Season one, chapter fourteen

"I hope that the heart engraved deep in my heart will reach you tomorrow"

Thea sat quietly in the cramped back seat of the car, her fingers fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket as her mind spiraled into anxious thoughts. She let out a deep sigh, unable to suppress the weight pressing down on her chest. This wasn't her first fight, but it was her first encounter with a level three evil spirit since Cheol-jung's death. The memory of losing him haunted her, a constant reminder of how quickly things could go wrong. Her imagination, vivid and relentless, churned out worst-case scenarios, each more horrifying than the last.

She wasn't naturally optimistic when it came to fighting evil spirits. While she could muster positivity in other areas—convincing herself that things would turn out fine even when they often didn't—her confidence vanished in the face of these inhuman entities. Evil spirits weren't just monsters; they were pure malice, filled with a thirst for destruction. Every fight carried the risk of losing someone she cared about, and that fear gnawed at her with every passing second.

"So level three spirits have two voices?" Mun asked, breaking the heavy silence in the car. He was fumbling with the small earpiece device they used for communication, his inexperience showing.

"Yes," Ms. Chu explained, her tone somber. "The evil spirit and the host can communicate. We can hear the evil spirit's voice, but ordinary people can't."

"At level three, they can use psychokinesis and read minds," Mo-tak added from the driver's seat, his hands steady on the wheel as his eyes focused on the road. "Some can even bewitch people."

"Bewitch people?" Mun repeated, his voice tinged with unease.

"They make you lose your mind," Mo-tak explained, smoothly maneuvering the car through a turn.

"They found one in France that could switch hosts," Ms. Chu added, her eyes flickering downward, her mind clearly weighed down by the grim possibilities.

"I learned French as a second language," Mun blurted, his voice a little too loud. Thea turned her head toward him, raising an eyebrow. Everyone else glanced at him in disbelief, their collective silence speaking volumes. "I'm just nervous," Mun admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

Thea rolled her eyes with a small smirk, deciding to ease the tension. "Mun, I'm pretty sure your Korean isn't perfect, let alone French."

"That's mean," Mun muttered, pouting slightly.

"Just an observation," Thea teased, her tone light, though her nerves still hummed beneath her calm exterior.

"Hold yourself together like Hana and Thea," Mo-tak interrupted, glancing in the rearview mirror. "Like raindrops falling down quietly at a temple."

Thea exchanged a look with Hana, who gave a barely perceptible nod.

"I think of pork belly," Hana revealed, her deadpan delivery contrasting with the absurdity of her words. "The sound of its fat on charcoal. Pop, crackle. It calms me down." She even mimicked the sounds, her face as stoic as ever.

"You picture pork belly?" Thea asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

"It works," Hana replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, I usually listen to music," Thea shared, leaning back against the seat. "Something calming, like classical piano or instrumental tracks. It's like stepping into a different world, one where the noise fades and I can just... breathe."

The car fell silent for a moment as everyone absorbed her words.

"We're scared, too, Mun," Ms. Chu said, her voice softer now, as if she were trying to comfort a child. "We get scared every single time." She paused, looking out the window. "Our territory isn't here, is it?"

"No, it's gone," Hana confirmed, letting out a sigh of her own.

"You don't have to catch her," Ms. Chu continued, her concern for them outweighing her duty. "Don't get hurt."

"Pop. Crackle," Mun murmured, closing his eyes tightly as if willing himself to focus.

One by one, the team began to mimic the sound. "Pop. Crackle."

Even Thea found herself smiling faintly, joining in the odd chant. For a fleeting moment, the weight on her chest felt just a little lighter.

Still, her thoughts returned to the task ahead. This wasn't just about facing a level three spirit. It was about survival—protecting her family, ensuring they all made it back alive. She wouldn't allow this fight to take away another piece of her heart.

