A/N This is 32 pages so I guess brace yourselves because it's so long. TT

When we reached Kyungsoo’s apartment, we were hit by surprise when we saw Father Do Kyungmin. Kyungsoo’s pastor of a father seemed to be waiting for us, his eyes studying us closely when he looked over at me. I knew Kyungsoo must have told him something, all of us shifting awkwardly under his gaze.

“I had only a few hours of sleep,” Kai complained under his breath, Kyungoo telling him that sleep was for the weak. “But it’s good to see you again, Father Kyungmin.”

“And I, you,” Kyungmin answered. “It has come to my attention that my ambitious son had decided to take on a demon that is a bit too powerful. Am I going to stop him? No. But I’m here to make sure to lessen all the casualties.”

“The only casualty we’ll have is Bora if this doesn’t go as planned. Whatever you have planned, Kyungsoo.” Matthew hissed and I cleared my throat. Matthew wasn’t covering his disapproval and Kyungsoo sighed, tapping his hand on the table. “What are we doing here, by the way?”

“From what I have heard from my son, we need all the help we can get.”

“My words, exactly,” Kyungsoo murmured. “My father had contacted the Grim that was there that night. We go from there.”

With less than a beat, there was a knock on the door and it flew open, Kyungsoo quickly standing up to bow lowly at the person who just arrived. I looked over at the door, blinking when I saw no one.

“Oh, bullocks!” A female’s voice rang out and there was a thud, Kyungsoo keeping his body at a 90-degree angle. “The last time I was on Korean grounds didn’t end well for me.”

“Your hat, Ms. Granger,” Father Kyungmin said and much to our surprise, a woman appeared in front of us. She had a pixie cut and wore a black cloak. Her face was well sculpted and she held a black hat in her hand when she looked at us. “Most of them are counters. They are the ones who need help.”

“Counters?” Granger asked, stepping forward to lean towards Chanyeol. “Ah, yes. Yes. Are they registered as counters?”

“Only Bora,” Kyungoo replied in English and even I had no idea what he was talking about. What registered? Registered to do what? “Chanyeol is in the process but he’s still rather useless.”

“Hey!” Chanyeol exclaimed, the newly arrived Grim Reaper nodding with satisfaction.

“You’ll have to register the rest too, young Do. Or you’ll have to face the pressure of the management team. Especially if you keep telling them things they shouldn’t know in the first place,” she quipped, placing her hat down on the table and finally giving all of us a bow. “Hermione Granger, Grim Reaper of European grounds. Defeated a few demons here and there but failed to get rid of Corvius Novak, that bloody little wanker.”

I tried to process her words but British English wasn’t my forte and I could tell my friends were going through the same thing.

“What is a Granger?” Baekhyun asked me and I dropped my voice into a whisper.

“It’s her name.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun brightened up when he knew that, greeting her suddenly. “Hi! Hello! Anyeong!”

“Anyeong to you too, little one.” She smiled at Baekhyun. “Such a pure soul, aren’t you? Give me a moment—”

Her voice was cut off by a ringing and she fumbled with her pocket.

“Grim Reapers have phones?” Kai asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Modern Technology is something even the creatures of the afterlife can’t live without. Makes things easier.” Kyungsoo said, shooting Kai a glance.

“I mean, I expected them to have magic and such.”

“They do,” Kyungsoo said. “Look, she has a wand. Some Grim’s use their own items. There is one dude named Hagrid who has an umbrella.”

“Was that the Grim Reaper who left his umbrella at your place when we went to the Do Church?” Sehun asked, Kyungsoo nodding.

And just as he said, Granger was twirling a long stick in between her fingers, her eyebrows furrowed tightly.

“I’m telling you, Potter! The demon is in the snake! You have to kill the snake!”

She pulled the phone away from her ear and the voice was so loud we could hear it.

“How am I supposed to know that the demon is in the snake—”

“Gormless! That’s what we have been discussing for the past three thousand years! Where is Weasley?”

“He disappeared when Nagini showed—”

And the phone line was cut off, Granger looking gruntled by the call. She took a breath, pocketing it and looking at us.

“So, shall we start?” She asked, all of us looking down on the ground. “We have a demon to get rid of.”

We left it all to Kyungmin, Granger the Grim Reaper nodding from time to time. Father Kyungmin had pretty good English and while we struggled on some parts, Kyungsoo translated some of them when he could.

