Chapter 1
I Was Reincarnated into a Horror Novel
My younger sister had gone missing.
“Choyeon, Auntie will definitely find Chohae.”
That’s what my aunt said, but her face was unusually dark.
Her lips tried to lift into a smile, yet her trembling hand on my shoulder betrayed her unease.
“You just focus on your studies and wait, okay? Don’t worry too much. Got it?”
She was probably trying to be considerate of me since I was preparing for college entrance exams.
“…Okay.”
I nodded with effort. Aunt hugged me tightly.
She patted my back, murmuring “Good girl, good girl,” but it didn’t calm me down at all.
How am I supposed not to worry when I might never see Chohae again!
After saying goodbye, I hurried back to the dormitory.
The room was dark — my roommate hadn’t returned yet.
Since our parents often went overseas for work, it had usually been just me and my sister growing up. We’d always depended on each other.
“While Mom’s away, Choyeon has to protect Chohae.”
I’d been told many times that as the older sister, I had to take care of her.
While our aunt became our legal guardian whenever our parents were abroad, we both attended boarding schools, so I was practically her real guardian.
Chohae — my twin sister, born just a minute later — was bright and obedient.
She always followed me around, calling me “unnie” affectionately.
I was supposed to protect her. How could this happen?
I worried for her safety and felt guilty for disappointing our parents.
What should I do…
I bit my lip anxiously, tasting the faint tang of blood. My legs were trembling uncontrollably.
Of course I was anxious — my sister was missing.
But even though we live in a world full of CCTV cameras, I knew my fear wasn’t just normal worry.
The real reason was…
This world is inside a horror novel.
This world was from the horror novel I read in my previous life —
.
I now lived in a world filled with ghosts and urban legends.
I’d lived here so long I wasn’t sure if I’d been reincarnated or possessed.
I realized this wasn’t just a random ghost world but an actual novel when I saw a news story about the “Idol Hanging Injury Case.”
That idol’s stage name was literally Hanging.
At the time, I thought it was some edgy pseudonym, but it turned out to be her real name — exactly like in the book.
That’s when I knew for sure.
It might sound weird, but the original story was actually really popular —
a clever blend of horror legends and fast-paced mystery.
Even people like me, who usually avoided horror, ended up reading it.
But being in that world was something I never wanted!
At least I’d read enough to recognize where I was.
There was a missing-person episode, right?
To be precise — the “Human Trafficker Ghost” arc.
A major antagonist who appeared until the later chapters — even I’d heard about it, despite dropping the story halfway.
The main character’s parents were taken by that ghost too…
If my sister disappeared in a world where such ghosts exist — then it had to be that one.
I bit my lip harder.
“What should I do?”
To make things worse, the last place Chohae was seen…
was Eden-dong.
A neighborhood infamous for ghost sightings — and the main setting of the original novel.
Damn it.
I clenched my eyes shut. I couldn’t just leave this to Aunt and the police.
My instincts screamed a warning.
I have to find Chohae — fast.
Pacing around nervously, I sat at my desk and opened my laptop.
I typed into the search bar:
A website the novel’s protagonist stumbled upon after getting entangled with a ghost.
If it weren’t for this site, someone like me — who never cared about the occult — might’ve already died here.
I skipped the “Occult Info” and “Experiences” sections and clicked the “Free Board.”
The other boards were too scary — I didn’t even want to accidentally open something cursed.
Especially that “Verification Sharing” board.
Who knows what kind of ghost photos are uploaded there!
<Have any of you actually seen a ghost?>(+3)
<Missing people in ○○-dong — is this real?>(+1)
<I keep dreaming about killing myself…>(+44)
<Guide: How to experience sleep paralysis>(+9)
I scrolled through the posts and swallowed hard.
I never thought I’d actually be using this…
This plain-looking site had a hidden secret.
I linked my account and posted something myself.
Title: How do you find someone who went missing in Eden-dong?
User: machoKing
Content: Title says it all.
Just one lazy sentence — but my face was deadly serious.
A minute later, I refreshed.
Two comments appeared.
└ PlagueMaster: You can’t. gg.
└ GraveKeeperPark: You’re in Eden-dong too? Creepy;;
Not them.
I took a deep breath, staring at the screen.
