Chapter 4 – Verge of Death

Nam Ji Ah rushes in and tells Lee Yeon every human on the island is gone. The island is silent. Lee Yeon and Ji Ah look for the village members, but no one is there. Ji Ah doesn't believe there was a struggle but everyone has vanished. Ji Ah calls Detective Baek to report the situation.

On the beach, Lee Yeon and Ji Ah examine the bamboo poles the shaman set up. They wonder if it is a path to welcome the Dragon King. Lee Yeon suggests a Gwinunbang, a spirit that admits evil, could be at work.

Hyun Ui Ong at the Afterlife Immigration Office listen to his wife Granny confirm an Imoogi is at work. Granny snaps Lee Yeon can never find out. She wonders if this was why she couldn't see Lee Yeon's future.

The daughter shares she heard a crying baby last night around 2am. Ji Ah points out no one on the island is working. The daughter identifies the time as 2:40am. Lee Yeon says that is the time when the door to the other world opens.

.....

Fox Ki Yoo Ri celebrates her birthday with her parents. She loves the jewelry gifts. Her father wants her to get married. Her mother says there is time. Her father struggles to remember the accident she had in Nepal that killed her. He's sure he saw her dead body. Yoo Ri snaps at him to forget the memories like she told him before. The father asks Yoo Ri who she is.

Lee Yeon buys Ji Ah a replacement cell phone. Ji Ah asks him to put in his phone number. Lee Yeon complies. Ji Ah takes off. Lee Yeon watches her go.

Yoo Ri walks to her father and says she is his daughter. She almost hurts him but fox Lee Rang (Lee Yeon's half-brother) appears. He uses his fox eye to ask the father what his wish was. The father admits he wished for his daughter to be alive. When Lee Rang points to Yoo Ri the father parrots that is his daughter and heir. Lee Rang smiles and sends the parents out of the room. Yoo Ri reports she got the necklace from the vet and places it on the table. Lee Rang says the vet will come for the necklace so she should keep him. Lee Rang says Lee Yeon likes the vet so she must treat him well.

Lee Rang and Lee Yeon meet in the ice cream shop. Lee Yeon asks where everyone on the island when. Lee Yeon says one of them wasn't human. Lee Rang says something lives in the well on the mountain. Lee Rang speculates it could be the snake that stole his former love. Lee Yeon says he killed that snake. Lee Rang scoffs that things aren't what they seem. He promises Lee Yeon's new lady won't live long.

Ji Ah's research this isn't the first time everyone on an island has vanished.

On the rooftop, Lee Yeon asks Lee Rang how he got so twisted. Lee Rang counters Lee Yeon is the one that left the forest for the woman he loved. Lee Yeon snaps that was 600 years ago. Lee Rang says he's cursed him for 600 years. Lee Yeon asks what he wants. Lee Rang says if Lee Yeon kills him, he'll stop. He puts the knife in his hand. He notes Lee Yeon once hunted him down 600 years ago.

Flashback…Lee Rang kills humans with a sword. Bodies lay around him. Lee Yeon arrives. Lee Rang is happy to see his long-lost brother and rushes to him. He cries with joy that Lee Yeon is alive. He asks why Lee Yeon didn't come for him. Lee Yeon says he searched but couldn't find him. Lee Rang says people set fire to the mountain. Lee Yeon asks if that's why Lee Rang killed all the people in the village. Lee Rang says the humans don't deserve to live and he only killed a village. Lee Yeon says Lee Rang has changed. Lee Rang wants to teach human to fear foxes. Lee Yeon steps back and tells him to raise his sword. Lee Rang doesn't understand. Lee Yeon tells him the judges in the afterlife have rendered this judgement. Lee Yeon draws his sword. He renders the verdict that Lee Rang must pay for death with his own life. Lee Yeon slashes Lee Rang. He falls to his knees.

Lee Rang lifts his shirt, shows his scar, and notes Lee Yeon's sword missed the mark to kill him.  He says Lee Yeon has saved the years to meet his reincarnated love. He could be in hell. Lee Rang dares Lee Yeon to kill him again. He says it is the only way Lee Yeon's woman can end. Lee Yeon takes the knife. Lee Rang urges him to kill him. Lee Yeon makes a move but won't kill him. Lee Yeon tells Lee Rang to stop acting like a child. Lee Rang declares he'll enjoy every minute when Lee Yeon's woman dies again. Lee Yeon says this façade isn't the real Lee Rang. Lee Yeon walks away.

Pyo Jae Hwan tells her that everyone on the island had no living relatives and they weren't native. They all migrated on the same day via boat in 1950.

