Auntie Mi-sun

"So, they finally found you."

His auntie said. They were now in their apartment, sitting on the chairs in the sitting room.

When she saw him, she had ran to him and hugged him, relieved to see him safe. After gathering herself, she asked for an explanation of what happened, more especially who was in the apartment next to him.

He explained everything and even gave her his notes. Her face changed many times, sometimes the shock of his story of what he went through a week ago needing her to take a breather and drink some water. It was all inconceivable but she believed it. The part of his father especially made her want to stop hearing what he had to say for it was too heartbreaking, but she soldered on.

"What do you mean they found me? And you still did not tell me why you were standing in front of that door, terrified?"

She guarded her thoughts and took off the elastic band used to tie her hair back. She looked like a fighter when it was tied, not a woman who worked in the business industry. She would do that so to loosen up when she got serious.

"What that thing or who that thing was that spoke to you, I am very sure it was someone very powerful. Her mark still lingers in that room. This whole building would be haunted by extremely powerful extremities if the Lord of this region had not struck her down."

Nolamine had suspected she knew something about what was going on but it looked like she knew more than he thought.

"She is an ancient Mystical Creature, so powerful that breathing creates storms. We believe she only shows herself when a malevolent being powerful enough to threaten her comes to Gyeonggi."

"Huh? So, by area, you mean the whole of Gyeonggi province?"

"Yes."

"So, there are other mythical creatures who rule the rest of the eight provinces?"

"Well, it's like you to catch on quick. That goes for the whole world too, with some also ruling over a whole country, a river, a city and some just a forest."

She said with a smile.

"The only reason you are alive as you've been sleeping here after all that is because she has also left her mark with that lightning bolt that was meant for the old lady. Cleansing the place."

Nolamine was surprised at how much she knew.

"You must be asking yourself how I know all this."

Nolamine nodded.

"Where to start?"

She asked, looking at him and sighing.

"First, we are not blood-related. But don't get it twisted. I am still your sexy, beautiful, and ever so free auntie, who is still looking for a husband and remember that. Anyways, I was born here but had lived in South Africa for many years. My family had moved there, trying to get a fresh start and to experience a different culture."

Nolamine was taking the bombshell of not being related to her very well. After the other week's incident, such news was now child's play to him. To his credit, he already suspected as much.

"I met your mother fourteen years ago and she changed my life. I will tell you more about that later."

The mere mention of his mother made his mouth dry. He nodded, as he did not want to rush her. It seemed she had a lot to say.

"When she died, she had asked me to look after you. Since you were on the run, so that they could not track you down, we came to South Korea, since I was born here. That was after the people there helped me master what I was taught, which took eight years."

Nolamine had a question that he could not wait to ask and had to cut in.

"Mi-sun, I gather that I am not from this world, that I was born in South Africa and that since I lived here most of my life, I'm considered South Korean. But with all this, where do I belong? Where can I go and point out that this, this is truly my home? And why do I look in every shape and form South Korean?"

The questions struck at the heart of his anguish ever since learning his parents were not of that world and Mi-sun was taken aback by them. She knew the impotence of a home, having somewhere you could always go back to.

She pointed at his heart with a stern face.

"That is where you belong."

She said.

"Nolamine, the world you just stepped into is a hellish one. I do not have to tell you that, with what happened to you last week. With the resolve I heard when you told me about your father, I know you will go try to liberate him. That said, having no place you belong to might be your strongest quality for what you want to set out to do, don't you think?"

She said and not mincing her words. She was that strict.

Nolamine nodded with fresh resolve in his heart. Mi-sun nodded too and continued.

"You look South Korean because, well, your mother told me that that world has some of the same ethnic groups present on earth."

Nolamine was getting a headache. He just let her continue and would think about what she said later.

"With what she had taught me, I went to one of the most powerful shamans in South Korea."

'Is that the memory I got when I was in the parking lot?'

He thought.

"In exchange for what you boys who watch anime call a beast core which I got from your mother, he agreed to suppress your memory. You locking eyes with that witch must have cracked the seal he put there."

She said, going to the corner of the room, behind the TV, saying an incantation and then putting her hand against the wall, the hand going in it, to the surprise of Nolamine. She took a sealed envelope and then gave it to him. She smiled after seeing his shocked face.

