As we rode further east, I felt weaker and the child inside of me grew stronger. I could barely use any of my abilities. Jung Min said that my belly had a strange glow and I figured it was the soul who received its new body. I feared that I might not be able to successfully carry it. I had no idea what my powers meant for the child or for me, if I was going to die at birth or not. It was a sensation that wouldn’t let me go and I became angrier and angrier with everything around me. Hormones weren’t at fault, but my own worries and constant insecurities. I could take care of everybody else, but something that was still being formed, something inside of me which I couldn’t touch... it was different and plain weird.

At one point, we had to settle down. Initially, Jung Min suggested we go far south where there was a huge concentration of reapers, so we should be safe from any other creature. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Jung Min was wrong and that city was better than anything south could offer, so I was pleased to see he listened to my advice. Hyung-soo was the only one thrilled among us – at least, in the beginning – constantly talking about those lands with love. His childhood was tied with that region and it felt good for him to return home.

We were restless and money disappeared each day like autumn leaves in the wind. Jung Min sacrificed everything for me and the unborn child, while Hyung-soo complained about our old life. Somewhere, around one month before I’d give birth, I had lost all of my abilities. Well, not all, but I could barely ignite my skin.

Around then, when Jung Min was out to talk with the midwife and Hyung-soo to drink, I took a stroll all by myself. There was absolutely nothing wrong in going out from time to time, but the boys exaggerated too much and confined me inside that house. So when both weren’t there, I made sure I could exercise my feet. It was difficult that particular day. My back and everything else hurt, so I took small steps until I reached the market. There was an abundance of fragrances, spices and colorful materials. As I checked a fine silk, I knew I could make a beautiful dress for my baby daughter. I could tell the infant’s gender just by my belly and feeling its spirit tremble under my fingers.

“Beautiful,” a voice spoke behind me. I imagined it was talking about the silk.

“Beautiful indeed,” I answered before I turned around, expecting some kind of soldier or merchant that watched its competition.

Instead, a stranger with white hair, black eyeliner, indigo eyes and a wicked smile bowed his head in my direction. One earring made of a gorgeous white jewel was dangling from his right side. He was dressed... weirdly. I had seen many styles throughout our adventures, but his matched none. It was one of the most exotic appearances in that market and I couldn’t help stare. Compared to Jung Min’s height, the stranger was slightly smaller and maybe it was the pregnancy’s fault, but I had sworn there was something in the way he looked at me...

He cupped my chin and gently caressed my cheek with his thumb.

“Not that,” he grabbed my wrist and gently pushed it down, so I could let go of the silk “you are.”

“I don’t...” without my abilities, I had no idea what that stranger was up to. A voice in the back of my head told he might be a demon.

“I am not one such low beast,” he answered without taking his eyes off me. “Do not think ill of me.”

“What are you?”

He let go of my chin and leaned forward.

“I am the one that will take your child away,” I froze on spot “so do not fight it back.”

I shoved the stranger and ran as fast as I could back to the house. I never spoke about it with anyone.

Only after those demons attacked us, after my daughter arrived early and after I forced Hyung-soo to dedicate his life to her, had I understood his words. Exhausted and covered in blood, I crawled out of the house’s basement alone. I knew she was in good hands, but there was no Jung Min around. When I caught enough force to open the door and check outside, I found his lifeless body with a hole in his chest.

The same blond stranger was there, watching me sob as I grabbed onto the door and tried to believe it was all a horrible nightmare.

“Where is she?”I couldn’t answer. “Yuri... there’s no point in hiding her. She came here because of me.” I couldn’t hear him. I was too mad from the scene. “I will protect her Yuri. Do you want to see that I am true in my word?”

“SHUT THE UP!” He laughed. “WHAT’S SO ING FUNNY?!” I was about to see if my abilities returned, when he kneeled in front of Jung Min, effortlessly lifted his body and turned his back to me.

“Another time, Red Mistress.” He walked away and faded with each step.

I collapsed and cried for an entire day. I didn’t know that a demon had been lurking in the shadows, waiting for the stranger to leave, waiting for me to fall asleep on the cold ground and attach itself to my back.  

---

“Stop!” Jessica commanded. All reapers ceased their attack and flew back to their initial places. “What do you mean?”

“You have a choice, Jessica.” I breathed out and didn’t once let my flame extinguish. “There’s a choice in everything. Why do you blindly follow orders?”

“Because I have to.”

“Why?”

“Because...” she frowned and looked at Seungri who only shrugged. “I must follow all orders! Any that do not are considered rogue and exterminated!”

“But what do you want?”

“Nothing!”

“Liar!” I barked and took Jessica by surprise. “We all want something in this world. Humans, reapers, demons... heck, even that snake you recently killed wanted something. So what do you want?”

Jessica seemed dumbfounded. Seungri on the other hand didn't look as impressed. He motioned the reapers to continue where they had left.

“To remember,” Jessica answered as the reapers surrounded me again “...who I was.”

The back of my arms formed blades made of fire. With my defensive stance, I could feel a smirk crest my face.

“To remember huh...” the reapers stopped, unsure of what to do. “How about you start making your own decisions? You were given a second chance, use it for yourself.”

Seungri nodded to the reapers.

They attacked.