“But it has also come to my attention that you have a clairvoyant,” Granger said, Kyungsoo pointing at me. “Right as young Tiffany said, a clairvoyant is needed. We ed up that night when we started the game without knowing his real name. Damn Europeans. I bet he even has a middle name. We thought it could be trusted since the information came from a clairvoyant. But it wasn’t enough.”

“And what are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting to put your skills to the test; however, it can be dangerous. If you’re going to contain him in your body, to see his memories may make it hard for you not to succumb to him. You’ll have to have enough strength to keep him in without letting go of yourself. But it’s not like you all have another clairvoyant to help you.”

Silence.

“I mean… There is one,” Sehun mumbled in Korean, the woman looking at him. “There is.”

The last two English words made her lift an eyebrow in question, Kyungsoo butting in.

“There is a young boy. He too, is a clairvoyant. He was there the night The Midnight Man visited. Bora vomited despite not being on the main grounds but he seemed to hold off pretty well. He was just a little bit nauseous.”

“And this boy. He tapped into the memory of Novak?”

“He was in it with me,” I said softly, still intimidated by the Grim Reaper.

“And why isn’t he here?”

“He’s in juvie.”

“Sorry?”

“Lee Haechan is in juvie,” Kyungsoo mumbled, Granger blinking. “Long story. His father put him in juvie.”

“Mortals and their disciplinary ways,” Granger muttered to herself. “It would be good if we have him with us. Sure, this young lady—”

“Bora.”

“—may tap into his mind but that increases the risk of her being taken away. The young boy can help her do the searching and when we get the information we need; we can proceed to lure him in and get rid of him.”

“Does this mean we need to call Jeno?” Sehun asked, turning to Harin. The female was already on it, her fingers tapping onto the phone. Granger turned to see Harin, her lips turning into a smile.

“You’re a buffer in this universe,” she said this as a statement and Harin looked surprised. “And you two are together as usual. Interesting.”

Harin was interrupted when Jeno answered the phone, the female going out to talk to Jeno about Haechan. We were all silent, Granger sitting back down on the couch as if she owned it when she motioned to us.

“So, tell me about this… group. What do you call yourselves? The Ghost-busters?”

“That’s very American, Ms. Granger,” Father Kyungmin mused. Her eyes went to Matthew, the companion ghost moving to hide behind me.

“And you have a guardian angel thrown in the mix. How exciting.” Her voice drawled on. “I haven’t met a group of kids like this since… Since my time, really. We were just like you, a bunch of young ones fighting for good. We’ve all become Grim Reapers now.”

“How do you become a Grim Reaper?” Matthew asked and I was surprised that his English seemed very native.

“There’s a form you fill out,” she replied casually. “But no one wants to become a Grim Reaper. It’s a curse.”

The door suddenly opened and Harin peeked her head in, her phone in her hand.

“They’re coming. Jeno said he had to go and pick up Haechan, anyway. He wouldn’t stop crying.”

“Is he coming straight here?”

Harin nodded and while we waited, I saw Kyungsoo glance at his phone. Everyone began to relax, Granger turning and making conversation with Kyungsoo’s father when there was a knock on the door. It couldn’t be Haechan—it hasn’t been long till Harin called Jeno. Kyungsoo stood up, looking alert and almost… eager.

It was Teddy, the female removing her coat and placing it on the coat rack. She glowered at Granger, the female not intimidated by her at all.

“We meet again,” she said, Granger’s lips lifted into a smirk.

“I should be the one saying that,” Granger replied, Teddy giving her a nod. “You called her, Kyungsoo? Don’t you know she has a deep hatred for everything that has to do with handlers, Grim Reapers, and counters in general?”

“You can’t fully hate what you are made of,” Kyungsoo answered, giving Teddy a nod. “She was the one who told me she wants to help.”

“The least I can do is make sure you obliviate him properly this time.” Teddy snapped.

Another fifteen minutes passed and there was a thud from the other side of the door.

“Haechan! He’s here.”

“Are you sure it’ll be my favorite people? You sure?” Haechan’s voice rang out and Kai rolled his eyes.

“Fighting a devil with the devil’s incarnate himself. Classic.”

The door opened and I saw Jeno manhandling Haechan, pushing the male into the living room. I saw Granger sit up suddenly, Jeno bowing quickly to all of us.

“Uh, I’ll be waiting in the car,” Jeno said quickly, slamming the door shut behind him. Haechan attacked the first person he saw, hugging Sehun very tightly and proceeding to tell him that he missed him oh-so-very-much.

“You didn’t tell me you had a Shield.” Granger began, Kyungsoo looking confused. “The boy who just left.”