Hyun Ui Ong tells his son Vet Gu Shin Joo never to marry. Shin Joo notes the King of Hades is his brother in law. He asks they Ui Ong met his wife. Ui Ong shares his wife peeped at him while he bathed in a stream. He says his wife abducted him and offered him the choice to be his her or go to the underworld. OU cries he had no choice but to sleep with her.

Granny chastises Lee Yeon for killing a human. She asks if Lee Yeon did so to save the girl. Lee Yeon says Ji Ah doesn't have the fox bead though she looks like and acts like A Eum his first love. Granny snaps that a fox and a human should never love. Lee Yeon says love finds all of them once in their life.

Flashback…Moments of A Eum and Lee Yeon.

Granny points out when A Eum is reborn, she won't be the same. Lee Yeon doesn't care, he'll enjoy watching her next life. Ji Ah calls him. She suggests they eat out. Granny tells him to be back before midnight to accept his punishment. She refuses to say if she saw anyone leave the island.

Lee Yeon arrives at Ji Ah's house. She invites him in. The table is set. She asks what he brought her. Lee Yeon gives her a bunch of herbs instead of flowers. She's not impressed. Lee Yeon points out this is a hearty herb. She pats his head.

Flashback…a young A Eum pats Lee Yeon's head.

Lee Yeon and Ji Ah enjoy the meal. She says making the meal is expressing her thanks that he's saved her life twice. Lee Yeon is pleased.

Lee Yeon sees photos of Ji Ah's parents on her bookshelf. She says she lives in her parent's house hoping they'll return one day. She says they were good parents, so good she can't forget them and move on. She puts her hands in her ears to stop the tears.

Flashback…a young A Eum puts her hands in her ears to stop tears.

Lee Yeon believes Ji Ah can find her parents with his help. She asks about Lee Yeon's first love. She teases him she's like the herb he brought her.

Lee Rang arrives and thanks a man for saving him years ago. This is the man Lee Rang gave the baby to on the island. He asks how the baby is. The man says it is sleeping. The man claims to be a human that doesn't want to die and has lived 600 years. Lee Rang notes that no human that has drawn power from his world to live, has had a happy ending. The man says he'll wait for the child to grow. Lee Rang smiles that Lee Yeon fill fall in love again and their tragic story will repeat.

Ji Ah tells Lee Yeon that she needs to go to the funeral. Lee Yeon warns that spirits can attach to her at places like that. He says he'll be out of town for a couple of days. He says whatever is watching her can see her. He gives her a bean bag as a talisman to keep with her. She thanks him and walks away with a smile on her face. Lee Yeon watches her go and wonders if he should leave her alone.

Ji Ah texts him. Lee Yeon smiles. She waves good bye. He waves back. She shows him the bean bag. She leaves. Lee Yeon smiles.

Ji Ah comforts her friend at the funeral. Outside the friend says she didn't take her mother on a trip and will never get the chance now. She cries at the loss of her mother. Ji Ah hugs her friend while she cries.

Lee Yeon says he'll accept the punishment. Granny reads the judgement from the afterlife judges. For killing a human being, his sentence is 1-week probation, a reduced sentence because of all the humans Lee Yeon has saved over the years. But during that week, Lee Yeon will live inside a human body and feel the pain of life. The door to the mountain opens.

Shin Joo reads the article about Yoo Ri. She appears startling him. She's wearing the necklace. She suggests they have some fun together. She takes off her coat and smiles.

Ji Ah is surprised to see Lee Rang at the funeral meal. He tells her to sit with him for the sake of her friend's health. She asks what he wants. He asks how she's getting along with his brother. Ji Ah counters that those with an inferiority complex are ticking timebombs. She asks why he hates his brother. Lee Rang won't say. Ji Ah guesses that in the past, Lee Rang adored his brother.

Shin Joo sees a scar on Yoo Ri's body. He asks if she was abused by a human being. She doesn't want his pity. She says she'll never return his necklace. Shin Joo asks who is controlling her. Yoo Ri tells him to take the necklace back if he wants to find out. She leaves.

Lee Rang tells Ji Ah that Lee Yeon abandoned his mountain. Then humans set fire to the mountain to kill the foxes. Lee Rang says young foxes he was raising all died. Ji Ah asks if Lee Yeon left because of his first love. Lee Rang tells her that Lee Yeon thinks she's his reincarnated first love. Lee Yeon was willing to kill the shaman to save her in spite of the consequences. Ji Ah asks what the consequences are.

Lee Yeon steps into the snow mountain prison. He's strapped in chains and left in the cold on the mountain.