As the car pulled into the parking lot of the Jungjin Department Store, Thea clenched her fists, her determination hardening. No one gets left behind. Not tonight.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Thea walked with her head held high, her sharp eyes scanning her surroundings with practiced caution. Every nerve in her body was tuned to detect even the smallest movement. She didn't like being this tense, but her instincts demanded it. Any sign of danger, and she would have to spring into action. She hoped it wouldn't come to that—especially not here, amidst the crowds of a busy mall. Deep down, she knew she wasn't confident about facing a level three evil spirit alone.

Her earpiece crackled, drawing her focus back to the mission.

"I'll take the first floor," Mo-tak announced, his voice firm and resolute.

"I'll take the third and fourth floors. Be careful," Ms. Chu added with her usual calm authority.

"I'll start on the fifth," Hana said briskly.

"I'll take the seventh floor," Thea chimed in, her tone steady despite her underlying unease. As she walked through a department store bustling with shoppers, she asked, "Mun, can you really do this alone? I still feel uneasy."

Mun's voice came through with his characteristic nonchalance. "Did you already forget my fight against the 17 kids?" There was a note of pride in his voice, as though the memory itself was proof of his competence.

Thea couldn't help but smile faintly. "Evil spirits aren't the same as people. This is different."

Mo-tak cut in with his gruff tone, "I have a bad feeling about him."

"Come on, don't worry," Mun replied casually. Then, almost as an afterthought, he asked, "Anyway, she was a woman. Is it okay to hit her?"

Thea's lips curled up into a wry smile. Always the gentleman.

"She's not a woman. She's an evil spirit," Hana interjected, her words sharp and venomous.

Thea wandered deeper into the store, her eyes darting from aisle to aisle. She passed racks of clothes in every price range, from luxurious pieces that caught the eye to cheaper, more practical garments. The sight stirred old memories. She could still picture her mother smiling as they browsed the lavish malls of Seoul together, buying her new clothes. The image was so vivid it was as though it had just happened yesterday. But the warmth of the memory quickly gave way to an aching hollowness. Those days were gone. Her family was gone—taken from her in a single, brutal night.

Her breath caught as her eyes landed on a figure among the racks of clothes. Her heart raced, and a lump rose in her throat. The boy had his back turned, his black hair an all-too-familiar sight.

"Jun-Seo..." she whispered, her voice trembling. She approached him hesitantly and placed a shaky hand on his shoulder. The moment he turned around, her heart plummeted. Disappointment and grief crashed over her like a wave.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else..." she murmured, bowing her head in apology before quickly retreating.

The boy stood there, eyebrows raised, watching her walk away with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Thea's shame was unbearable. How could she have been so foolish? She'd seen her brother die—seen her entire family perish before her eyes. And yet, part of her still clung to the impossible hope that they might somehow be alive. Tears welled in her eyes, but she swallowed them down. There was no room for weakness right now.

Her earpiece crackled again, Mun's voice breaking the silence. "I found her."

"What?" Thea froze. Her focus snapped back to the mission.

"Which floor?" Hana's voice was sharp with urgency.

"Mun, don't do anything!" Ms. Chu warned, her concern palpable.

"I'm going down from the 12th floor by elevator. I'll cut off the camera," Mun replied, his voice lowered.

"I'm running to the elevator," Mo-tak announced.

Thea's legs were already moving before she could think. Her breath quickened as she sprinted toward the nearest elevator. "Mun, don't do anything rash!" she called through the earpiece.

"She might go to the parking lot so I'll be there," Ms. Chu said. "Lure her to a place where there are no people. Safety is our priority."

Thea reached the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly, willing it to arrive faster. She glanced down the corridor and saw Hana running toward her. The two women exchanged a brief nod before the elevator doors slid open.

Inside stood the woman—her expression cold and calculating. For a brief moment, their eyes locked. Then Hana sprang into action, launching a powerful kick that sent the woman crashing into the elevator wall.

Thea darted past them, spotting Mun's unconscious body slumped on the floor. She barely managed to grab hold of the elevator's railing as it jolted abruptly.

The fight between Hana and the woman raged on, but Thea didn't have time to watch. When the woman grabbed Hana by the neck, Thea reacted instinctively. Summoning her psychokinesis, she hurled the woman against the elevator wall with a force that made the entire structure shudder. The woman fell to the floor, but she was on her feet again in an instant, her eyes burning with fury.

