I looked around the school, surveying the area. The first thing I noticed was the heat, heavy even from inside the building. I really want to take this jacket off…
We were standing in the middle of a school lobby. White tiles, white walls, white ceiling—it was all a little too clean. On the right were classrooms, and ahead, a hallway led to a computer room and an empty discussion room. There were no students. The sun was already setting, so I guessed most of them had gone home.
Callum interrupted my thoughts, his eyes glued to his tablet.
“Hm, it seems our client is 17 years old. She’s in her second year of high school. This is an all-girls’ school from elementary to senior high… in the Philippines.”
“How unfortunate for her to die so early…”
“It is unfortunate, but it’s part of our mission to handle cases like this. After all, you’re being punished, which means your cases won’t be easy. You might end up in Gehenna.”
“What?”
Callum looked up, confused. “D-didn’t they explain it to you when you first arrived? Your punishment determines how hard your cases are.”
“No?! I was taken upstairs immediately! No one told me anything!” I shouted, my frustration bubbling over.
Callum sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, alright. I’ll explain, but let’s search for the girl’s body or soul while we talk. She could be wandering around.”
We started walking through the building and crossed a small bridge that led to the grade school classrooms. The hallways and rooms here looked much older, worn down. It was clear we’d just left a newer building, probably for the senior high students. The place was still empty, no sign of anyone around.
“So, what do you mean by my punishment determining how bad my cases will be?”
“‘Bad’ might be the wrong word. ‘Unpleasant’ is probably closer.”
“Unpleasant in what way?”
“Do you watch true crime documentaries, Xiao Li?”
I thought for a moment, then remembered: hours of watching YouTube videos in bed. Yeah, I was really into that stuff.
“Yeah, I do. Now that you mention it, thanks for reminding me.”
Callum’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re already remembering things?”
“Yeah, I guess so. It’s coming back, bit by bit.”
He coughed. “Well, think of your cases like those—serious crimes, the kind you’d see in those documentaries.”
I froze. “You mean murder, mass killings, that kind of thing?”
“Basically. The worse your past life was, the harsher your cases will be. Reapers who did good while they were alive just help the elderly pass on. But people like you… well, you get the hard ones.”
“What the hell did I do to deserve this?”
“No idea. But you’ll remember eventually.”
I hung my head, dreading what lay ahead. I liked watching true crime, but handling these cases myself? Not so much. We kept walking in silence, until Callum suddenly stopped, as if something occurred to him.
“Oh, before I forget—there are three rules you need to follow. Since you almost ended up in Gehenna, you’re under extra surveillance.”
“Is that because I might do something bad when I get my memories back?”
“Exactly. There’ve been cases like that before, especially with reapers who have red boxes like you.”
“Red boxes?”
Callum held up his ID. “Yeah. See mine? It’s blue.”
I stepped back a little. His smile was eerie, a wave of darkness rolling off him, making me realize I might’ve insulted him.
“I-I’m sorry for assuming! I didn’t mean to—”
Callum waved it off, but the tension lingered in the air. I sped up, eager to change the subject.
“S-so, you said you’ve been here for two years and still don’t remember anything. Is that… normal?”
I looked back at Callum, who had stopped dead in his tracks. Oh no, did I just say something wrong?
“Can you stop asking so many questions?” His smile didn’t fade, but his tone was unsettling.
“I-I’m sorry! I just wanted to get to know you better…”
Callum clenched his fist, then relaxed, sighing. “I appreciate the curiosity, I guess. At least you care. Look, I don’t remember anything about my past. That’s why I chose to handle tougher cases. After two years of just helping old people, I needed something more.”
As his voice calmed down, I finally looked back. His expression was serious now, and his blue eyes locked onto mine. I took a small step back, unnerved by how intense he suddenly seemed. It wasn’t something I did consciously—it just happened.
“I’m glad you trust me a bit, but what did you mean by ‘compared to other women’? What exactly did they do to you?”
Callum stepped closer, his smile returning. “Let’s just say they were… too hands-on. I’m a germaphobe, so I’m not a fan of people getting touchy with me.”
Figures. I felt bad for him. With how attractive he was, I could totally imagine people invading his personal space. If anyone did that to me, I’d be irritated too, but for him, it must be even worse—he probably thought they were dirty.
“If it were me, I’d just… punch them.”
Callum blinked slowly before bursting into laughter, tears forming in his eyes. “I can’t do that!”
Ah, that smile’s way too bright. I could feel myself melting into a puddle of ash right there. This was the first time I’d seen him genuinely laugh, and I kind of wished he’d do that more often instead of grinning at me so creepily all the time.
