The wind raged and the old man shouted, “Get out of her right now! The dead should be dead, not in a living body!”

Chanyeol watched him swing his sword to one side and heard Namjoo scream out in pain. He turned around to watch an injury slash across her stomach and she fell a step back.

His heart hurt.

What was happening? Why was this man hurting his wife?

Another slash appeared across her body when the man swung his sword again. Namjoo screamed out in agonizing pain once more and he felt her pleading eyes land on him before he could no longer tolerate it.

Running toward her he caught her before she could fall back and clutched her tightly against him.

“Stop it! Stop!” Chanyeol screamed from the top of his lungs.

He didn’t want to see Namjoo bleeding. Chanyeol didn’t want her hurt. All that blood on Namjoo again made him ache. She was hurt, but she wouldn’t mention it to him. Namjoo wouldn’t talk about how much it hurt her and that hurt him even more.

He heard Namjoo let out a pained gasp near his ear before her head hung itself back and her body went limp in his arms. Chanyeol felt tears reach his eyes desperately before he dug his fingers into her robe.

Chanyeol would shield her from every possible arrow. He would protect her…he would protect her.

The night was going to be long, he could feel it. Namjoo was sleeping again. Chanyeol would remain by her side until she woke up – that was if she ever woke.

Namjoo’s hand was icy cold. There was no warmth, but she was alive. Whatever was going on he would fix it. He would make it so that Namjoo could come back to him.

Chanyeol quickly wrapped his other hand around hers for the sake of giving her some warmth. The wall that shielded them from the earth outside was now scrambled in pieces on the ground. It would be hard to put one back up without the help of his wife and he thought about how much he needed her. The breezy wind was warm however, but Namjoo seemed unaffected by it.

He angled his head when he heard footsteps at the doorway. Minutes later he found himself sitting outside in the company of the strange old man and Namjoo’s grandma on the outside table. Chanyeol made sure to sit where he could keep an eye on his beloved and continuously glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

“Fifty years ago the 15^th ruler of the Koryo Dynasty ordered his troops to fight off the rebelling tribes in hopes of uniting the kingdom as a whole,” the man explained, “in belief that they were benefitting the kingdom they slaughtered the tribes and burned their homes in the surrounding area.

“An enraged young man, who practiced sorcery with his tribe, watched his whole clan get wiped out. He put up a fight against the soldiers killing over half of them before he was mercilessly murdered. After swearing revenge they dumped his body into the ravine. If his spirit has possessed the river he’ll take any chance he has for revenge against the kingdom. If we don’t get rid of the spirit that begrudges, we won’t be able to save the millions of innocents he’ll be after.”

Getting rid of the spirit could only equate to one possible solution…killing Namjoo.

“You’re not touching her,” Chanyeol emphasized demand into his voice.

He wasn’t just upset, he was angry at the thought that this strange man would want to kill Namjoo in order to kill the spirit.

Namjoo’s grandma reached a hand over to touch his arm, but it only sent fury flying through him.

“It’s not Namjoo…” her grandma’s voice said quietly.

“I know it’s her,” Chanyeol slightly raised his voice. “The way she looked at me…I know it’s Namjoo.”

Her grandma’s eyes softened on him and she said no more.

“His spirit took my daughter when she fell into the ravine,” he began, “she came after my family, because my son-in-law served as soldier to the kingdom. Everyone was killed. Do you want to die and let your wife’s body be used as a vessel? Would you rather let his spirit prevail or let your wife rest in peace?”

Chanyeol felt his hands tremble. Why was he being threatened by this old man!? No, Namjoo would not be used. And Namjoo…wouldn’t have to rest in peace when he was with her. She would stay with him…she was alive and she came back. Namjoo was going to stay with him. Chanyeol wasn’t letting her go anywhere.

“Namjoo’s…not dead,” Chanyeol uttered the words.

From beside him he saw Namjoo’s grandma lower her head and sniffed her tears back.

No matter what under any circumstances, he wouldn’t believe that Namjoo was dead. Her body was here with him!

The strange man’s eyes landed on his face and read of displeasure at his unwillingness to oblige. They told Chanyeol he was being a fool.

“On the third full moon of this month, don’t let her see the moon,” the man explained, “the moon will allow the spirit to obtain full power and he’ll be indestructible. I will create a seal to help you keep her in.”

“What happens if I can keep her in? Will she…come back?”

“It will depend on how weak the spirit will become after the third full moon,” the man said, “and how strong your wife can be in fighting him off.”

His words before he left the house were, “Do not let her leave the house. I will come back tomorrow to try and weaken the spirit.”

When he returned to Namjoo’s side she was still deep asleep. After obtaining some crushed herbs from the kitchen he set it aside before slightly opening her robe to reveal the gashes on her belly. How much they hurt her, he could only guess.

Why was this happening to his beautiful person? Why did Namjoo have to bear this pain?

