PROLOGUE, November 20th, 1982

Hana Park felt nervous. She was nervous. But it wasn't the usual rush of adrenaline she'd come to expect. It wasn't the familiar excitement she was used to when revving up her motorcycle for the first time or the anxiety of standing in front of a classroom, forcing herself to speak. No, this was different. This nervousness coiled deep in her stomach, a mixture of emotions she couldn't quite place. It was butterflies, sure, but there was something heavier behind it. A heart full of fragile hope, a new lightness.

The fear of rejection lingered in the back of her mind like a shadow ready to swallow her if something went wrong. Embarrassment threatened to rise, tightening her throat, but she forced it down. It was easier to pretend this wasn't a huge risk like she wasn't about to expose herself in such a vulnerable way that could shatter everything she and Nancy had built over the years.

If everything fell apart after tonight then she would just have to live with it and move on, somehow.

She could do that- right?

She exhaled, her breath visible in the crisp November air, the cold biting into her skin, leaving her cheeks and nose a flushed, pale pink. Hana stood on the sidewalk connected to Nancy's house, her eyes fixated on the second-story window, the one she'd seen so many times before but that now felt like a threshold of sorts.

For a moment, she turned her gaze toward her motorcycle parked at the curb. She could leave. Right now. Hop on the bike, speed down the empty street, and pretend this night never happened. She could forget about her silly crush on the girl she'd known forever, the girl who probably didn't see her in that way. It would ruin everything, wouldn't it? One wrong word, one misplaced look, and their friendship could end.

But then, the soft yellow glow of Nancy's bedroom light switched on, pulling Hana's attention back to the window.

Her feet felt heavy, her body unwilling to move, but she knew- she couldn't leave. She was already here.

She took a deep breath before walking toward the house, her boots crunching softly against the leaves. She flexed her fingers, feeling the cold sting of the air bite at her knuckles as she shook out the nerves. She planted her feet firmly beneath Nancy's window. She crouched low, her muscles tensing in anticipation. One jump. Just like always. Her fingers grazed the metal gutter before she grabbed hold of it, gripping it tightly as the rough edge dug into her palms. She grunted softly as she pulled herself up, the muscles in her arms burning as she used her strength to haul her body onto the roof.

Her boots scraped against the wall, seeking assistance on the uneven brick as she hoisted herself up, little by little until she was balanced carefully on the ledge.

She crouched, taking a moment to catch her breath as she looked up at Nancy's window. Her heart began to pound loudly in her ears. What was she doing here?

This wasn't the first time she snuck into Nancy's room, but tonight felt different. With one last glance at the street below her, she steadied herself and knocked on the window softly.

The knock was too soft almost as if Hana didn't want Nancy to open it- it barely registered in the night air but a second later, Nancy's shadow passed in front of the window. Hana's pulse quickened, and she wiped her clammy hands on her jeans.

The window slid open and Nancy popped her head out, her brown hair falling loose around her face. Her expression shifted from confusion to surprise once she saw who it was.

"Hana? What are you doing here? It's late, and it's freezing out here!" Nancy grinned, her voice was a mixture of concern and warmth.

"Yeah, I... I know. I just... didn't really think it through." Hana chuckled awkwardly, feeling her heart speed up just from seeing that smile. "But I didn't want to wait 'till tomorrow."

"What? You couldn't resist the charm of my humble abode?" Nancy raised an eyebrow, but her grin grew.

"Yeah, that's it. How'd you know?"

Nancy's face softened, the warm light from her room made her look even more familiar, even more, impossible to walk away from. It was the kind that made Hana feel like everything in the world was okay.

"Well, you should come inside then, before you freeze and turn into a popsicle," Nancy said, stepping back and gesturing to Hana to climb in.

Hana hesitated, but once she got inside and she heard the window shut, she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. The warmth of Nancy's room didn't do much to calm her nerves- in fact, Hana was sure it made it worse. The faint smell of vinyls and vanilla made her stomach flutter.

She really couldn't turn back now. Why was this so hard? It was just Nancy. It's always been Nancy. Her best friend. But standing here, she felt like the ground beneath might give away at any moment.

"So... What couldn't wait till tomorrow?" Nancy asked, taking a sit on her own bed. "Did you finally figure out the math problem or something?"

"You'd be the first to know if that ever happened." Hana forced a laugh.

"Wow, a miracle," Nancy smirked, "Seriously, what's up? You never show up this late... you usually leave by this time."

"Uh... I needed to tell you something. Before I chicken out." She stammered, still standing as she picked at her nails.

There was a flicker of curiosity in Nancy's eyes as she watched her friend with that gentle look she always gave, but tonight, it made Hana's stomach twist into knots like she might throw up.

"Hana Park, nervous? That's a first." She teased.

Hana let out a breathless laugh, her hand rubbing the back of her neck. "You have no
idea."

"Should I be worried?"

"No!" Hana came out a little sharp, and she regretted it. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "No, nothing like that. It's just..."

Nancy's playful smile faded slightly, her brows furrowing in, picking up on some weird tension between them. "Is everything okay?"

