"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the Lord God had made."

-Genesis 3:1

What?

It must have come out as a shout because Byul jerks to the back, her hand clasping shut, like she can't even comprehend her own slip of the tongue.

It took a while as well for Irene to realize that she was the one shouting.

"You need to go."

The words are slurred. It sounds hissed. Irene looked closer only to be met with Byulyi's iris that is now swirling. Waves of uncertainty. It contorts in a way that Irene has never seen of the woman. "Byul," She reached out a hand, a sudden push with curiosity akin to a child. "Your eyes--"

She glared and covered the swirling one with one hand, determined to hide it from the rest of the world. "Promise me that this will be the last time I'll be seeing you."

The low, guttural tone that sounds like a growl is not doing a good job masking the urgency lying underneath.

"Then stop following me." Byulyi curls , unamused with pure audacity in Irene's sentence. "You keep showing everywhere I go. What do you think I'm supposed to do?"

"Play pretend and just leave? Has that ever come to your mind?" The serpent can sense her voice rising, only the woman is undeterred. "All of this is supposed to be just a dream for you."

"Yet it doesn't." Irene hummed. "I'm here and I still remember what I'm seeing, including all of this." Her arms stretched into space, emphasizing their surroundings. "I think we'll be seeing each other a lot more often than you want us to be, Moon Byulyi."

"Not when I can do something about it." For a snake, Byulyi sure growls a lot. Irene didn't miss a pang in her chest at the thought of the serpent didn't want them to see more of each other. Again, why is that? There's a lot of questions, maybe even ones that this woman doesn't know the answer to. If she airs all those questions, will the woman run away, never to be seen again?

A bloody hand came her way and grasped her wrist. Irene was pulled before Byulyi intercepted, slapping the partygoer back to Dreamland and pulling Irene back to the stand. She sneered at the man's groaning, grumbling and gasping for air between his consciousness. "We're done here." She forced Irene to look into her eyes. It's safe to say that Irene tried not to. Quite hard. Who can resist the irises that are now glowing more than ever?

"We will not be meeting each other again." Irene became a little pissed.

"You said it like I'm the only one who wants these encounters." The eyes turned black, and Irene was pushed to the edge of her reality. In her mind, she was standing at the rim of the stairs, and with a slight, invisible push, she fell into an absolute black.

A reminiscence of the serpent's jet black, flowing hair.

--

"Irene!"

The woman gasped at the loud sound, the paper cup half squeezed in her palm, and the content threatened to slosh out. That's what it takes to bring the woman back into where she is now; in front of a vending machine, and upon tracing the direction of the cup to her green sleeves, black blazer… it's her working attire. She's in the building of Rosematic, her own office. Is she supposed to be here? Irene's not sure of the timeline right now, not when her gut keeps gnawing; one that tells that she's supposed to be somewhere else.

"Irene!"

The woman makes a swift right turn on her heel and is about to dash before he steps into the picture, not allowing Irene one step further. "We need to talk."

She let out a huff, any attempt to dismiss or pretend none of this has ever happened crumbling to the ground. "There’s still some work." She will continue her walk if only she didn't notice the changed color on Kim Suho's complexion. Not to mention the eye bags drooping from both eyes. "Irene." His voice is deep, the kind that women can find themselves swooning for.

If only Irene was like other women, things can roll on so much easier.

"Yes?"

"We need to talk. It won't be like last time." The last part added in a hurry, afraid of breaking Irene's trust in him. "It won't be long. I will not take so much of your time."

Irene let out a sigh that she has held onto for a while.

"I understand."

--

The bird, tweeting from the bent steel where it perched, escaped when the metal door to the top of the building opened with a creak and a couple came into view. Suho let Irene step first and the woman stride forward without looking back once.

"Irene."

The accountant unlatches her fingers from the fence, turns with arms crossed at the front. She cannot put her thoughts into this incoming conversation. Not when she's trying to remember what happened before today. Is there something that she missed? If so, what is it?

"You said you wanted to talk."

