Not heaven

Warmth. A soft pillow. Silk sheets.

Kim Ye Rin stirred gently, her eyelids fluttering open to a golden glow. Her body ached all overher neck, especially but the bed beneath her was unlike anything she had ever slept on. Plush, luxurious, and wide enough to fit four people. The covers were made of velvet and shimmered faintly under the chandelier light.

She blinked, taking it all in.

The room was massive decorated like something straight out of a royal fantasy drama. Gold-trimmed curtains swayed slightly from the breeze flowing through an arched balcony door. A crystal chandelier hung above her. Antique vases, detailed paintings, and rich wallpaper wrapped around her like she had fallen into a dream.

She gasped and sat up slowly, her hand on her chest.

“Am I… in heaven?” she whispered.

Her neck throbbed. Her body ached. But the room this room was nothing short of paradise.

Her eyes widened as she looked around again. “I must be dead. I died, didn’t I? That monster… that man… he probably sucked all my blood and dumped me on the road like trash.”

She winced at the thought but tried to brush it away. With effort, she swung her legs off the bed and stood, wobbling slightly.

Still looking around in awe, she wandered toward a nearby shelf. Her hand brushed a golden vase and she gasped. “This is real?!”

She touched the curtains. The carved desk. The fine wallpaper. Then her eyes landed on a sleek, ultra-thin television on the opposite wall. “Wait a minute…” she murmured. “There’s TV in heaven?”

She squinted at it, then turned her head slowly, confused but amazed. “There’s… wallpaper? Matching gold-trimmed doors? Cool furniture? God really took inspiration from Earth, huh?”

Ye Rin let out a giggle, covering her mouth like a child who just told a secret. “Oh—wait—I don’t mean to say that, God. It’s just... it looks a lot like Earth. It’s kind of silly. I mean, there’s no copyright issue, right?” She looked up, hands pressed together in mock prayer. “Please ignore me, I might still be in pain. I'm grateful, really.”

A jolt of pain from her neck made her flinch. “Ouch… why does my body still hurt if I’m dead?” she muttered.

Still rubbing her neck, she started dancing slightly light on her feet, twirling once. “But it’s fine. I’m in heaven. I made it. Even though I—” she suddenly stopped, eyes wide. “Wait… I once stole a lip tint from the store when I was in high school...”

Her hand flew over her mouth. She looked up in panic. “Please forget that! That was a long time ago! I gave it back eventually… sort of… the pain is confusing my thoughts!”

She laughed awkwardly and began spinning again, her body still sore but her spirit strangely light. “This must be paradise. I feel kind of free. I could stay here forever.”

Then she turned toward the far corner of the room.

And froze.

There—sitting calmly in a velvet armchair—was a man. Tall. Dressed in black. His legs crossed. His posture perfect. His skin pale like snow, framed by thick black hair that touched the tops of his shoulders.

But what struck her most… were his eyes.

Glowing, slitted, golden like a cat's in the dark.

He was watching her. Silently. Amused.

Ye Rin blinked. “An… angel?” she whispered.

Without even thinking, she started dancing toward him with a dreamy smile, her arms floating like she was gliding through clouds.

Before she reached him, she bumped into a glass table she hadn’t noticed, tripped, and landed hard on the floor. “Ouch—!”

She grabbed her head and groaned. “I can feel pain? In heaven?!”

Then it hit her.

The memory. The man. The crimson eyes. The bite.

She whipped her head up, heart racing.

“That’s… th-that’s the guy! The one who bit me!”

Ye Rin scrambled backward on all fours, away from the man, her breath quick and panicked. “You—you’re supposed to be dead! Or maybe I’m supposed to be dead! Why are you here?! Where am I?!”

The man finally moved, resting his chin on one hand as his eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction.

“Ah,” he said smoothly. “Your sense is finally back.”

Ye Rin froze. Her lips parted slightly as fear twisted inside her like a knot.

“You… you bit me.”

“I did.”

She pressed her hand to her neck, feeling the tender skin where the bite had been. “Am I… going to die?”

The man stood, his long black coat brushing the floor. He walked slowly toward her, his voice low and calm. “If I wanted you dead, you would be. But instead… I saved you.”

“Saved…?” she echoed, confused and terrified.

He stopped in front of her, kneeling down to meet her gaze. “You gave me your blood. And now, Kim Ye Rin... you belong to me.”

Her eyes widened. “W-What…?”

The man’s lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile.

“Welcome to your new life.”

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