No, Jessica wasn’t a vampire. She wasn’t a fairy either. Certainly, she had nothing to do with demons and reapers. Jessica is a special kind of witch. To be exact, she’s what Yuri introduced as a Kotodama when we got inside the real cottage in the woods. The one the serpent showed me was a cave and I can’t believe I got tricked that easy (well, I can). With no sign of Byung Hee, we decided it was best to stick at Jessica’s place – she had ginger cookies and tea – and wait for the Keeper to find us. With our mouths full, we listened to Yuri as she explained what a Kotodama is.

Apparently, the belief was that every single word had power, enough to move everything around to your desire. I kind of agreed since most of the spells both me and Yuri sometimes used were based on certain ingredients and a set of words that sometimes made no sense to me. Jessica could harvest that energy through speaking or singing, thus, breaking the fabric of time and space. Why didn’t I know of that? When asked, Yuri added that only Black Priests could do that and the majority of them failed or died before they'd succeed.

“Oh, so you’re like us!” Daesung concluded “But... different?” Jessica nodded and sipped her tea in silence.

“Wait, so you shouldn’t speak, right?” Jessica nodded again and sipped some more tea. “Can’t you be my new partner?” I joked and pointed my thumb to Daesung “This one can’t shut up.”

“Oi!” Daesung glared and tried to steal my ginger cookie. I pushed him away with my hand and leg, but he wouldn’t give up.

“You two!” Yuri shouted and smacked us at the same time. “Have some manners!”

We mumbled and munched on those cookies. Jessica hid her smile under her hand and I couldn’t help smile back.

“So... how old are you?” I asked out of curiosity. We were all old geezers in that room, I hoped that at least Jessica was younger. Actually, it was Daesung’s second life, so I don’t know if that counted. Jessica showed us three fingers, then her fist. “Thirty?” she shook her head and then her fist three times. “Oh, 300!” Jessica smiled again. So I was older than her. “Okay, but why are we here?”

Yuri cleared .

“You three need to hide until things calm down. When Byung Hee will come, Jessica will send you to the world in Between.”

“What?” I almost dropped my cookie.

“It’s the safest place we know of. Reapers can’t go inside it and since you are not ghosts, they cannot touch you either. Jessica has the power to alter the barriers between the three worlds and open a portal for you. It’s temporary, but once things will settle, I will come after you.”

“You mean...” Daesung put his cookie away “You aren’t coming?”

“No, I can’t.” Yuri sipped on her tea as well.

“Of course you can! We can’t just leave without you!”

“I...” Yuri slammed the empty cup on the table “cannot. You three do it.”

“Fine...” I didn’t know what Yuri was planning... but even the mention of going in another world sounded wrong. Jessica gaped at us. Ignoring her, I sniffed my cookie and got a different scent. “What’s that smell?”

“Snake stew!” Yuri proudly announced. Daesung held back his tears while I gagged on the cookie.

---

“Hey grandma, I brought you a blanket.” Daesung didn’t wait for my answer. He put the blanket around my back and made sure I wouldn’t freeze. The fire was warm, but I had to admit there was slight breeze behind me. He hugged me after and rubbed his head against mine. “Grandma’s hair is so niiice!”

“Get off me, you .” I barked and Daesung, for once, listened. I turned around to see if he was gone. The priest gave me a hurt look which kind of moved me for a second, but I couldn’t help think that it was all an act, again.

“You know...” he sighed and went around me until he reached my side and kneeled in front of me. “You really should stop calling me that.”

“Call you what?”

“Dumb, an idiot, a stupid , a brainless bird...”

“I never called you that!” I retorted “...and don’t insult birds...”

“Look, I know that I’m not perfect,” he showed me his teeth through a wide grin “but I didn’t lie back then. Whatever happens, I’ll protect you.” His hand brushed mine and I almost pulled it away if he didn’t grab it. “So stop running away from me.”

“What the are you talking about?”

Daesung sighed and got up from the floor. He ruffled his hair and laughed so hard, the whole room echoed. I pulled the blanket closer to my chest and watched him confused.

“Nothing, nothing...” he waved his hand “Other than... that I love you.”

“What?!”

“What, what?”

“You what?!”

“I what what?!”

“Think of a number!”

“Eh?”

“Just do it!”

“Why do I have to think of a number? Is she trying to change the subject?”

“Stop staring and think of a number!”

“Alright, alright!” Daesung tapped his finger over his lips “Number number... maybe 3, but I can lie it’s another and then I’ll trick her and...”

“Holy ,” Daesung watched me confused. “I can read your thoughts.”

“...what?”