Pain.

 

That was what Miyun felt the moment reality caught up to her. A burning sensation engulfed her entire body. The place where she laid -wherever it was - had a temperature low enough to prompt anyone to wear numerous layers of clothing, but sweat completely covered her forehead and palms.

 

Miyun tried to move her body but stopped immediately. A loud and ear-piercing scream instantly covered the air.

 

It was hers.

 

Miyun clutched the left side of her stomach. It stung and blazed exceedingly more than the other parts of her body. It was as if someone was shamelessly stabbing her without any plan to stop. Every time she turned, her body screamed in protest. It heartlessly cut through the layers of her strong facade, and she cried and shouted endlessly for help.

 

But none came.

 

The grass that she laid on only increased her pain. One second it was comfortingly soft, but a moment later, it ceaselessly pricked her skin. The bipolarity of the ground confused her greatly, and it caused her feeling of hopelessness to heighten immensely. 

 

A subtle sound in the distance was then heard.

 

Miyun did not see the presence that caused the noise; she barely heard it, but she knew, without a doubt, that it was there. 

 

Was it a potential threat or her only chance of help? She had to find out.

 

Mustering all the energy which she had left, Miyun tried to ignore the pain in her body and forced her eyes to open. Carefully, she widened the left eye first, and the right came afterwards.

 

Her vision was first met by the sky. Miyun's confusion heightened.

 

There was no sun. There were no clouds. There was no sign of any species of animals. It was not in the shade of sky or powder blue either. It was simply an endless, graying blanket. Such a common and inevitable feature of the world was now new and frighteningly strange. 

 

“Where am I?” she stiffly asked the presence which she felt had arrived.“Where did I fall into?”

 

The inconspicuous rustle in the atmosphere was heard yet again. Miyun knew for a fact that it was nearing at a steady pace. In a second or two, it will be next to her.

 

“You are with me now!” a loud and energetic voice exclaimed directly next to her ear. Miyun jumped in surprise. Her eyes widened twice its size an hung wide open.

 

She fixed her vision on the man while forgetting the pain. What immediately struck her was fact that he was not standing, nor walking, nor flying. He was floating directly above her.

 

Who was he?

 

“I am Lee Kiseop!” the man shouted with the same amount of ecstasy as his first statement.

 

“And no, I cannot read you mind," he foretold her next question. “You're just very easy to read.”

 

“I know a lot about you,” he continued blabbering on, “like, what's your name - which is Miyun, obviously - your past nationality - Korean, like me! - and why you're hurting right now.”

 

The last bit of information caught Miyun off guard. She was brought back to reality and the afflicting pain in her stomach rece again.

 

She screamed in agony. He did not flinch at all, as if her pain was nothing compared to what he knew.

 

The shock and confusion flooded her again all at once. Through her tears, she could vaguely see the man's expression change from vigorous to apathetic and reflective. An indefinite yet incredibly extensive amount of time passed.

 

“I can't help you,” he stated softly, “but I'll stay with you until the pain from the gunshot wound subsides.”

 

He was mysterious. Miyun could not predict his genuine emotions.

 

He was a diverse. Miyun has never met anyone who would actually comfort her.

 

He was a stranger. They met in an only too strange place, and she knew close to nothing about him.

 

If she wanted answers to her unspoken questions, she knew that he was her medium. 

 

Miyun only had Kiseop.