With Death gone, Minjae glanced at Fei and saw her look disheartened by the news.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVATEIN6bB
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdKVp0VRN8
"Well, I'll go take a look around from above and tell you if I see her." He mumbled quickly getting his jacket too.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGy23bXi4e3
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfW5n539Tp
"I'll look around her jurisdiction then. If she met this man, it must have been somewhere she worked."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5mfVwFvNd
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsIlNhZH70
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcb37dvWrx
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBYYiUNSOb
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIMSbPc8rw
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvEmg8v4AW
It was already dinner time when Minjae called Fei.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmF2YVcsUF
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBZUCjYzRt
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYMVhw3rv6
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4Fd1UEMpB
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Mcm6hSXhr
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"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeoBhnpBgx
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The nurse was flustered for a moment but nodded anyway.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFX70tH7DZ
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"Was he brought in a bad shape?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LpdNq0FAX
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxJRWv6wGp
"...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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0rDp9bCNL
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPq0hXA7suF
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVsPDaftd6
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2o2XpM5Jy
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQsQ9cJ0ud
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4A3bqD2yT
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO8lT6xQPM
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4VXqEXGe9
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALs57PTq1w
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People glanced at her as if she had grown another head.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyw68z3LL8
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"You are being too loud."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8garsg3wC
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjbjcKYuUA
Fei stopped and glanced over her shoulder at the subject. The reaper was dressed in her usual black clothes and she seemed very sad.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVS2zMVByR
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"It drew your attention." Fei stated as a matter of fact.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStWQb2tQ1m
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1m2P8M7Gb
"It didn't. I saw the raven and figured it's better to come willingly."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f5Uvl4gAq
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9j5dCf79y6
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9gydqbOgz
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGa8S1vDGP
Jiah stared with her eyes wide and mouth agape, not knowing what to do next.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHH2xp01nVL
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoV3gNitHu
"But Death-"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCMFIHiqp8
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"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcxjCSRLXY
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhzF49w0k2
"Then, what now?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEk5rRayIT
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"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdujKH4svH
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4qaGZlv2f
"Why do you want to help me?" Jiah asked sitting with her legs together and hands on her knees like she was being scolded.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZ8E4Hhf8o
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6SQZrrpk8
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGnLTiAzm0
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq58SAQcG2O
"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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Uv3N6FvaU
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwDHyZE3og
"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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqHCjj5ZZM
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCrlOqdQg2
"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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegzOiwBMal
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3p9kjaF8yb
Fei sighed and they clinked their plastic cups before they gulped down every drop of soju.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlKkOftxkr
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72zzsiIYx9
"Why did you save this man? You know reapers can't take such decisions on their own." Fei asked what she wanted to know.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDlPGKH9Qh
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZrfFzNcpt
"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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaYILwkTeo
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroKsKjEwJj
"And yet you saved him. Death thinks you are in love with him."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsnQNnv5x6
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRhMb3Zu1M
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEaYEwXk0j
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6PpX9aLN2
Fei didn’t say a word, she just listened which seemed to be what Jiah really needed.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhbRWujtBo
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveQn2dDXoc
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qh5y86nbj
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoNjXdzpbz
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4tTMw6NP9
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35821qtwWk
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSIejrI1l5
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ92UybON4G
"Come on, get up. You should run before they find out I'm with you. Then they will come and arrest you for sure."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeaq8WIw5oh
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZsF3pEaO4
"But where can I go?" Jiah asked with worry.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfA8KzQRrk
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ483YhlZ6Z4
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTA8njCRPER
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqeUvVAYbO
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPboYkyUTEW
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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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaWrMA8yPJ
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrS0RDB4Fw
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseWPpsHiWd
534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SqCUCRN1R
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.
