Page 36 of Vicious Spirits

“I didn’t misplace it like a set of keys,” Miyoung said.

“Well, you did lose it. And you had no idea what happened to it. But it’s still connected to you. We’ve always wondered why you’re still alive after not feeding for a hundred days. I think it’s because the bead isn’t in the mortal realm anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Somin asked. She didn’t like the sound of all of this as she remembered the ghostly figures she’d been seeing the last few days.

“I mean the bead is in the ghost realm, which might not matter, except it’s still connected to Miyoung, and the energy of that connection is creating a rip.”

“A rip?” Jihoon asked, frowning.

“I’ve heard rumors that the world of the living and the ghost realm might be crossing.”

That surprised Somin. He knew about this? He knew thatthere were ghosts? And he hadn’t said anything. But why would he? It’s not like Somin had told anyone about the weird figures she’d been seeing. Still, there was a strange feeling of betrayal that sat in her gut, like she wanted Junu’s trust enough to tell her things. When had that desire started?

“The connection between a gumiho and her bead is strong,” Junu explained. “If one of you is in the mortal realm and the other is in the ghost world, then the energy of your connection to your bead could affect the barrier. After months of this energy piercing the barrier, it’s making a tear, one large enough to let ghosts cross into this world.”

“That’s why you’re finally telling us,” Somin said. “Because of what we just saw.”

“What are you talking about?” Jihoon asked. “What have you seen?”

The concern in her best friend’s voice made Somin feel guilty. It wasn’t too long ago that she’d been pissed at Jihoon for keeping secrets from her, and now she realized she’d been keeping secrets from him. Whether intentional or not.

“I didn’t think it was anything. And with all the stuff going on with Miyoung yesterday, it didn’t seem important. I honestly thought I was imagining things at first, but then, that man just now. And Junu said he saw it, too.”

“Somin-ah, you’re rambling,” Jihoon said gently. And it was the worry in his eyes that calmed Somin enough to take a deep breath and start again.

“I’ve been seeing weird figures. At first I thought it was just a strange guy who was following me.” And then, like a snap, it all came together. Salt-and-pepper hair. The battered black cap. Her father had worn that thing every time he’d gone into the hospitalto hide his thinning hair. The chemo had made half of it fall out and the other half turn gray. But whenever he came home, he always had licorice for her, like they were celebrating something. Because he’d never wanted Somin to worry.

“Um, you say that like a stalker isn’t a big deal. Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Jihoon demanded.

“He’s not a stalker. He’s my...” She couldn’t finish the sentence, not with Jihoon and Miyoung watching her with unease. “He’s a ghost.” Somin felt so strange saying that. But if she was going to say it to anyone, it would be this group. “And then that old man at the hospital, he walked into a wall. And just now, that ghost haunting his brother. I just... It’s a lot to take in.”

“So you’re saying you’ve been seeing ghosts?” Miyoung asked, glancing around like she could catch sight of one right now.

“I tried to come up with other explanations for it, but I just can’t.” And the tight expression on Miyoung’s face made her want to apologize, like she’d done something wrong by seeing ghosts.

“No, this can’t be possible.” Miyoung shook her head. “And even if it was, how can Somin see them? She doesn’t have the sight like Nara did.”

Somin had never met the young shaman who had once befriended and then betrayed Miyoung. She just knew Nara had been able to see spirits.

“Because of the tear, the ghosts are stronger than they should be. Able to appear more clearly, able to interact with our world,” Junu said. “Not everyone will see them immediately, mortals often see what they want to see, which is why when ghosts normally come to our world, they have little to no effect. But soon, as the tear grows and as the ghosts linger, more and more will notice them. Somin can probably see them becauseshe’s already aware of our world. Her mind is more willing to accept what she sees.”

“Oh goody,” Somin muttered. It was almost ironic. Somin had been feeling useless and left out of the strange paranormal club that her friends were a part of. But now that she could see these ghosts, she wanted to give that ability back. Classic case of be careful what you wish for. “How do we fix this?” she asked.

“We get the bead back,” Junu said. “If it’s in the mortal realm, then the energy should no longer affect the barrier between worlds and the tear should fix itself.”

“How do we get it?” Somin asked.

Junu shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“If there’s a rip, can we go to the ghost realm?” Jihoon asked.

“No,” Miyoung said. “The Between is no place for the living.”

“Then how are we supposed to get the bead back?” Somin asked.

Miyoung was quiet too long. Then she finally looked up. “You guys are forgetting that if there are two anchors to this connection, removing the bead from the equation isn’t the only solution.”

“What are you saying?” Jihoon asked.

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