Thea ducked and weaved as the woman attacked, her movements precise and calculated. She managed to position herself behind the woman and locked her arm around her neck. The woman thrashed wildly, her sharp nails slicing through the air, but Thea held firm.

The struggle didn't last. The woman drove an elbow into Thea's stomach, then followed with a brutal heel to her face. Pain exploded across Thea's vision, and she crumpled to the floor.

The woman loomed over her, cackling. She grabbed Thea by the hair and hoisted her into the air, her grip like iron. "How does it feel to survive all alone?" she sneered. "Both of your moms died. Both of your dads died. And your sister..." She turned her gaze to Hana. "Your brother..." Her eyes locked back on Thea. "They were going to die anyway." Her laughter rang out, cruel and mocking.

Thea's chest burned as she gasped for air, her vision darkening at the edges. Hana's desperate voice broke through the haze.

"Thea!"

Suddenly, they were both on the ground, gasping for breath.

"Wake up, Hana, Thea!" Mun had leaped onto the woman's back, but she threw him off like a rag doll. Hana slammed her hand against the emergency button, summoning help.

When the elevator doors opened, Mo-tak's fist connected with the woman's face in a thunderous blow, sending her sprawling unconscious to the floor.

Thea leaned heavily against the cold elevator wall, her breaths labored and shallow. Her chest burned from the earlier fight, and her body felt like it might give out at any moment. She turned her head slowly, her gaze locking onto Hana's. Without saying a word, Hana reached out and took Thea's trembling hand in hers, squeezing it gently.

"It's okay now," Hana said softly, her voice steady despite the bruises forming on her neck. Thea gave a faint nod, trying to believe her.

Mo-tak, standing over the unconscious woman, adjusted his grip on her limp body. "Jeez, what a hassle," he muttered, shaking his head in frustration.

"Over there! In front of the elevator!" a voice called out. Several mall security guards were running toward them, their radios crackling with chatter.

"Over here!," Mo-tak grumbled. "Some help, please!" he waved them down.

The guards stopped just short of the group, their eyes darting between the unconscious woman and the battered team.

"Yes, this is Mr. Ji Hyeong-u's wife. Take her away"

One of the guards stepped forward, his expression serious. "Sir, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine"

"Sir, please come with us"

Mo-tak raised an eyebrow. "I really should. I really hate leaving a scene like this. Do you know that feeling? You're at a restroom trying to do a number two, but you have to stop. How does that feel? How does it feel? Doesn't it feel incomplete? Incomplete" He leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

The guard looked utterly baffled, but Mo-tak didn't give him a chance to respond. He pushed past him and into the elevator, letting the doors close. "Keep up the good work!" he called over his shoulder.

Inside the elevator, Mo-tak turned to the others. His sharp eyes scanned them quickly, taking in their battered and exhausted forms. "Are you three all right? Young kids these days are way too weak. Can you stand on your feet?"

Mun extended a hand to him, but Mo-tak swatted it away with an annoyed grunt.

Hana, already on her feet, dusted off her pants as if she hadn't just been choked half to death. "We're fine," she said, though her voice betrayed her fatigue.

Thea, however, remained slumped against the wall, her head bowed and her eyes distant. Her hands trembled slightly at her sides, and the weight of her emotions seemed to press down on her like a heavy blanket.

Mun noticed her stillness immediately and stepped closer, crouching down beside her. "Thea," he said gently, his voice full of concern. "Are you okay?"

She forced a faint smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Mun didn't believe her for a second, but he didn't push. Instead, he held out his hand, offering her silent support. After a moment's hesitation, Thea took it. The warmth of his touch was grounding, and she allowed him to help her to her feet.

"Let's go then," Mun said, his tone soft but firm.

The four of them stepped out of the elevator together, moving toward the parking lot. Even as they left the scene behind, Thea's mind lingered on the words the spirit had said. Her family. Her brother. The memories threatened to swallow her whole, but Mun's hand remained in hers, anchoring her to the present.

