Seoul, Baekho High School – 7:40 a.m.
The sky was blanketed with heavy clouds. The cold wind swept through the narrow city streets, rustling the dry tree branches.
Standing before the iron gates of the imposing Baekho High School, Kang Jaemin paused for a moment.
Her frozen fingers clutched the straps of her backpack.
She didn't want to be there.
But she had to be.
Even if she didn't quite know why yet.
Students hurried past her — some laughing with friends, others with deep dark circles under their eyes, walking like zombies. Each one carrying something unseen.
Jaemin took a deep breath and stepped through the gates.
Her black hair with red-dyed tips fluttered in the wind. She wore the school uniform under a worn-out red jacket.
She walked alone through the silent hallways until she found classroom 3-1.
"Why did they transfer me here?" she wondered as she walked.
"I don't like meeting new people… I hate crowded places… so why?"
But before she could answer her own questions, she stopped.
Suddenly.
Her eyes widened.
She could hear it.
The whispers.
"Just jump already… no one would care if you disappeared."
"You'll never be good enough."
"So fat… look at Jiwoo, she's perfect… you look like a pig…"
The voices were cold. Cruel. As sharp as invisible blades.
But only Jaemin could hear them.
After all, only those who carry hidden secrets… can hear the Nocturnas.
Creatures born from the shadows — whispering the worst thoughts into the minds of their victims.
Some call them twisted desires. Others call them ghosts.
But Jaemin knows their true name.
Nocturnas.
Creatures born from the darkness of the human soul.
And Baekho High School… was crawling with them.
---
Classroom 3-1 – 8:01 a.m.
Jaemin entered without a word and sat at the back of the classroom, dropping her tired body onto the desk.
Soon, someone sat beside her.
The air shifted.
A cold sensation crept down her spine.
She slowly lifted her eyes…
And saw a boy.
Light blue hair, pale skin, and eyes as cold as the wind outside.
He stared at her. Unblinking.
Jaemin felt a shiver.
Before she could react, the door opened and the teacher walked in with a cheerful smile.
— Good morning, class!
Everyone answered in unison — except Jaemin.
— We have a new student today. Would you please introduce yourself?
Jaemin stood slowly and walked to the front of the room.
— Kang Jaemin. Nice to meet you.
Simple. Direct. No smile.
The classroom fell silent. Some students whispered, surprised by her appearance.
Jaemin returned to her seat.
The boy with blue hair was still watching her.
This time, he smirked.
A strange smirk. As if… he knew something.
"He's hiding something," Jaemin thought as she laid her head down on the desk again.
---
"You should've died in that accident."
"No one wants to be your friend."
She jolted awake, the whispers piercing her mind.
She jumped from her seat, startling the entire class.
— Miss Kang! — the teacher scolded, clearly annoyed — You were sleeping and now you're disrupting my class?
— I'm sorry… can I go to the restroom?
— Go. But don't take long.
Jaemin left — but she didn't head for the restroom.
She followed the sound.
The whispers turned into laughter.
"JAEMIN, YOU FINALLY FOUND ME?! Hahaha!"
"Or maybe I FOUND YOU?!"
She ran down the hallway, descending the staircase that led to the school's old basement.
A dark, damp, forgotten place.
The smell of mold was suffocating.
The air grew colder. Much colder.
— Show yourself! — she shouted, pulling a bronze bell with ancient markings from her jacket pocket.
She shook the bell in the air.
RING. RING. RING.
The shadows twisted. Screamed.
Figures emerged from the walls. White eyes stared at her.
— DIE, HUMAN! — a deep voice roared from the darkness.
Jaemin stood her ground. Her eyes burned with determination.
She was there for a reason.
To destroy the Nocturnas.
And she wouldn't leave until her mission was complete.