I Opened My Eyes
I opened my eyes. An unfamiliar ceiling stared back at me. Had I died after all and ended up in another world?
"You're awake."
"Oh. Guess I didn't die."
"What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden? You hit your head or something?"
My uncle, Lee Jin-seong, was sitting in a chair beside the bed. His voice snapped me back to reality. Thankfully, I hadn't died, and this seemed to be a hospital. The sharp scent of disinfectant hung in the air. Nurses bustled back and forth.
"How long was I out?"
Uncle dropped his head with a groan, furrowing his brow like it pained him to answer.
"......Three years."
"What?"
[Bullshit. Only two days have passed.]
Legba's truth let me exhale in relief. Uncle was watching me, holding back a laugh. Even in a moment like this, he was pranking me. His empathy must be seriously lacking.
"You fell for it, huh? How was my acting? Improved, right?"
"Yeah, a lot."
"Hahaha!"
Uncle laughed like an idiot. The mirth faded quickly, though, and he got serious.
"Anyway, it's only been two days since you collapsed. School's on lockdown."
"Lockdown? Until when?"
"Hell if I know. Don't remember, but probably a week."
A week. For Florence Academy, infamous for never canceling classes, that meant the incident was massive. Made sense—I'd been out cold for two days with major injuries.
But for someone who'd taken that much damage, my body felt surprisingly fine. Just occasional headaches, no real pain. Moving my limbs around didn't hurt either.
"Still hurting anywhere?"
"Nah? Feels like I'm all good. Why am I this fine?"
"A bunch of people came by to heal you. Plus, you heal fast anyway."
Uncle explained the last two days. This was dBP Hospital. Thanks to his demands to Bae Jeong-hwan, top healing priests had visited, laying on high-grade healing and recovery strength blessings. That's why I was good as new—treatment that would've cost a fortune was comped by Bae. Gu Jun-hyeok had stopped by briefly too.
"They said you're good to discharge now. With that much cash thrown at it, you'd better be. Money's the best. No ups and downs with it."
Uncle's greed seemed even worse lately. He rambled on praising money for a while. I just listened—no point arguing; he wasn't wrong.
"Oh, yeah—Bae Jeong-hwan wants to meet today."
"Out of nowhere? Why?"
"Remember the contract? The holy relic sponsorship."
When I'd cured his wife's illness, he'd promised holy relics to the Voodoo Cult if it worked. This was about that.
I'd planned to rest, but no pain meant today worked. Plus, school was closed.
"Set it up then. When?"
"Perfect timing—he's at dBP too. His son's banged up. Anyway, he says now's fine?"
Uncle checked his texts from Bae.
*
Strike while the iron's hot. I got discharged immediately and headed to the meeting spot with Bae—a ridiculously luxurious restaurant just ten minutes' drive from dBP Hospital. Uncle drove.
"Ah, you've arrived."
Bae bowed deeply in greeting. The place was empty except for us—he'd rented out the whole restaurant. Overkill, but hey, chaebol.
You don't worry about billionaires or celebrities.
"You rented the entire place?"
"Yes. Told them to kill the CCTV too, in case you felt uncomfortable. Technically our company's anyway. Please, sit."
Appetizers hit the table the second we sat—bite-sized seafood. The server droned on about sauces and freshness. I nodded vaguely, pretending to get it.
"Best course we have. Eat up."
We dug in at Bae's word. The food was unreal—beyond words.
"How's your wife doing?"
Uncle asked midway through.
"Oh, right, that. She's been bedridden so long—four, five years? World's changed too much, she says. Keeps nagging to go out. Driving me nuts."
"Haha, glad she's better. Relieved."
Bae gushed about his wife, grumbling but beaming. He'd put on weight since I first saw him.
"Heard your son got hurt. How's he?"
The talk shifted to his son as we moved from apps to soup to fish to mains.
"Mostly healed. Ear got torn, but hearing's fine."
"Good to hear. Must've been rough."
"Shocked at first, but the kid heals quick. He's okay now."
Bae Seong-hyeon had a torn ear but nothing else—minor compared to others. Treatment went well, so no worries.
