Everything was a blur.

Gyuri ran with all her might, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she sprinted away from Pho. She didn't know what she was doing, where she was going, or why she was running, but she needed to escape.

All around her, the streets of the capital converged into a blur as if they were moving past her rather than the other way around. It was like watching the world fast-forward in time while she stood still, a bystander in her own life.

Ever since arriving at Saim, nothing had made sense to Gyuri. She had tried her best to survive, figure out how and why she had time-slipped to this era, but to little avail. Day after day, Gyuri had pushed her worries to the back of her mind like one would if they were packing a suitcase. Like a game of Tetris, she managed to keep her worries at bay: as soon as it became too overwhelming, Gyuri had miraculously found a way to reduce her anxiety, making it vanish like the geometric shapes from the said game.

But, unlike Tetris, Gyuri's worries were not compact shapes. They didn't vanish like she thought they did.

No- like a suitcase filled to the brim, her worries, fears and doubts threatened to spill out, only contained by the fragile zip that was her sheer will to stay intact. The shapeless fiends were uncooperative, persistent and heavy. Even though Gyuri had tried her best to forget about them, still they remained. And for a while, Gyuri's method of staying optimistic had helped her forget their presence. Disguising her anxiety behind a smile, Gyuri had continued with life on Saim as usual.

That was... until now.

Gyuri gasped for breath as she finally slowed to a light jog. She hadn't run like that in such a long time that her heart was beating erratically, and a painful stitch had developed in her side. But despite her fatigue, the sensation that overrode them all was the heaviness in her chest. A shaky breath escaped her lips as hot tears spilled from her eyes.

"Who am I kidding?" Gyuri said aloud as she wiped away her tears. "I'm not okay," she hiccupped, "I'm not okay at all..."

For a while, Gyuri trudged on aimlessly, following the dirt path that lay before her. With eyes fixed on the ground, Gyuri was only faintly aware of her surroundings. Curious whispers drifted to her ears followed by the scuffling of shoes. Without having to look up, Gyuri knew that it was the townsfolk probably gossiping about her, putting forward their assumptions as to why a young maid like herself was crying in the middle of the street.

I'm so tired of this.

Absorbed in her ruminations, Gyuri continued walking until the whispers died down and she was greeted with silence. Save for the howling of the wind and the bristling of grass, everything was peaceful— a striking contrast to the tempest in her mind. It was only when Gyuri noticed the unevenness of the path did she halt. Gazing up from the ground, Gyuri soon realised that she was no longer in the village. A vast expanse of emptiness lay before her without a single building in sight.

"Where... am I?"

A soft pitter-patter greeted her ears before it suddenly grew into heavy drumming.

It had been months since she had last seen rain; an age since she had last been soaked through to the skin, and almost a lifetime since she had last felt comforted by its presence.

Mesmerised by the sudden downpour, Gyuri stood still as she allowed the precipitation to slice through her clothing, eventually reaching her sweaty skin, where the cooling effect was most welcome.

With the scent of petrichor making its way to her nostrils, Gyuri relished the nostalgia that the rain evoked. It reminded her of her life back home. Memories of many rainy days spent indoors, cuddled underneath the safety of her blanket while watching K-dramas flashed before her eyes. With the rain's rhythmic and hypnotic beat, Gyuri found solace like one would if they step into a hot shower. And just for that short while, all her fears were temporarily forgotten as if the rain had washed them all away.

If only I could stay like this forever.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky followed by the rumble of thunder. Startled by the threatening sound, Gyuri jumped, shattering the enchantment as she was pulled back into reality.

Ominous, grey clouds cloaked the sky while bitter winds howled past her as it accompanied the torrential showers like a phantom banshee. Disorientated, Gyuri searched her surroundings and found that the vast expanse of emptiness was, in fact, a field. Gyuri scrambled toward a tall, gnarly tree in the distance, hoping that it would provide her shelter. She knew that it wouldn't do much good since she was already soaked to the skin but decided that anything would be better than being exposed to the unforgiving elements. In a blink of an eye, the rain had transformed from a calming drizzle to a foreboding storm.

As she curled up into a small ball at the base of the tree, Gyuri began to contemplate on what she should do next.

"I should go back to the household. Pho must be worried about me."

Burying her head into her knees, Gyuri thought about her friend and how she had left her so suddenly. She didn't know what came over her. While her mind tried to convince her to think rationally and return to the Kim household, her heart was set on leaving everything behind. Why should she return? She didn't belong there. This wasn't the life she was supposed to lead.

Gyuri sat still as she tried to work through her muddled thoughts.

Strong gales whistled by and rain poured down, but inside, Gyuri remained oblivious. So much so, that even when the rain appeared to have ceased, she didn't notice. Not registering how cold and numb she was, Gyuri remained in her curled-up position. She might have stayed like so for longer if it wasn't for what came next.

"Are ye all righ', child?"

Gyuri looked up.

There, before her, stood an elderly woman dressed in tattered rags that were singed at the edges. Her long, silver hair was tied into a loose bun with a few strands framing her wrinkled but kind-looking face. She gaped at Gyuri curiously, her dark, brown eyes shining with an intelligent glint.

"Do ye need help?"

Gyuri shook her head. She was so lost in her thoughts that she thought the woman in front of her was a mirage.

The elder paused for a moment before gathering up the courage to ask, "Well, I was wondering if ye can help me."

Gyuri blinked.

"I was on my way to the capital," the old woman revealed, "when the storm came and led me astray. I am afraid I am quite lost."

"You can get to the capital by following the path," Gyuri murmured, finally finding her voice. "The path is just over there."

"Oh." The woman followed the direction Gyuri was pointing to and squinted. After a while, she added, "Say, if it is not too much trouble..."

Gyuri looked up again.

"...will ye accompany me?"

A reluctant hum escaped Gyuri's lips. All she really wanted to do was stay in her cocoon for a little longer.

"I am afraid I might get lost again," the elder added, noticing Gyuri's hesitance. "I am on my way to surprise my granddaughter."

At this Gyuri's eyes softened.

The elder was about to say more in a bid to convince her when she noticed Gyuri wobble to her feet. Clinging to the tree for support, Gyuri answered while shaking her limbs awake, "Sure, I'll help you get to her." She smiled wryly. "I should probably be heading back anyway..."

For a while, the sound of squelching mud filled the silence as Gyuri and the elder trekked side by side along the grass plain. Gyuri frowned as she tried her best not to slip as she waded through the mud, her skirt caked in soil and her hair clumped into dark, dripping tendrils. When they eventually reached the dirt path, Gyuri and the elder sighed in relief.

"At last," the woman mumbled, "firm ground."

Gyuri managed a small smile.

"I don' mean to pry," the elder said tentatively after a moment of silence, "but what's a young'un like ye doing back there? Were ye lost as well?"

"No... not quite."

The elder observed Gyuri's gloomy features. "I think my granddaughter might be the same age as ye."

"Oh?" Gyuri automatically responded, her thoughts elsewhere.

"Aye," the elder replied. "And like yourself, she too is haunted by troubles."

Gyuri turned to the elder.

"I may be old, but I can tell when one is unsettled," she spoke sagely. "Tell me, child, what is bothering you so?"

"N-nothing."

The elder let out a doubtful humph. She watched as Gyuri chewed her bottom lip in apprehension as they continued to amble.

Trying a different approach, the elder began