Jihoon pushed open his front door so hard it slammed against the wall. He cursed at the sound as he fought to push off his shoes.
"Wow, you're in a grand mood."
Jihoon wasn't even surprised to see Eamon.
"You know, it's bad manners to break into someone's house. Twice."
Jihoon finally wrestled his shoes off and kicked them into the corner.
"Where is he?" Eamon asked.
"Who?"
"The president," Eamon said in a blasé tone. "Shane."
Jihoon ignored the worry and his bad mood and pushed past Eamon toward the kitchen. Everything felt a mess. Shane confessing what he'd done. Detective Roger appeared, and Shane told him that he was his father. Shane had left. Just walked out the door without a word. Jihoon knew he should have stopped him, but he'd been so mad. And now he didn't know what he was. He pulled open the fridge and stared at the measly contents.
"What happened?" Eamon asked.
"His father," Jihoon said without looking away from the almost empty fridge.
"What about him?"
Jihoon closed the refrigerator without taking anything out. "He's here."
Eamon's lips twisted into a scowl that looked out of place on his handsome face. "Something's wrong."
"What is it?"
Eamon eyed him. It was clear the timekeeper wasn't willing to part with
what he knew. So Jihoon put his cards on the table.
"Listen, I just found out my grandmother gave her soul so I could live with Shane's bead inside me. And it's probably why I'm having seizures. So if something is going on with Shane, I kind of have a stake in it."
Eamon nodded. "Loralie's missing. I can't get in touch with her."
"So?"
"So a hybrid shouldn't be missing. She's the one who makes people disappear."
"I'm well aware of that."
"Loralie would never just vanish at a time like this."
"Timelike what?" Jihoon didn't like how the timekeeper spoke in vague circles.
Eamon ignored the question. "It's important that Loralie is here before the next full moon."
"Maybe Shane is better off without his sister around," Jihoon said.
The timekeeper's expression became sharp like he had judged Jihoon and found him lacking. "Whatever your feelings are about Loralie, she protects her brother. Everything that woman does is for Shane."
"I don't care what Loralie does."
"Oh, you care," Eamon said. "You care because you think she took Shane away. You think that without Loralie's influence, Shane wouldn't have left you."
"It's none of my business if Shane chooses his sister over me," Jihoon said stubbornly.
"Shane chose you." Eamon flicked Jihoon in the forehead. "he left for you. he came back for you. And you sit here like a big crybaby because he has the audacity to love the sister that's always been there his whole life. If anything, you should feel sorry for Loralie. You're the one destroying her brother."
"Now you're definitely not making sense."
"Do the math. You've had Shane's soul in your weak human body for almost a hundred days." Eamon spoke slowly as one would when explaining algebra to a three-year-old. "If Shane doesn't absorb it again and start taking souls at the next full moon, she's going to
be in real trouble."
"he hasn't been taking souls?" Jihoon asked. "If he goes a hundred days without taking souls, he'll die."
"Ding-dong-ding! Tell the boy what he's won!" Eamon announced like a variety show emcee, but his showman's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Why didn't he tell me this?"
"I don't know. Maybe Shane was trying to protect you from the responsibility of choosing your life over his."
"Shane has no right to make that choice for me."
Eamon chuckled. "You know what? I might not dislike you so much after all."
"What will happen if Loralie suddenly appears again?" Jihoon asked.
"Then I'd find a suit of armour because she's very likely to come right over and yank that pretty soul out of your chest."
Jihoon's hand rubbed against his sternum, which suddenly felt sore.
"Why are you doing this? Helping us?"
"Because I'm getting paid."
Jihoon rolled his eyes.
"If I can give you some unsolicited advice," Eamon said.
"What's this been all this time?" Jihoon asked sourly.
Eamon continued like Jihoon hadn't interrupted. "I'd run if I were you. What's the point of sticking around when a grim reaper's sister and Death are after you and your only family's a woman who's not even related to you."
Jihoon's fists came up, wanting to connect with Eamon's perfect jaw.
The timekeeper danced back, lifting his hands for protection, but he gave a saucy grin that proved he wasn't that worried about Jihoon's anger.
"Anyway, you can't say I didn't warn you." Eamon slipped out the front door, leaving Jihoon alone with his futile anger.
***
Shane walked through the apartment. His body was so cold he couldn't stop shivering. He heard water flowing somewhere. Nausea churned through him.
At the end of the hallway, his sister laid in a heap. Shane ran to her. Loralie's face was twisted in frozen pain, but Shane could see she was still breathing.
"Loralie?" Miyoung shook Loralie's Shoulder. No response. Drops of water fell on his sister's face. Shane wiped them away, but they were quickly replaced.
Shane realized the water came from her. She was soaked, head to toe, her hair dripping water onto the floor in an off-beat tempo. And behind her, the rush of water intensified, like a waterfall booming against the rock.
Shane turned toward the sound.
A bright slash of light emanated from the crack under the bathroom door.
Shane stood, drawn forward.
With every step, his body trembled until his very bones vibrated with trepidation.
he gripped the knob to the bathroom door but couldn't bring himself to turn it.
A hand covered Shane's, warming his frozen fingers until the shaking subsided. A red thread connected their wrists.
Shane looked up into Jihoon's eyes.
"Don't open it," he said.
"I have to." Shane didn't know how she knew, but he had to go inside and see what was behind the door.
"We'll open it together, then."
Shane nodded.
Jihoon's hand tightened around Shane's. The door swung smoothly inward.
At first, Shane only saw the bright white tiles and gleaming chrome fixtures. The bathtub spigot was on, flooding the room. The water raced toward the drain in the middle of the floor, but it wasn't enough to stop the water from pooling into an artificial lake.
Jihoon walked to the tub, his legs creating ripples in the water.
"Shane." Her name echoed in the room.
"What?" Shane stared at the drain as it created a tiny whirlpool. He broke out in a sweat at the sight of it, afraid the churning water could somehow pull him down as well.
"Shane," Jihoon said more urgently.
Shane tried to reply but something filled her throat. He coughed and water flowed from his lips like a fountain. Jihoon called for Shane as the water devoured him.
Shane tried to swim, but his fear overtook him. He didn't like the water. The current pulled at Shane's limbs, drowning him.
Kicking desperately, Shane pulled at the red thread connecting him to Jihoon, but it snapped in his hands. He searched and searched, but found nothing. His muscles gave in to the heavyweight of the water pulling him down.