Ji Ah demands to know where Lee Yeon is. Lee Rang says she doesn't need to know. He warns her not to sleep tonight. He touches her and conveys some energy. It looks like Lee Yeon's beans fall from her. Lee Rang smiles as he walks away. The CCTV monitor shows spirits of children in the eating hall. Two young girls follow Ji Ah when she leaves.

Back at the snow mountain prison, Lee Yeon shivers. He remembers Granny stating one day in this prison is seven years in the underworld. He won't eat. He won't sleep. He won't die.

Granny remembers Lee Yeon's wish to see a reincarnated have another life. She shakes her head and calls him a fool.

Ji Ah can't reach Lee Yeon via cell phone. She leaves the funeral hall. As she walks down the hall, the lights go out. Ji Ah sees a piece of fruit on the floor. Then the two young girls appear. Ji Ah smiles at the sister. She asks why they are there. They ask if she's seen their father. We see the two girls' photos in one of the memorial rooms. She notices the girl's shoes are mismatched. Jae Hwan tells her it's time to go. Ji Ah is surprised the girls are gone. Outside, Jae Hwan tells Ji Ah he'll see her tomorrow. Ji Ah notices the beans Lee Yeon gave her are no longer with her.

The two girls appear and pull on her scarf choking her. Ji Ah falls to the ground. Jae Hwan sees her fall and calls to her.

Lee Yeon realizes that Ji Ah no longer has the talisman. He calls to Granny and begs her to untie him. Granny appears and tells him to be quiet. Lee Yeon offers to go to the world of the knives which will only last 1 day. Granny notes he might not survive as a human. Lee Yeon is willing to take the risk.

Ji Ah wakes on Jae Hwan's couch. She asks what happened. He tells her she fainted. Ji Ah is cold. Jae Hwan asks what happened. Ji Ah tells him about the young girls with mismatched shoes. Jae Hwan wonders if the girls were ghosts. He pulls a book and says the funeral home is built over a children's cemetery. Ji Ah asks why Jae Hwan is holding a book upside down. The lights flicker. The young girls appear under the couch. Ji Ah sees the book on the floor. Jae Hwan is gone.

Lee Yeon faces the bridge to the world of the knives. Granny tells him to cross the bridge. Lee Yeon wonders if he'll survive as a human. The bridge is long.

Ji Ah remembers Lee Yeon telling her whatever is watching her can see her and the talisman must be with her always. Ji Ah grabs the empty bag. The door bell rings. Ji Ah sees no one on the camera.

Lee Yeon tells Granny he'll see her on the other side of the bridge. She announces the sinner will cross the bridge of the knives. Lee Yeon steps onto the bridge and begins to cross. Knives fly past him. Some nick him. Lee Yeon can't move quickly because of the distance between the slats.

The lights come on in the entry way. Jae Hwan calls to whoever is there. She asks what they want. The lights go out. The two little girls say appear and say they want her body. They shake her and tells her to give up her body.

A bloody Lee Yeon continues his way across the bridge.

Outside Ji Ah runs and the little girls follow.

Lee Yeon continues his treacherous trek.

Ji Ah runs into a store and locks the door. She's freaked out. The little girls pound on the window.

Lee Yeon falls on his back. He struggles to his feet and continues. He takes a direct hit in his leg. He removes the knife. He sees the end of the bridge.

The pounding stops. Ji Ah looks out the window. No one is there. She sighs in relief. She turns and the girls are in the room with her. She runs.

Lee Yeon pulls out another knife. He gets to his feet and continues.

Ji Ah runs to the rooftop. She gasps for air. She turns and the little girls are there. Behind them are a score of children demanding she give up her body.

Lee Yeon lays on the bridge. He remembers Ji Ah thanking him for saving her. He remembers her promise to save him one day. He remembers A Eum's promise to save him one day. He remembers Lee Rang promise that his woman won't live a long life. Lee Yeon decides he doesn't care if Ji Ah is A Eum. He must soldier on to save Ji Ah. He urges her to stay alive until he arrives.

Ji Ah cries as the children crowd her at the edge of the roof. She remembers Lee Yeon promising he'll help her have a normal life. She wonders why she's waiting for him. She calls to him. She remembers all the times he saved her.

Lee Yeon crawls to the end of the bridge.

More moments between Ji Ah and Lee Yeon in flashback.

They both struggles to hold on.

Ji Ah falls from the roof. Lee Yeon intercepts her before she hits the ground. She sees him covered in gashes. She holds and tells him not to die. A tear falls from her face. A bubble of energy forms around her. Lee Yeon opens his eyes and says he's found her. He remembers kissing A Eum and a bubble of energy formed around her.

In the man's nursery, the baby sleeps. It is covered in talisman.

Lee Yeon brushes away Ji Ah's tears. He says he waited for her. Ji Ah cradles him close and cries.