With Death gone, Minjae glanced at Fei and saw her look disheartened by the news.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLYi69s7Hh
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9SaIxoJns
"Well, I'll go take a look around from above and tell you if I see her." He mumbled quickly getting his jacket too.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ghve7prIQ
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRS2c6R1u4
"I'll look around her jurisdiction then. If she met this man, it must have been somewhere she worked."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2m5Q7ohzk
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthtMRcAP40
They nodded at each other and left the library with the message that they will be back shortly.
"Why did they ask me to do this, what if she puts up a fight...?” Fei moaned to herself as she wandered the city. "I can't fight, I'm old..." she added feeling like protesting in the middle of the street.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L18FdobZa
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjaq2SgMO8
What was supposed to be a maximum two hours mission, ended up taking the whole day. With Hikaru, their only worker, in his messed up state they couldn't even do business right. And Death just left, taking no responsibility for the library. Minjae returned with his feet on the ground and they split to cover more ground.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoq0Cv57iy
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmszirzA3U2
It was already dinner time when Minjae called Fei.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnNeVn25Ee
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofhY41P93Y
"I asked around and it seems she was last seen at a hospital in Dongdaemun. Let's meet there and check it out." He said and immediately hung up.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtVaz9x9sL
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA74RBxFq7X
Flying there and changing into his human form in a shadowy corner took just a few minutes. Minjae entered and went straight to the information desk. The nurses didn't expect someone so charismatic to appear in front of them, smiling cutely above everything else.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBEslzNFLh
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSH9gSos6W
"Can you help me with a name? I'd like to know if my...friend was brought here in the last 24 hours." He asked with a boyish attitude.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzb1iowXge
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8R4NoS6ViD
The nurse was flustered for a moment but nodded anyway.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rYMirdjwa
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1EweUrWhl
"Was he brought in a bad shape?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDs9jWTTNW
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJ94VdInsY
"...he was in the worst shape." Minjae replied not being a very good liar. "He must have been sent to the ICU as soon as he arrived."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJhTdHN8SP
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoz40tqfChN
"I'm sorry but I need to know his name in order to search for him in the database." The nurse informed him with a sorry smile.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTD0IHrMs4r
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgE7mKFOLwL
"Ah, ok." Minjae bowed his head and had to walk away. He bit his lower lip and looked around the entry hall, reapers moving among humans. They were really easy to spot since they were black dots in a sea of colour. One of them must have seen the rogue recently.
"I'm hungry," Fei complained once more wanting to take a seat and not care for the reaper.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxmtwawxh2
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuTQaOGnao
After all, what was the worst that could happen if she didn't do the mission? No, no, she shook her head. She became too lazy to fight the authority and the last time she did, she was punished to live in seclusion.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoTmyihZO1
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWsthSLynP
"Where are you Number 898, formerly known as Jiah?" She sighed and stopped feeling tired and annoyed. "I hate this!" She complained loudly swinging her hands in the air.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4NDLVJRDy
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlbF4nA5Np
People glanced at her as if she had grown another head.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJU4wVNGS6
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYDsNoztko
"You are being too loud."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyrOuyuIuy
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaOqaXyq9b
Fei stopped and glanced over her shoulder at the subject. The reaper was dressed in her usual black clothes and she seemed very sad.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkChMrwvyH7
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINTEAZXs1h
"It drew your attention." Fei stated as a matter of fact.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4Wy8HH1My
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimwIj4NeyS
"It didn't. I saw the raven and figured it's better to come willingly."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoZHUw4QQB
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡct5EelP20d
"Why? Do you really want to die?" Fei asked turning to face the reaper. "Ah, Jiah, I really didn't want to find you. Do you think that after working for so, so long in war logistics, I can't capture a reaper in this digitalized world?" Fei asked with a tinge of disappointment.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYBv4AD57F
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGRCT2yEMj
Jiah stared with her eyes wide and mouth agape, not knowing what to do next.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡha6QziBJRh
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGAPp3XCO7
"But Death-"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9S0bIx9xi
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NnpAzsN14
"Death wouldn't be able to say anything if I couldn't find you...he'd give me a long lecture but not punish me. I'm already a slave anyway." She mumbled feeling like cursing the afterlife.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzoZskE0R9
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡts4ADrkxR1
"Then, what now?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWI8P84lH89
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqSqru1clZ
"You run, I follow you. We fight a bit and then you manage to get away. I'm not sure for how long because Death is everywhere and will eventually catch you." She was very blunt but it comforted the reaper. "Do you want a drink?"