Ms. Chu urged from the car as she observed the group sprinting across the parking lot, "Hurry up and get in."

Mo-tak expressed his frustration, saying, "Darn it, I could've summoned it out," as everyone climbed into the car.

Thea's fingers twitched slightly in Mun's grasp, but her gaze remained distant, fixed on the blurred cityscape rushing past the window. The weight of the encounter pressed heavily on her chest, constricting her breath. She could still feel the phantom grip around her throat, the suffocating pressure that had stolen the air from her lungs. But more than that, it was the woman's words that replayed in her mind, echoing with cruel precision. Your brother... your parents... they were about to die.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out the voices of her teammates. She wanted to push the memory away, to lock it in the furthest corner of her mind where it couldn't hurt her. But no matter how hard she tried, the past had a way of clawing back to the surface, dragging her into its cold, merciless embrace.

Beside her, Mun's concern deepened. He could feel how stiff her hand was in his, her fingers unmoving, cold even. She wasn't just upset—she was unraveling. And it scared him more than he was willing to admit. He squeezed her hand again, a little firmer this time, as if to remind her that he was still there. That she wasn't alone.

"If the kids are fine, that's good enough," Ms. Chu repeated, glancing at the rearview mirror. Her gaze lingered briefly on Thea before shifting back to the road.

"Can we really leave like this?" Mun asked as the car started to drive away. "We couldn't summon the evil spirit."

Ms. Chu replied, "We have no choice. There were too many people. Since she already got arrested, it won't get too dangerous."

Mo-tak interjected, "This happens from time to time. Before we get a chance to summon them, the police arrest them or they get locked up in prison."

"Don't worry. We know who she is, so we'll plan this out again," she assured.

Mun frowned, shifting slightly so he could face Thea more directly. He wanted her to say something—anything—but she remained eerily silent, lost in the labyrinth of her own mind. His free hand twitched on his lap, itching to reach up and tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, to do something to pull her back to the present. But he hesitated, unsure if she would welcome the gesture.

Hana, who had been quiet up until now, finally exhaled and leaned back against her seat, stretching her sore limbs. She winced slightly, pressing a hand to her neck where bruises were already forming from the woman's grip. "We were lucky this time," she muttered, staring at the roof of the car. "If Mo-tak hadn't shown up when he did..."

Her sentence trailed off, but they all knew what she meant.

Mo-tak scoffed, crossing his arms. "Of course I showed up. What kind of teammate would I be if I let two brats get strangled to death?"

Despite his teasing tone, there was an unmistakable protectiveness in his voice. He might have acted nonchalant, but deep down, he cared more than he let on.

Hana rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she turned her head slightly, her gaze landing on Thea. She studied her for a moment before reaching out and giving the younger girl's knee a small, reassuring pat. "Hey," she said gently. "We made it out. That's what matters."

Thea blinked slowly, finally turning her head away from the window. Her eyes met Hana's for a brief moment, and though she didn't say anything, the slight nod she gave in response was enough to tell Hana that she had heard her.

But the emptiness in Thea's gaze didn't go unnoticed.

Mun felt his stomach twist. He had seen her fight with everything she had before, had seen her determination and her unwavering will. But this was different. This wasn't just exhaustion.

This was something breaking inside her.

And it terrified him.

The car continued down the highway, the distant hum of the city filling the silence between them. No one spoke for a while, each of them lost in their own thoughts, but Mun never let go of Thea's hand. Even when she barely reacted to his touch, even when she refused to meet his gaze, he held on—because right now, she needed something to hold onto.

And if she couldn't find the words to ask for it, he would be there anyway.

Author's note;

Hello everyone! I've realized that short chapters are faster to edit than longer ones so perhaps I'll stay this way so I can update every day, what do y'all think?

Question of the day: Long chapters or short chapters? 🤍

Anyways, in the next chapter you'll all know the story behind Thea's past, did I say that right? Lol hope you liked this chapter, if so, don't forget to leave me your opinions in the comments, I will be reading them! 💗

Edited: 2/3/25 ☑️