“You mean Jeno?” Baekhyun asked absentmindedly, understanding from Granger’s body language since she was pointing at the door. “What about Jeno, Noona?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered back, not understanding what she meant.

“Shields. A type of buffer.” She turned to Kyungsoo, our handler shaking his head.

“You know that I can’t tell if someone is a shield or not. Only Grim Reapers can.” Kyungsoo bit down on his lower lip when he saw all of us very perplexed. “Shields are a type of buffer. Very rare. People whose souls are rock solid. Absolutely impossible to get possessed or shaken by evil.”

“I’m bringing Haechan into the bedroom,” Harin piped up, Kyungsoo giving her grateful glance. Sehun swatted him away, Haechan asking where she was taking him. The door was pulled close, Haechan and Harin not included in our conversation.

“And while there are shields, there are sponges. Buffers who are sensitive to human souls. Vibes, the modern kids call it.”

“Na Jaemin,” Kyungsoo said. “You guys might find it hard to believe but there are more counters than buffers in the world. The human body is more sensitive to shifts of energy than you think. Those that are rare are full counters, those who can all see, hear and feel.”

“Can we get back on track?” Teddy snapped, Kyungsoo nodding. “We need to come up with a plan.”

“That, we do. First, we use the boy.”

“The little demon, you mean,” Kai said and Granger nodded.

“I have this. This is said to be Corvius Novak’s. We have given it to the clairvoyant before, that’s how we knew of his name. Maybe it’s best to see if he’ll be able to get anything more.”

It didn’t take long until Haechan was brought back out and we watched as his confused self plop down on the couch. We told him to hold the piece of cloth, telling him that it was an experiment. Haechan already believed us and upon telling him that we needed his help, he wholeheartedly agreed.

“Now, sleep,” Granger whispered, pushing Haechan’s head back and with that, he fell into a deep sleep.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Haechan opened his eyes, he was back in the body that wasn’t his own.

Back in the orphanage. He reached up to feel the cap on his head and he knew that he was once again in the memory of a different person. He looked up to see that he was skipping rocks, a male’s voice asking him if he was okay.

“Yes, I am!” Haechan found himself saying. “Corvius! You did so well!”

I’m friends with him, Haechan thought. His gaze was fixated on the disfigured man who was in front of him, his friend smiling. Why did he kill me if I was friends with him?

“Of course. I’m in a good mood.” Corvius smiled and Haechan felt a feeling of warmth travel up his body. He was younger than Corvius, his body small and he was shorter. Corvius was almost an adult. “Miss. Rose smiled at me today.”

“Oof! Corvius. Do you have a crush on Miss. Rose?” Haechan asked, Corvious turning red. “You do! You do!”

“Shh, don’t tell anyone, Billie Bob. You know it has to be a secret!”

Haechan chimed up that he wouldn’t tell a soul when he said he would have to go back to the orphanage.

Click.

He was now standing in front of Miss. Rose, the female sighing at him.

“Billie Bob. What did I tell you about stealing bread from the kitchen?” She asked, Haechan hanging his head down.

“You said not to but Corvius…”

“What?” She urged and Haechan sniffled, his eyes b with tears.

“They take Corvius’ lunch and he gets so hungry sometimes,” Haechan mumbled. “They bully him and he goes to bed with an empty stomach.”

“Let me talk to him.”

Click.

“I love her, Billie.” Corvius was saying and Haechan tilted his head at the older male. “I love her so much; my heart feels like it’s going to burst.”

“It will work out, Corvius.”

“Of course, it will. I even told her where to find my real name, Billie. She can do what she wants with my past. I’ve opened up to her. She knows every part of me now—”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[hello Billie bob]

Haechan gasped and we all leaned forward when Haechan shook his head, a hand going to his forehead.

“Did you get a name?” Kyungsoo asked eagerly but he shook his head. “Relax, child. It’ll hurt for a while. You’re using your senses.”

“He said….” Haechan chewed on his lower lip. “I’m only Billie Bob! He told Rose his name but he didn’t tell me…”

“Rose?” I asked, Haechan nodding and looking at me. “You mean the girl he was in love with?”

“The person you were,” Kai whispered and I sat back, Granger looking at me. “Does this mean you have to be there, too? You were probably part of his deepest and darkest secrets.”

“If you do this, I’m cleansing you right after,” Kyungsoo quickly said and I saw Teddy wrap her fingers around the cross that hung around her neck. I made up my mind, giving them a green signal when Haechan took my hand.