The real secret was that sometimes, ghosts themselves replied to posts.
It’s rare, but…
It’s not hard to tell when it’s a ghost.
They’ll write things normal people can’t know, or suggest bizarre rituals —
or…
offer help, in exchange for something you don’t understand.
I don’t have the luxury to hesitate. Every minute she’s gone, it gets more dangerous.
So I had no choice but to use my knowledge of the original story.
The protagonist gave up after only weird replies, right? Tried to shut down the computer…
And then a smiling woman’s face appeared on the monitor.
Ah, shit.
I really didn’t want to do this. But I couldn’t lose Chohae.
I placed my foot on the power strip’s switch, hovering carefully.
Better to see a ghost’s face than never see my sister again.
I pressed down.
At that instant—
“Holy—!”
A pale, disheveled woman’s reflection filled the black screen.
It was just my own anxious, exhausted face.
“Guess it’s not that easy to copy the original…”
I sighed, disappointed.
I turned the computer back on and instinctively grabbed the mouse.
That’s when I felt it.
The texture was… wrong.
Flatter, uneven — like rough bumps.
Like… human fingers?
Cold dread crawled up my spine as I turned my head—
Flash!
The monitor lit up.
“……!”
The familiar site appeared — my own post, auto-refreshing.
Oh my god…
A new comment had appeared.
└ tkffuwntpdy: chat.
Short and direct.
I refreshed again.
└ This comment has been deleted.
It’s real!
Exactly like the protagonist’s experience!
Heart pounding, I forced myself to open the chat window.
[You have entered a chat with ‘tkffuwntpdy.’]
tkffuwntpdy: How to find missing people in Eden-dong.
tkffuwntpdy:
- Slightly singe a strand of your own hair and tie it to your wrist. If the hair burns completely, abandon the search.
- Go to the place pointed to by the first “person” you meet in Eden-dong. Be careful of both their voice and gestures.
- Do not respond to the first being that speaks to you.
- Never share these instructions with anyone else.
- If any of the above is broken, ■■■ may appear.
Scary…
Why are there so many rules about what not to do?
But according to the novel, this was the only way to find a missing person.
I didn’t have time to waste. I grabbed my bag and rushed out of the dorm.
After Choyeon left, the monitor flickered.
[You have left the chat with ‘tkffuwntpdy.’]
[You have left the chat with ‘SaveMe.’]
No one saw that message.
I glanced at the strand of hair tied around my wrist.
I’d had to borrow a lighter from a passerby — they looked at me weirdly when I burned my hair, so I said it was a superstition among exam students.
Fortunately, it only singed the tip and didn’t burn completely.
Once I find Chohae, I’ll head straight for a crowded street.
Ghosts usually appear when you’re alone.
As I walked quickly, I spotted an old playground ahead. Eden-dong was close.
My nerves on edge, I looked around — and something bumped into me.
“Sorryyy!”
A small child in red overalls bowed deeply.
“It’s okay— oh.”
The voice was childish, and before I could think, I’d answered.
Wait… this isn’t inside Eden-dong yet, right?
I nodded to reassure the kid and walked on.
Since I was still near the border, it should be safe… probably.
But where am I supposed to hear the location?
Just then, a man talking on the phone walked past me.
“Yeah, just go straight past Eden Villa and meet me at the café you’ll see at the end of the alley. Yeah, Eden Villa.”
That must be it!
The message said to pay attention to the first “person’s” voice or gesture.
That counted, right?
Eden Villa.
Maybe that’s where my sister was.
I quickly opened the map app. It wasn’t far. I ran.
Despite my hoodie over my school uniform, the night air chilled my legs.
I regretted not dressing warmer.
At last, I arrived.
A run-down villa at the very end of a narrow, deserted alley.
Catching my breath, I looked toward the entrance — and froze.
Someone was standing there.
“What the…”
A tall boy in the same school uniform turned around as if sensing me.
He was huge — broad-shouldered, pale, with dark circles under sunken eyes and blood-red lips.
He looked more like a corpse than a student.
“How did you know to come here?”
I didn’t answer.
He was the first to speak.
Meaning — he probably wasn’t human.
Oh god. I’m going to faint.
Why, of all places, was he standing right in front of where I had to go?!