It wasn't necessarily odd to see a woman standing on a bench on the park with two bottles of soju and two plastic cups. But it was weird seeing her drink and talk to an empty spot next to her.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNadgrI7GY
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotqcvF4aay
"Why do you want to help me?" Jiah asked sitting with her legs together and hands on her knees like she was being scolded.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkugRciYa7B
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZ115kzrbx
"This is not help, it's just buying you some time. I don't want to get immersed into your sad love story. I already learned my lesson." Fei replied taking a shot of soju. It felt refreshing.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡers8CawkHG
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsrDXe63U4
"I heard. Your story is like a fairy-tale among reapers. You weren't even born on this land and yet you are forbidden to leave."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7Sz9dRUi8
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmtiQ9XfjV
"Yeah well, Greece is not what it used to be anyway so it doesn't affect me. The people that believed in me are all dead too so I am fine living here."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjN5Wh1JT35
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JhSSaoZX4
"You have the raven, which must mean something." Jiah said and sighed sadly. "I died right before the change in dynasties. I and my whole family were so poor and we all died painfully, one after another. I witnessed people giving their last breath even before I became a reaper."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1my9yJsga
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHm0CDTA42c
Fei sighed and they clinked their plastic cups before they gulped down every drop of soju.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFTi0pGk04
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd41YmaZ5VP
"Why did you save this man? You know reapers can't take such decisions on their own." Fei asked what she wanted to know.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpffFALwXfa
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnzUdtc7R5
"He's not the most handsome or the smartest or the most touching human I was appointed to, but he was so ready to die. I told him I can wait for him to finish all his earthly problems for a day but he refused. He just stood there by his bed and looked at his body. He didn't cry, he didn't cling onto me asking for a second chance like others do."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7M2zuuQzsP
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8qYTbItMm
"And yet you saved him. Death thinks you are in love with him."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0hEOXzh25
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnJFNFq7c2
"He is only 16 years old, how can I love him." Jiah said and laughed at the idea. "That's the age when my brother passed. He was the last one in my family to go before me. He was such a lively kid, always there for his noona and I couldn't do anything for him. I watched him struggle to take care of me. He was murdered by a lord because he stole some wood and garments for me. I felt so helpless watching him get beaten up until he died. He looked at me and smiled and that is my last and more poignant memory of him." She explained more and more tears dropping down her cheeks.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDie7YP0ULd
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWzGwyOi1l
Fei didn’t say a word, she just listened which seemed to be what Jiah really needed.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadkxkwmbt8
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0aGPg9vZd
"When I saw him on the list I couldn't believe it. It was like my brother was reborn only to have the same bad fate. Seeing him not regret and not feel sorry for himself, I just..." she looked down at her lap and closed her eyes as she cried. "If that means I have to be erased, then it's fine." She said through sobs.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhcMLhRef3
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKofxAVDV8
Fei leaned back and breathed out slowly. She was an empath and she couldn't help but be touched by the story. On the other hand, helping a rogue reaper was going to add years of slavery on her card and she already had many to come.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyLutUyzl0
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVK3hHgvvWR
Her phone rung and she questioned if she should answer or not. In the end, she didn't. She was sure Minjae was annoyed with it but that was irrelevant now.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQoAgINrLn
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPKx9Syt9Y
"Come on, get up. You should run before they find out I'm with you. Then they will come and arrest you for sure."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkNAEqSitj
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5qn98d1sD
"But where can I go?" Jiah asked with worry.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12wPYBj7Pr
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGKezmh95O
"The human you saved. He can keep you hidden for a while. Being around a person who is alive will work as a wall against you and Death. And you'll be able to protect him if Death comes after him again." Fei replied and both women got up.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88hfXTxaIF
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmd98xzYpp
They looked at each other and smiled until a long scepter went straight through Jiah's chest. She became dust and vanished in the void.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqZFllz1Im
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISt7GCDd9K
Fei remained there frozen. The reaper was erased so quickly and out of nowhere. She blinked, still not quite sure of what she witnessed. And then something even more shocking happened. Death walked to her and slapped her really harshly. It was like a scene in a drama where the slapped character couldn't move or talk afterwards. His hand was a man's hand, maybe even stronger. It didn't cause Fei to fall but she did stumble and her head turned really fast from the slap. Her short blonde hair couldn’t hide the expression on her face and she didn't have the emotional state to look into Death's eyes.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2XIpKlsDI
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQe2QZBF1f
"Do not cross me, Fei. Just because your life was prolonged by a God, that doesn't mean you will not die in the future. That God isn't around anymore to save you so be careful what hand you bite." He scolded her in a voice that could scare even the biggest monsters.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzWnR8wgnU
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8CiO9GSPO
He faded away but she stood there, not moving a muscle in her whole body. She was angry and she wanted nothing more than to just disappear.