“Both of you. Together.”

With that, Granger’s hand was cold on my forehead and I was no longer where I was actually was.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I was under the moonlight in the arms of Corvius Novak.

From a distance, I saw Haechan waiting behind the trees.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I whispered to him but my lips were covered with his, his arms around my waist as we danced in the courtyard. “Ms. Elkridge might find out.”

“Billie Bob is keeping a watch out,” he told me and I smiled against his lips, deepening the kiss for a moment. “He’s a good kid. He’ll tell us if anyone is around. Look at him, he’s dozing off.”

“You know he’d do anything for you,” I told him, a hand going to rub his cheeks. The bumps under my fingers making me love him more. “I’d do anything for you.”

“That’s all I want,” he told me, pressing his lips on my forehead.

“Tell me everything about you,” I begged him, leaning in for another kiss.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” I answered and he chuckled.

“The name you are calling me by is not even my name,” he told me, a hand going to press against my cheek. “And when we get married, I do not want you to go by Novak.”

“And what is your real name?”

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out. I write of you in my diary, dear Rose. And in that diary are all my darkest secrets.”

Click.

“Billie Bob!” I yelled out. I was in the orphanage now, the brown walls dimming the hallway as Billie ran with his friends. “No running in the house!”

“Sorry, Miss. Rose!” Haechan yelled back before stopping by me. I struggled to say something when the lights dimmed and Haechan then reached out to grab my hand. “Did he tell you a name, Sunbae?”

His actions made me realize that events came and went and I was still me in a memory of a demon’s life.

“He said that it was in a diary that was in his room,” I told him and Haechan nodded, both of us rushing down the hall before we both got back to the limelight. I reached Corvius’ room, a hand trying to push it open but the door was locked.

Haechan pressed his shoulder against the door when we both heard a voice.

“Not so fast.”

And when we turned around, the lights dimmed and the floor was suddenly filled with blood. Corvius stood before us, bloody and holding an ax.

He lifted it above his head and brought it down on us, both of us screaming bloody murder.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We both woke up screaming, everyone jumping up at the sound of our voices and I gasped, Haechan tightening his grip around my hand so hard it was painful.

“What, what—”

“We died,” Haechan said and Teddy butted in.

“You won’t be able to get his name if he doesn’t let you in. Remember what my sister said? Drill in the heart of the demon, be the one he opens up to.”

“That’s Bora Sunbae, Noona,” Haechan pointed out and Teddy nodded.

“But the only way to get into his deepest thoughts is if he’s around.”

“That’s true,” Granger said, nodding. “If he’s around, you’ll have more access to his memories. Now, all you two are doing is scraping the surface.”

“What’s the plan?” Minseok asked. He had been quiet the whole time and he reverted to observing everyone around him.

“First, we need to find a place to play the game. A place where no one will come so we won’t have any more people gutting themselves out,” Kyungsoo said, Father Kyungmin letting his son take the lead. I could see that he was proud of Kyungsoo. “Next, we need to bring him into Bora’s body and keep him there.”

“At the same time, both Bora and Haechan will have to try their best to get the name of the demon. The question is, are you strong enough to hold him in, child?” Granger asked. I doubted myself but I knew that I was relatively mentally strong. “We need to bring in the shield. That kid I just saw. The skepticism is unreal.”

“Jeno doesn’t believe in this stuff. He believes that the person he saw was wearing a ski mask. He came home, he fell asleep and slept on it and then woke up and told me: It was a ski mask!” Haechan beamed. “But I own him so tell me what I can do and I’ll make him do it.”

“Right. Is slavery still a thing in this age and time?” Teddy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Only in the Lee household, apparently,” Sehun murmured.

“Will it help if the game is played in a church?” Minseok asked suddenly. “My family has an abandoned church. We were going to redevelop the land but then we put it off when the Kim’s sued us.”

“You mean Kim Doyoung? The one who does real estate, too?”

“Yeah. Long story short, the land is untouched,” Minseok concluded and Kyungsoo nodded, saying that it’s a good idea. “What else do we need?”

“Do we use the Gumanthong’s too much or can we use them again?” Baekhyun asked and Kyungsoo looked over at him. “It’s just… Noona. We can’t let her get hurt. Haechan has Jeno but I think she’ll be out of her mind when she’ll be possessed by him. We need extra soul power. Or at least extra help on our side to manipulate the demon.”

