"Mr. Shin, are you okay? Wake up! Talia, go fetch some water."

Shin’s mind was foggy. What was happening? Wasn't he dead? Wait, did he just say Talia? No, it can't be—the monster will get her.

**Run, Talia!** Shin wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He felt like he was floating, drifting through the air, when suddenly—splash! It felt like he had teleported from the sky into the sea, unable to breathe underwater. Then, finally, he woke up.

*Gasp, gasp.*

Shin was struggling to breathe with all the water in his lungs, but he tried to stabilize himself quickly. He was shocked—what was going on? And then, he felt a familiar warmth.

"Dad, you’re okay! I tried to wake you, but you were just screaming. I was so scared." Talia started crying, and Shin embraced her tightly.

She was hugging him as if her life depended on it, but Shin didn't have time to waste. Where was that monster?

"Oh, Mr. Shin, thank God you woke up! You were screaming a lot after you passed out." Grandpa Max sighed in relief.

**Wait, was that just a dream? No, I can't be sure.** Shin tried using his keen sense of smell. Demons always carried the vile scent of sulfur, but now, there was nothing.

**It can’t be. That dream felt too real.** Suddenly, Shin remembered that Grandpa Max in his dream had been speaking just like the voice in his head.

Seeing the worry in Shin's eyes, Grandpa Max felt guilty. "I’m sorry, Shin. You’ve already been under a lot of stress, and I shouldn’t have added more. I’ll leave now—take care of Talia."

Shin felt bad; none of this was Grandpa Max's fault. It was the voice that had been playing games with him.

"It’s okay, Mr. Beth. It was just a bad dream. Allow me to walk you to the front door," Shin offered politely.

"Just rest here. I may be old, but I can still get around just fine." Grandpa Max smiled.

"Okay, Mr. Beth. Thanks for visiting." Shin bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for the visit, Grandpa," Talia chimed in, bowing just like Shin, trying to mimic him.

Grandpa Max chuckled. "Ha ha, the pleasure was mine" he said, laughing as he left.

Shin knelt down and gently placed his hands on Talia’s shoulders. "Talia, are you okay now? Are you feeling anything strange?"

"No, Dad, I’m totally fine." Talia smiled.

"Good. Now, go to your room and finish your homework. We also need to talk about the little stunt you pulled today. Go on, Dad’s got some work to do." Shin stood up.

"Dad, I suddenly feel weird. I feel so sick!" Talia tried her best to fake being ill, but it didn’t work on Shin. Defeated, she headed to her room.

Shin immediately began running his hands over the floor and couch, checking the entire house for the smell of sulfur, but there was nothing.

"So, it really was just a dream," he muttered. "Maybe I’m worrying for nothing, but I still can't let my guard down."

Shin tossed away the cans he had been drinking from, but not before inspecting them thoroughly. Finding nothing, he discarded them and cleaned himself up before heading to Talia’s room.

Talia was already diligently working on her homework.

"Do you need any help, Talia?" Shin asked.

"No, Dad, it’s easy," Talia replied, still focused on her work. Shin thought it was nice. Talia was really intelligent, but what concerned him most was her safety. She wasn’t a normal kid. Shin had homeschooled her, and this was the first time in four years that she would be attending school with other children of her age.

"How was school? Did you make any new friends?" Shin probed.

"Yeah, at first, it was scary being without you for so long, but I made some friends. They’re nice."

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Shin was relieved to hear that Talia had successfully made friends in her new school.

"I knew you’d do well. Now, let's talk about that stunt you pulled today." Shin looked at her seriously.

"I’m sorry, Dad. I woke up when I heard you shouting. When you went to the balcony, I sneaked out of my room to grab some noodles, but the bowl was too high, and my hands couldn’t reach. Then..." Talia hesitated.

"Then what, Talia?" Shin asked, his tone growing more serious.

"It... it started to float. I got scared, and then it dropped."

Shin was taken aback but quickly regained his composure. "Talia, it must have been your imagination. Ha ha, how could a bowl float on its own?"

Talia looked at him, her face still showing traces of fear. "Maybe, but what if our house is haunted, Dad?"

Shin tried to laugh it off. "No, Talia, you were just shocked. Your mind's probably playing tricks on you. Don’t worry, our house isn’t haunted."

Talia seemed skeptical, but she was somewhat relieved. "Okay, Dad. If you say so."

