Morning came slowly, dragging light across the lake like a brushstroke. Mira hadn't slept. She sat on the edge of her bed, replaying Jin's words.
*"Don't listen when it whispers."*
Who was he really? Why had he looked so serious—afraid, even?
She stood and glanced at the window. The fog had thinned, but the lake still looked unnaturally calm. Too calm. The kind of stillness that hides things underneath.
Downstairs, Mira made instant coffee and checked her phone. No signal.
The town was small. If Jin lived there, maybe someone knew him.
By noon, she walked into Black Hollow—a sleepy village with more trees than people. A small diner sat at the corner, faded sign creaking above the door: *Millie's Place*.
Inside, a woman in her sixties offered a warm smile. "You must be Annalise's granddaughter."
Mira nodded. "I'm Mira. Just came back."
The woman's smile dimmed. "Your grandma was a good soul. Strong. Kind. She didn't deserve… well."
Mira tilted her head. "Didn't deserve what?"
Millie hesitated. "Never mind. You need anything, you come here."
Mira nodded, then added, "Do you know someone named Jin? Tall, quiet. Dark hair."
Millie's face tightened slightly. "Jin Baek? He keeps to himself. His mother drowned in the lake ten years ago. Never really recovered."
Mira blinked. "I… I didn't know."
Millie gave a long look. "Neither did his father. He vanished the year after. People say the lake took him too."
A chill slid down Mira's back.
That night, Mira sat by the window, her sketchbook open but untouched.
At midnight, she heard it again.
*"Come closer…"*
The voice was soft, echoing from the shore.
She stood, walked to the window—and froze.
There was a figure standing knee-deep in the lake.
A woman.
Hair drifting on the water, face hidden in shadow.
Mira's breath caught.
Then the figure slowly raised its hand… and pointed directly at her.
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