Chapter One: The Last Candle

The sky above Seoul was a soft grey canvas dusted with snow. Lights flickered on in the alleyways below, and a quiet hush fell over the city as evening stretched its arms. Jessie sat on the windowsill of her tiny apartment, her forehead pressed to the cold glass, eyes tracing the snowflakes that danced through the wind.

It was her only moment of peace.

At twenty-three, Jessie had finally carved a sliver of freedom for herself. Working as a graphic designer at a mid-sized firm in the heart of the city, her days were filled with color, shapes, and deadlines. But the nights—God, the nights—were still haunted by screams that belonged to a past not yet buried.

Born in a small town near Daegu, Jessie was never allowed to dream. Her parents ruled the house with iron voices and sharp hands. Her mother’s words were knives dressed in the fabric of duty. Her father’s silence was always followed by rage. Joy was forbidden. Smiles were rare. And leaving the house for anything other than school or chores was considered rebellion.

When Jessie was fifteen, she had asked to join a school trip. Her mother slapped her across the face before the question even finished forming. That night, her father came home early. The belt was waiting.

But she didn’t cry. She learned not to.

Still, deep inside her, something soft refused to die.

Years passed. Jessie studied hard, got a scholarship, and somehow escaped to Seoul under the pretense of college. She didn’t tell her parents where she worked now. She lied about the city. She lied about being happy. In some way, it was the only thing keeping her sane.

Until today.

She clutched her phone, staring at the message from her best friend, Vanessa.

“My birthday party’s this Saturday! Come, Jessie. Just once, for yourself. Please?”

Jessie’s heart fluttered at the thought. She had never gone to a party. Never worn a dress that shimmered. Never let herself be seen, truly seen.

She dialed home that evening, thinking—just maybe—they’d understand.

“Umma…” Her voice trembled. “Can I go to Vanessa’s birthday this weekend? Just for a few hours. She’s my only friend…”

The silence on the other end was heavy. Then it cracked like thunder.

“You think we sent you to Seoul to play?” her mother snapped. “You shameless girl. Parties? What next, you’ll wear short skirts and sleep around?”

“No! It’s not like that, I—”

“You ungrateful wretch! After everything we’ve done for you, you dare ask for this?”

Jessie felt her lips tremble. Her chest tightened. The anger boiled over.

“I’ve done everything you asked! I’ve lived like a prisoner! I’m done living in this cage. I’m going to that party.”

It was the first time she had ever shouted back.

There was a pause.

Then her mother screamed, “I’m telling your father!”

That night, her phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Her father’s voice was cold when he called.

“Come home.”

She obeyed. Even if her soul screamed, her body still belonged to the habits of obedience.

She arrived the next day. As she stepped into the house, she felt the old dread coil in her stomach.

The belt came fast.

Each lash was sharp, cruel, familiar. She didn’t scream. She bit her tongue until it bled. Her body trembled but her eyes burned with something fierce. Her bruises were black by morning.

That night, lying in her childhood bed, she whispered to the cracked ceiling.

“God, if you're real, please get me out of here. I can’t survive this anymore.”

Tears soaked her pillow.

No reply came, except silence. But something stirred.

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