>_____<;;

Namjoo was just starting to calm down when she heard a swishing sound as if the wind had suddenly appeared. Lifting her head up she saw a figure run in through their wall and immediately jumped up from where she was sitting. She really wished her sisters hadn’t left her alone now.

“Oh my god, please you have to help me!” the woman with light brown hair donned in casual clothing begged. Her face had a small scrape on it and she looked as terrified as Namjoo.

Immediately taking a step back Namjoo readied her hand to fire just in case she needed to. “Who are you? Are you…a ghost?” Then she shook her head and slightly moaned in horror, “I don’t have any ghost friends.”

“You don’t understand! Only you can help me! Please, he’s coming!”

Freezing in her spot she eyed the woman. Judging from her terrified expression, Namjoo could guess something even worse was going to happen. And she hated being right this time around.

Something or rather someone in a death-like cloak that looked it had been worn for centuries transitioned into being. A slight gust of wind swished in her ear before she turned around to see him. With a deafening scream she hurled herself to the ground by the strange woman when a black ball appeared in the palm of his hand, and of course, he aimed it at her. It landed by her feet so quick she felt her heart race in panic. The black ball immediately disappeared and she saw a dull dagger disappearing along with it.

The strange woman behind her pulled her up and when Namjoo was finally on her feet, she realized how tall the intruder was. When she saw the black swirls forming into a ball in the center of his palm she grabbed the woman.

“Run!”

It was when they ran out into the hall that Chorong made her appearance. After dodging the ball, Chorong ran over with furious confusion on her face.

“What the hell is going on!?” her older sister demanded before turning to the strange woman.

“Don’t ask,” Namjoo cut her before she could speak. “I don’t know what’s going on…duck!”

Namjoo shoved Chorong to the floor and moved in time as another ball came hurling at her. Turning to the strange woman she demanded, “What is going on!? And who is he!?”

Before she could explain another ball came flying their way. Namjoo was pushed out of the way in time, but it slammed into the ghost’s body and she flew back against the stairs. How it could touch and hurt her when she was already a ghost made no sense to Namjoo, but it wasn’t really time to be asking any questions.

“Alright, that’s it!” Namjoo pulled up the sleeves of her sweater when Chorong rushed to the ghost’s aid upon noticing her injury.

“She’s bleeding!” Chorong shrieked.

“Hold on,” Namjoo called before flexing her fingers before muttering, “fireball, fireball. Ok…I can do this.”

Within a second she could feel heat emanating from her skin and imagined herself throwing a baseball all the while flinging her arm back to let go of the fireball in her palm. It skimmed through the air smoothly and Namjoo could feel a sense of pride grow within her, but she’d been unable to foresee what would happen next.

The intruder immediately disappeared from spot and she watched the fireball land on the carpet where it continuously ate at the material.

“Namjoo!” Chorong screamed, but when Namjoo turned it was too late.

Something sharp stung her shoulder before the intruder sent her flying into the living room where she clumsily knocked her head against the corner of the coffee table before landing on the ground.

>_____<;;

Chorong immediately shot up to her feet when the man in his cloaked costume approached them. This person had a deep set of wrinkles around his eyes marking his old age possibly even when he looked thirty something. His hair was sleekly held back and reached his shoulders. She guessed he seemed to be from some kind of era she’d never heard of before.

She didn’t know what to say. Asking him for his name seemed kind of stupid as well as what he was doing there. Obviously, Chorong understood from the attacks, that he wanted them out of the way so he could get his hands on this woman, whoever she was. And how had she come into their home in the first place? Surely Namjoo didn’t just open the door for strangers.

“A Protector,” he muttered, “but don’t think that you can fight me off. I’m too strong for you.”

Chorong’s lips quivered in desperate movement to speak, but her speech was slurred and she couldn’t figure out what it was she wanted to say. But she was sure he’d called her a ‘Protector.’ What the heck was a ‘Protector’?

He held his hand out and Chorong watched the dark swirls form into a ball.

“Step back!”

Chorong abruptly turned in surprise to see Luhan suddenly coming into shape just in front of the dining room.

“Who…” the cloaked man started, but he wasn’t offered the time to find out.

Something very bright, a white orb formed from Luhan’s hand before he flung it forward. Chorong’s mouth dropped open when the man was suddenly incinerated, his scream didn’t even last half a second. Chorong felt her lips make movement in a struggle to speak, but Luhan had dashed ahead into the living room where Namjoo was groaning out of pain.