Then mains arrived. Server hyped Iberico this and grapefruit sauce that. Pricey and delicious, basically.
"Shall we get to business?"
With mains, talk turned serious. Uncle spoke, and Bae called someone. Suited men marched in with suitcases and files.
They handed us documents. We skimmed.
"List of holy relics we produce and distribute. Tell us types and quantities; we'll prepare what we can."
"Ah."
Uncle's eyes sparkled over the papers. Food forgotten. No wonder—items ranged from tens of millions to hundreds in won. Standouts: 'Maw of Baal' and 'Ark's Incense Wood'.
"Anything catch your eye?"
"Whew, uh, hmm. Too many good ones. Hard to choose."
Uncle deep-breathed, fighting a grin. Billions dancing before him.
"Haha, take your time. That 'Crown of Thorns of Judgment' there?"
"Crown... ah, here."
"New tech just developed—dBP's masterpiece. Embarrassing to brag, but."
"That new tech everyone's buzzing about?"
"Yes. Kept it secret, but investors all knew. dBP stock skyrocketed thanks to it."
While I ate, they geeked out. Both thrilled. Birds of a feather with money.
"We've been excluding you. Cult Leader, anything you want? Your call matters most."
Bae turned to me mid-gush. I set down fork and knife, scanned the docs. Silence fell.
Two relics I needed.
"This, and this. These two appeal most."
I pointed. Bae's face stiffened awkwardly.
"......Haha. As expected of the Cult Leader. Sharp eye."
"Just picked what I need."
"Terrifyingly so."
Bae smiled faintly. I'd grabbed the priciest ones—ones I'd figured might come in handy someday.
"Can you deliver?"
"Of course. Promised anything on the list."
Bae grimaced wryly.
"But yours are rare and pricey—sorry, two weeks for delivery. Okay?"
"Fine."
"We'll visit with staff then."
Deal done. Bae offered a handshake, smiling. I took it—my hand subtly atop his. Unconscious hierarchy.
*
"Good work. Home now?"
"Nah, walk a bit first."
Uncle scowled.
"Fresh discharge and you're strolling?"
"Rehab, sorta."
"Smooth talker. Pick you up later?"
"Call ya."
He nodded, rolled up the window. Car purred away. I watched till it vanished, then walked.
Near City Hall Station—skyscrapers everywhere. City noise: people, cars, buses, subways. Rush hour made it louder, busier.
Walking, I thought of Dad. This was where he'd burned at the stake. Right in Seoul's heart, mocked by crowds till he was ash.
"Seon-woo. Never think revenge. No matter what happens."
A week before his capture-execution, Dad said that. He'd known his fate. Kid-me laughed cluelessly, not grasping it as his last words.
Recalling his many testaments stirred me. Why leave me with those and go? Part of me resented it.
[Still, you learned plenty thanks to him, didn't you?]
"True. Thanks to Dad, I'm surviving at least."
[Lousy dad, decent teacher.]
Dad taught me plenty: rhetoric, wielding voodoo magic, handling Loa powers. That's how I scrape by. Without it, I'd have starved long ago.
Lost in memories, I wandered. Gothic-modern buildings adorned the city—trendy style lately.
In this beautiful place, Dad burned. Unbelievable, but true.
"......Hic. Uh, sniff......!"
A weird sound from somewhere. Crying? Groaning in pain? Muffled desperately, but failing.
From a narrow alley in the urban corner.
[Just walk past.]
I glanced to check, but Legba's tone was dead serious.
"Why?"
[Hard to explain now. Just go.]
Told not to, I wanted to more. Rebel streak. Ignoring him, I peered into the alley.
A woman crouched, smoking. Her left hand's bandage soaked red. High nose, sharp eyes. Pretty, unbidden thought.
Smoke filled the narrow space, making her beauty ethereal, mysterious.
"Kim Jin-seo?"
I knew her. Patience Holy Mark, Kim Jin-seo. She startled at my casual call, whipping around. Smoke curled from her right hand's cigarette.
(To be continued in the next chapter)