Hana nodded quickly, even though no, she was absolutely not okay. She took another deep breath, feeling like she needed to calm herself down before her heart exploded out of her chest.

"Yeah... it's just you know... just... stuff. Nothing important." It was important. So important. Hana's voice was weak, barely convincing, even to herself.

Nancy didn't look convinced either. She sat up straighter, her expression softening even more. "Hana, you know you can talk to me, right? If something's bothering you..."

This is it. This was Hana's chance. She could finally tell her what had been building up inside her for so long. But the words were lost, her throat tightening again, and all she could offer was a quick smile before breaking eye contact. She had so much to say and didn't know where to start. She should just let it go, she thought.

Nancy shifted in her spot, glancing down at her hands as if she were thinking of something herself. The air between them hung awkwardly for a moment before Nancy spoke again, her voice softer this time. "Actually... can I tell you something?"

Hana's heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, of course. What's up?"

Nancy hesitated, biting her lip like she wasn't sure how to phrase it. "Um... You know Steve, right?"

Hana's stomach dropped at the name. Any hope she had left had vanished in that moment. Steve Harrington. She knew him well enough- popular, charming, all the things that made the girls swoon. Even Rosemary had a thing for him and would never shut up about him and his stupid perfect hair. But it wasn't just that. Hana had noticed Nancy hanging around him more often lately, and every time she'd seen them together something in her chest tightened, though she never let herself think about why.

She knew now. She realized it a little too late.

"Yeah... I know Steve," Hana responded slowly, feeling a weight settle in her chest. "Why?"

Nancy fiddled with the sleeve of her shirt, her cheeks flushing a little. She smiled in a way that made Hana dread whatever she was about to say next. "I think... I think I like him. I mean, I'm not sure yet, but he's been really sweet to me and-"

Hana barely heard the rest of Nancy's sentence. The words felt distant, muffled like her head had been submerged under water. Nancy was talking about Steve. How she might like him. Nancy liked Steve. And the worst part was she smiled while she said it, that soft smile that Hana had always secretly hoped was meant for her. Jealousy flared in her chest, sudden and hot, but she did her best to hide it under casual indifference. She had no right to feel this way. Nancy could like whoever she wanted. She had no claim to her.

"Oh. Steve." The words came out more clipped than she intended.

Nancy didn't seem to notice her sudden shift at first, her eyes still bright as she continued to talk. "Yeah, I mean... it's kinda weird. I didn't see it at first, but he's been so nice to me lately. And, I don't know, I guess I started to like him."

Started to like him.

The more Nancy talked about Steve, the more the urge to leave and cry herself to sleep grew. Hana forced herself to nod, to smile, to be supportive. "That's... uh great. I'm happy for you."

She's not happy. She was the farthest thing from happy.

But she couldn't tell Nancy that. She didn't want to ruin her night. She felt like she going to be sick. Her head was spinning, her chest was tight with things she couldn't say, the feelings she couldn't show. She needed to leave- now. Hana took a step back, the ache in her heart was becoming unbearable.

Nancy frowned, pushing herself off the bed. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Hana froze. She didn't want to answer. Not when everything she was feeling was so close to the surface, so raw. If she didn't leave now, she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop herself.

"No, its fine. I just gotta go, okay? I'll just... I'll see you tomorrow." Hana shook her head.

"Han, wait."

It was not nothing. Nancy knew this. She took a step closer toward the taller girl, her confusion turning to frustration. Something was off.

"First you show up out of nowhere, all quiet and..." Nancy grabbed her friend's hand to gain her attention as she searched Hana's face. "I don't know, distant. And now, you can't even look at me. What's going on?"

Hana felt the walls around closing in. She was suffocating. Nancy's voice was rising, but it wasn't just anger she heard- it was hurt. And that made it worse, knowing she was hurting her without even meaning to.

"Nothing's going on, Nance. Just drop it, please." Hana practically begged, dropping Nancy's hand.

Nancy didn't. She never did. She stepped even closer, her eyes sharper now, demanding an answer. "No, I'm not dropping it! What's your deal? You're acting like you're about to run away. Why won't you talk to me?"

"I said nothing's wrong, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Because you always get this weird and cagey when everything's fine."

Hana could feel the words she didn't want to say clawing at the back of her throat, threatening to spill out if she didn't get out of there now. She turned to leave again, but Nancy's voice stopped her cold.

"Is this about Steve?"

She turned around, finally meeting Nancy's eyes. There was something in them- hurt, confusion, a flicker of understanding.

"Are you mad because I told you about Steve?"

The jealousy and guilt and fear came crashing down all at once. She was cornered, and she knew it. There was no getting out of this now. Everything she dreaded tonight is happening. Her anger flared up, but it wasn't aimed at Nancy, it was aimed at herself, at the impossible situation she was in.

"Yes! Okay? Yes, it's about Steve!" She yelled, but it was a mistake. She didn't want to wake up Nancy's family.

