Episode 1

  Honk, honk—

  Cars blared their horns as they passed by. The noise was deafening, but Jihyun didn’t care.

  No—he didn’t want to care.

  His head was already a mess, and he had no room to think about anything else.

  A car accident.

  No—a scam.

  People said that once you get caught by scammers, your life is over. That’s exactly what happened to Jihyun’s family.

  In a blind spot with no CCTV, at an angle where the dashcam couldn’t record, the scammers had deliberately staged a collision.

  Their car was one of those ultra-luxury imports, with repair costs so absurd they defied logic.

  And yet, thanks to their cunning schemes, all the blame somehow fell on Jihyun’s parents. It shouldn’t have been possible, but sometimes reality defies reason.

  Anyone could tell it was part of an organized insurance scam—but Jihyun’s family had no means to fight back.

  Even the lawyer they had trusted shook his head helplessly, saying there was nothing to be done. His voice trembled with anger, but anger was all he could offer.

  The house had become a disaster.

  Jihyun’s father, who had been running around desperately trying to fix things, collapsed under the stress.

  Now, the remaining family members were suffering in ways they had never imagined.

  The scammers tormented them to the very edge of what was legally allowed. Even trying to borrow emergency money was nearly impossible, and the situation grew worse by the day.

  Jihyun’s mother did her best, but the debt was far too large for a two-income household to handle.

  There was no immediate solution.

  They were filled with resentment toward the scammers—but that did nothing.

  All they could do was sigh.

  Perhaps that’s why the walk home felt longer than ever.

  Ring—

  His phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket—it was his younger sister calling.

  “Hello?”

  His voice came out weary.

  “—Oppa, are you on your way? Dinner’s ready.—”

  His sister, Jisoo, was urging him to come home. She was in her final year of high school and should have been buried in her studies, yet she still took care of housework since their mother worked overtime and Jihyun worked part-time.

  “I could’ve made something myself… Thanks. I’ll be home soon.”

  He swallowed the lump in his throat and promised to hurry. He didn’t want to burden his siblings, but there wasn’t much choice anymore.

  “—Please. You can’t cook anyway. Jihyuk and I already ate, so just hurry back.—”

  Her voice sounded cheerful, but he could tell she was forcing herself. Gratitude and guilt tangled inside him.

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  “Yeah… Okay.”

  Holding back tears, Jihyun ended the call. If he spoke another word, he knew he’d break down.

  He needed to get home quickly—for his siblings waiting there.

  He started to walk faster.

  That’s when it happened.

  Zzzzzzt!

  Out of nowhere, a flash of light burst through the air—as if an electrical circuit had shorted and sparked violently.

  Jihyun froze, then collapsed backward. Shock overwhelmed him; all he could do was stare blankly at the impossible sight before him.

  It was natural.

  Anyone would react that way if lightning suddenly struck right in front of them. Sparks danced wildly in the air.

  But if it had been from a fallen power line, he wouldn’t have been this terrified.

  Because this—this was something else.

  The light was like the crackling energy from some strange machine in a sci-fi movie. And it had appeared in midair—out of nothing.

  He had never seen anything like it.

  And because he didn’t understand it, fear began to creep up his spine.

  “W-What is this…?”

  His voice trembled. Panic was taking over. As the bluish lightning reached toward him, Jihyun’s body shook uncontrollably.

  “Aaaahhhh!”

  Run—that was the only thought left.

  He screamed and tried to flee, instincts taking over as the last thread of restraint snapped.

  But before he could even take a full step, something wrapped around his arms and legs.

  He was caught. Pain surged through his body like an electric jolt.

  In that instant, he realized—he was bound. And there was no escape.

  Zzzzzzzzt!

  “Aaaaarghhh!”

  Electric shock ripped through every vein in his body, lighting up his nerves with unbearable pain.

  He could do nothing but scream.

  “—It’s a failure!”

  “—Wrong location!”

  “—Abort! Abort!”

  “—We can’t stabilize it!”

  “—Aaaaagh!”

  Voices echoed around him, frantic and unfamiliar, before everything went white—and Jihyun lost consciousness.

  ———

  “Jihyun! Oh thank God, you’re awake!”

  The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was his mother, tears streaming down her face.

  “Ugh…”

  Words barely came out. Pain coursed through him as awareness returned.

  “Don’t try to move, sweetheart. Just rest for now… oh, thank goodness…”

  His mother clutched his hand, crying with relief—but her joy was shadowed by fear.

  His body was in terrible shape. Whatever had happened to him had left him wrecked.

  When she finally composed herself, she left briefly to call a nurse.

  Jihyun stared blankly at the ceiling. His head was still foggy; he couldn’t piece together what had happened.

  All he knew was that he was in a hospital—and his mother and siblings were there too.

  “Oppa…”

  Jisoo’s eyes were red from crying. Their younger brother, Jihyuk, stood beside her in silence, visibly shaken.

  “…”

  He wanted to speak, but his mouth wouldn’t move properly. His body refused to respond.

  Only the pain reminded him he was still alive—and with it came despair.

  He couldn’t work. He couldn’t help.

  Their father was already hospitalized, and now he was too.

  Two patients meant double the medical bills.

  How much would his treatment cost? The thought alone made it hard to breathe.

  Their lives had already been ruined by scammers—and now this.

  Jihyun felt himself sinking deeper into hopelessness as his siblings wept beside him.

  He wanted to comfort them—but he couldn’t even speak.

  He was sorry to his parents. Sorry to his siblings. And he hated the scammers who had started all this.

  If not for them, none of this would’ve happened.

  “Let me check his condition.”

  The doctor entered and examined him briefly, shining a light into his eyes. His tone was grave.

  “The cause is unclear, but he was brought in with electrical injuries. The good news is—he’s not beyond recovery. He should regain mobility soon.”

  His words sounded reassuring—but they were a lie.

  Above the doctor’s head, a strange dialogue box appeared, visible only to Jihyun—like something out of a comic book. It rapidly filled with streams of information.

  The doctor was smiling—but it was fake.

  He didn’t know Jihyun’s true condition at all.

  The data flashing before Jihyun’s eyes contained everything—the doctor’s past, his thoughts, his memories—flooding straight into Jihyun’s mind.

  Too much. Far too much.

  Knowledge turned into agony.

  “Gaaaaaah!”

  Jihyun screamed, his body convulsing from the sheer mental overload.

  “What the—?! Nurse! Help me here!”

  The doctor panicked. His mother and siblings cried out in terror.

  But Jihyun couldn’t stop. His body thrashed, his mind burning—until, suddenly, it all stopped.

  “Jihyun, can you hear me?”

  The doctor’s voice quivered.

  Jihyun could see it now—everything.

  He knew the truth of everything around him.

  And though exhaustion pressed down on him like a weight, he smiled faintly and nodded, reassuring everyone that he was okay.

  People murmured around him, but he no longer cared.

  He just wanted to rest.

  As he drifted into sleep, he heard one last voice—

  “Doctor, the patient’s… asleep?”

  Jihyun thought the young nurse’s nervous tone sounded cute.

  And then he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  That was how it all began.