Unknown time frame

Jessica awakened to find herself unable to move. Her body was in pain, agonizing pain. Then, she felt numb. The strobe of blinding lights made her squint as she tried to make out of the things occurring around her. She inferred that she’s in the hospital with all those shadows in white scurrying about to her aid. Then, Jessica saw nothing but white.

“Hello there.” A voice called out in the vast expanse of a blanched space.

Jessica turned to the voice’s direction. She was alone in what seemed to be a desert of white sands that expanded for eternity. She found herself in a white dress with her feet bared. She felt strange yet she felt no physical feeling at the same time.

“Welcome to the Abode, Jessica.” the voice once again recalled her from her trance. Jessica found herself looking around for anyone as she trained her eyes to adjust to the blinding expanse of white around her.

Then, a figure of a young woman appeared from afar. Jessica saw the stranger walk towards her in a beautiful manner. The young lady strode until she stopped before the speechless lady before her.

“Who are you? What am I doing here? Where is this place? And how did you come to know my name?” Jessica, in her wonder, bombarded the figure with questions. The young lady before her simply smiled.

“Typical questions, you have there. My name is Seohyun. This is the Abode. A place where people come to when they leave the physical world…I welcome people into this place. Everyone ends up here, Jessica. I’ve known your name from the moment you were destined to be born.” the figure explained.

Jessica soon realized what she had meant. “Am I dead?” the surprised young woman questioned Seohyun.

“Well, technically not. But you will soon be after ten days…” Seohyun replied, quite amused at the lack of reaction that Jessica gave her.

“But, it’s still not your time to die, Jessica…” another voice rang from elsewhere making Jessica turn towards the direction where it potentially came from. Seohyun seemed to know very well the person who had interrupted her conversation with Jessica as she smiled at the newcomer.

“Ah yes. This is Yoona, Jessica. She is also the keeper of this Abode like I am.” Seohyun mused. Jessica marveled at their beauty as soon as Yoona came to her fellow keeper’s side.

“So, tell me. Why am I here if I am not dead yet as you say?” Jessica asked the two keepers of the Abode.

“You are practically living in a world between life and death. Your life is hanging by a thread, Jessica. One slip from the physical world and you will find yourself trapped here forever. Right now, your body is being held in a hospital inside the Intensive Care Unit in a state of coma.” Seohyun stated as she made a solemn expression.

“You have nine days left, Jessica. If you want to live, you’re going to have to complete a mission that Seohyun and I are offering you.” Yoona added.

Jessica raised an eyebrow at Yoona’s words. Surely, she had never thought that there would be a price for her to come back from the realm of the dead. “What mission will that be?” Jessica questioned the two keepers again.

Yoona summoned a portal and ushered the mortal into the realm of the past. Seohyun and her companion followed Jessica as they viewed the last few memories that Jessica digested before she passed out on the street.

Through what seemed like a huge screen, Jessica saw herself being hit by a car that was speeding down the road that she was crossing. She saw herself bleeding to death as onlookers came to her and one man secured the driver from escaping. Then, a lone figure came to her side as he took her in his arms and called for help. He was one of the concerned bystanders who actually moved to save her from death.

“Who’s the guy that helped me?” Jessica inquired pointing at the young man who beckoned the onlookers to call an ambulance as he took Jessica in his arms. He looked rather dashing except for the leather jacket he wore under a plain white shirt and rugged pants.

“That young man is your mission, Jessica.” Yoona replied catching the mortal off guard.

“My mission?” Jessica’s voice seemed to trail off. She wasn’t sure if she could handle the mission relating to the man who saved her, but it was worth a shot. Besides, she doesn’t want to die yet. No. Not now. She has Krystal, her younger sister, to take care of and she knows how miserable Krystal would be should she pass without leaving anything behind for her younger sister to live by.

“That young man is named Kim Taeyeon. He is your mission, Jessica.” Seohyun said.

“What do I do with him?” Jessica inquired as she faced the two keepers of the Abode.

“Your mission is to help him fix his life. He is a gangster trying to raise his two younger sisters through his own means. He lives by fighting off other gangs and keeping them from messing up with the neighborhood for a price of course, and he also work