped on the floor as So Hyun saw the writing on her wall with the same warning in her nightmare.

YOU'RE NEXT TO DIE!

The doll in front of her started to float above with her head was twisting backwards while So Hyun looked in horror.

"Run away from here...you will die..." Sera the doll spoke in a demonic voice before she fell on the floor while So Hyun fell unconscious at the same time.

So Hyun opens her eyes and sits upright slowly while looking around, she sees her reflection where her eyes were red which revealed that she now possessed by the vengeful spirit that came from the demonic doll. 

So Hyun always thought that losing her parents spoon was the scariest thing to happen in her life. But unfortunately she found herself in a living nightmare within a mansion, all seen though from a living yet frightening ghost named Sera....

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To Be Continued...

11 July 2017