Life was moving on and people had no idea of all the hardships that the afterlife was going through. Minjae was watching all their customers smile at each other, talk about books, and about deadlines for school. He was there, in the middle of the library, thinking about how easy it was to be human.
“Ignorance is bliss.” He muttered to himself feeling sadder than he expected.
And then his eyes fell over the other helper at the library. She had to work crazy hours because Fei was on a short break and Hikaru was messing with spiritual balance. Eunbin was a kind woman and it was obvious in the way she empathized with everyone she came in contact with. Her long black hair was wrapped in a ballerina bun and Minjae couldn’t help but stare at her long neck. He didn’t know why but she just resembled a swan and for some reason it made the distance between them feel smaller. He was a raven, at the end of the day. Eunbin was human.
“Are you a vampire?” She asked, surprising him by suddenly coming over.
“Wh-N-No. That’s silly, vampires have been gone for a long time although there have been sightings of some in Europe.” Minjae was taken aback so he rambled with no real idea what he was actually saying.
“Then, are you a raven?” She asked with the same mischievous glint in her eyes as Fei in the past.
Minjae’s eyes widened and he couldn’t say one word or even make a small noise.
“I heard Fei calling you that. I wondered if maybe it is a pet name.”
“Pet-no! Ew! No.” Minjae couldn’t even imagine his relationship with Fei as being more than friends. At the core, she was his master. It was far from any type of romance. “I respect Fei and I would gladly sacrifice my life for her but I would never kiss her. That is disgusting.” He added with such a serious tone that Eunbin felt a bit bad for joking with him like that.
“I know. I was just teasing you.” She said with a smile making the raven go red from his chin up to the tips of his ears. “It appears that she is already bound to someone else. He seemed very possessive, too.”
“Lee Dohyun?” Minjae asked already knowing who she was speaking of. “He is the type of man who gives his all in a relationship and it wasn’t easy with Fei. He suceeded in forcing her to move on and live her life. But his face...”
“You don’t like his face? I think he is quite attractive. He looks like he is constantly planning something.” Eunbin said watching carefully as Minjae’s expression didn’t change one bit. Only his eyes darkened slightly, sending a shiver down her spine. In that moment, he did look like a raven.
Minjae was ready to reply when he felt a buzz in his ears. Pirape did too because he abandoned his work and fell on his knees, his hands covering his ears.
“Are you alright? What’s going on?”
Minjae could barely hear Eunbin with how loud the buzzing got. It hurt his eardrums but also his whole being. It was as if a heavy weight was suddenly dropped on his back while a bomb went off nearby.
It was through a very blurry sight that Minjae saw some people rush over and help him and the centaur.
“Hikaru’s failing. We need Dohyun.” Minjae heard Death’s voice before he fainted.
Meanwhile, Fei didn’t hear anything. For her, a creature of the ancient world, the buzz did not have any effect. Instead, she did feel the change in the air and in nature. Hikaru was exhausted and could barely hold on which meant Dohyun had to take his place soon. She stared at her boyfriend as he tried to look for a way to get back home. It was still to early for her to give him up so, in an innocent impulse, she grabbed his shirt.
“What’s wrong?”
She didn’t say anything but her eyes were enough for Dohyun to know. She was afraid. She was doubting herself.
“Hey, what if we go somewhere else for a bit? I’m sure it will do us well.” Dohyun started having the feeling that Fei will be encouraged by this. “Ah, but we need a car to get there. It’s a bit far.”
“Where?”
Dohyun hummed as he thought about the location. That was enough for Fei. She grabbed his arm and in just a few seconds they were in front of a traditional Korean house. Dohyun stood there not believing his eyes.
“You...could have gotten us in different places just like that?” He asked bewildered that she hid this important power from him.
“I can’t do it often. I forced it right now.” She said turning her attention on the house. “Who lives here?”
“My grandfather.” Dohyun said with a proud expression. “Come on. I’m sure he will love meeting you.”
The house looked a lot more modern on the inside but the traditional skeleton was not changed. It had one floor and it seemed like whoever designed the interior was very interested in wars and art in general. Fei noticed the library in the living room and went straight for it. Dohyun wandered upstairs in search for his grandfather.
“Books about history,” Fei mumbled to herself as she sifted through the titles. She had a soft smile as she imagined a little Dohyun running around in search of adventure. And then she noticed something rather peculiar. Fei frowned and she quickly grabbed it off the shelf. “What the-”
Her eyes widened and she needed to sit or else she felt like her legs were going to give up. The book she had in her hands was not a book in the first place: it was a journal that seemed to be fit in a museum. She opened it and was shocked to see her own handwriting.
“Ah, I see you found it. The mysterious travel journal of a foreigner.” The old man explained, approaching Fei cautiously in case she was going to react violently.
“It’s mine,” she breathed out not able to fully register the information. She read the first page before going through it slowly. “Where did you find it?”
“During the Korean war. It was in an old store that burnt down. I admit, I was surprised to see greek but I was even more surprised by the last few pages.” The old man said encouraging Fei to go to the end.
She did and she gasped. Those beautiful green eyes of hers were filled with tears as she caressed the pages with sorrow and longing. From the day she was shot and until the day he died, Lee Hyang continued to write in her journal.
I do not know what to say first. You are...gone and I can’t believe it yet. You told me all about your world and instead of thanking you properly, I led you towards death.
It’s been six months already and you have not returned. I feel like my life is spinning out of control. You were right, the queen tried to poison me and for that she has been taken off the throne. I am now going to choose another bride but none can compare to a nymph, can they?
The head eunuch has given me a new purpose. I need to live a long life so that when you return you will be able to proudly speak of me. Munjeong the great. It does have a nice ring to it.
My second marriage failed as well. Mother believes it to be a curse created by you but I know it is not even close to the real issue. I can’t love them, I can’t give them what they want from me so they naturally drift away and go search for love in the arms of others. I can’t say I am bothered since I spend all my days trying to descipher your writings.
There were several entries and she went through them rapidly until she got to the last one. Her heart stung as she read it.
I am dying soon, Fei. I am afraid I cannot evade my fate and I haven’t been able to leave much behind. Even now, on my death bed I can’t do anything but try and find solace in your journal. If, in the future, you will read this I want you to know that you mattered. Meeting you was the most special moment of my life and it will remain so for eternity. I brought only sorrow and pain to you but you made me open my eyes and see how wide and beautiful the world is. My heart only beats for you and nobody else. That is why, in my next life, I do not want to appear before you again and break your heart. Be happy Fei because while I was with you, I truly was happy too.
That was enough for the nymph. She didn’t care who was watching, she let all the pain and heartbreak out and cried.
ns 15.158.61.55da2
