𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 • ᵐⁱⁿˢᵘⁿᵍ

Empty Coffins 19.4

"What's that?"

"A ring, Jeongin," Changbin replies, taking a seat. He's already covered in muck so a little more wasn't making a difference.

"No," Jeongin picks up the ring, "there is writing on the inside." Squinting, a small smile comes back. He takes his phone out and starts typing something out.

"Care to share?" Seungmin asks.

Jeongin shows his phone to the rest of the group. "How does another road trip sound?" The writing on the ring was coordinates to somewhere about forty minutes away.

Minho tosses the shovels out of the pit. "This is starting to feel more like a treasure hunt."

"At least we have a lead," Changbin follows Minho in climbing out, giving a hand to pull Jeongin and Seungmin out. "Though, it better be the key or a body."

☾

"Why are we back at my house?" Minho asks as they close in on his driveway.

Jeongin looks around on the map. "Because apparently, we need to go searching through the woods."

"How lovely." Seungmin jokes, sarcastically.

Getting out of the van, Jeongin leads the way. The sun had fully set while they refiled Felix's grave. Someone was likely to notice that it had been dug, but hopefully, they didn't know by whom.

Minho had the book under one arm while he shined a torch in front of Jeongin. "How much further?"

"Not much further, but I don't know what we are meant to be looking for." Jeongin keeps looking up and down from his phone. Every direction he looks everything looks the same. If he wasn't following a map he would have thought they were walking in circles. The woods are usually quiet with very few sounds other than the twigs snapping under their feet.

Seungmin looks back in the direction they walked. "Do you think he'll appear?"

"Who?" Minho asks, walking beside Seungmin.

"Felix, or the reaper. Someone had to have placed that box with the ring there. I'm certain it wasn't Felix's family."

Minho hums, "I don't know."

"Here." Jeongin stops. Spinning as he scans the area. "It says we are here."

"And here seems to be nothing." Changbin grunts, dropping the shovels he brought just in case.

"Well, there has to be something." Minho moves to glance at Jeongin's phone.

"And there is," Another voice speaks.

The group jumps as they shine the torches in different directions trying to find where the voice came from.

"Show yourself," Changbin shouts, readying himself with a shovel.

"You can put that shovel down. It won't do anything to me."

The air around the group cools, their breaths visible in the torchlight as a form comes into view. There he stands, black-cloaked and tall.

"Hyunjin," Minho whispers.

"Yes." Hyunjin slowly nods. "First I must say I'm very impressed. You are the only person to make it this far. I will answer your questions and give you what you came for in second, but I have a few more words to say first."

Everyone stays still and quiet. They are all on edge.

"I need you to understand that none of this is my doing. I just take the orders. There are commands further up the chain than you realise. I take the souls from this plain and give them peace. Though some souls can not be so easily taken. Your friend in the house is one of those souls. You, Minho, I can sense things from your soul that I can't say just yet. That is because I need you. I need your help to help the boy move on—help the boy get his memories back." Hyunjin lets out a long breath. "Felix, you may give them the key now."

"What?" Minho steps forward as Felix appears from behind Hyunjin.

Felix has his hands open in front of him, a key lying in his palm. "This is for you, Minho. You can help him." A tear falls down Felix's cheek. As much as he wanted to be the one to do it, he never could. It wasn't his to do. He wasn't the one at peace.

"Minho," Hyunjin speaks again as Felix hands over the key, "souls are very delicate things. Peace is not always easy."