“Good idea, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol patted my brother on the head. “So, the plan is to play the game, let Noona get possessed, and then finally obliviate him. Haechan will be protected and we do our best not to get caught while holding off the game until they find a name. How hard can it be?”

“We’ll make do,” I found myself saying but a part of me knew that it would be much more complicated than that.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The night had come.

10 pm, we were already there.

We had lied to Jeno, telling him that we were there because Haechan needed “rehabilitation” and I could tell that he didn’t believe us. We had spoken about it with Granger the night before and she had told us that after the game, if it did work out, Haechan and Jeno would be wiped of their memories of the night.

Only the night. Haechan would still retain his memories from nights before.

We were in the church; One, Two, and Zoon standing in front of us. So to say, they weren’t surprised when we had asked for their help. Zoon seemed stressed and even if One and Two were still taking it lightly, the older gumanthong seemed to know that The Midnight Man was something they shouldn’t with.

“Listen to me,” Zoon began, standing in front of his siblings who listened to him. “This is a demon and a demon-like this feeds off energy. It can feed off you and your powers. Big ghost, you too.”

“Yes.” Matthew nodded.

“You stay by your designated person and you protect him.” While Zoon handled the ghosts, we all began to prepare for the night. Haechan was given a small bed with candles lit around him and a whole lot of salt to keep the demon away. Jeno was to stay by Haechan and make sure nothing happened to him while we all played the game.

My brother told us that he’d stay in one spot if ever something happened and I felt better knowing that if he did that, The Midnight Man wouldn’t be able to get to him. Granger would be on standby—the same way she was a few years ago and Kyungsoo’s father would also join us in the game. He and Kyungsoo will aid us in the obviation.

Teddy sat there, fiddling with a lighter, and before we knew it, midnight was fast approaching.

I had an idea of what I could do to help me contain the demon, I just didn’t mention it to anyone; a pocket knife in the pocket of my jeans. They were all worried about what would become of me but after constant reassurance, it seemed that I put them to ease.

“Stay safe, Bora. Please,” Matthew said to me and I nodded, passing him a smile. Haechan was ready, the male finally closing his eyes to enter dreamland after we all wrote our names and pricked our fingers.

11:55 and that was when we began to play the game, Kyungsoo whispering a prayer to himself, the church plunged in darkness.

And I felt it.

The wind felt heavy, all of us rooted in the middle of the church, salt in our hands.

The doors creaked and we began to hear the soft cackle of an arriving demon.

“He’s here,” Kyungsoo whispered.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Haechan was in the middle of a field, Corvius Novak with Rose by a tree.

Was this what happiness looked like?

To be young and in love, Haechan found himself thinking as he tried to catch crickets. He smiled to himself, seeing the older male kiss the female on the cheek. They were doing something, Haechan realized.

“Oh, will you look at that. Carving their names into the trees,” Haechan found himself saying. “Billie Bob is single. Billie Bob, the young farmer's boy with dreams to fulfill.”

“Billie Bob!” Rose yelled out and he waved at the older female, finally jogging to her. “Look what we did.”

“That’s pretty,” Haechan said in Billie Bob’s voice.

And on the tree, there were their names.

Rosalie White & Corvius Norvak.

“Rosalie B. White and Corvius D. Norvak,” Haechan repeated to himself, smiling when suddenly Corvius turned to him, his face turning into a snarl.

“Get out of my head,” he hissed, Haechan stepping back in shock. “You’re not welcome here.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The game had already begun and I moved through the big church, hearing the sounds of scuffling from my other friends. We had to hold out for a little bit until I could allow him to take over me. I already felt weak and I saw the little gumanthong’s move towards their people. Two was with Minseok, the gumari may have decided that Minseok needed more protection than Haechan.

An hour passed and slowly he began to become stronger. I could feel it in the air and I struggled to move through the church, my hands trembling.

“NORVAK!” Haechan screamed out suddenly and I jumped, the candle in my hand suddenly going out. “It’s not Novak! It’s Norvak!”

I felt my breath hitch up in my throat when I heard Baekhyun squeak, the rapidly clicking of a lighter echoing through the church as my brother tried to relight his candle. When it was in vain, I could see the glimpse of Baekhyun in the shadows surrounding himself with salt.

“There’s a middle name—” And just like that, Haechan’s voice drowned out and I walked to the back of the church, the air turning chilly.

How long do I have to wait? I didn’t know but I sidestepped a couple of old dusty chairs when a hand grabbed my wrist and I turned to see Chanyeol, his hand going up to his lips to tell me to be quiet. I could see Zoon near Chanyeol, keeping an eye at everyone when there was a clang.

