Year 2016 | Present Day

Dark clouds loomed over the skies, covering up the remaining daylight as the eclipse started to occur. People peered up, some masked with a face of confusion while others treated the phenomenon with awe.

Unaware of her surroundings, Ha-jin focused on the one thing that demanded her attention – getting to the small boy.

She kicked the waters with vigor, determined to reach him before too late, his cries getting louder by second.

Finally getting a clasp around his frail frame, a smile curved her lips as she tugged the boy to safety, passing him to the frantic father who managed to row a boat out.

The boy securely tucked on the seat, the father started to extend a hand towards Ha-jin, before a startled gasp escaped his lips, watching her disappear into the waters.

Seized with panic, her legs kicked around in the waters, trying to reach the surface once more. Ha-jin struggled for what seemed to be an eternity but most likely lasting only seconds, until her vision started to blur, her body going slack.

Images flashed before her – witnessing the fateful kiss, confronting her best friend, getting kicked out of her own house, her manager towering before firing her.

Her eyes slid to a close, accepting her fate as she allowed the waters to consume her as a whole.

Year 941 | Goryeo

Ha-jin broke through the waters, the light blinding her sight momentarily as she tried breathing again, filling her lungs with much-needed air.

There was a playful splash of water heard behind her, though she did not register her surroundings immediately, not having expected she was ed back into time itself.

Nor did she realize her clothing was no longer the same. Gone was the white long-sleeved blouse accompanied with a denim short, and in place was traditional Goryeo costume, topped with hair accessories that definitely were not in her hair when she dove into the waters.

Once she had caught her breath, letting both relief and anger wash over her simultaneously, she took a quick scan of her whereabouts, furrowing her eyebrows questioningly at the unfamiliarity.

Her body turned slowly, eyes darting around nervously before they reached a very man, just as surprised as she was.

A combined yelp was heard, both of them stumbling backwards from the shock, gathering even more attention from nearby.

"W-Who are you?" The man demanded, pointing a finger right in her face.

"I should be asking you that – Who are you?" She yelled back before her gaze fell, the realization of her change in clothes finally dawning upon her. Reaching to press her fingertips against the fabric, the disbelief started to sink in.

"Hyung-nim!"

In seconds, several other men crowded around the waters – a pool, apparently – the glint of amusement evident in their hues.

Ha-jin observed the turn in events carefully, aware that she was surrounded and unable to escape unscathed without the element of surprise. She was still baffled about the switch in environment, but she figured she could sort it out later, after concocting a decent route of escape.

One of them seemed to recognize her, even though she did not reciprocate, and opened to speak. "Hae–"

Whatever he was saying, Ha-jin never found out, for she took the opportunity – the diverted attention – to bolt.

An indignant whine sounded behind her, followed by a quick scurry of feet. A smirk delighted her features, fully aware she caught them by surprise.

Until she managed to smack right into a firm torso, in the moment of smugness.

"Ouch." She clutched her head, glaring upwards to find a black figure, a look of nonchalance plastered across his features.

No time to push the blame. Need to get out before they catch up. Now.

Huffing out a breath, she brushed past him and not seeing the steps hidden behind his tall frame, her feet had missed the ground.

Ha-jin begun to trip, a gasp already on her lips when the same hooded man grabbed her forearm, breaking her fall.

"Where do you think you're going?" A low, albeit amused, voice asked.

"None of your business."

His eyebrows rose but before he could question her further, she ducked her head out of sight.

"There she is!" The voice from earlier shouted, closing in on her.

"Let me go." She implored, attempting to wiggle free of the tight grip he had on her arm. His head was turned, watching the descending crowd of men instead.

"I don't want to."

fell agape, astonished at the man's audacity. But the need to run away at the moment outweighed the decision to remain and debate with him.

"I said, let me go!" At the last word, she shoved him with the last bit of strength she had left, startling him to the extent he stumbled backwards, effectively freeing herself of his stubborn grip.

Ha-jin didn't have time to rub it in his face – how he had simply staggered back with a mere push – when it only continued her fall, tumbling downwards with a cry.

The mixture of shock was heard from the top of the stairs when she finally reached the end, her forehead hitting against the wood of the ground, before her eyes went black, allowing the darkness consume her once more.

