2017, 22 DECEMBER 07:01
13 years later.

Kwon Ji Hee woke up with a knocking sound of the door.

"Princess, you need to get ready soon if you don't want to be late." She propped up from her bed as Mr. Yang, her butler, opened the door.

"I told you to stop calling me that. I'm no princess." She rolled her eyes as she went to the dresser comb her hair.

The butler merely smirked at her reply, "should I send over some maids to help you?"

"No thanks."

"Very well then, I shall take my leave."

She sighed as she heard the door click. She sat back on her bed, trying to fight off the urge to crawl back up and sleep.

Her bed was queen-sized with pastel fabrics draped above near the headboard. The bed was covered with layers of blankets and comforters to shield her from the winter cold. Across the bed sat a small fire place and beside it was a study place filled with medical books and a tiny silver music box.

She stared at the warm coal in her fire place. To her left was a sliding door draped with thin sheets of black curtain and a balcony could be seen. The balcony looked like some corinthian architecture but instead of weeds, it was adorned with blood-red roses.

After having contemplated for who knows how long, she finally got up to her wash room and started getting ready for school.

As she walked out from her closet fully dressed in her uniform with a winter coat, she looked up at the clock on her study, she knew she was running late. Despite knowing that fact, she still checked herself in the mirror and started putting as much concealers as she can below her eyes.

"Winter is my curse," she whispered to herself. Ever since that night she lost everything, including her father, she never gets to sleep when knows that dreadful day is nearing. She tied her hair with a bow, revealing her necklace adorned with the Pandora's crest dangling on her collar bones.

Another knock came on the door, "you're late," Mr. Yang said.

"I know, I know. I'll be there," she replied while grabbing her bag from the bedside.

Being an heiress to a wealthy household, of course, was not that easy. Especially the part where she needs to have atleast two assisting body guards by her side whenever she leaves the mansion.

- - -

Kwon Ji Hee arrived at the Seoul Medical Arts Institution, a prestigious school with prestigious people. She made it to her first class barely missing homeroom.

Ji Hee did not have any friends in school. Aside from being quiet, no one would dare to approach her because of that shady incident which occured a few years back. The only person who ever had the guts to talk to her is none other than her most hated fiancé--Park Chanyeol. They have been engaged for who knows how long before and she disliked him from the very beginning.

Park Chanyeol was the heir of the exact same household shared with Ji Hee. Chanyeol had brown eyes thay shoot daggers and his hair is a dark shade of red. He was quite tall, enough for girls to squeal over him. He receives confessions on a daily basis and rejects every single one of them. His heart was all for Ji Hee, his love.

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"Aaaahhhh!!"

A wild screaming resonated through the laboratory.

"Shhh. Calm down, it will all be over in a minute," Mr. Park said as he inject a blue vial for the third time into the neck of a 20-year-old boy.

The boy shrieked and shook barely able to contain the pain he felt. His hands and legs were shackled unto the laboratory bed.

"Aaahh!!" He screamed once again, veins popping from his neck.

He was strongly pushed back to the bed as he heard the scientist's voice, "wouldn't want you freaking out again now, would we? Now, when you feel a little bit better, find the Pandora's box and bring it to me, okay?"

The boy was silent now, his blue eyes staring straight to the ceiling, his silver hair dripping with sweat. 

"Oppa," a little girl clasped his arms tightly.

"Aahhh!" He went violeny again while trying to cover his ears despite the restraints.

"You're a naughty one, aren't you." Mr. Park said heartlessly as he left the room.

As soon as the door closed, the boy's voice trailed off in silence "...Ji Hee."

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Thankfully it was a friday and Ji Hee didn't have anything to worry about in the weekend except for the fact that her eighteenth birthday will be this Sunday. She had always loathed birthdays ever since that dreadful night.

"My dear princess...don't lose it."

She shook her head as if trying to shake the memory off while clasping her hands unto the silver pendant on her necklace. "I had no plans of losing it anyway," she whispered to herself.

The final bell rang, signaling the end of class. You may think that it's christmas season and it's the middle of winter and that everyone should be on their vacations by now but apparently, the institution prefer to not waste time on fun. They never give holidays to their students, and yes, even to people like Ji Hee.

To Ji Hee, it was good thing. Even without friends, she can distract herself with school work instead of crying herself to sleep.

- - -

The moment Ji Hee got home, she went straight to bed with exhaustion written on her face. She didn't even bother to change from her uniform. And for once, she had a good night's sleep on a winter night.