“, .” Sehun’s voice rang out and we saw that he had dropped his candle and his salt container, Sehun rushing after him with a figure appeared behind him.

“Chanyeol. It’s Sehun!” I managed to gasp when I saw that the demon was trying to pull Sehun in, the younger male slowly beginning to convulse. “Sehun—”

It was then Zoon’s face began to change, the gumanthong taking in a sharp exhale. Sounds from my friends yelling out for Sehun began to ring through the church and I screamed, stepping forward to let it take me instead.

It had to be me.

“Bora! It’s time!” Kyungsoo yelled and Zoon turned to me, whispering simple words.

“Bora,” Zoon began to say but I was already running towards Sehun will all my might. “Bora!”

I shoved myself forward, Zoon hissing from behind me when he yelled, the Gumanthong trying to keep Corvius away from Sehun. His body glowed and the demon’s face morphed into something so horrifying, it sent chills up my spine.

I was on Sehun; Sehun gasping for breath at how he was almost being taken over and I rapidly pushed him away. The was the only person he could take over—anyone else and the plan would be ruined. Sehun was dragged away by Chanyeol, a trail of salt around both of them when we heard Zoon yell out illegible words.

“A powerful spirit, I see.” Corvius smirked and I turned just in time to see Zoon stand his ground. His little hands were in fists and I knew that what was going to happen, shaking my head. “Come and let me have you.”

“Over my infant soul.”

“You are nothing over me, child,” Corvius taunted, Zoon squinting at the demon when he breathed in. “All you can do now is succumb to me. Give me your powers—”

“You don’t belong here, demon. You belong in the 7th level of hell and I’ll make sure you stay there.”

“And how are you going to do that?” Corvius asked, Zoon’s face turning into a smirk. My legs were trembling. I knew what Zoon was doing. He was trying to prolong the time. We had told him that we were working with a window of time—3 am to 3:33. Each passing minute closer to 3 am, he was stronger but his memories would be easier to tapped into.

“You’re no demon if you can’t catch a ghost,” Zoon answered and just like that, he began to run.

A shrill hiss came from Corvius and much to my shock, he flew after Zoon, disregarding everyone who was playing the game. To take in a Gumanthong’s power would make him a powerful demon, that was known. I saw Zoon glow, the oldest Gumanthong rushing through the church with the demon close behind.

“Zoon!” One and Two could be heard yelling. “Zoon, don’t let him catch you!”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Haechan was in Ms. Elkridge’s office.

“You handle these files,” she told him. “And don’t touch those.”

Haechan couldn’t help but whine. It wasn’t his fault that he had stolen more bread for Corvius Novak! He just wanted his friend to eat. He sighed to himself and sat down on the dusty couch of the record room when he finally got one of the files.

An hour seemed to have passed when an article slipped out of one of the forbidden files—it wasn’t from their town but a town other than theirs and Haechan blinked when he saw the headlines.

“Norvak’s accused of Witchery”

“Family accused of treason against God.”

“Youngest almost burned at the stake.”

“Norvak,” Haechan said to himself when the memory of Corvius telling him that Rose “could do what she wants with his past” came up. “Norvak.”

All Haechan had to do now was find what the D. was in his name.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was time.

That was the only thing I could tell myself when I saw that Zoon was cornered, the demon howling into the night. We had lost track of time but I found myself right behind his shadowed body.

“Game over, child.”

But Zoon seemed to have different ideas, the Gumanthong smiling suddenly. I called out his name, the demon paying me no mind with his sights on the folklore spirit.

“You know what happens when a spirit ceases to exist, demon?” Zoon asked suddenly and my eyes widened when I saw what Zoon was about to do. “It weakens everything around them.”

And just like that, Zoon had looked straight into my eyes, a small smile traveling up his lips.

The Gumanthong gave me a small wink before speaking to me.

“Tell them I love them.”

“What—”

Corvius shot forward, about to pull Zoon in when Zoon’s body lifted into the air like a beautiful explosion. It wasn’t dramatic but I saw his spirit float for a second before a light came and Zoon’s head hung back.

A scream wedged itself in my throat when Zoon finally dissipated into nothing, Corvius being knocked back at the sudden blast. I clamored on the ground as if I could reverse the time.

Zoon was gone.

I saw Corvius fume in anger and before I knew it, he had rammed himself into my body and I was no longer myself.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I stood in front of Haechan, his brown hat perched on his head.

“What happened?” I demanded, Haechan squeaking