Shane the rusted metal door, grateful for the narrow alleyway and its ability to block out the light of the sun. His sunglasses weren't able to hold off his throbbing headache. And, unfortunately, they only protected against UV rays and not ghosts that danced in and out of her vision.
His father had made sure that Shane was suffering after all. As a child, Shane could see ghosts in hell, heck, they constituted most of the population of hell; but never on earth. These ghosts had plagued her for the past week. Demons of his past, men who'd sinned in life, and now, like specters, taunted him with threats.
'Is this the prince of Hell?'
'He looks like he couldn't be the head of his family, let alone Hell.'
'He doesn't deserve the crown.'
Shane knocked harder, trying to drown out the whispers.
"Okay! I hear you!" a voice shouted from inside a second before the door opened to reveal Minjae annoyed glare.
"Of course it's you." He scowled. "I'm going to talk with my secretary. I wonder why does she hand out my cards."
"What was it?" Shane asked, ignoring Minjae's snarl as he stepped into the foyer. And suddenly, the ghosts were gone. he spun around, searching for them. "Wait, what's going on?"
"Okay, you're going to have to ask a full question. These half inquiries are not making any sense." Minjae still held the door open as if hoping Shane would change his mind and leave.
"What is dad doing?" he hated using the word "dad" for his father, but otherwise Minjae would not understand.
Minjae looked confused, he didn't know what Shane was talking about. Then he realized what was happening.
"You haven't killed Jihoon yet. And now you're seeing ghosts. And you're wondering why they haven't followed you into my home."
Shane didn't reply.
"It's this." Minjae pointed to a golden cross hanging by his door.
"It's a protection of sorts against unsavory things. I thought it was broken since you're here."
"Har-har." Shane rolled his eyes. His nerves were frayed from a week living with the faces of the victims, following him no matter where he hid. Shame pulled out his wallet and his fingers trembled. He gripped them together until they stopped. "How much?"
"For the joke? Free." Minjae winked. Shane would have gagged had he not been preoccupied with his headache.
"The cross." Shane refused to react to how he'd purposefully misunderstood him. "How much for it?"
Shane held out all the money in his wallet. Minjae eyed it for a moment but then his face turned grave.
"Why did you not do your task?"
Shane glared at him, refusing to answer.
"If you tell me, I'll give you this one." Minjae pointed to the golden cross.
Shane was silent. Minjae widened his eyes.
"You've fallen for him. Fuck."
"No I haven't," Shane quickly replied, "I just haven't figured out a way of taking his soul."
"I am the child of Fate, half brother, I can understand. You've fallen for him. You're in the denial phase but you have fallen for him."
Shane sighed. Had he really fallen for Jihoon? he'd been a fool to think she had a handle on things. And now he was paying the price.
"Is Jihoon even worth it? He's just a regular mortal." Minjae studied him. "It's none of your business."
"You can't blame me for being curious."
"I didn't come here for a game of twenty questions. I came here for that cross."
Minjae held up a hand, and it took all of Shane's control not to snap off one of his fingers. His eyes widened with understanding. Miyoung shouldn't have been surprised he guessed so quickly. He'd already figured out this brother of his was smarter than others and twice as annoying.
"Why him?"
"I don't know, but we're about to find out why you're gonna lose your left hand."
Minjae lifted the appendage in question in surrender. Then took down the golden cross, gave it to him, and plucked the money out of his grip.
"Nice doing business with you. It'll lessen the presence of spirits."
"Lessen?" she asked.
" I am only a half-ling, my dear brother. I belong neither in hell nor heaven. It won't completely protect you from the ghosts. My home has other charms that magnify the effects, but they're too bulky to carry everywhere. Whether you like it or not, you are now the proud new owner of the gift of sight."
"Oh goody."
Shane pushed back out to the alley. The crash of the door exacerbated his headache, but the ghosts were gone. Or mostly gone. There were still shadows that flew in his peripheral vision, but they no longer swept tauntingly past him, and their whispers were silenced.
The buzzing in Shane's pocket made him jump. For a moment he thought one of the ghosts had broken past the charm to shake him. Shane took out his phone and frowned at her mother's number.
"Hello?"
"The school called me." Loralie's voice dripped with displeasure.
"They said you haven't been to class all week. You know how I despise being contacted by your schools. Is there something I should know?"
"I just didn't feel like going," Shane tried to sound nonchalant, hoping the tremor in his hands didn't transmit to his voice. He was tired and scared.
"I have some business in hell and I'll be here for two more weeks. Then I am coming to take care of this business myself."
Shane swallowed back a sob.
"You're returning to school tomorrow." Loralie had delivered this edict before Shane had time to reply and hung up.