Chapter 1

The Red Door

Krystal was a child from the other world –they said. Flesh and bone still, with sleek ebony hair, big eyes and pale skin–looking just like another part of the normalcy, but she was not. At least they thought she was not. Those who chose to stand on the different lane was different. Different was not bad, but it was unusual. And unusual was not as appreciated as the usual. In other words, Krystal was not appreciated. But since her parents did not appreciate her, Krystal was kind of used to it.

"That's very of unsympathetic of you," Krystal's mother told her daughter that afternoon, her breath reeked of nicotine –always nasty, no matter how expensive her mother's cigarette was. "That bastard killed our Jessica, your own sister. And yet you testified in his favor. What, dear? He ed you so hard that you lost your mind?"

"Jonghyun is not like that," Krystal remarked, insisted. "And no, mother. He's my friend and we would not do anything that would ruin it."

Her mother scoffed, and took a long, long (five seconds, Krystal counted) drag of her cigar before she made her reply. "By that logic, did you your own brother too? You two have never been on good terms and God knows how I'd prefer to have Yonghwa here than you."

Krystal sometimes just believed she was adopted, or that she was her mother's offspring with a devil. None of them was true, technically, but Krystal needed motives to explain her own mother's treatment to her. The attempts to seek justification for her own mother sometimes exhausted the young girl (barely 25, barely understanding) and Krystal also stopped trying to seek justification for herself. Krystal did not even bother denying the absurd accusation as she turned her back towards her mother, walked across the hall of their penthouse, and pressed the elevator button. The capsule came faster than she expected, and she took a step inside the cubicle.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"...Looking for Jessica," Krystal replied shortly. She pressed the button inside the elevator as quick as she could, and her mother's mumbles was bounced back by the closing elevator doors. 

***

Krystal was nuts, people said –and for various reasons too: for defending her sister's (suspected, she insisted) killer, for believing that her sister was still alive, for going through this forest alone.

"You know what happens to people who enter that part of the forest?" a middle-aged man –a hiker from his outfits – told her as they passed each other at the uneven path just at the outskirt of the forest.

"I don't."

"Exactly," said the hiker. "Nobody knows either. Those who go through this forest are never to be seen again."

"...Hmm."

"'Hmm'? You're not seriously going to that place, are you?"

"I have to," Krystal confirmed; sounding sane enough for an sane girl with insane ideas. She then stared at the middle-aged man and only after a few silent seconds passed that she asked another question. "Do you hike around here often?"

The chuckle coming from the man was a rather proud one. "To the extent that I consider this mountain my second home. And that's why, missy, you should heed my warning. I know what –"

"Do you, did you, know about the case of a girl who went missing around a month ago?"

"Many people get lost around here –"

"It's the one who's said to leave only a bloodied, left arm at the entrance of this forest."

"Ah," the man nodded. "That politician's daughter? Killed by her own friend?"

Jonghyun was not a killer, but for the purpose of getting more information, Krystal nodded. "Yes. That one. Have you seen her around?"

The hiker chuckled –his morbid tone easily detected. "I certainly wish I wouldn't. Missy, I've seen a lot of strange things around here, and I certainly do not wish to –hey, where are you going?! Hey!" the hiker called out the young girl who had pivoted and walked to the direction of the forest. Narrowing his eyes and shuddering a bit, the man then murmured to himself, "Missy, you'd better not be one of those strange things to see around."

***

This forest was one of the most famous urban legends around. And for the same reason that it was famous, Krystal believed the actual story had been fabricated by too many mouths to be anything but authentic.

Located at the deepest inner part of the Seongdong-gu Forest, the forest had a valley that was the main attraction for all creeps enthusiasts, although generally-speaking the valley was still not contaminated by human presence. The talks about ghosts and people who never returned were hoax though. Krystal knew very well how nearly a battalion of rescue teams were assigned by her father to ransack through the valley in the forest to search the oldest daughter of the Jung family –who was last seen going hiking with her friend. Nobody from the rescue teams came back injured or traumatized. The trauma came to the Jung parents –as they learned that there was not a single trace of Jessica Jung found, and that the chopped right arm was the only remains of her found.

