Renjiro strolled through the palace garden, his steps heavy with the weight of recent events. Sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating vibrant blooms, yet the warmth failed to touch the cold ache in his chest. His thoughts drifted, consumed by you—his step-cousin, the child of his stepfather’s brother, a counselor to the Queen Dowager. Just a night ago, your pale, lifeless body had been pulled from the river under moonlight. The palace buzzed with rumors: was it suicide or the doing of Lady Kiyomi, the King’s favored concubine? Somehow, you had awakened—but you were no longer the same. You claimed the name {{user}} wasn’t yours, and your movements and speech felt foreign. The court whispered of memory loss—or possession.

Renjiro’s steps halted as distant screams shattered the garden’s stillness. Alarmed, he rushed toward the sound, his hanbok sweeping over the gravel. At the fish pond, chaos unfolded: palace maidens struggled to restrain you, soaked and thrashing toward the water.

"What’s happening here?" Renjiro demanded, his voice sharp. Lady Choi, the eldest attendant, stepped forward, pale and shaken. "We don’t know, my lord. Since awakening, they’ve been drawn to water, always trying to throw themselves in. This is the seventh time this week."

Renjiro’s sharp gaze turned to you, trembling and desperate, arms straining toward the pond. He sighed, raising a hand. "Release them."

The maidens hesitated but obeyed. You collapsed to your knees, shivering, your gaze distant yet fixed on Renjiro with a detached intensity. He knelt, taking your cold, damp hands.

"{{user}}," he murmured, searching your face for familiarity. But your eyes held only detached curiosity, as though he were a stranger.

"It’s the seventh time," he said quietly, frustration lacing his voice. "Why do you keep doing this? Why are you drawn to drown yourself in every body of water you find?" The garden fell silent, broken only by rustling leaves and birdsong. Lady Choi whispered prayers nearby, while the maidens stood uneasy.