The dandy man took a step forward. "I shouldn't have treated you that way the night before." He shook his head. "That snake… What happened yesterday?"

To that Irene spewed out some half-truths and how everything was under control. Suho gives weak nods and Irene wonders at the absentmindedness. The man is usually so focused. At this point Irene could just slip that the snake morphed into a human overnight and it would just be glossed over.

"Let's get back together." Finally, he states the sole reason they come here. "I guess I take you for granted. We're good together. I can't be where I am in this company without you by my side. I can't move further than this."

The cheesiness is too much. Perhaps it's what usually works with others.

"You have always been my lady of luck."

"You have always been the bearer of luck, Irene. Even when you hold my name. I can only hope for your path to be blessed with no pain for this day onward." Her mother her hair. In the loveliest garden one can ever dream of, little Irene will always think of her mother as the most divine being one can put her eyes onto.

In the peek into the past, her brows taut to the middle. She's silent between his rambling. "Why do you call me that?”

Kim Suho locks his mouth, determined not to say anything, but the damage has been done and Irene has a feeling that this is more than what meets the eye.

“That’s what my mother used to call me--” She gave Suho a dirty look. Suho waved his hands up in the air and about to make a run for it but Irene beat him down to it: standing between him and the emergency door. “Joohyun-ah.” He tried to make a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “I don't know what are you talking about--”

He was shut down when Irene snatched the inside of his blazer and fished out a name card. The content only confirms her own suspicion. Before Irene utters a word, her senior at work already prostrates to the ground. “Please, Joohyun-ah, you have to marry me. It’s the only way for me to--”

Her jaw gritted as she faced the man, waving a card that almost crumpled to the ground. “Take me to him.”

“It’s not--”

“Now.”

--

Now Irene has not always been an accountant.

A woman with a place to live, prefers commuting from home to workplace by foot and public transportation without ever making a detour, living for the sake of getting a glimpse into a mundane life, slightly dull but free of unwanted occurrences.

It's the chance of alternate life that sounds too tempting to be temporary. Of course, if she's this kind of woman, she wouldn't be in the front seat of Kim Suho's Volvo, riding to a destination where she asked him to take her to. Even when she already knew where they were going. It's just a hunch.

No effort to put in a word for either side. Attempts to hide the motives were done on purpose, albeit hopelessly. At the same time they couldn't be more transparent. Each can only be guessing of the other's intention, but Irene is sure Suho doesn't know the first thing about her.

The Volvo stopped at the entrance of the skyscraper with slight pink on the exterior. Suho cleared his throat when Irene held her hand at the doorknob, half into opening her way through. "What is the point of this?" He asked, and Irene didn't look back at all. Instead she mutters to one of the guards, who proceeds to stand in front of him and ask Suho to leave.

"I can't leave you here like this."

He said it loud enough for the entire entrance to be heard. Irene takes another look back, finally giving Suho her full attention. "Why are you calling me your lady luck?"

"Someone told me that keeping you with me will bring me immense fortune."

Irene sneered.

"I never expected you to be so superstitious."

"I am not a believer, at first." He flinches forward, and the men straighten their shoulders. "But good things happen to me right after we are together: I was getting promoted, partners started to give me more consideration for my skills, things are starting to turn out so well…"

"And you want more of it." Irene pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tell me. Did he tell you that things will get even better if you're able to keep me?"

Suho's mouth wide agape but no words come out.

"Leave now, sunbae." She's sick to the back of her teeth during this conversation. "It's obvious, but please don't tattle about this."

"Thank you for bringing me here."

As the Volvo goes away, she faces the towering figure in front of her with dull weight in her chest.

--

Steps along the doorway. Irene notices that there's almost no employees carding at every nook and cranny. "Where is everyone?"

"Lee-Sajangnim knows that you will be coming, Miss Bae."

The mention of her mother's family name caused her to turn and squint her eyes. "Does that mean that he's not here right now? Is it taking too much effort to welcome a child of a mistress?"

The man bowed.