Nancy flinched, taken aback by the sudden outburst. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

"Because every time you talk about him, I feel like I'm losing you... and I hate it. I hate how it makes me feel." Hana's voice was soft again, she didn't want to scare Nancy again. "I can't stand it, Nance. Watching you talk about him like he's... like he's everything you want. When... I-"

Nancy's eyes widened, her frown deepening. "When you... what?"

Hana's heart was racing, she couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. "When I like you! When I've been in love with you for... God, for so long, and I didn't say anything because I was scared of how you might react- scared that I might ruin everything. I didn't want you to think of me any differently. And now you're talking about Steve and I feel like I've already lost you."

Nancy stared at her, stunned into silence. "Hana.."

Hana's breath came out in ragged gasps, her hands trembling. She couldn't look at Nancy anymore. She'd said it. The thing she's been so afraid to say.

The silence between them was thick, suffocating. Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for Nancy to say something, anything. But the look on Nancy's face- the shock, the confusion- it was too much. She had to get out of there.

Nancy hated her. She's ruined everything.

"I... I shouldn't have said that." Hana sounded defeated, she wiped her face with one hand. Without another word, she headed toward to window in a hurry, sliding it open, and stepping out. She couldn't bear to stay a second longer.

Behind her, Nancy finally found her voice, though it was shaky and uncertain. "Hana. Wait!"

But Hana didn't wait. Instead, she climbed down the roof, hurrying to her motorcycle. Her vision was blurred with tears she couldn't control. She didn't look back despite hearing Nancy call out to her. She mounted the bike, twisting the throttle harder than she intended to, and the engine roared to life, the headlights cutting through the darkness as she peeled away from the house.

The wind whipped against her face as she sped down, her chest heaving with unspent emotion. Nothing mattered except the need to get away. Away from Nancy. Away from that awful moment. Away from everything.

But the only thing she could think about was the look on Nancy's face- the shock and confusion her words caused, and that awful silence that followed. What had she expected? For Nancy to fall into her arms? To say she felt the same way? Stupid.

Why did she have to ruin everything? Her grip on the handlebars tightened as the speed increased.

The road ahead was blurry and unknown, but Hana didn't care. As she rounded a corner, the familiar road to her house stretched ahead of her, and the trees that lined the street casted eerie shadows over it. But sometimes felt wrong. The air was thicker, colder, almost suffocating in a way. It left Hana feeling uneasy. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and still, the feeling lingered, heavy and overbearing.

The world around seemed to shift, like a distortion in the air, subtle but growing stronger with every passing second. She could feel it, the static charge building in the atmosphere, making her skin prickle. The bike's headlights flickered briefly, and that's when she saw it- a faint glow in the distance, barely visible in the darkness, cutting against the pavement like a jagged scar on the earth.

Hana squinted, trying to make sense of the strange light, but as she got closer, the ground itself seemed to ripple, as if reality was splitting open right in front of her. The glowing rift widened, jagged and unnatural, cutting across the road toward her.

Her heart leaped into her throat as she slammed the brakes, but it was too late. The motorcycle skidded, tires screeching as they lost traction on the uneven ground. Hana's breath hitched in her throat, her body jerking as the bike wobbled beneath her, the front wheel hitting the edge of the rift with a sickening jolt.

She lost control.

The bike veered sharply to the side, throwing her off as it crashed into the ground, metal screeching against the ground. Hana tumbled against the pavement, her body hitting the ground hard. The impact knocked the air out of her lungs, and she skidded to a stop just feet away from the rift.

Dazed, she gasped for air, her vision swimming with patterns as she struggled to push herself up and away from the fissure. Her whole body ached, and her palms were scraped raw from the fall, but the pain was the last thing she cared about at the moment, it was distant compared to the strange pull she felt coming from the rift. It was magnetic in a way, an unnatural force drawing her closer, even though everything in her was screaming at her to run away.

She managed to get on her knees, her head throbbing, as she stared at the crack in the road.

The ominous glow was growing brighter, pulsing with an eerie, otherworldly light that seemed to twist the air around it. The bike's headlights started to flicker rapidly as the ground beneath began to tremble. Then, before she could react, the rift widened with a violent jolt, like a mouth opening, and Hana felt herself being pulled toward it. She scrambled for balance on the rough pavement as fear consumed her, but the force was too strong for her to fight it.

She was slipping, being dragged into the unknown.

All of a sudden, all she felt was cold. It seeped into her skin, harshly and violently. It engulfed her whole, shaking her to the bone- it was the only thing she could feel. It wasn't the normal winter she was used to, it was something different. Much darker and deathly. For a moment, she just laid there, gasping for air, her mind struggling to make sense of the situation. Her body ached, but it was nothing compared to the eerie sensation running up her spine.

Slowly, she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, her palms sinking into something cold and slimy. She blinked, trying to focus, but the world around her was a distorted mirror of reality. Everything was twisted and lifeless. A dense fog hovered over the ground, it was suffocating, filled with a damp, metallic taste that made Hana gag.

She looked up, her heart pounding in her chest. Above her, the sky was a sickly red-orange, swirling with dark clouds and distant flashes of lightning. No moon, no stars- just an endless void.

This wasn't Hawkins. This wasn't anywhere. Wherever this was, she didn't belong here.