"Good. Now finish your homework. I’m going to start preparing dinner." Shin patted Talia on the head and left the room.

**To think that with just a small crack, she was able to access so much of her power. She’s really your daughter, Evelyn.** Shin thought to himself.

He headed to the kitchen to start cooking dinner. By the time the meal was ready, Talia had finished her homework and was glued to her favorite TV show.

"Talia, dinner’s ready," Shin called out.

"Just a bit more, Dad! It’s almost over," Talia replied without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Come before it gets cold," Shin urged, waiting for her at the table.

After a few minutes, Talia finally joined him, and they talked about their day as they finished their dinner they had the apple pies Grandpa Max brought for the dessert. Afterward, Talia watched a little more TV, while Shin pretended to work for his novel. Finally, it was time for Talia to go to bed. Shin tucked her in and told her the usual bedtime story until she fell asleep. Only then did he leave her room.

Late into the night, the house was quiet and dark. The clock showed 12:00 a.m. Shin rose from the couch, grabbed a knife from the kitchen, and walked to the front door. He made a cut on his finger.

With his bloodied finger, Shin began to draw intricate symbols on the door. The symbols weren’t just random shapes—each line and curve carried ancient meaning, connecting to forces much older than himself. They formed a protective sigil.

As the final stroke of the symbol was completed, Shin placed his palm over the markings and began to chant softly. His words were low and rhythmic, spoken in an ancient tongue that vibrated with unseen power. The language was old, forgotten by most, but Shin spoke it fluently. It was a spell designed to shield against dark forces and malevolent entities.

The symbols on the door responded to his incantation, glowing faintly at first. A soft red light emanated from them, pulsing gently, as though the door itself was coming to life. The glow grew brighter, and the air around Shin felt charged.

With a final word, the red light flashed brightly and then disappeared, leaving the door looking as it always had. But Shin knew better. The spell had woven itself into the fabric of the house, creating a barrier—an invisible shield that would keep out any unwanted forces. The blood, now vanished, had acted as a conduit, linking his life force to the spell, making it stronger.

"This protection spell should do the job," he said to himself, putting the knife back in the kitchen and heading to his room.

"The house is better protected now. Maybe I should’ve done this sooner. Still, it’s been peaceful for a while... I thought it was over. At least Talia’s surrounded by the strongest protection and sealing spells."

Shin collapsed onto his bed, exhausted. Soon, he was asleep.

The next morning, life returned to its usual rhythm. Shin woke early, as he always did, to prepare Talia for school. The familiar routines provided a strange sense of comfort. Breakfast, packing her lunch, watching her board the school bus—each day began to blend into the next.

Days turned into weeks, and slowly, the looming dread that had once gripped him began to fade. It was as if the spell had sealed away not only the dangers outside but also the persistent anxiety that had been gnawing at his mind. There were no new signs, no lingering sulfuric scent, no strange occurrences around the house. Everything was normal—almost too normal.

But beneath that thin layer of peace, a nagging voice in the back of Shin's mind kept him from fully letting his guard down. The protection spell may have held for now, but the quiet felt unnatural—like the calm before a storm.

Three weeks later, that storm arrived.

Shin was resting on the couch, watching the news to stay updated on the recent child kidnappings. The police had already arrested a man accused of abducting children. After investigating, they confirmed he was the culprit. According to the police, he had kidnapped the children, assaulted them, and disposed of their bodies afterward. However, the authorities were still unable to recover the victims' remains. There wouldn’t be any more victims, the authorities claimed.

It was late in the afternoon, Talia’s school bus was late. **She should have been home by now.** Shin thought maybe something happened at school, but he soon grew worried. He tried contacting the school, but no one was picking up the phone.

Suddenly, the program on TV was interrupted by a breaking news announcement, and Shin froze after hearing the headline.

*Breaking News: School Bus Accident in Morville*

The news anchor had a grim expression.

"A tragedy has struck the city of Morville. An unidentified vehicle collided with the Sunnyshine School bus. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and although most of the children sustained minor injuries, seven of the children on the bus are reported missing. Their whereabouts are still unknown. Authorities have launched a manhunt to find the missing kids. The injured children have been taken to Morville City Hospital. As for the missing children, their names are:

Hannah Grace

George Wellington

Benjamin Laid

Shawn Jackson

Sharon Smith

Manny Williams

And lastly..."

"No, no," Shin was engulfed in despair.

"Talia Wu."