Pinching some of the herbs into his hand he placed it on top of her wounds carefully before placing the robe back over her. The sky was immensely dark behind him, but the moon shone past him and left a hovering glow across her face. The slight curves of her cheekbones accentuated the beauty of her face and he stared at her closed lids wishing they would open to look at him. And when they would open he could see her sending a shy smile his way; the smile that read of infatuation, but promise and sincerity.

Raising his hand up he reached it over to touch her forehead and it down her hair. It hurt him that she couldn’t feel his touch and wouldn’t wake to it. Why…why had this happened to them?

Chanyeol really wanted her to come back to him.

In the early morning just before the sun rose he woke up when Namjoo’s head shifted. His heart alighted and he grew anxious while waiting for her to open her eyes and see him. Her lips fell apart and she let out a tiny gasp of eerie pain before she blinked her eyes and stared up at the roof. Chanyeol felt like crying when Namjoo slowly turned to look at him.

Their eyes locked and he felt his heart melt. Namjoo…was really awake.

A smile full of willful cries crossed his face as he stared at her trying to utter any word possible, but it didn’t seem like his brain was functioning. Namjoo stared back at him with fear in her eyes as if she was really scared of something and he felt all the more sorry.

“I…had a bad nightmare,” Namjoo’s voice came out weakly.

Chanyeol’s heart broke when she mentioned ‘nightmare.’

“You don’t have to be scared. I’m right here beside you,” he promised clutching onto her hand tightly.

Namjoo looked at him before nodding and closed her eyes again.

She didn’t wake up again until the old man from yesterday appeared. He had that long sword with him again and this time, a bamboo scripture.

“Your home is not sturdy enough,” he explained, “we will need to change location in order to fight off the spirit.”

And when he took Namjoo into his arms she didn’t wake. Her arm dangled by her side and her head hung back as he carried her down the road. Namjoo’s grandma silently wept as she trudged beside them, but Chanyeol couldn’t cry. He wouldn’t do it because he wanted to believe Namjoo was alive.

They finally stopped in front of a tiny home where Namjoo’s grandma would stay away from them; where she would be safer. As Chanyeol had learned, Namjoo’s grandma had gone off after him to bring with her the shaman who she hoped would be able to locate Namjoo’s whereabouts. Instead, the story had winded them here.

“Please save her,” Namjoo’s grandma clutched drearily onto his arm before they turned away from her.   

Namjoo still lay unconscious in his arms oblivious to what was going on. Her lids were closed shut and loose strands of her long hair were starting to fall free to the side. Namjoo, by the second, was starting to look more like a deceased. Whether she could hear them or not, Chanyeol didn’t know. But he was certain her heart would hurt just as much as her grandma’s.

Namjoo’s grandma heavily sobbed and he watched tearful waterfalls trail down her aged face.

“Please save my girl,” she cried, “and let her rest in peace.”

Chanyeol felt a sting in his heart before he bowed to her grandma and turned away to follow the old shaman through the woods. He refused to let sorrow fill him.

After a short trek they came across a home isolated in the middle of nowhere built from sturdy wood and with thick paper windows. There was a large empty yard outside confined within four large blue walls. Chanyeol immediately assumed that the shaman lived there after his family was killed.

“Lay her down there,” the shaman first directed pointing to the far end of the wall.

Chanyeol stopped beneath the arching entrance suddenly feeling alarmed.

“Why? What are you going to do?” Chanyeol questioned.

He wasn’t going to let the shaman hurt Namjoo unless time called for it and he was sure now wasn’t that time.

“The spirit is still awake and will try to take over in a matter of time,” the shaman warned. “Your wife’s body is injured, but it doesn’t mean he will hesitate to make his move.”

Chanyeol pressed his lips together and dug his fingers into Namjoo.

He was scared.

“If you don’t want your wife’s soul and body to be destroyed, listen to me.”

His eyes drifted to Namjoo’s beautiful, peaceful sleeping face. Chanyeol didn’t want to let her get hurt. He was so sorry for this. What kind of disappointing husband was he becoming?

Against his will he trudged forward and gently lie Namjoo down on the ground before stepping back. He was near the arching entrance again and felt his eyes immediately sit on the shaman’s back. Chanyeol watched the shaman pull out his long sword and hold it in front of him.

A loud wind rushed by continuously and dead tree leaves flew into Chanyeol’s eyes before he had to shield his eyes with his arm. The wind slowly ceased its strength, but still continuously blew. Chanyeol could still hear his clothes flapping along with the wind and when he lowered his arm saw Namjoo flying in the air with arms outstretched. She let out a loud scream before tilting her head forward to glare at them.

She was huffing and panting before she flew for them. Chanyeol couldn’t move. He knew this was Namjoo, but at the same time wasn’t. What was supposed to do?

Chanyeol never knew Namjoo could express such anger and resentment through her eyes. She wasn’t capable of such hate.

“Gods of the Heavens, Lord of the Underworld, this deceitful sinner…” the shaman started chanting.

An invisible force which Chanyeol thought he saw as a silver barrier fly from the sword before Namjoo flew back into the wall with another scream. She tried fighting to fly forward, but the force pushed her back against the wall and held her there. Chanyeol watched her arms and legs flail around in desperate effort. He didn’t know what was going on. What was happening to his wife?

Then he heard something crash against Namjoo’s chest and blood spurt out of her lips before she let an even fiercer scream out. The colors of grey and red transitioned through her eyes before the wind ceased and Namjoo dropped to the ground. He watched the shaman raise his sword again, but ran forward.

“No! Don’t! It’s not over yet!” the shaman screamed.

But Chanyeol ignored his order and ran to his wife anyway.

Namjoo was barely conscious when he reached her.

“Namjoo! Namjoo!” he deliriously screamed.

There were speckles of grey and red within her pupils and she was heaving and making grunting noises. Namjoo was weakly pulling herself up only to fail.

“Namjoo!” he took a hold of her arm, his heart crying in utmost pain for what he couldn’t do for her.

Her palm flew against his chest and he felt himself fly backward into the wall with his back crashing against it. A scream of pain dropped from his lips and when slid to the ground he looked up to see the shaman chanting again. This time Namjoo flew onto her back and screamed wildly. She kicked about and blood splattered out from her lips before she suddenly quieted.

Scurrying to his feet he half crawled toward her ignoring the pain trying to bring his body down.

“Namjoo! Namjoo!” he cried as he grabbed her arm and lifted her up into his arms.

Her head lie against his arm, but Namjoo couldn’t hear him. Chanyeol felt his chest itself up and down as he cried and held her close. He couldn’t believe such horror was happening to them.

Namjoo didn’t wake up the next day…

He was scared because he didn’t know what could happen next. What would happen to Namjoo if this kept up?

On the night of the first full moon he talked to her about stories he’d heard as a child. Then he played to her the tune of the flute he’d slowly started teaching himself. And when he felt tears begin to run down his face, he’d stop to wipe them off, and turn to look at her.

“Did you like that?” he asked with a clogged nose. “I messed up. Let me try again.”

And he’d blow his flute again putting on a one-man show for her. But Namjoo never stirred.

Chanyeol spent most of the second night of the full moon inside with Namjoo. Most of the time was spent fixing the broken bracelet he’d found. When he did manage to fix it he let out a loud shout of happiness and turned to look at Namjoo.

“You have to come back to me, like how I found your bracelet and brought it back to you,” he said as he slipped it around her wrist.

On the empty nights when a full moon wasn’t out the shaman spent his time working on the seals he would use to repress the spirit trying to take his wife. There were strange inscriptions painted on the long flying curtains outside of the little house and he assumed they were the spells meant for the spirit residing in his wife.

“Don’t let her escape at all costs,” the shaman warned him the night of the third full moon. “Once she breaks the seal, there’s no turning back. Your wife will be lost forever.”

Chanyeol was nervous. He watched the old man close the doors shut and listened to him chant outside with his sword before he turned around to look at Namjoo who was suddenly waking. She let out a muffled cry before her eyes opened and sat up.

Images of the solders chasing her through the woods and suddenly appearing in the blood filled palace rushed through her mind in confusion.

“Namjoo!” Chanyeol shouted before rushing over to her.

Her eyes ran wildly around the room before she felt him grasp onto her arms.

“What’s happening? Where am I?” she questioned.

“You’re safe, you’re safe,” he peered into her eyes to see that they resonated what he always saw and felt.

Putting a hand at the back of her head he hugged her tightly and silently thanked the heavens, but the moment didn’t last long. Namjoo’s head shot back and she let out a terrifying scream before her body wriggled in effort to set herself free. Her body shot back to the bed she was lying on and she moved around while crying and screaming.

“Namjoo! Namjoo!” Chanyeol yelled in panic.

He didn’t know what to do and when she tried to get up he held her back down on impulse.

“Fight it! Namjoo! Fight it! You have to fight it!”

But Namjoo let out another scream before she pushed him off and immediately climbed over him. Chanyeol tried to get an understanding of everything that was happening too fast before he felt her fingers writhe around his neck. He couldn’t find it in himself to hurt her, punch her and push her off. Instead he just grabbed onto her wrist and tried to pull her off.

It wasn’t until the necklace around his neck slid out to the side that the hate in Namjoo’s eyes disappeared and she pulled her hands back. She crawled off him and slid back in fear, but Chanyeol made his way toward her in hopes of comforting her.

“No, don’t come near me,” Namjoo shook her head frightened, refusing him, and held her hands to herself as she pulled her knees up to her chest. “Don’t come near me!”