Recap

“I think I’ve fallen for you…” I said and my voice lingered. I no longer felt the support of Joon’s hand. My fingers stretched in hopes of holding him again. However, it was too late. 

My body sprung backwards. Joon and I were no longer in contact, the space between us grew further and in seconds, he left my sight completely.

Hyosung’s POV

My limbs were numb and I felt the weight of my body hanging from my arms. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was slipping away from Joon’s hand.

The sound of a loud horn rang in my ears, perking up my senses. My eyes fluttered open and a heavy wooden chair was placed in front of me. The design was unique, curves and vines twisted and turned in every corner. My eyes then landed on the top of the chair. There it was, carved into the wood, my name. Jun Hyosung.

That chair was for me.

“Oh you’re awake!” A voice beside me called.

My head turned and Tiffany’s face lurked in the dark. My fingers curled and I dug my nails into my hands, trying to force the cuffs that pined my wrists to break.

“It’s no use. Those are secured with Keeper’s magic. A ghost like you won’t be able to overcome that.”

“What do you want with me?” I cried, I wanted to see Joon… I wanted him to be here, to hold my hand again and say that he will never leave my side.

“Just some questions and maybe a purification.” Tiffany said with a smirk.

“I thought Keepers were supposed to help ghosts, locking me up doesn’t seem very helpful on your part.” I stated, hoping to hit a nerve.

“Yes we do help you, we also help the world stay balanced. Ghosts should be ghosts and humans should be humans, there is no way I’m going to let you and that lover boy break that balanced.” Tiffany informed aggressively.

“What balance...?”

Tiffany rolled her eyes. “He can see you, he can see us! That’s not supposed to happen!” She sighed, “Since we found out he had the ability to see you, we’ve named his condition the rare case.”

Silence overtook the conversation. Rare case? How dare they treat Joon like some lab experiment! It was my fault. If I didn’t bother Joon in the first place, none of this would’ve happened.

“What’s… a purification?” I asked, filling the silence. I needed her to keep talking, to buy myself more time.

Tiffany sighed, “Why are ghosts so stupid these days? Purification is a process to be purified. You will no longer be a wondering spirit, you disappear. You turn into the air humans breathe, the water they drink, the clouds they see. You become nature. That my little ghost, is purification.”

I felt my heart clench. Did that mean I would never see Joon again? I would never be able to speak to him? The thought was daunting. I don’t want this. I can’t be purified. I needed to escape.

Joon’s POV

Gone. Just like that, Hyosung was gone. I closed my eyes and pictured the movement of her lips when she was ripped from my grasp. What was she trying to tell me? Several days had passed and Kikwang still couldn’t locate where she was. Was this it, was it the end of an unexpected encounter?

“This is hopeless!” Kikwang said in exasperation. “I’m the Head Keeper, I should be able to locate where she is at any time, at any place!”

I sighed. “It’s been a few days already, you don’t think she’s alrea-”

“She can’t!” He cut me off before I finished. “That doesn’t solve the balance at all!”

I raised an eyebrow which caused Kikwang to sigh.

“From what I can see, the reason they want to purify Hyosung is because she sparked an imbalance between the human world and the supernatural. Those keepers think that if she disappears, your ability to see us will too,” Kikwang explained.

“I have no idea what kind of Keeper theory that is but that sounds stupid. Wouldn’t I be the one who’s causing the imbalance and not…” I finally caught on to what Kikwang was trying to say. “Right! So even if she’s purified, I’ll still be able to see ghosts,” I gestured to Kikwang, “and you and all the other crazy stuff I’ve been sensing.”

Kikwang nodded.

“And why do they not realise this?” I questioned.

Kikwang gave a shrug. “Lack of thorough thinking is all I can think of.”

A small smile graced my lips. “That was a nice way to say they were stupid, wasn’t it?”

Kikwang didn’t respond.

Hyosung’s POV

Tiffany moved closer as my heart pounded against my chest. I want to be with Joon, I don’t want to be purified. These thoughts reeled over in my mind and with the knowledge that I wouldn’t be able to escape, I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself.

I heard Tiffany laugh. “Easy there, I’m not purifying you yet. You need to answer some questions first.”

I flicked my eyes open and saw a scroll materializing from thin air. Suddenly, my body was thrown against my will and I was sitting on the wooden chair. My limbs were locked in place. 

“What did you want to ask?” My voice quivered from the lack of confidence.

“It’s all part of the process,” Tiffany replied.

She unraveled the scroll and held it firmly between her hands. “First question, what is your name?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Don’t you already know that? What kind of ques-”

I was cut off before I could continue. “Answer the question.” Tiffany demanded.

“Jun Hyosung.” I said with a nervous voice. 

A smirk formed over Tiffany’s stoic face. “Good. Have your ties with the human world been resolved?”

I gulped. “Ties?”

“Sorry, let me make that easier to understand. Do you have any regrets leaving the human world?”

Yes! I screamed inside my head. I do have regrets. I regret not being able to stay by Joon’s side, I regret not being able to enjoy his company, I…

Tears brimmed my eyes and I slowly nodded my head.

“What kind of regrets?” Tiffany continued to ask.

“I have someone that I don’t want to part from.”

Tiffany nodded and I saw my response being magically inscribed on the scroll’s surface. I wasn’t sure what was happening but I was certain that no amount of pleading could cause Tiffany to unbind me from this chair.

Tiffany continued asking questions and I continued to answer them. Why did this seem more like an interview than anything else.

“Alright, final question,” Tiffany announced.

I felt my heart skip a beat. What happened after this? Would I immediately be turned to nothing?

Sweat started to coat my hands and a churning sensation filled the center of my stomach. I stared at Tiffany’s lips and they looked as if they were moving in slow motion. She finally stopped but her voice never reached my ears.

“Sorry?” I prompted for her to repeat herself.

Tiffany made a face of annoyance and exhaled. “Do you, Jun Hyosung hereby accept that by answering the above questions, will now adhere to restore the balance between human and the supernatural?”

What? How could I possibly say yes to that if it was going to purify me?

“No…?” I replied quietly.

The Keeper scoffed. A sharp arrow formed in her hand and in a split moment, it coursed straight towards my defenseless body, pinning me further into my unpleasant seat.

“I don’t think I heard you correctly. Could you please answer again?”

The pain radiated from the arrow all over my limbs. It was getting unbearable.

“No!” I screamed.

“Very well then,” Tiffany said and advanced closer. “I guess you’ve made this purification a lot harder than it has to be.”

Her lips curled up into a devious smile and my vision became blurry. The floor beneath us suddenly moved violently. I knew that something had hit the room but I couldn’t hear the impact. My head slowly lifted and my eyes made contact with a giant hand reaching down. I glanced over at Tiffany. Her small body was pressed under a pile of rumble. It was weird, I could see the destruction of the place but I didn’t feel anything. I wasn’t scared nor was I relieved. Everything was… neutral.

I looked up once again and before I could comprehend the next sequence of events, the giant hand curled its fingers around me and pulled me out of the room. When I was above the ceiling, everything was a blinding shade a white. I couldn’t make out my surroundings at all. I closed my eyes and felt the chair dissolve around me. I wasn’t in pain anymore either and the arrow seemed to have left my body. Was this part of the purification?

Slowly, my body was released and I was floating in space. Before I could even get a good idea of how to move around, I experienced a huge downwards force and I was propelled towards… towards what? The sound of bells echoed in the distance and I screamed as I fell. Fear had overcome me from the uncertainty of my landing. 

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OMG ITS BEEN TOO LONG! I'M SO SORRY FOR KEEPING EVERYONE WAITING FOR THIS! THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME! 

xx