My heart was thumping so hard that I thought that it would explode right on my chest. I am still in the safety of my master's arms, and the longer that I remain here, the more the confused that I get. 

As I stare on those molten silvery orbs, I found myself getting lost on an unknown feeling. It's like being constantly drowning on a vast ocean, falling deeper and deeper to the dark expanse, without knowing when you will hit the rock bottom. It is puzzling, almost terrifying, but at the same time I thought it feels nice. 

Everything was new to me. The giddiness, the rushing of blood to every part of my body, the fireworks that seems to be exploding on my chest.

What is happening to me? Is this what my mother used to warn me about? Am I starting to like this mysterious man? 

"Oi, oi, Son Naeun!" I was instantly brought back to reality when he shouted angrily right on my face. "If you don't have plans to take this mission seriously, you should have stayed back in the mansion instead! What the hell happened and for Pete's sake, get off and stand on your own."

I blinked at him plenty of times before I finally pulled myself away from him. I feel slightly embarrassed that I spaced out once again. 

​​​​​​"Someone's indeed inside but he was already dead when I arrived. There were too many eidolons, twelve to be exact, but I am able to kill ten." I said as I move away from Taemin and ensure that we have a healthy distance from each other. 

Taemin's brows knitted together as he looked at me intently which caused me to look away. "Was that the reason you suddenly fell from that window? That's quite high. You're lucky that I didn't entered the building yet or else you'll find yourself with a lot of broken bones." 

"Yes—I mean, no! The two remaining eidolons stop moving when a ghoul finally decided to attack me." I instantly remembered the face of the ghoul. She look exactly like me and I don't know if I can tell it to him. I am also confused myself of the reason why it did happen. 

​​​​​​"A ghoul? There is a ghoul inside yet you did not tell me?!" 

"I-I was about to! But the door suddenly locked on its own and the eidolons started attacking!" 

My master's brow furrowed even more and was about to march towards the building but a screeching sound echoed from the broken windows above. The two of us looked up at the same time and saw the female ghoul climbing the window sill and was about to jump. 

I am getting nervous once again. I still don't know how will I tell him that the ghoul and I were look exactly alike. If he saw it, would he suspect that my former soul turned into one? Could it be? Or am I just thinking too wild? 

From here, it is difficult to make out her appearance since half of her face was covered with gore. I am assuming that Taemin still didn't realize that our ghoul shares the same face as me because with a serious voice, he shouted for me to run. 

"Run and don't forget to ready your scythe!" His voice echoed on silent street as he made a mad dash to where I am standing. Upon reaching my side, he instantly pulled me along with him and I was left with no other choice but to run along with him. 

As if on cue, the ghoul finally jumped down and released another monstrous shriek that shoot shivers down into my spine. The sound that she gave off is enough to get the two of us running as fast as we could. But no matter how fast we do, she was way faster.

A yelp escaped from my mouth as I felt her razor-sharp nails grazed over my cloak, pulling it with too much force which caused me to fall back and stumble on the cold, hard floor. Her cackle filled my ears once again. When she look down and grin at me, I saw that her teeth were black and decaying, and the sight makes me want to puke.

"T-Taemin!" I shouted for my master's name as the ghoul clawed on my cheeks but my voice was muffled as she proceed with crushing my whole face with her spiny hand.

Warm blood oozes out from the cut skin and sharp pain reverted on me. After than, she wrapped her other hand around my throat and choke me. Damn it, I can't breathe! 

"Die." My trashing abruptly stopped after hearing my doppelganger ghoul. We're not only sharing the same face but the same voice as well. 

On that moment, a memory rushed back into me. It was the night that I run away from my home. I heard the same voice that night and just like now, the voice were chanting words that I should die. The sharp, spiny fingers were also the same. She could also be the eerie breath that has been following me around like my own shadow. This ghoul has been trying to kill me since I was brought back to life.

My vision is starting get spotty since my airway was being blocked as the ghoul continued choking me. No matter how hard I tried removing her hands, the ghoul won't budge. Despite of his decaying body, this monster seems to be stronger than me. 

I feel now a little light headed and my consciousness is slowly slipping. But before I could even close my lids, I heard my master growled, "Get your filthy hand off my familiar you piece of !"

With that, Taemin swung his scythe savagely on the ghoul's arm, his blade missing only centimeters away from my face. 

As her arms were chopped, her black blood sprayed all over me and the body part started releasing steam. But I became dumbfounded as I witness her arms slowly regrowing back. The heck! 

Taemin quickly pulled me on his side and prepare his scythe for another attack. "Damn it, Naeun. I told you to get serious. You're just slowing us down!"

My throat bobbed after hearing him curse. Feeling sorry, I stared down at my feet and I was about to apologize for my action but when I open my mouth, another shriek echoed from the ghoul. Just like what she did earlier, she rushed once again to my location but she can't do it again, she can't try killing me again because Taemin pushed me behind his back. 

"Leave my familiar alone, ugly hag!" Taemin raised his staff, four scarlet blades gleaming proudly atop, and it caught the ghoul's attention. 

When she looked up at him, my master's scythe hang in mid air as Taemin suddenly stilled with his eyes bulging as he beheld the ghoul. To my surprise, even the ghoul seems to be taken aback as well. If I'm right, I thought I saw familiarity dancing on her eyeless face. 

I watched Taemin closely as he lowered the scythe and took a step forward to the ghoul. His throat bobbed plenty of times as he took unhurried steps to my attacker. 

"Marcella, is that y-you?" Taemin's voice was soft, almost inaudible, but my keen senses were still able to detect it. Marcella? Was that the this female ghoul's name?

I carefully shifted my gaze to her. She remained motionless and the fury that she had before gradually subsided into something else. Her ear-splitting screech was now replaced with wail, and despite of