A Murder in the Realm-Conclusion

Jina was about to say something but Aimee yelled, "NO! Don't come any closer!"

She was crying hard, tears falling from her eyes as she wallowed in remorse. The boy she had loved and killed for had betrayed her. Her parents who loved her unconditionally were dead all because of her and she was feeling ashamed of herself.

Grief welled up in Aimee's heart as she thought back to how mercilessly she had slaughtered her parents in their sleep. When did she start to hate them so much? When did she turn into such a monster?

"I deserve this," she whispered. She stepped a little backwards, closing her eyes.

"You do."

Hobin was surprised by Jina's words but did not comment. She was impassive at the girl's sadness, simply scrutinising the hopeless teenager.

Shouldn't a cop try to stop a girl from killing herself? He mused.

Aimee's eyes shot open to see Jina's stony expression. It was hard to read the cop but she stood her ground, unflinching and unblinking.

"Daddy's princess who turned into a murderer," Jina went on. "Killed her parents for a moment of fickle passion. A murderer who would never be able to live in society. Meanwhile, your brother will grow up as an orphan, resenting you for taking away his childhood."

She pointed at Soma who was now quietly sobbing. He was watching his sister with his innocent eyes, trying to comprehend what she was doing. From the corner of her eyes, Jina watched the two ghostly figures appear out of nowhere. They were shouting at their daughter not to jump but Aimee could not hear them.

"Detective, stop my daughter!" Sungil begged. "Let her go!"

"Aimee, get away from there!" Mari cried. "No!"

Hobin wordlessly stepped forward, curious to see what the detective was doing. In his experience, the cops would usually beg the suicidal people to get down, even pull them away forcefully. But this one was actually telling the girl to jump.

"You know what," Jina said. "I don't think that you'll die by falling from here. A coma maybe or a few months in the hospital. But death...nah!"

"What are you…" Aimee began to mumble but Jina pointed her gun at her.

"I should pull this trigger and it'll be the end for you," Jina said calmly. "Should I? It's a quick and easy death."

Aimee was now scared for her life. What the hell was this cop doing?

"I-I can jump on my own and die!" she squeaked.

"Go ahead," Jina challenged. "If you think that your guilt will go away, then be my guest. But let me tell you one thing. That guilt will never go away."

As Jina said this, her mind flashed the images of the countless souls she had encountered who were suffering even in death. No matter how hard they tried to wash the stains off their hands, they could not do so. Their souls were tainted and lost, unable to die or live. They were empty vessels, wandering between the worlds of the living and death for eternity.

"I WANT TO DIE!" Aimee shrieked. "I killed my parents for him! I did everything for him! And this is what I get? The tag of a murderer?"

Aimee completely broke down upon thinking of the unforgivable sin she had committed. She would go to prison and that would be the end of her life. The society would not accept her and there was no way she could make a living.

"My life is over," she whimpered.

"After killing your parents so brutally, ask yourself this," Jina pressed. "Do you deserve this easy death? And him…"

She pointed at Soma again.

"He'll grow up to resent you but at least he'll still have someone! You'll have the chance to make up with him over time. But if you die like this, he'll keep on hating you for the rest of his life. There won't be another chance for you to redeem yourself."

"He'll be better off without me!"

Jina sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, I'm not even surprised," she shrugged. "Of course a coward like you would take the easy way out. After killing your parents like that, you want your suffering to end. You want your guilt to end. It's all about you. I'm sure your parents' souls are not sad over the fact you killed them. They're sad that even after feeling the guilt of your actions, you're choosing to evade responsibility. And even worse, you're abandoning your brother."

Aimee looked at Soma who was still looking at her with confusion. He sensed that something was wrong with his sister and squirmed in Jina's arms, reaching out for his sister.

"Ai sis!" he cried. "Ai sis!"

Seeing him call for her was making Aimee emotional. She was torn between her desire to end her life and the wish to someday make it up to Soma. Jina glanced at the souls of her parents who were now crying right beside their daughter.

"If you want your parents to rest in peace," Jina went on. "Confess to your crimes. Face the consequences. You're still a minor so you'll be sent to a correctional facility and stay there until you reach the age of twenty. Then you'll be let go. The law is twisted but you're lucky. After committing that heinous crime, you're still getting a chance! People rot away in prison for years. Even death isn't kind to them."

Aimee trembled at the thought of living in a correctional facility but seeing Soma's tears was weakening her resolve to die.

"Ai sis!" he called out for her. Hobin sighed and stepped forward.

"When you get out," he spoke up. "Come look for me. I'll help you find work at one of the rehabs I worked at. You can help children like yourself find solace."

"Last chance, kid," Jina stated. "Take it and let your parents rest in peace, knowing that you'll be okay...someday. Or just go ahead and jump. Your choice."

Aimee thought hard and took a deep breath. She stared at her brother who was still unaware of what she had done. All he wanted was his sister to return to him.

Slowly, she stepped away from the edge and climbed down the railing.

"We've got the suspects," Jina spoke into her microphone. "Please take them in."

Aimee was still as a statue when Jina handcuffed her. The two souls watched tearfully as the police took their daughter away. Beomsoo was also dragged to a police van and soon, the vehicles drove off with the culprits. Soma was being cared for by some of the female detectives who were waiting for his godparents to arrive.

The two souls approached Jina, who was now standing outside the building to oversee the arrest.

"We'll stay with her until she is released," Sungil said. "To protect her."

"Thank you," Mari said gratefully. "For everything."

"Take care of yourselves," Jina whispered and smiled at them. The two souls smiled back and disappeared. Just then Hobin came up to her.

"The kid will be sent to his aunt and uncle," he informed her. "They are coming to fetch him. The autopsy results will be out in a few days but the fingerprints of the two teens are all over the bedroom."

Jina did not reply but merely nodded. Hobin looked at her with curiosity.

"What?" she asked.

"You made a huge gamble," he remarked. "It required a lot of luck but only someone who is either a genius or an idiot would attempt it."

"And you'll put me in the genius category?" Jina asked in a smug tone.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'll say that you're the smartest idiot I've ever met."

"Oi!" she scowled. "I'm much older than you, punk! I know what I'm doing-"

"I don't care about age," he shrugged. "I'll say my honest thoughts to anyone, old or young."

Jina glared at him but did not bother to reply. People like him always thought of themselves as high and mighty. She had learnt not to dignify them with a response but let her work do the talking.

I just hope I never run into this brat ever again, she prayed.