Chapter Twelve

In Between - II

The you who seems lost again

The dark night is still cold and lonely; I lose you to the air

At a distance that I cannot catch up to, worried that you will be lonely

            They’re called Fu, paper talismans. They’re mostly used to guard houses and establishments from bad spirits. They can also be used to cast spells, bind bodies. The person who made those spells is definitely skilled. Only powerful shamans can do such magic.

            Yi Xing thinks the mystery surrounding his cousin’s sudden sickness was planned. Everything now feels so contrived. For what exactly, he doesn’t have an idea yet. He still believes his grandmother is behind this.

            “Why would someone want to bring harm to Lu Han? The few times I’ve met him, he seems to be the peaceful sort... I don’t think anyone would hold a grudge on him.”

            “It’s not Lu Han they’re after... I don’t think this was meant for Lu Han. Someone thinks they’re protecting someone...”

            “The talisman’s for protection?” Min Seok asked, incredulous. Lu Han is unable to go back to his body, who would think of it as protection?

            “This might sound really strange but we need to bring Lu Han back ourselves... I’m sure you’re aware of where he is...”

            From the few dream visits with Lu Han, he has clearly mentioned about going on a journey, that much he is aware of. Where that journey is, he still needs to find out. Yi Xing must think he’s new to this. He doesn’t think anything could be stranger, ever since that day with the hong bao he never felt normal.

            “I know everything’s been out of the ordinary lately but this time it’s going to be weirder.” Yi Xing looks at him, trying to determine if he should go on with the idea or not. “I’m going to have to ask you to accompany to the land of the dead...”

            “What?”

            “It’s mostly unnecessary, though you’re the only I know that has connections to the land of the living. We need that for us to be able to go back.” According to the Ancient Book of the Dead two things are necessary for humans to be able to go in and out of the spirit world, one is a link to the spirit world and the other is a strong tie to the human world. “Your Aunt... We would need her help too...” 

            “How... is that even possible..?”

            “I have ways... Connections... I’ll try to explain everything when we get there...”

            Kim Min Seok stays still, trying to let the thought of going to the underworld sink in. He figured this must all be a dream. One he, weirdly, willingly participated in.

            “Things are slowly getting complicated. It could get worst if we don’t act now...”

            As if giving a warning, the phone rings all of a sudden. The ringing somehow feels ominous. It’s making Kim Min Seok’s hair stand on end.

            Yi Xing answers the phone on the third ring, looking like he knows what the call was about.

            “Min Seok and I will man the shop tomorrow. But do you think you’d be able to get Lau and Ping to sub for us. We’re going out of town for a while.” There are a few muffled words that can be heard from the receiver. “I’m sorry to add to your problems, I’m sure Su Ho would be back to his usual self in no time...”

            He hangs up the phone looking more exhausted than he already is.

            “Someone from the shop?”

            Yi Xing nods, looking at the map on the wall. “Su Ho has fallen ill all of a sudden...” The map on the wall now shows two red dots on a stand still.

            Looking at the same map, Min Seok realized this is the first time he has stepped foot inside his friend’s apartment. Everything looks normal except for the knick knacks scattered in the room. They look like they belong in ancient Buddhist temples, not a twenty-something’s living room. The one thing that seems to have a life of its own is the seemingly magical map on the wall.

            “The dots that you see on the map represent spirits. Only pay attention to the red ones...”

            Min Seok approaches the map, scanning for the red dots his friend mentioned. He has spotted it on the far edge part of the map right below a word that he can’t decipher. All of the other dots are moving, floating more like, except for the ones his friend has asked him to look for.

            “Lu Han’s dot has long disappeared from the map; all I can see now is Kyung Soo and a new one...”

            “Who is Kyung Soo?”

            “He’s a ghost living at the second-hand bookshop... He’s volunteered to accompany Lu Han.”

            “You said a new one... If the other red dot isn’t Lu Han then who—“

            “I could only hazard a guess though I’m hoping I could be wrong this time...” Yi Xing’s frown deepened, the dots are now moving towards the centre of what seems to be a drawing of a castle. It’s like looking at a flat screen TV, the shapes and details come to life depending on the dots movements. There a few blue dots that have been disappearing on the edge. He still doesn’t know where Lu Han is in the map but he hopes he’s not one of those disappearing ones.  “We don’t have much time... The more they stay away from their human forms... The harder it is for us to bring them back.”

~O~

            Min Seok’s aunt patiently waits for her nephew to arrive. After the phone call she received from her nephew’s friend asking for an audience; also requesting for her to prepare a shrine and the most important object that she has been keeping with her.

            Puzzled by the bizarre request, she waited for them at the entrance of the apartment complex. Noting how it’s almost the full moon, she feels dread about the request. She told herself never to get involved with that family but seeing that her nephew is tied with the heir, it seems like she doesn’t have a choice but to help as much as she can.

            The two arrived a little after an hour. She has known about Min Seok’s friend from where he works though this is the first time she’s actually meeting the child. There’s something calming about him, she hasn’t felt that way for a person in a while.

            “I apologize for this late visit.” Yi Xing says as a greeting. They were led inside immediately after.

            Yi Xing and his aunt immediately fell into a discussion once they’re all seated. Min Seok feels like he’s the visitor instead. There are things about the culture that he doesn’t know; he realized that what he needs to worry about is that he does not know his own family history.

            “What were you torturing Lu Han’s mom with?” he can’t help but ask, suppressed anger evident in his voice.

            “Min Seok-ah...”

            “She said our family has been torturing theirs for a long time? Does this have to do with the family business? Is it why you’re so opposed to me being acquainted with Lu Han?”

            His aunt presented him with a rectangular box. It looks identical to the one he gave to Lu Han’s mom that time he went for the tea ceremony. “Open it...”

            Min Seok takes the box and opens the lid. Inside the box was a Chinese comb and an ancient emerald ring.

            “It’s an engagement set...”

            “A Chinese comb symbolizes a marriage proposal...” Yi Xing supplies.

            “Is this... mine?”

            “No. That was given to me a long time ago. Yours was returned that time you were invited to the Lu household. The ring though, you get to keep it. There’s two of those, the other one; I’m thinking should still be with your betrothed.”

            Min Seok fingers the ring hanging on his neck. So the ring is part of a set, his only connection to Lu Han.

            “I was promised to a Lu heir once. The preparations are well underway when I suddenly got very sick. I was asleep for months unable to move. No one knows the cause; the family physicians were confused of what it was since my vital signs were all normal. The only thing is that I’m unable to stay conscious. There are episodes where I would float in between being asleep and waking, it never lasted long and my body just naturally drifted to sleep.

            It was a long coma I was told. One that lasted for so many months my parents thought I would never wake up. But I did, the first news that I heard is that the Lu bride is currently pregnant with the heir.”

            Yi Xing and Min Seok looked at each other, feeling a sense of similarity to their current situation.

            “The threat that the mistress is talking about must be the knowledge that I probably am aware of something that no one in the family is. I wasn’t sick; I was deliberately put into sleep...”