38 They are just slaves

Though he likes watching her and listening to her, there's a limit that he can endure. Seeing him kiss her, he stops listening to her thoughts. She loves that man.

"You love him," He speaks to the wind as always. The wind is the only witness and the listener. He's one of the creatures who speak to the wind and she's a human who can't hear the words that the wind carries to her. They are from different worlds. He belongs to the hidden world within this world and she often wanders near the border of the hidden world. He will never let her cross her to this side.

He stands on the edge of the roof. He puts his hand in his pocket. The cigarette box is empty. He sighs. There's another breeze going toward her window. "Would it be different if I..."

He shakes his head. He can't fall in the temptation. He takes a step into the tear in reality. In the next moment, he walks into the courtyard. The mountain wind greets him. He only smiles. The morning mist is clearing away by the penetrating rays of sunlight. There's a lingering scent of the flowers that bloom only in winter. He slides the door and steps inside the sitting room.

"You are upset," The woman's clouded gaze is fixed on the neatly arranged cards on the table. "Did she meet her lover already?"

"Yes." He places the white card on the table. "I need another one. The name is Minami Sei."

With a lazy smile, she picks one of the cards and turns its face toward him. "What do you see?"

He stares at it. "The lovers again."

"You have a choice." She places the card back on the table. "The lover card might mean the advent of love. It also means standing at the crossroad and contemplating choices. Instead of coming back and sulking in the house alone, how about you meet her? There's no law preventing you from meeting her as a person."

"We don't belong to the same world," He murmurs.

She collects all the cards before going for another spread. "That's what you think. She has one leg in our world. You can't prevent it. You are only delaying it."

He exhales tiredly. "Noona, the goddess of fate won't materialize for several millenniums. Even if she did, there's someone who is lying in wait to throw her in the heavenly fire. I am not worried about fate."

"You should be worried." She puts the cards down one by one. "Gods and goddesses are the consciousness of the powers that are already present in this world. Even if the gods and goddesses dematerialize, the powers won't cease to exist. Fate is still running this world. Isn't that why --" She points at the card of justice. "This boy met her?"

Minami Sei.

"He's marked," He tells her with a quiet voice.

"Their fates are entangled." The woman smiles at him. "Either he will die or she will live no longer."

"Should I kill him?" He crosses his arms. He doesn't like this man. Of all the men in this world, why is she choosing someone who is already marked by a high tier devil?

"You can try." She shrugs. "Who will pay the price if you kill a person with a strong fate?"

"I hate gods," He grumbles.

"They are just slaves. Why do you curse them so much?" The woman clicks her tongue. "They might be listening. This place is always surrounded by mist."

"Slaves with the abilities to control the lives of the mortal." He taps the card. If he kills this man, Wakana will be heartbroken. Then, there's the price. If he breaks the law of interference with mortal fates, he will invite troubles. He might have to leave this world as a punishment. "Noona, the mist surrounds the house because this house likes to put on mysterious air for the onlookers. He is influenced by a certain someone. "

She turns her head toward him. "This house is just shy. Don't blame me."

He rolls his eyes. "You like attracting people who lose their ways in the mountain."

"I don't have those abilities. This house has it." She flicks her fingers and the mist completely evaporates. The room is bright. "Now, now, don't complain to me. Complain to your master. He blames me for attracting the mist. Why don't you tell him how you don't it when tourists take your pictures without your permission?"

He turns his ears deaf to the incessant cries of the spirit of the house. "I will go back to keep a watch on her for a while. The devil will come back for Minami Sei's body and soul."

"So, you are using this excuse to stalk her this time," She replies with an amused voice. "She's a police officer, isn't she? I wonder how she will react if she ever finds out that she has a stalker who can hear her thoughts."

"Noona, don't call me that." He glares at the ceiling. "You too! Don't test me. I am not a stalker."

"Choi Min Ho is a stalker," The woman claps her hands and laughs.

"Noona, I am not." He scowls at her. "I am protecting her."

"But, you love her." She chuckles and shows him the lover card. "Two men love her. One wants to keep her away from the shadows and another one will drag her to the shadows. Destiny and death are entwined. She still has a choice. Heaven isn't cruel. He grants choices to everyone born under its sky."

Choi Min Ho takes the two cards and inserts them in his other pocket. "I will make that choice for her. She will never ever wake up. That fate will never find her."

Hearing his strained words, the woman leans back on the wall. "I hear you. Min Ho is a fool. He doesn't understand that the wishes of the dead are only burdens for the one who are left behind. He is fighting a lost fight. After all, life keeps going and the dead lives only in the heart of the living. One can't avoid destiny."

He stands up and walks out of the house. "I will be back soon, Noona."

"It won't be anytime soon." She lets out a low laugh. He's already gone.