It doesn’t make sense.

The ghost dimension is getting weird. First, the ghosts are working together. It never happened before. They’re individual creatures, their goal is personal, and they don’t care about other ghosts. Second, the growing number of Damneds hanging around. It’s like you kill one and another three pops out. Then there’s also Damneds who worked together. If a week ago someone told me that they saw bunch of Damneds working like they besties, I’d laugh so hard and call that person an idiot.

And last but not least, that Jisoo girl. A Quiet One who’s friends with my partner (who have been keeping it a secret, but whatever). It just doesn’t make sense. Quiet Ones, just like its name, are supposed to be quiet. They definitely aren’t friendly, let alone talk back at a Hunter.

As I said, I have someone to meet. Knowing how hectic his life can be, I dial him first. It goes straight to voicemail.

“Sorry, Death’s currently busy. Come back later when he’s not collecting the dead,” said the voicemail in his very own voice.

Thanatos LXVI was the 66^th reincarnation of Thanatos aka Death. Or as he liked to be called nowadays, Kyungsoo. He takes the form of a male teenager with clean cropped black hair (sleeked back with powerful gel), black eyes, and fair skin. He’s a bit on the shorter side and looks a thousand years younger than he actually is. He doesn’t like picking up his phone, especially on busy time. His tech skill is the equivalent of your grandparents. And he’s my best friend for as long as I’d been in the field.

“Where the hell is he?” I mumble, followed by trails of curses under my breath. Out of all time to become unreachable, he chooses this time. About two weeks before, Kyungsoo wouldn’t leave me alone. I suspected he’s lost his mind from all the soul collecting gig. Then one day, he just suddenly stopped. No news, nothing.

I grip on the steering wheel. Car still parked before my flat. Think, think, think, I command my brain. If your best friend wouldn’t answer his phone, where did you look? His house. Except that the particular friend of his lives among the darkest pit of dark pits and he’s rarely ever home. His job requires 24/7 of his time. Like, one time we were just hanging at the nearest McDonalds for lunch when Kyungsoo’s face fell.

“What?” I asked.

“The radar goes off. Someone’s dying. Better be there before, I don’t know, Damneds got there?” He scowled before he ‘poofed’ away. Nobody (but I) could see what happened because, well, he is Death. There must be some powerful going on.

So, his house is not an option. He doesn’t have a favorite place to eat. He doesn’t like the clubs (last time we’ve been to a club, we left within five minutes). He collects souls and supervises the dead when he isn’t that busy. On top of all, he can be everywhere. Where could he possibly be?

As if a yellow bulb just appeared above my head, I get an idea. There is one place that my friend might be at.

A tiny, local diner not far from my flat is never full. I have an idea why: the food tastes like cat’s vomit mixed with its piss. At least they set reasonable prices, which is why Kyungsoo loves going here. He knows the owner and often cook for himself. ‘They have every ingredient but have no idea how to use them,’ he used to say.

I push the wooden door open. There are only five people inside the diner, including the waiter and the cook. A big guy with leather jacket (not that scary once you saw him drinking smoothie), a curly-haired college student, and at the end of the bar, looking as if he hasn’t slept for years is the one I’m looking for. He wears everything in black—desperately trying to look menacing, I suppose. And he’s playing an old game (snake) on his phone. Like he knows he’s being watched, he turns and our eyes meet.

Ooh, he is so dead.

Even though he is Death.

Whatever.

I march toward my friend with the kind of smile I hope look sinister. “Oi, old man!” I call out. The leather jacket guy turned to him. I hold up a hand. “Nope, not you, sorry, mate.” I continue walking in long strides toward Kyungsoo and take a seat beside him. “So,” I begin.

“Alright, I can’t pick up the phone because—”

“You’re playing a game. Snakes! Wonderful.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “What is it?” He asks the waiter for another glass of whatever-that-suspicious-water-is.

“I bet my assets you know what’s going on, Soo.”

The guy scoffs. “You have no assets, Kai.”

“I have brilliant set of weapons.”

“Not my stuff. I just take lives and roll with it, you know?”

Yes, I know. “Just tell me. What’s going on? Damneds working as a freaking group? That’s just wrong on so many levels.”

“You’re fully aware there aren’t just us here, right?”

I shrug. “They’d only think we’re nuts. Go on.”

Kyungsoo’s shoulders slump. He looks down to the stool, to the glass of the suspicious water. Then he inhales sharply before saying, “The balance’s broken.”

“What?” I ask. I’ve never heard of the term. But then again, I might be a bit behind in the Hunter education system. “Balance? What balance?”

“Someone might or might have not bargained with me.”

I furrow my brows. “And you agreed? Knowing the consequences? That’s low, mate. I know you’re like, otherworldly and stuff but this has to stop. Do you know how hard it is to fight Damneds five times a day? No, you don’t know.”

“I can’t.” Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“Yes, you can. You’re Death. You can do anything.”

Death shakes his head again. “I’m not a god, Kai. It’s been done. The only way to end this is to get the Echo and sent her, or he, whatever, back to death.” Before I can ask, he explains further. “Echo is the subject whose death I delayed.”

I nod. “Where can I find this Echo?”

“I don’t know.”

“Brilliant. That is very helping.”

“I really don’t. I wish I know.”

I keep silent for a second. “This friend of mine is also befriending a Quiet One, you know? Do you think that ghost would know about the Echo?”

“A friend of yours?”

I raise a brow, feigning an offended look. “What, you think you’re my only friend?” I ask. I wouldn’t actually refer Sora as a friend, but yeah.

“Tell me about him.”

“Well, first, it’s a her. She’s not really my friend, or girlfriend if you ever plan to tease me. Second, she has a Quiet One in her closet who talks to her and stuff.”

Kyungsoo just stare at me—no, at something beyond me. I look behind and find nothing. I’m about to snap him back to reality when my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket and check the caller ID. Sora. Yep, she can wait. I turn off my phone.

“So? Do you think I can ask this Quiet One?”

Kyungsoo shifts his focus back to me. “Yes, yes, I suppose you—” He stops talking and closes his eyes, sighing afterward. “Dead body alert. See ya.” And just like that, he disappears.

Author's Note:

KYUNGSOOOOOO~~~