“Well, if it happens again, I’ll protect you. I promise to be the best partner you’ve ever had!” I grinned and extended my hand, knowing full well he wouldn’t take it.
“Hah! Are you trying to act like my knight in shining armor?”
“Nah, just joking. But seriously, if someone was too handsy with me, I’d get mad too. Just call me, and I’ll take care of them.”
Callum laughed so hard he had to clutch his stomach. Well, at least the tension’s gone. I was seriously starting to get freaked out earlier.
“Anyway, I’m older than you, so let me handle things. Let’s just keep looking for now—”
Before I could finish, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the hallway, coming from the courtyard below.
Callum and I looked at each other and took off running without hesitation. I tried to keep up with him, but he was way faster than me. Damn, I’m really not athletic. By the time I reached the courtyard, I was gasping for air, leaning on a lamppost for support.
“W-What happened?” I managed to ask, still trying to catch my breath.
Callum was already there, covering my eyes before I could get a good look. I turned toward him in confusion, but his gaze was fixed on something in front of us.
“Don’t look,” he said, his voice low.
Even with his hand blocking my view, the smell of iron hit me, and I knew what I was about to see. I glanced down and saw blood staining the grass. To the right, a teacher was sitting on the ground in shock, trembling.
“I-I need to call the police!” the teacher stammered before stumbling away.
I reached up to move Callum’s hand but hesitated, remembering how he hated being touched. I was surprised he even placed his hand so close to my face despite that. Letting my hand drop, I looked at him. “You don’t have to cover my eyes. I can handle it. I’ve already seen a corpse before.”
“Have you seen one splattered on the ground?”
“Yeah. It was my own.”
Callum looked at me with concern before slowly lowering his hand.
What I saw was disturbingly familiar: a severed body lay before us, blood pooling around it as if the girl had fallen from a great height. Her face was hidden, pressed into the dirt.
I glanced up. The courtyard was directly below the rooftop, which had no fence. It was eerily similar to how I died.
“Another suicide, huh?” I muttered, reaching for the tablet. “I’ll log it now.”
Callum knelt beside the body, his expression shifting as he inspected it. His eyes widened slightly, and he let out a small gasp.
“Xiao Li, I don’t think this is a suicide.”
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“Huh? But why? It looks like one.”
“I don’t think so either,” a voice suddenly cut in from behind.
I spun around and nearly screamed. A petite girl, drenched in blood from head to toe, stood there in her black-and-white school uniform. She casually patted dirt off the hem of her skirt, despite being soaked in blood, and cleared her throat.
“Ahem, nice to meet you. My name’s Nora Santos—or at least, that’s what it says on my ID. I’m 17.” She looked at the corpse on the ground and sighed. “I guess I just died, huh? But I can’t remember anything except my name and age.”
Before Callum could respond, I raised a hand to stop him, flashing a smug smile. “Oh, that’s normal. It’s protocol to forget everything before you pass on. No worries.”
Callum gave me a puzzled look, but I just grinned back at him. “See? I can handle your job too.”
“Xiao Li, this isn’t the time to—”
“Um,” Nora awkwardly scratched her head. “Are you guys my guardian angels? Did you come to help me get revenge for what happened?”
She rushed up to me, grabbing my hand, her eyes wide with wonder.
I blinked slowly at her. Wow, she’s really energetic for someone who just died.
“Haha, no, not revenge. We’re not guardian angels. We’re just here to guide you to the afterlife.”
Nora pointed up to the balcony, her expression turning blank. “The first thing I remember is waking up and seeing a bunch of girls up there, staring at my body. Are you going to do something about that?”
“You’re not saying they pushed you, are you? How can you be so sure?”
Nora knelt beside her own corpse, studying it for a few moments. “Yep, just one look, and I can tell. You might want to look for evidence, but I’m sure of one thing—even though I can’t remember much.”
“And what’s that?”
She stood and looked us both in the eye, her expression bitter.
“I know for a fact that there’s no way in hell I’d ever choose to commit suicide.”
A chill ran through me. Callum crossed his arms, smirking down at the girl.
“I like your attitude. How about we look for those girls together?”
“What?!” I gasped. “We’re only supposed to confirm her death, write it down, and escort her to QED! Why are we chasing down girls now?”
Callum put a finger to his lips and whispered, “Just keep it between us. Besides, if she’s not satisfied, the elevator to QED won’t work.”
I sighed heavily. “Fine. Let’s do it.”
“Don’t worry,” Callum added. “I’ve got a pretty good idea who those girls are.”
