Of a long dreary midwinter night,
I would cut out the middle,
And keep it rolled under my cotton quilt
To be warmed in the spring wind.
The night when my love comes all frozen,
I shall unroll it slowly for him.
- Hwang Jini

Ga Eul stood frozen in place as the ghastly specter of a maiden hovered above them. She wouldn't have believed what she saw, except Yi Jeong had thrown an arm protectively in front of her and was staring at the apparition in horror. He yelled, "What do you want?!"

"Alone," the ghost wailed. "He left me… alone!"

Her voice echoed in the gallery, and the lights flickered erratically as if in response to her shout.

Ga Eul flinched, as if struck by those words. They brought on a familiar wave of anguish that she had been floating in and out of all evening. Was this ghost related to the painting and her visions? She clung to Yi Jeong's arm, his solidness her only anchor to reality. Though Ga Eul's heart was racing, she had to know, so she asked timidly, "Who… who left you alone?"

"He said he loved me. He promised to be with me." The ghost's pale complexion darkened to an ashen gray and her voice rose. "But it was a lie. All LIES!"

The lights sputtered again, this time more frantically. There was a popping sound as a bulb burst overhead.

"You…" The ghost leveled a finger at Yi Jeong. "You noblemen are all the same. You tell lies, with no care for the cruelty you inflict!"

"And you," she said as she directed her finger at Ga Eul this time. "You're a fool to believe in true love! You think he cares for you, but he'll leave you with nothing but broken promises."

It was then Ga Eul noticed the dark drops of liquid falling down the ghost's cheeks. As afraid as she was, Ga Eul couldn't help but feel pity for the ghost. She was broken-hearted and in pain. In an attempt to assuage the angry maiden, Ga Eul told her, "Yi Jeong sunbae never promised me anything. He's not the one you're angry at. Please let go of your anger and leave us be."

The ghost laughed in mockery. "Then you're even a bigger fool than I was. I know your kind. You give him everything, though he'll never love you back."

The ghost's pronouncement pierced Ga Eul, like an arrow to her chest. Yi Jeong had needed her, and Ga Eul, like a fool, had given her all without a thought for herself. She had told herself it would be enough to see him happy again, but the truth was that she had been secretly feeling resentment, though she had worked so hard to let go. Everytime she thought about Yi Jeong she was overcome by longing, which brought on a pain that wouldn't go away. She had wished so desperately for him to be her soulmate, but it was never to be. Never to be…

"He betrayed me for another woman–someone of his kind. He threw me away because I wasn't worthy enough. He'll leave you too!" The ghost seemed to grow in size and wind blew throughout the gallery, though there were no windows, whipping Ga Eul's hair and stinging her eyes.

"I know!" Ga Eul cried out, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I know I'm not the one for him. I know he loves someone else."

The ghost's deathly gaze seemed to bore into Ga Eul, drawing her in and making her so dizzy it caused her to stagger.

In a flash, Ga Eul was standing at a stall selling vegetables at an ancient street market. A handsome nobleman in Joseon garb stood in front of her, smiling at her. His eyes were full of warmth, and she felt her pulse quicken as he presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

In another flash, they were at the top of a hill overlooking the lake from the painting, their special meeting place. The nobleman placed a jade ring on her finger, declaring, "Hee Sun-ah, I love you. I promise to be with you forever. Will you do the same for me?"

She nodded, joy filling her to the brim. "Yes, young master Seo Gil."

His face broke into a wide grin, then became somber almost immediately. "I need to tell you something. I'm the crown prince, Yi Seo."

The crown prince. The words echoed in her brain like a portentous warning. It was foolish of her, but she loved him so much that she accepted his assurances. She spent days working on a painting for him and though it was amateurish, she put her whole heart into it, hoping he would know her feelings were true.

But the hopefulness was quickly swallowed by a dark bitterness, as she was returned to the scene of her final moments of life. On the same hill, as she anticipated her lover's return, she felt a sharp pain in her back. She turned slowly, but this time she could make out the sneering face of her murderer. She was looking into the dark, cruel eyes of a young woman wearing an ornate silk hanbok, with a long braid down her back.

"How dare you seduce my future husband, the crown prince!" the woman snarled menacingly. "Did you think I would allow you to enter his harem, and that I would share him with you?"