There was a testimony though –one of the rescue team members claimed to have seen a figure of a girl resembling Jessica in the lake at the bottom of the valley. But even after the extended search, no one else found that figure –and the sole testimony was soon disregarded. The owner of such testimony further claimed that he might have been hallucinating when he had allegedly seen Jessica.

The earlier theory of Jessica Jung's disappearance was that she managed to escape whoever was trying to kill her. However after two weeks passed and there was still no news of the young heiress, the theory developed into either 'her body must have been mutilated and buried in different places' or 'the remains of her organs became the wild animals' little lunch set' –both theories made Krystal's mother fainted upon hearing them.

            Would you faint as well if what awaits you there is your dear sister's chopped head, Krystal?

Krystal had not exactly experienced it (nor would she want to), so she did not know how she would react. People called her cold (heartless, rotten soul, Krystal. Yours, that was) for not shedding a tear on her sister's 'funeral'. It seemed like an unacceptable idea to people that the younger sister believed the funeral was totally unnecessary –Jessica was still alive and Krystal believed it. No, she just knew it. Jessica had to be.

The sharp leaves brushed against Krystal's forearms; her sneakers made a squishy sound as they stepped onto the muddy ground; the afternoon rays were lightly hidden by the arrays of dense trees around her. She did not know where her feet were actually taking her –all Krystal was relying on was the account from that member of the rescue team who claimed to have seen Jessica (before he took back his testimony): that the girl was seen among the trees near the lake at the center of the valley.

Far or not, it was rather suicidal –Krystal knew it, but yet, her feet still could not stop. Sure, she might have been an excellent girl scout back then in school, but that did not guarantee her returning back with Jessica –alive.

A thin branch that stuck out awkwardly scratched her cheek, and with a mild sting of pain, she wondered whether, deep inside, she was suicidal. She did not know for sure, but if, say, if, they found her rotten body some weeks from now, people would probably not be too surprised. Her mother –especially. The mother's only memory of Krystal seemed to be that one time where she seriously considered of killing herself by taking several pills (which did not work out, and never would –taking pills would only make her vomit and experience that foul aftertaste hours ahead; she tried).

But Krystal was now out to look for her sister –killing herself could wait.

Krystal took a few steps ahead, and the trees grew scarcer, and then soon, some feets below her, she could see the tranquil greenish-blue lake at the pit of the valley. Exhaling a sigh, Krystal rested her arm at a thicker tree branch beside her and looked down.

"Jessica," she called out softly to the nothingness, to the tranquil lake that reflected nothing but the shyest ray of lights. "Hey, you're around, aren't you?"

Jessica did not reply, but then again, was Jessica there or even ever there? What Krystal wanted to prove was something abstract –the younger sister did not even know what she was expecting to find: Jessica's corpse? (she's alive), Jessica's ghost? (too strong to die), Jessica's soul? (but Jessica did not have soul –she was just another hollow existence that resembled Krystal very much, only coated with much thicker make up).

"Hey, Jess."

Only the wind answered wordlessly.

"Jessica."

Krystal tapped her foot impatiently.

"I've come all the way here, idiot."

(but no one ever cared for your effort, Soojung)

"Jessica, I'm counting to ten. One..."

She continued on.

"Five."

Jessica loved to make people wait.

"Nine..." Krystal took a deep breath. "Te –."

"You're too shy!" exclaimed a gleeful voice.

A pale hand reached out of nowhere, and with its vice grip, it pulled Krystal down.

***

"I didn't do it, Krystal."

Jonghyun was youthful –had been. There had always been those boyish glimmer she usually saw in his eyes whenever they debated whose movie taste was better, or when he forced her to hear out his new song, or when he waited for her to finish her (unnecessary) part-time job at some 24/7 small shop. Krystal refused to tell him out loud (because only God and Krystal knew how irritable Jonghyun was when he was boasting himself), but she always liked his eyes.