“Huh? Already? How?”
“Just watch.” Callum gestured for Nora to follow. “Come on, Nora.”
“Okay!” she chirped, trailing behind us as we headed back toward the newer building.
“Hey, miss and mister, you’re both really pretty! Where are you from?” Nora asked as we climbed the stairs to the senior high classrooms. She clung to the back of my suit like a lost puppy, her eyes wide with curiosity.
I ruffled my hair at the sudden compliment. “You think so? I’m pretty average…”
“Guess our nationalities,” Callum suggested with a smirk. “Then we’ll introduce ourselves.”
Nora pouted and hit my shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short! If you’re average, I must look like an ogre! But hmmm, let’s see… you’re Chinese, and mister over there is… European? Your hair’s white though, so I’m not sure.”
“Now that you mention it, I don’t know his nationality either…” I mused. “He does look kind of European though.”
We arrive at the 4th floor. Callum chuckles to himself after hearing Nora’s energetic response.
“You’re right! How amazing! I’ll introduce myself then, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Callum Dalais. I’m actually Scottish.” Callum bows as he finishes introducing himself to the small girl.
“You’re Scottish?!” I turn to Callum in shock, but then remember I need to introduce myself too. “Ah yeah! My name is Sheng Xiao Li. I’m Chinese. I’m pretty sure I also lived in Guangzhou.” I bow awkwardly.
Nora looks at both of us in amusement and suddenly hugs me out of nowhere. I let out a small yelp as she grabs onto me.
“You’re so funny, Miss Xiao Li! Actually, I just remembered that I’ve been learning Mandarin in this school from kindergarten to senior high! You’re really pretty! You look like one of those rich pretty older sister characters I usually see in Chinese dramas! Can I call you jiejie then?!”
I grab the kid’s head, trying to pull her away, but she clings to me like superglue. “I don’t care, but get off me, please!” I look at Callum, silently pleading for help, but he just looks away, shrugs, and smirks. This jerk.
“I don’t wanna! Let me call you *jiejie* first!” I use both of my hands to pry Nora off, but it still doesn’t work. I’m stuck in place, my arms being crushed together by her immovable grip.
“Fine, fine! Let me go first!”
Nora immediately lets go. I kneel on the floor in pain, trying to catch my breath. Callum looks down at me, still smirking.
“Are you a grandma or something? Is being squeezed by a kid that painful, grandma?”
“S-shut up…”
“I’m sorry, jiejie! Don’t die on me, please!” Nora hugs my limp body, her eyes tearing up.
“I’m already dead! I can’t die twice! Just… give me a break…” I catch my breath as Nora wraps her arm around me to help me stand. We follow Callum down the hallway, ignoring the classrooms. He stops in front of the restroom and stares at the door. Faint chatter can be heard from inside.
“Seems like I was right. They’re hiding here. I thought I heard a few girls talking a while ago.”
As I approach the door, I can clearly hear the voices of three girls arguing loudly.
“What the fuck do we do now?! I didn’t mean to push her off! She fell by herself after I just pushed her a little bit! She’s 17 but acts like a special kid all the time! She was a pain in the ass during group projects, and it seriously pissed me off! I just wanted to teach her a lesson, that’s all!” Girl 1’s voice echoes through the door, loud enough to be heard in the hallway.
“I-I had nothing to do with this, okay? I was just watching!” Girl 2’s voice trembles, a mix of fear and confusion.
Silence follows before the third girl speaks. “Shut up and don’t say anything about today. They’ll think it’s a suicide. We were never here. Got it?”
Nora’s hand shakes as she clings to my suit, her eyes wide with fear. I ball my fist, anger rising as I listen to their conversation.
“Are you going to open the door?” Nora asks quietly, her hands still trembling.
“Yes, they can’t see us, so to them, it’ll just be like a gust of wind blowing the door open,” Callum explains, concern in his eyes as he looks at Nora.
“Is that so? Then excuse me for this.”
I kick the door open with my heel. The loud bang echoes through the quiet hallway, causing the girls inside to scream in unison as they huddle near the sinks.
“What the fuck was that?!” A girl with a ponytail yelps, backing against a wall, phone in hand.
“Calm down! It was just the wind! There’s no one here!” A tall girl with short hair scans the room, her gaze passing over the three of us. She relaxes after a moment.
“You better make sure there’s no one here. Or we’re doomed...” The third girl grips her bag tightly, her long hair disheveled.
I look at the three girls, a sudden and overwhelming urge to pummel them to the ground surging within me. I reach out to grab the girl with the bag—
“Xiao Li, don’t.” Callum steps between me and the girl, his expression serious.