"Your future husband?" Ga Eul heard herself say, tasting blood in . He was to be married? No, he couldn't have betrayed her. He said he loved her. He had promised to meet her tomorrow. "Where is young master Seo Gil?"

The woman smirked. "He's not coming. He said he had his fun toying with you and now he's done. He wouldn't dream of being with someone so common and filthy. He didn't want to bother dealing with you anymore, but unfortunately, I can't let you live."

"No, no he wouldn't—" Ga Eul's voice broke on a sob. A pain worse than her wound gripped her heart. The woman only said everything that she had feared but dismissed because she had believed in true love. She had believed in him, but he had deserted her.

The woman drew the knife back and Ga Eul could only watch silently as she was stabbed violently in the stomach. She crumpled to the ground and gurgled with blood, making her choke, slowly suffocating her.

Yi Jeong caught Ga Eul by the shoulders before she fell to the ground. He had been watching her with increasing alarm, as the blood slowly drained from her face and she started to cry. Her gaze was unfocused, as if she was in a trance. Ga Eul must have gotten caught up in another vision, and it had something to do with the ghost.

She whimpered, "Young master Seo Gil!"

Seo Gil? Could it be the name of the man in the vision he had? Was the ghost his long-lost lover?

Ga Eul seemed to be growing weaker and weaker. Fearing for her life, he shook her. "Ga Eul yang! It's just a dream. Wake up!"

Her eyes fluttered and refocused on him. "Yi Jeong sunbae?"

"Ga Eul yang, are you okay?" Yi Jeong embraced Ga Eul, trying to protect her from whatever the ghost was doing to her.

"You see now, don't you?" the maiden specter howled. "He's the same. He'll abandon you for another!"

"Sunbae, why are you doing this to me?" Ga Eul had come to, but was still weeping. She struggled against Yi Jeong. "You know how much I like you. I know you're in love with someone else. I've been trying to forget you, to let you go and be happy, but you keep making me want more. Stop playing with me, it hurts too much."

The ghost grew larger and larger as Ga Eul wept, until it nearly filled the entire room. Her voice boomed, "YOU'LL BE ALONE!"

Yi Jeong held Ga Eul tight, as she sobbed and tried to push him away. He faced the ghost, determined to fight off the despair it was drowning Ga Eul in. "No! I'd never leave her! Once you find your soulmate, you hold on and never let go."

Abruptly, Ga Eul stopped fighting against him. She looked up at him and whispered, "Sunbae, you… you remember?"

"Ga Eul yang, I'm sorry I hurt you so many times. I was so stupid. But now I know. I– I love you, and you alone. There's no one else." Yi Jeong's voice shook, his pent up emotions finally forming into words. He cupped her cheek with one hand. "Please forgive me. Please… please don't give up on me."

Ga Eul's eyes shone, the corners of her lips turning up into a tremulous smile. "Sunbae."

"Lies!" The ghost shouted angrily. Her skin had turned almost black and her eyes burned bright red. "They're all LIES!"

Yi Jeong and Ga Eul covered their ears at the high pitched screech. They watched with horror as the ghost's robes and hair stretched longer and longer, into strips that were long enough to reach Yi Jeong. He batted them away as they grasped at him, but there were too many and he was quickly being engulfed.

"Sunbae!" Ga Eul grabbed his hand with both of hers and yanked him out of the tangle of cloth and hair. "We need to run!"

Without looking back, they raced out of the gallery. Yi Jeong could still feel the tendrils brushing against him and saw Ga Eul being similarly attacked, so he ran even faster, pulling Ga Eul through one room after another. When they reached the stairs, Yi Jeong shut the door behind them, only for it to be blown open as they quickly ascended to the main floor. There were loud crashing sounds as displays were knocked over, glass cases shattering, priceless porcelain broken into shards. Bulbs exploded overhead, showering them in bright sparks.

They had outpaced the ghost, but there was only so long that they could run blindly. Ga Eul was already slowing down and it wouldn't be long before the vengeful wraith reached them.

When they reached the weapons room, a thought occurred to Yi Jeong that would normally have been absurd if not for the extraordinary situation they were in. He quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher and threw it against a large display housing multiple swords. He selected a long sword inscribed with runes along its length on one side, and constellations on the other. The Sa-In Geom, or the Four Tigers Sword, wasn't sharp, but legend told it could slay evil spirits.

Yi Jeong stood at the ready,