She hated to see him like this –confined in the cold cell (this was not a prison, the guards assured her, but Krystal honestly could not tell the difference), stubbles on his jaw and the red, tired eyes.

"You look gross," she told him.

It took him a while to chuckle, but Jonghyun did.

"I know I am gross," he admitted and Krystal knew Jonghyun never admitted his flaw. "But I didn't do it. I wouldn't do it to Jessica. I wouldn't do it to you."

"I know," Krystal sighed and stared at the gaunt face of what was once her bright childhood friend. "I know. They're just looking for excuses."

Jonghyun laughed without humor in his dull eyes. Slamming his fist on the table behind the glass that separated him from Krystal, he then bitingly remarked. "Then why me?! I know I was with your sister that day, and I-I know we had a bit of an argument, but I would never, never kill Jessica. I wouldn't –"

"I know," Krystal assured him. "Jessica is still alive and you didn't kill anyone." 

It was at this comment that Jonghyun's anger subsided to a much lower degree. Fury replaced by pity, he almost cooed apologetically. "Soojung... I might not have done it, but Jessica is –"

"She's alive, and you're innocent," Krystal declared firmly, because it was rarely otherwise in her case.

Jonghyun nearly looked apologetic.

Krystal sneered. "That expression doesn't suit you."

He chuckled. "You never know."

"I know," she repeated. "And I'll prove it to them, Jong. I'll prove it to you."

***

When Krystal opened her eyes again, all she saw were tousles of yellowish blonde and a red apple. Until the voice came, she did not even realize that both the blonde tousles and the red apple belonged to a living creature –a girl who was straddling her on the ground. The red apple was clearly a hair ornament, and Krystal was debating whether the blonde tousles were also ornament instead of real hair –because she had never seen anyone having such grand tousles of hair in her life time.

"Ouch," the blonde-haired girl spoke on Krystal's behalf.

"Huh?"

"Ouch," the girl above her repeated. "It must have hurt, mustn't it? I didn't mean to pull you that hard," she said as she pushed her body up –letting some space for Krystal to get up from her previously laying position.

Krystal soundlessly groaned when she moved her muscles. There was a dull throbbing on her head and she nearly did not want to wake up (but the ground she was laying at was rather wet and it was uncomfortable). Forcing herself to get up, Krystal groaned some more –this time with a sound – as she examined numerous bruises and scratches peeking behind her tattered plaid shirt and jeans.

She must have not looked presentable (not that she cared about looking presentable), but Krystal knew that she was still looked more presentable than the blonde-haired girl who was now sitting beside her –grinning wide and just looked happy, with her black off-shoulder, super short tunic. The girls eyes were rather cold, but her smile was bright –odd combination, and Krystal still could not take her eyes off that weird red apple on top of her blonde hair; and oh, was that bug she saw hiding between that blonde mess one would call hair?

"I'm Nana," the girl introduced herself without a query being posed.

Krystal stared blankly at Nana. Nana stared back.

With a chuckle, Nana then spoke again, "I already told you mine."

Krystal never asked her to, but she knew that it was an implication of telling the weird girl her own name. "Krystal."

"Krissy? Pretty," Nana commented, with a warm grin that reached her cold eyes. "Let's go?" she offered with an extended hand –an invitation to stand up.

"Go where?" Krystal asked, but accepted the offered hand still –she just had to get moving.

Nana pulled her up and for such a slim girl, there was quite a strength to pull her up. Krystal grimaced at her suddenly aching shoulders. She then looked up and saw that the slope she had been standing at a few moments earlier (or perhaps, hours earlier –she did not know how long she had fainted). Krystal faintly realized that Nana was probably the one who sneakily pulled her down there –to the wet ground below just some distance away from the lake. Releasing her hand from Nana's grip, Krystal then asked again, "Why did you pull me?"

"Because you're too shy? Heechul does not like shy people. You wanted to enter the Circus, didn't you?"

"What circus?"

Nana did not answer, and asked another question instead, "I saw you looking down towards this lake. What were you doing around if not for entering the circus?"

