Standing up, Soonkyu blocked her foster parents from the hideous voice. A man walked out of the shadows and stared at Soonkyu. He was most likely one of Jaejung’s servants. He walked up to Soonkyu and stood right in front of her then pushed her to the ground. Something shiny sparkled in the air. It was a knife. Soonkyu kicked the man in the shin causing him to double over in pain. The knife flew across the room and landed in a corner. Soonkyu didn’t waste the opportunity to grab it. She spun around, but suddenly someone grabbed her and pulled her behind him.

                “Ya!” Soonkyu screamed but immediately stopped when she realized it was Sungmin. He had the knife Soonkyu was going after in his hand. Sungmin’s eyes read only one thing, “to kill.” Soonkyu’s foster parents were crying silent tears. They knew they wouldn’t live much longer because a gun was pointed directly to her father’s forehead.

                “If you take one step Sungmin shii, I will pull this trigger.”

                “I don’t think you should be playing with me like that. You know what I am capable of, Shinji.” Sungmin’s voice sounded as if he’d just walked out of an anime and his role was a demon. “Oni shinde kudasai,” Sungmin said slowly with a heavy Japanese accent. Suddenly Shinji arced back and a blood curdling scream rose from his throat, the gun clashing onto the floor. Sungmin walked toward him calmly, not at all was he frightened.

                Shinji’s eyes showed fear and anguish. “Goodbye for now, Shinji. Do not come back again.” Sungmin’s voice sounded as if he were a cat playing with a mouse’s tail. He grinned and pinched Shinji’s pressure point on his shoulder while saying something in Japanese again. A bright golden light burst out of Shingji’s chest and a gray aura covered him. His shrieks were brutal sounding while bones fell onto the floor.

                Sungmin ran over to Soonkyu’s foster parents and covered them with a blanket that shielded them from the horrible demon. Soonkyu fell on the floor in apprehension and couldn’t drift her wide eyes away from the thing dying. Sungmin hurried over to Soonkyu and covered his body with hers.

                “Don’t look,” he whispered as a black cloud washed across the room and a thunderous noise echoed off the walls. Soonkyu closed her eyes and put her head on Sungmin’s chest scared for her life and her foster parent’s. Suddenly everything stopped. The screaming was over, the gray mist left, and the gruesome bones were not falling anymore. Most importantly, Shinji was gone.

                “Soonkyu,” a voice quietly said her name. “We have to go now.”

                Soonkyu’s eyes couldn’t open as if they were glued together. She also didn’t want to open them. Everything ached throughout her body as if she just finished a long workout. Arms went under her and she could feel herself being lifted up. The wind blew hard on her face and she yearned to tilt her head away from it, but she couldn’t move.

                Soonkyu didn’t know who was carrying her or where she was going. She didn’t even remember how she ended up the way she felt right now. Suddenly dread washed over her. All of her memories from before hit her hard in her head sending a sharp pain to her temple. Sungmin saved Soonkyu and her parents from the demon, Shinji by killing him.

                It was still night time possibly one in the morning. Soonkyu’s eyes started to flutter open even though she wanted them to stay shut. She was terribly tired and wanted nothing to do what just occurred that night. Sungmin was the one carrying Soonkyu which was terribly awkward for her.

                “Who is that, Sungmin?” an eerie voice asked. “Can I eat her?” the voice sounded as if the person or thing talking was a witch. The thing had long tangled black hair that looked filthy as if it wasn’t washed in years. It’s eyes were bloodshot.

                “You will stay back, Doggebi, ” replied Sungmin whose voice rose when he said ‘Doggebi’. “You, goblin, have nothing to do here… Get out.” Sungmin was very calm when he said his words, yet they had an effect to them that made you cringe.

                “Please, master. Just a bite.” The goblin asked again, its voice caused a cold chill to crawl up Soonkyu’s spine.

                Sungmin held onto Soonkyu tighter. He clicked his tongue a couple of times then shook his head. “How many times must I warn you, Doggebi?” A vile noise filled the air while the shriek of the goblin slowly died out after a minute.

                Sungmin shook his head and spoke once again. “A curse surrounds you goblin. Your voice will not speak again. Now leave, and don’t come back.” Doggebi didn’t say a thing, he just ran away frantically.

                Soonkyu stayed in Sungmin’s arms for what seemed like an hour. They were in a forest now and no human life seemed to show except for them. They had no light except for the moon that barely gave light because of the thick pine trees. Surprisingly Sungmin didn’t trip once on any of the branches, rocks, or creatures that hid on the forest floor.

                “Sungmin?” Soonkyu’s confused voice filled Sungmin’s ears. She looked around and shook her head. “Where are we? What happened to my parents?”

                He didn’t look down at her and continued to walk. “We are in Juwangsan forest. You’re foster parents are fine. I cleaned up the mess and erased their memories. They were not harmed.” Sungmin put her down so she could walk by herself. Then flinched when he accidently said “erased their memories.” He hoped she didn’t notice what he just said.

                “That’s a relief…” She stared straight ahead not bothering to look at his face while speaking. “Wait, you erased their memories?” She turned up to face him with shock and wonder. “How did you do that? What are you? Why are we in the Juwangsan forest?” Too many questions suddenly washed through Soonkyu. “Who was that goblin you were talking to? What did you to him?”

                “Your grandmother lives here.”

                “What?” Sungmin simply ignored her. “Answer me, Sungmin-shii!” Her voice grew louder yet Sungmin still seemed to not care.

                “I can explain everything once we arrive at the temple.”

                “Temple? What is going on? My grandmother lives with you in a small apartment.”

                “No. I’m talking about your other grandmother. Your father’s side.” His voice was tranquil as usual. It seemed to always be like that no matter what the situation was.

                Soonkyu shocked stopped right in her tracks. She stared up at Sungmin as if he was crazy. “Why? Why are you taking me there?” He cracked a smile at her and continued to walk.

                “She’s nothing like your biological father. She’s quite cunning actually.”

                “And… Isn’t that just like my father?”

                He shook his head, tired. “She’s cunning yet very different. She doesn’t seek for vengeance or evil spirits. She’s cunning but in a way that helps people. Your grandmother is known for helping people when they are in trouble. She has a ‘special gift’ is what you may call it.”

                “What do you call it then?”

                “Shinbyeong, meaning spirit sickness.” Sungmin glanced at her.

                “Shinbyeong…” Sungmin nodded and continued to walk forward without talking. Soonkyu was scared and uneasy since Sungmin didn’t answer any one of her questions, but she didn’t continue to ask. He said he was going to tell her when they arrived at the temple.

Hi my amazing readers. ^-^ Was this chapter too short...? I'm sorry if it was but I truly hoped you enjoyed it! I shall make the fourth chapter longer and with more answers. c: