“Get down,” Jung Min’s rough voice made me push Daesung off me. I turned around and stared at the chains hanging from his wrists. The reaper was leaning over the door’s frame, heavily breathing.

“Hey Jung Min, are you---”

“I SAID, GET DOWN!” he yelled and I was about to protest if Daesung didn’t pull me to the floor. Jung Min rushed to us, lifted the table in a vertical position and placed it so it would shield us. I learned from what in the next second when an explosion filled the kitchen. I coughed from the heavy dust that surrounded us and thanked for that table. Pieces of brick...

WAIT.

PIECES OF BRICK?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN PIECES OF BRICK?

I climbed up the table’s legs and looked at the damage.

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT.

THEY MADE A FREAKING HOLE INSIDE MY KITCHEN’S WALL.

FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT’S HOLY, WHY CAN'T REAPERS KNOCK?!

Yes, reapers.

In the middle of my new kitchen’s hole there were two reapers with smaller wings than Jung Min’s. One had short spiky hair and blue eyes, the other had a blonde ponytail tied to his back and soft brown eyes. They were both holding what resembled the demon blade, but it emanated less energy than the real deal.  I figured it was either a cheap copy or something that reapers used and I had no idea about. Jung Min always used his hands and overall body in combat, rather than weaponry. I wonder if that’s because he’s strong and doesn’t need any help.  Daesung’s head popped near me.

The two reapers stepped inside with their blades forward. Our eyes locked and the spiky haired one ignored the fact that Jung Min was right by our side and sprinted towards us. Jung Min grabbed the chains around his wrists, took them off and wrapped them around the reaper’s arms. He then flung the reaper onto the blonde one. I stared at Jung Min.

“Weren’t you earthbound?”

“My wing,” he simply stated and went ahead to grab again the chains and tie both reapers together.

Oh, I got it. I couldn’t earthbound him with the chains because he was already earthbound because of his broken wing. Argh, how stupid of me, that detail slipped my mind. Jung Min kicked the reapers out the hole. I hope their fall wasn’t that bad. He stopped and stared outside, his back immobile as his wings stretched.

“What’s wrong?” I abandoned Daesung and went to Jung Min. The kid followed me close as I could constantly see that mess of his hair at the corner of my eye.

“Reapers,” Jung Min mumbled and I tried to see what was so special about the same reapers that had filled the city all day long.

Oh.

I see.

That’s the problem.

Reapers everywhere caught humans and extracted their souls then they let their bodies drop lifeless as they searched for another victim.

“What the heck are they doing?”

“Fresh souls,” Jung Min frowned “They are collecting fresh souls. Something’s up.”

“Don’t you know what?”

Jung Min turned to us and shook his head. Then he gazed outside again and exhaled deeply.

“But I can find out. I just need to blend in.”

My eyes landed on his wing, then back to Jung Min.

“You’re hurt, let me do it.”

“Sooyoung,” he growled “Forget what I’ve said. Use everything you have tonight.”

I nodded and then I was shocked to see Jung Min step on the edge.

“Jung Min, what the are you doing?!” I screamed as he lowered his whole body to fit out the hole “JUNG MIN, YOU CAN’T FLY! STOP IT!” Daesung grabbed me from behind and held me on place as I struggled to reach the reaper and pull him back inside. Jung Min winked and then plunged himself onto the darkness.

I smacked Daesung in the face.

He let out a small cry and I took my chance to ran forward and lean my hand against the destroyed wall. Jung Min spread his good wing so much, it acted as a parachute and it let him land safely on the ground. He gave me the okay sign and then he started running down the road.

I turned to Daesung.

“The neighbors,” I looked outside again before I got away from the edge “We must alert the neighbors. Don’t ask a thing and just do it.” The kid nodded and he went first out the hallway. I stopped and headed towards the bedroom. I took whatever ammunition I could find in the drawers – mostly herbs and some magic paper. I stuffed them all in a small bag and put a rosary around my neck along with Jung Min’s feather. The bag’s strap was on my shoulder as I ran back to the kitchen and I followed Daesung.

I was shoeless.

Ugh, cold, so cold!

The blonde knocked with burning passion at every door and yelled his lungs out. Most neighbors had been ready to leave because of that noise. I rushed down the stairs and took care of the lower floors. I was supposed to meet Daesung again halfway and make sure everybody was running in the reapers' opposite direction. It looked like they were heading towards the burnt house and none of them looked behind. People could easily flee if they just made sure they went towards the right direction.

Daesung grabbed my hand on the stairs and rushed me back to the ground floor.

“Hurry!” I looked behind and saw a reaper with the same smaller wings fly down the stairs. We didn’t have enough time to hide. I stopped Daesung, pulled him to the side and we cuddled together in the corner. The reaper flew past us. He didn’t look back once.

And I was hyperventilating like mad.

Daesung slowly enlarged the space between us and watched me as I tried to calm down. I hadn’t been in such a tight situation for years. Daesung’s fingers slowly caressed my neck as he pressed his thumb.

I thought at first that I would suffocate. To my surprise, I could breathe better, despite the pressure.

“What...” He shushed me and I closed my mouth. I pulled him back over me when another reaper flew past.

“Can you walk?” he asked and I simply nodded. Daesung pulled me up and we headed again towards the ground floor, hand in hand. I almost missed a step and hit my face against the stairs if not for Daesung’s firm hold.

Outside, panic made the city comfortable for its needs. Mass of people ran in every direction, paper lanterns were abandoned and the few still in air were cut by the reaper’s wings. They were swarming around, capturing whoever they could catch and extracting their souls through colorful energies inside of them. Daesung’s fingers clawed at my hand.

“What’s happening?” I whispered and didn’t have time to think about it. A brown-haired female reaper was above us with the same cheap blade. I let go of Daesung, pulled the rosary from my neck and slapped the reaper with it. She flapped her small wings and held onto her fuming face. “RUN!” I told Daesung and pointed to the opposite direction where it should be safe.

He didn’t budge.

“I know you’re afraid!” I screamed again and dodged the reaper’s hit. I wrapped the rosary around the blade and then punched her in the face. “But you have to go now! Just do it!”

He still didn’t move, staring wide-eyed at me.

And that reaper wouldn’t give up.

She pulled her blade so hard, the rosary slipped out of my hands. I watched with horror as she was ready to apply a blow.

, , !

Why did I have to put the magic paper in the bag?!

The same red glow surrounded the reaper. She froze on spot then violently cried as she spontaneously combusted. I watched my fingers.

No, that red glow did not come from me.

I turned to the side where Daesung was. His whole body shone brightly as his hair slowly moved from the energy’s breeze. He lowered his arm and sighed.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled as he scratched the back of his head “I wish I would have pretended more, it was fun.”

“You’re a priest...” I concluded as my throat became dry.  His glow vanished. Daesung nodded and gave me one of his sincere smiles.

“You’ve grown well, Sooyoung.”

“Who are you?”

“Ah, I’m Daesung. I mean, now I am Daesung. I had another name.” he laughed and I didn’t get the joke.

The kid was a priest, a red priest nonetheless.

There are so few of us, that the odds of having two of them in the same area are extremely low.

“What the are you?!” I shouted.

“Jeez grandma!” he teased “It’s me! Well, you were a kid back then and a kid ghost is better than an adult one, isn’t it?”

I stared.

“What?”