"I had no intention on entering the circus or whatever it was you were referring," Krystal pointed out rather bluntly. "I was just looking for my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Jessica," Krystal told the other girl, not really understanding why her usually precautious self did not prevent her from spilling these information.

In fact, from the very beginning, Krystal's usually cautious self did not seem to contribute much in the situation. She was facing a girl dressed up like some lunatic who implicitly had admitted to have pulled her down and Krystal had willingly shared information that she would not have disclosed to a stranger, really. And to think about, nothing about Nana screamed safety or even sanity –if anything, Nana would be all the total opposite of those. To call it instinct would be out of the place; Krystal's instinct was telling her to get away from Nana and get away from this place altogether.

"Pretty brunette with pale skin and eyes as uninterested as yours?" Nana asked –Nana, Krystal realized, asked more than she answered. "I know her."

It was suspicious; and Krystal should have reacted wisely, but a hint was still a hint –so, rather innocently, she took the bait. "Where is she?"

"At Jaejoong's workshop? Or perhaps Tiffany was doing her make up?"

Krystal was about to snap at Nana for her personal queries, but she knew she could not anger the girl who –despite all the peculiarity about her – was her only cue on finding Jessica. With a firmer tone, Krystal told Nana, "Take me there, wherever. Take me to Jessica."

"Can't," Nana immediately said. "Really wish I could. But it's nearly dusk, and the circus is about to open. I have to work."

"Jessica is important to me –"

"Well, my job is more important to me," stressed Nana. "I wouldn't want that sissy boss of mine caged me again. Nu-uh, I'll have to work."

Krystal sighed, and looked around. Nana was right –the sun was setting up soon. When Krystal first ventured into forest, the sun was still high above her head, but now, it cast purplish-orange light –the sun was ready to be shifted with the moon. Krystal had not prepared on staying over in the wood, but she knew that she could not exactly go back home when she was so close on meeting Jessica.

Jessica is not there, and you are just looking for an excuse to get away from your world, aren't you?

"Alright. When do you usually finish your job?"

Nana frowned. "Are you thinking of waiting for my job to finish?"

Krystal shrugged. "Yeah?"

"Can't," Nana declared again. "My boss is a stingy capitalist. He'd slave me for decades for all I know."

Figuring out it was a joke, Krystal chuckled humorlessly. "Seriously, I need to find my sister. I've been looking up for her for days, weeks even. I can't lose her. And you're the only one who knows where she is. You have to help me."

"But you can't wait here," Nana told her. "They'd find you, and my boss would not like it."

Krystal did not care about Nana's boss' preference. Krystal did not quite understand Nana's words either. But she knew Nana was her only lead and that for the time being, she would have to follow Nana. "Alright, where can I wait?"

"I have to work –"

"I won't be disturbing your work –"

"You don't get it," Nana interrupted. "By waiting, you are disturbing my work."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Krystal tried to compromise despite not really getting any peculiarities that Nana was mumbling. "What do I have to do so that you can do your job undisturbed and me finding my sister?"

Nana thought about it for a while. She then glanced at the sky for a couple of moments (Krystal decided not to disturb her), and finally she came up with a solution. "I think I can take you to Jaejoong's workshop. You usually have to wait there anyway. But I have to distribute some flyers and arrange the ticketing and prepare the tents, so you'd probably have to follow me around before I get to take you to Jaejoong's place. He could help you find Jessica, I think. Jaejoong is not very busy nowadays."

"Fine," Krystal agreed to the proposal without really having the desire to nitpick the weird information Nana had given her.

Nana clapped her hands like a little child. Seemingly a person who did not understand the limit of personal space, Nana quickly linked her arms with Krystal's and dragged the latter ahead. The blonde-haired weirdo led the way towards a certain red door with a long bricked tunnel behind it.

Krystal was quite sure that there was supposed to be a lake in place of that red door, but Nana had been weird enough, and chances that Krystal was dreaming or being high was higher than ever, so she did not protest when Nana pulled Krystal towards the red door.

Nana opened the red door, and Krystal laid her first step on the messy world behind it.

To be Continued