Episode 1: The Promise
Elisa stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her braids and checking her lips for the fifth time. She wanted to look perfect—even though she had no idea what to expect.
"South Korea, here I come," she whispered with a nervous smile.
Her aunt, Remi, had been the one to arrange everything: the flight, the travel documents, and even the so-called 'student exchange program' Elisa barely understood.
"You'll live with a host family," Aunty had said. "They're rich, they want a girl like you to tutor their child in English. And they'll take care of everything."
It sounded too good to be true.
But Elisa wanted to believe it. Her mother was gone. Her father? Long story. So when her aunt offered her an escape from Nigeria to a better life, she said yes.
Even if something felt… off.
---
At the airport, Elisa hugged her little cousin goodbye.
"You'll call me every day, right?" the girl asked.
"Of course," Elisa smiled. "I'm not disappearing."
But she was.
---
When she landed in Seoul, she expected warm welcomes. Maybe even a student sign with her name. Instead, she was met by a stiff-looking woman with sunglasses and a cold stare.
"You're Elisa?"
"Yes, ma—"
"Follow me."
No smiles. No questions. Just a silent ride through the city to a house she didn't recognize from any pictures. The woman handed her a new phone with no SIM card and said,
"Rest. You'll meet the master of the house tomorrow."
Elisa blinked.
"Master?"
But the woman had already turned and left.
---
Her room was beautiful—too beautiful. Gold accents. Silk sheets. A glass wall showing a garden that felt too perfect, like it was made for watching, not for walking in.
She tried the door. Locked from the outside.
Her chest tightened.
"This isn't what Aunty promised…"
---
That night, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She didn't know the name of the family. She hadn't seen any children to tutor. And no one had told her anything—except to wait.
Then, just before sleep, she heard a noise outside her room. A man's voice. Cold. Deep.
"Did she ask questions?"
"No, sir. She's young. She trusts easily."
The voices faded, and all she could hear was the pounding in her chest.