“Are you ok?” Chorong turned to pull the woman up before walking into the living room.

>_____<;;

Namjoo moaned when she lifted her head, but paused when she saw something drip onto the carpet. Upon taking a closer look she realized part of her forehead was bleeding. Reaching a hand up to touch it she let out a small cry suddenly forgetting the brawl and the tiny fire behind her.

She let out a petrified gasp when someone grabbed her arm to turn her around. Relief lit her when she saw who it was.

“You’re bleeding…” he stated, his eyes set on the blood.

“Ah…it’s just a cut,” Namjoo slightly shrunk back from the intense eyes sitting on the blood on her forehead.

“Stay still for a moment,” he ordered and reached his hand forward. It hovered above the wound for a few seconds and Namjoo watched Chorong’s mouth drop open when the blood suddenly disappeared along with the cut.

With a tiny frown she reached up to touch her forehead confused before getting up to her feet.

“How…” Chorong started baffled.

“Your shoulder,” the ghost from earlier cut Chorong off and moved to the front. “You’re not hurt…but how…”

“Huh?” Namjoo asked confused before turning to look at her shoulder and saw that her sweater and shirt had burnt off leaving a hole. She then recalled getting hit earlier. She peered at them confused, “Oh…should I…be like…dead or something then?”

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying,” the woman furiously shook her head. “But you’re not hurt at all…that’s not possible…” She looked away before gasping and turned back. “Maybe you healed yourself.”

“Wait…what?” Namjoo turned to Chorong. “What’s she saying?”

Chorong crossed her arms, “Well, you tell me what’s going on. Cause I don’t know anything. And you,” she turned to Luhan, “whatever it was you threw, thanks for saving our butts, but that doesn’t explain anything about you or what you’re doing here.” Chorong heaved a sigh, “So someone tell me what’s going on.”

>_____<;;

Chorong continuously paced in front of the others in the sitting room trying to straighten everything out in her head.  

She paused and pointed at the woman, “So you’re saying you’re a ghost and someone’s after you. It wasn’t who we…just killed?”

“No, that’s her minion, it’s an avatar.”

“Oh,” Chorong nodded still confused, “then…who’s behind all of this?”

“The Queen,” the ghost, Son Joo, explained. “She’s meant to be overthrown by me, that is, if I can reincarnate by midnight.”

“Oh…” Chorong managed not excited at all, “midnight.” Then she glanced at Namjoo, “Isn’t Victoria going to be excited about this.”

“You make it obvious you aren’t either,” Namjoo commented without sympathy.

“I just wanted to do some things for myself, but I guess I can put that on a hold,” Chorong told before she turned back to the ghost, “ok, we’ll make sure another one of her minions…avatars can’t get to you. In the meantime,” Chorong turned to Luhan, “where did you come from? Do you really just appear like that?”

“Ah…sorry,” Luhan apologized, “I sensed danger…”

Chorong eyed Namjoo and decided to keep to herself. “So what was that you did? Healing or something?”

“I reverse time,” Luhan explained. “You know, like, return something to how it was before an injury happened so it’s technically not healing…I can’t do that.” Then he shot Namjoo a quick nervous glance.

Chorong frowned and eyed her younger sister before glancing at her injured free shoulder. When Son Joo got hit by the black ball she’d bled, whereas Namjoo had escaped scratch free. And here was her guardian angel who supposedly appeared to protect them…or Namjoo, in that case. Chorong thought she could sense something suspicious going on.

>_____<;;

Victoria’s eyebrows shot up as she scrolled down the page. She’d simply used a search engine for Lee Shin Il who supposedly showed up as a well-respected man, who’d disappeared from the face of society 6 years ago. His deeds such as saving innocents from tragic accidents – floods, fires, the woods etc, gave him his reputation as society’s savior. But yet, this man was the one who’d closed her mother’s case without investigation.

Yet, Victoria still couldn’t find anything about where he’d currently retired to. Whether he’d gone to the countryside or some other city, nothing had been written up about this so-called ‘society’s savior.’ She was confused. If he was such a well-respected man, there would have been at least one newspaper article written about him, but there was none. It was as if he’d disappeared from earth’s surface.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” her boss, Shin Hyerin, asked walking in through the wooden framed glass door. The bells above it chimed signaling her entrance when Victoria looked up.

It was a small shop that sold handmade jewelry and unique home decoratives. Shelves were always stocked because items ran out fast and Victoria was still amazed with the fact that she was the only employee running the shop when Hyerin wasn’t around.