"On the contrary," He pronounced. "Mrs. Bae left such a deep impression in his life that your well-being is the only thing that comes first, even more than his sons. Bae Yoonjung has been one of the reasons SM Corp. can even flourish and become as successful as it is now."

Irene didn't say a word.

"And that is, including finding a suitor. That is his ardent wish."

"His ardent wish is for me to come back to this company."

He continued with the same flat tone that he always sported. "Miss Bae can tap into your full potential once you are engaged with your betrothed and kept by someone. It's what happened to your mother, and that's how she finds her true happiness."

"She's too kind. She took the brunt of it." The woman clenched a tiny fist. "She passed and father didn't-- You know what? I'm leaving. He wouldn't want to meet me anyway, would he?"

"Until you are ready to take your rightful place by his side."

"Then he has to wait." Irene turns to the heels of her shoes, dismissing the man's offer for a ride.

"Wait, Miss Bae."

She takes one tired look at the man.

"Your father has married the most amazing woman in the world." The tone contains a slight change. "Which makes you the most amazing daughter with her qualities by default. You will bring SM Corporation to prosperity. Imagine the possibilities of what you can do."

She's used to hearing these bollocks all her life. Without any rhyme or reason, until she realized that she needs to get her life taken before her eyes. That anywhere is better than the life that she once lived right here. Everything was for a naught.

"If you keep pushing unwanted suitors to my side." Irene said. "I might consider never showing in front of you ever again."

--

"Her father married a goddess."

The serpent bites into a chunk of protein bar, and after gagging once or twice, she gives the Bluejay a confused look.

"Irene Bae Joohyun. She's Lee Soo-man's illegitimate daughter. Lee Soo-man, the patriarch of SM Corporation. Years ago, her mother disappeared during a dispute in the company."

They are both perching at the rooftop of a building. Byulyi scraped the plastic wrapper to shreds and let the wind blow it away from her palm. Moon Byulyi never missed a time to bask in the sun; one of the habits she cultivated during her prolonged stay in the world.

"Her mother is literally a goddess." Bluejay chirped. "She's banished from Heaven out of fear from attracting many unholy thoughts in the realm. When Lee Soo-man found her, he struck a jackpot. Fortunes come left and right, and her qualities are inherited. Wow." The bird tapped her claws. "You just got yourself a goddess. This would save us a millennia of mediocre sinners!"

"I won't meet her again." She makes it a lifetime mission not to. Not when she can't control herself in her presence. "There's a reason why she found you during that rainy day. Let her own you already. The moment she mentions your real name again, you're done for."

"That's just because I was drained of my energy at that time." She raises excuses. "God was on the radio silent, and Hades never seemed to ever get enough of new sinners. How much longer would this take, if you could just kill me already."

"You know that everything will be solved once you put Irene into sin." The bluejay didn't get how she's so adamant on this. "Either that or you're burnt to ash."

"Then just so be it."

"Byulyi!"

"If that woman is truly what you said she was," the serpent shook her head. "No. I don't want to hurt other sentient beings anymore."

"Because you hurt God before?"

The question was met by total silence.

"You will meet her again. It has been preordained." The bluejay clicked her tongue. "The Goddess's purpose is to grant a wish. She's attracted to you by default. Whatever you do, you can't challenge fate."

--

After stopping by SM Corporation, Irene can't bring herself to get back to ROSEMATIC. Not when something is still bugging her. The feeling of a day has been skipped. Something that she forgot to bring but no one ever gave her the notice. The forgotten trinket.

She almost formed this wish for the rain to come again. Perhaps that will help her remember. Judging from dark clouds gathering above the bus stop, she can hope.

No droplets. Nothing. Her chest is stifled and she stands up. The woman takes another step beyond the roof. A droplet touched her left cheek, inciting a reel of memories hitting her like a truck.

The club.

People wearing masks made from animal flesh.

Barcodes.

A woman with a dark suit and dark hair scans each and every neck, effectively marking them as…

sinners.

Her lips pull apart, almost forming a shout before her shoulder senses a sudden we