“Move. I need to teach these brats a lesson.” My hands tremble with rage, and I can’t understand why Callum is stopping me.
“You’re about to break the third rule. Calm down. I understand why you’re angry—”
“If you really understand, then get out of my way!”
“Xiao Li… you’re scaring the kid…”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Slowly, I turn to look behind me. Nora’s face is twisted in both fear and sadness. She weakly grips my suit, staring at me.
“*Jiejie*, please don’t do anything to them… it was all my fault… it’s because I was such a burden to them…”
“You shouldn’t believe what they’re saying, Nora! None of this is your fault! I—I’m sorry, Nora… I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just so angry. I’m so, so sorry.” I hug Nora tightly, trying to comfort her as she clings to me.
“I’m getting out of here! I can’t take this anymore!” The girl with long hair bolts from the restroom, running frantically down the hallway.
“That idiot!” The girl with the ponytail curses under her breath. “Let’s go!” The short-haired girl follows, and they both flee in a hurry.
“I think it’s time to bring her to QED. This case is closed. It was murder.” Callum says coldly as he types on his tablet and leaves the restroom.
The elevator ride to QED is strangely quiet. Nora clings to the back of my suit, silent. Callum asks her a few basic questions, and she responds in short, quiet sentences. The elevator doors open to a bright light flooding the lobby. We walk toward the receptionist desk, surrounded by the murmur of conversations, as we silently guide Nora to the machine.
I kneel down to meet Nora’s eyes. She’s staring at the floor, her tears falling silently as she begins to tremble.
“So, I guess this is where we part ways, huh, jiejie? I don’t want to leave…”
“From here on, Nora, your life will be wonderful. Before you know it, you’ll be living a better life than the one you just had. Once you’re reincarnated, you’ll be happy. I promise.” I pat Nora’s head gently, a sad smile on my face.
“Reincarnated? But that means I won’t remember you or anything! I don’t even remember much about myself! I don’t want to go!”
“There’s a reason you’re not supposed to remember anything after you die. It’s so you can move on without worries.” Callum takes a ticket from the machine and hands it to Nora with his gloved hand. “When your number is called, go to the lady at the counter. She’ll explain everything from here.”
Nora refuses to take the ticket, clinging to me instead. “I don’t want to forget everything that happened today! Not when those bullies are still alive!”
Callum kneels beside me, looking up at her.
“And what if I told you that those bullies will eventually face their karma?”
“What are you talking about, Callum?”
Callum hands me the ticket, smiling. His gloved hand holds it out as I take it.
“Oh, it’s just that there’s this unknown entity in QED that takes revenge for the victims. It all started a year ago, from what I’ve heard. The higher-ups are investigating it, but this person seems to target and kill people in the real world who caused the deaths of the victims.”
“Will that person punish them? C-can they take revenge for me?” Nora’s eyes widen as she looks at Callum, gripping her skirt tightly.
I stare at Nora in disbelief. “Nora, do you want them to die?”
“I may not remember everything, but jiejie… I loathe them. My memories might not be there, but my feelings are. When I saw them… I felt nothing but fear and resentment. If that’s all it takes, then I think… I can move on.”
I stand in front of Nora and grip her shoulders. “Nora, you stopped me from harming those students a while ago. Why do you suddenly want them to die?!”
“I don’t know, but I just didn’t want you to do it, jiejie. That would be selfish of me. If it was someone else, I’d feel relieved to see them dead.” A blank expression crosses Nora’s face. “Now that I heard this news… I-I think I can go…”
The speakers in the lobby crackle as a new number is called.
“Number E-1799, please head to counter 3.”
Callum stands up and begins typing on his tablet again. “Xiao Li, give her the ticket. Her number is being called.”
“Jiejie and Mister… Thank you so much for guiding me. We may have only met for a short time, but I really appreciate you both for taking care of me. Just knowing that there are two people who will remember me makes me feel relieved, and knowing that someone will take revenge for me, I guess…”
Before I realize it, Nora snatches the ticket from my hands and hugs me tightly. She runs to the counter, tears streaming down her face, waving goodbye.
“Thank you, jiejie! Thank you, Mister! I love you both!”
I wave back, unsure of how to feel about this short-lived meeting.
“Hey, Callum?”
“What is it?”
“Do you think she’ll be happy in her next life? Do you think she’ll live longer, too?”
“I’m pretty sure she will.”
I slump into the empty chair beside me, rubbing my eyes to hold back tears.
“I’m gonna miss that kid.”