"One of the things your mother taught me."

She said.

"That will break the seal and unlock the hidden memories. I had to do it so you could not ask questions and make yourself known to your enemies once they started looking for you in this world. I hope you understand."

Nolamine kept quiet. He did not know how to feel about having part of himself sealed away from him. Part of who he really is and was as a child.

Seeing him contemplating, Mi-sun kept quiet for a bit, knowing what she did was wrong but also for his own good. She thought it was better to continue.

"After seeing my skills, I was recruited by an organization the shaman worked for. It, so powerful it influences governments around the world, keeping the knowledge of everything you now know to a few individuals, mostly consisting of kings, presidents and other shamans, witches and people like me."

'Well, that explains why she is always away.'

He thought.

"People like you?"

"Yes, people like me who are lucky enough to be trained by people of that world and taught how to use their magic but unable to teach others as the world does not allow it."

"Unable to teach others?"

"Yes, the worlds have their own laws that one can't break but can walk on its grey line."

Nolamine seemed to understand. He nodded, as that was the least of his concerns at the time.

"So what do you do for them and why?"

He asked.

"Unlike shamans and witches who stay in one place all the time, having people come to them or go out when people summon them for ritual or cleansing purposes amongst other things, I and those like me can go to places and investigate, allowing us to be one step ahead of a potential rip to The Veil and having monsters come through and ricking havoc, as we use magic of that world, but it being significantly less powerful but still powerful enough."

"Damn auntie, sounds like you kick ass."

He got his face splashed full of water.

"Don't go using that language you and Son-join use in my presence, young man."

He cursed his beast friend's influence while wiping his face.

"And you are right, auntie kicks ass."

She said proudly, making Nolamine cringe.

"As for the ' why' I do it, it is because you are precious to me. In exchange for my services, they keep you off the books, the internet, and the limelight. How do you think you never got punished even once for sending all of the bullies that you fought with to the hospital and some with concussions? Why none of their brothers come to revenge them during the heights of the gangs around here?"

Her words made him be embarrassed. He thought that since no one came and that he never got in trouble for it, she never knew.

"Yep, I know every little detail, but good work, all those damn kids deserved it. The rate and kind of bullying here is just too over the top, and by beating up their younger brothers, you indirectly help put a stop to the gangs. Each one wanted to come after you and because of that, they had to disappear."

"Huh?"

It was too much of a surprise for him to comprehend.

"What do you mean, disappear?"

"You know what I mean."

She said nonchalantly.

His stomach started to turn as that would mean he had indirectly killed a lot of people and thinking about the number of bullies he beat up and whose brothers were in a gang... He stopped thinking, it was just too much to think about.

"It is good you realize that you were in hell all along, not that you have just stepped into it."

She said, looking at him sweating.

"Good, that feeling will help you the day you do something that requires you to darken your heart."

She said. Nolamine stood up and rushed to the kitchen to drink some water. He came back with Mi-sun not giving a damn about his feelings. Now that he had been found out, he had to stop being a kid at fourteen years old.

"Are you ok now? Have you processed everything?"

She said after a while.

"No."

He replied, looking at one place like he was lost.

"Good, that means you are only human. Times what you are feeling by a hundred and then you will know how I felt when I came across that door. The person you have to become in order to defeat whoever you were talking to and those who hunted your father and mother down is one that I never want to meet."

She said, grabbing his chin and turning him to look at her.

"What?"

"I just want to look at you one last time before you make the worlds scream."

Her statement took him aback and he backed his chin away.

"Come on."

He said.

Mi-sun sighed.

"I am sorry I have not spent time with you as you were growing up. I thought I was doing what was best for you, but it seems it was all for nothing. Normal life seems not meant for you. Now that things are like this, we have no choice but to stop this life."

She said as she pointed at the envelope.

"Take a deep breath and remember all the good memories you had here, for once you say the name written on the paper in that envelope, your life will change for good."

Nolamine did as he was told and took a deep breath and went through his memories, but they were full of someone he always called an idiot, Son-join.

He opened his eyes and opened the envelope.

"After this, I shall tell you about your mother and the meaning behind her death."

She said as he lifted the paper in the envelope.