Ha-jin awakened to the scent of tea leaves, rubbing her eyes in attempt to clear her vision. Why was her room so bright, filled with the overwhelming smell of tea leaves, for that matter?

Wait.

Her body bolted upright, sending her head spinning momentarily from the abrupt movement.

"You're awake, miss."

A young girl spoke beside her, wetting the towel in a nearby bowl, her head bowed low.

"Miss?" Ha-jin repeated incredulously, wondering why in the world she was being referred to the likes of a mistress. She shook her head, deciding to ask the more important question instead. "Where am I?"

"You're in Damiwon, miss."

"Da– What?"

"Damiwon, miss." The girl repeated, emphasizing on each syllable.

Ha-jin nodded slowly, trying to digest the information at the same time not fully comprehending the situation.

Am I dead?

Her head ached in lieu of an answer. Definitely not dead.

The door opened and the other girl bowed her head again, making Ha-jin's eyes dart to the new arrival.

The impossibly stubborn man from earlier entered the room, waving the young girl off. She complied, bowing yet once again before slipping out of the room.

"I see you're awake."

"Obviously." Ha-jin huffed out a breath, turning her head away so she would not face the rude person who prevented her escape.

"Feisty, aren't you?"

Instead of giving the satisfaction of an answer, she snorted, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly.

The man chuckled, settling down by the edge of her bed. She shuffled her feet away, refusing to have any form of contact with him.

"Who are you and what are you doing in the princes' private bath?"

"First of all, I don't see why I should be telling you who I am when I don't even know who– Wait. What do you mean by 'the princes' private bath'?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion. Had any celebrity recently named themselves a prince, of sorts?

"Ah, talking back." The corners of his lip were visibly trying to fight back a smile – failing miserably, for the matter – as he leaned back on the bed, mirroring the same amused look from their earlier encounter.

She rolled her eyes, straightening herself before speaking. "Answer the question."

"You've to be very dense not to realize." He laughed again at the offended look she directed his way. "The pool you were in just now. Private bath. Damiwon. Ring a bell?"

"Hold on." She held her hands up, her head pounding away unhelpfully as she processed his information. "Where am I?"

"Haven't you been paying attention? You're in Dami–"

"I know, I know." She interrupted through gritted teeth, having closed her eyes to not grow increasingly frustrated at the man before her. "I meant, where am I?"

He seemed to have caught her drift, nodding with a quiet 'oh'. "Songak."

"Songak?" The name was dimly familiar, though Ha-jin couldn't remember where exactly had she heard the name before, with her limited memory space in her head. "We're not in Seoul?'

"Seoul?" She watched him repeat the city's name, furrowing his eyebrows in bafflement. "Have you hit your head too hard to be coming up with foreign names?"

He hasn't heard of Seoul before, in the entirety of his life. Why?

"Songak..." She allowed the name to roll off her tongue, tapping her chin with her fingers to dig through her memories.

The said memory seemed to laugh mockingly at Ha-jin when she finally located it. "Goryeo?"

"Good to know you didn't hit your head too hard." The man teased, poking at the abandoned towel.

"I think I actually did..."

Did I travel through time?

"Hey, are you okay? Do I need to send for a physician?" He asked and she startled to see him hovering above her, a worried expression coating his face.

She scooted away from him, failing to see how the gesture made his eyes bulge before covering the hurt with a forced smile.

"I guess I'll leave you be, for now. You're in no condition to answer anything right now, anyway. I'll see you–"

He did not get to finish his sentence when the door burst open, a couple filtering through the threshold. "Hae-soo!"

Her frame stiffened over when the older woman threw her arms around her, chanting relieved murmurs. The other man, whom Ha-jin recognized to be in the crowd earlier, remained near the door, talking to the man dressed in black.

The older woman finally pulled back from the hug, inspecting her forehead wound. "Does it hurt, Hae-soo?"

It was the second time she heard the name and it was starting to irritate her, for reasons unknown.

"Why are you calling me that?" She resisted the urge to bark out, not wanting to be rude to a woman who had shown her nothing but care in the last few minutes. "I'm Ha-jin. Go Ha-jin."

The woman frowned, glancing towards the two men, who seemed just as confused as everyone in the room.

"What are you talking about? I'm your cousin, Hae-soo. Don't you remember me?"

Goryeo. Hae-soo. Did I enter someone else's body, on top of time-travelling?