“You heard of a Lee Shin Il, who used to work for the SPD?” Victoria wondered.

“SPD?”

“Seoul Police Department.”

“The name sounds familiar,” her boss set her leather bag down behind the small wooden counter and took off her scarf. “Isn’t he one of those good-doers?”

“Since you’ve heard of him, have you ever heard about him retiring? Where he went or where he is now.”

“Why are you asking?”

Victoria shrugged slightly suddenly unsure whether she was acting strange. “School project.”

“Aren’t you going into architecture? What does that have to do with the police?”

Victoria’s mind blanked before she quickly lied, “Well, you know…there are often lawsuits, all that stuff.”

“Oh,” Hyerin frowned at her before Victoria’s phone started ringing. When she saw that Victoria hesitated to answer she said, “Answer it. It’s fine, there are no customers today. Doesn’t seem like we’re going to be busy.”

Victoria nodded and made her way through the door that led to the inventory room. Stopping before all the boxes on the shelves she answered, “What is it?”

“Thought you might want an update about what’s going on at home.”

“Why?” Victoria’s senses perked up. “Something happened, didn’t it?”

“I haven’t been able to talk to Namjoo about Lee Shin Il, but yes something did happen.” Chorong nodded. “We have a ghost in our home and an Avatar who’s soon going to attack again.”

“Wait,” Victoria halted her sister, “Avatar? Like those blue creatures…”

Chorong laughed sarcastically, “I would really hope you’re right if I haven’t run into one myself.” Then she flatly stated, “No. They’re evil things who throw daggers disguised in black balls or whatever. And unfortunately, while our ghost here got hurt, Namjoo escaped scratch free.”

“You lost me.”

“As if I haven’t lost myself,” Chorong muttered.

“So what’s going on? You guys are under attack?”

“Until midnight that is,” Chorong explained, “the ghost needs to reincarnate before these things kill her.”

“And I’m missing the point about why you’re calling.”

“Mm…well, lets see,” Chorong said, “I need your here so I won’t have to rely on Namjoo’s guardian angel to do the work for us. Hello, didn’t grandma say the three of us need to fight together?”

“Namjoo’s guardian angel is there?”

“Yes,” Chorong mumbled as if angry that Victoria wasn’t comprehending anything. “While fighting this avatar, he suddenly appeared and killed the Avatar with this white orb or something. And guess what, he’s not the only one with healing powers.”

“He has healing powers,” Victoria felt her mind slur in a race to get a hold of all that was happening.

“Oh yea, strange things are getting stranger by the minute,” Chorong nodded. “Didn’t I say Namjoo escaped scratch free earlier? Well yea, she apparently got attacked by the avatar, but no blood. The ghost suggested that Namjoo healed herself, but I don’t know what’s going on.”

“So what’s Luhan doing there?”

“Well, I don’t know about that.” Chorong sounded slightly frustrated. “He must’ve sensed danger, but I’m getting really suspicious about him. Do you really think he’s a guardian angel at all? What if what I said about them sharing a link through something tragic that happened before brought him here is right?”

“I have no idea, Chorong, and you’re not a novelist. Maybe we could talk to him.”

“Well don’t you think you should come home so we can get him to tell us something?” Chorong asked. “He only appears to Namjoo, remember?”

Victoria groaned and ran a hand up her face. “I really don’t have any time for this. He probably has his reasons as the angel he supposedly is. We’ll just have to wait for something to happen in order to learn more. Look, I have a job to do, money to make, and a life to live. I’ll be home in two hours or so.”

“That’s all? Not as if I haven’t been able to do anything for myself since I got home.”

“Are you complaining?” Victoria questioned. “If there’s another attack, you can fight him, can’t you? Namjoo, too. And there’s Luhan. Didn’t you say he wiped the avatar out with his white orb or something?”

“I really think we’re powerless against this thing,” Chorong muttered, “but if you say so, fine. Be home in two hours.”

Chorong hung up almost angrily leaving Victoria confused.

“Victoria?” Hyerin opened the back door and poked her head in. “Someone’s here to see you.”

Victoria frowned. “Who?”

Pulling the door she walked out and felt her lips slightly part when she saw the crime investigator standing inside the shop. 

***Luhan also has powers, now that tells you something suspicious. 

***Either Namjoo's powers are growing really fast, or there's some other reason behind it.

***Chorong's indeed a good observer.