“You want me to defeat a demigod?” I lean forward in spite of myself. “Is that even possible?”
“Your grandfather showed you the generational chart, yes?”
I shake my head. She pulls out a charred scroll. My eyes widen. “How did you get that? It’s one of the scrolls I saved from the fire in Haraboji’s cave, isn’t it?”
“The very one,” she says. “The immortals must have guided you to save the right scrolls. Your haraboji stopped by this afternoon. He explained what happened and how you might show up. I have analyzed all the data so far, and this is what I have.”
I scan the generational chart. “This is the same list I saw on the pagoda.”
Komo looks at me oddly, and I explain what had happened. “So who is Sun?” I ask, pointing to her name. It has a dash next to it. “She was your sister, wasn’t she? Haemosu took her.”
“I searched for her and failed. But I will not let him win again. This time he will be stopped.” She takes my hand in hers and clenches it with such fierceness that I believe her.
“Your mother and I kept in touch while she was alive because we were good friends,” Komo says. “When I grew determined to stop Haemosu, your father forbade us to speak to each other. He is convinced that your grandfather lost his sanity after Sun, your other aunt, was taken by Haemosu. Your father is furious that I believed your grandfather. So this must be our secret. Otherwise he will never let you come see me.”
Secret. I smile, liking the sound of that. And I love the idea of getting an instructor all to myself who can really push me to my limits.
“So is there a way to break the curse?”
“You will only have a chance if you fight him in our world, not the Spirit World,” she says. “His powers are far greater there.”
“That pinnacle that I went to,” I say. “Was that the Spirit World?”
“I believe so.” She takes a sip of tea and sighs. “Our ancestors discovered that only the firstborn unmarried girls are taken. They solved that by having the girls marry before fifteen, and often it worked. But then about a hundred years ago, all the grooms-to-be suddenly went missing. So they stopped that practice because two people were lost rather than one. Those were hard times for the oldest daughter, knowing she would never marry, waiting until her fifteenth birthday to be kidnapped. To have a daughter was a curse. It was almost better if she had never lived.”
The image of a girl standing next to a thatched-roof house fills my mind, her hanbok waving in the wind and tears streaming down her face. Haemosu rides in, surging out of the clouds, his chariot led by his five dragons, all gleaming like golden rays of the sun. He snatches the screaming girl into his chariot and soars back up into the clouds, his laughter sharp and hard like thunder.
“Jae Hwa?” Komo is staring at me, her eyebrows knitted together.
My muscles are all knotted up like they get when I’m about to face an opponent in a match. I shake off the vision and nod.
Komo continues, “Many, like your parents, do not believe in Haemosu. But your grandfather is a believer. He pored over these scrolls to save my sister. Your father thought it was an obsession, and I suppose he was right. When Haemosu came to take Sun away, your grandfather stood in front, claiming Haemosu must fight him first. Your grandfather lost. Sun was taken. Haemosu let him live because sometimes it is more painful to be alive than dead.”
Komo falls silent, and one tear trickles down her cheek. I trace the geometric pattern on the table, trying not to invade her reverie. She wipes her face dry and continues. “Your grandfather sent your father away to America to study at a university and told him never to return to Korea.”
“Wait,” I say. “I thought Dad chose to leave.”
“He did, but your grandfather made it next to impossible for your father to stay. Of course, it did not help their relationship either. But your grandfather felt it was necessary. You see, Haemosu’s power cannot reach other lands. All immortals are limited to their own lands. We thought it had worked.”
“Because I’m sixteen?”
“You are older than any of the other girls. He has not bothered you until recently, right?”
“It started at the museum,” I murmur half to myself. “In the sun banner. He caught my arrow. I think that’s when he first showed up.” She doesn’t say anything, so I keep talking. “Then the next day this glittery guy attacked me.”
“Haemosu.”
“Yes, I suppose it was him. But then Haechi stopped him and saved me.”
“The Haechi?” Komo leans back. “Are you sure about this?”
I shrug. “He said he’d been sent by Palk to protect me.”
“Palk is involved? And he has sent Haechi? How peculiar.” Komo stands and clears off the table. “We have no record of any other girls receiving help from other immortals. I will have to talk to your grandfather about this. It sounds like the immortals are up to something. I am not sure I like it.”
Grandfather had already told her about my cave experience, so I finish off by telling her about the dokkaebi.
“He was trying to make a deal with me.” Komo frowns, but I continue. “He was saying something about saving my ancestors by opening some tomb. And all kinds of weird stuff.”
Komo sits very still, staring hard into space. “These are new developments. I will have to tell the others about this.”
“Others?”
She pats my hand. “You must worry about saving yourself. You are what is important.”
“Komo, how did I end up here tonight?”
She smiles a knowing smile, and I get the feeling there’s a lot more to my aunt than she’s letting on.
“You must come to my house every night. You have much to learn. Only travel here once darkness settles in, when his powers are weak. Even still, Haemosu will send whomever he can to do his dirty work. You must be careful.”
“Every night? I have piles of homework! And Dad will wonder why my grades are dropping. What about once a week?”
“Jae Hwa.” Her hands are back on her hips. “I have suggested to your father that as a punishment for sneaking out, you come each night for one month and work for me. He has agreed.”
“Dad agreed?”
Komo smiles. “I might have mentioned how upset your mother would have been for keeping you from seeing me while you were here.”
Figures. Any mention of Mom and Dad goes to mush. As much as I don’t like Dad getting involved, I still don’t like being told what to do. “Don’t I have a say in this?”
“Yes. You have some choice.”
I glance at the door. A part of me wishes I could just walk through it, wake up in my bed, and realize this is some bizarre dream. That different dimensions coinciding side by side is some fantasy.
But this is my chance to use my training to defeat something powerful and bring meaning to my life. This is an adventure I’ve always dreamed of.
My aunt clears her throat.
“I’m listening,” I say.
“You can leave the country, although I doubt Haemosu would ever let you on that plane. Find someone to marry you and hope he does not die before you make it down the aisle. Haemosu gets terribly jealous of suitors.”
“Komo.” I give her an incredulous look. “I’m sixteen.”
“Or stay and fight. But whatever happens.” Her eyes narrow as thin as slivers. “Do not let him touch you.”
“Why not?”
“Because it will be the beginning of the end. When he touches you, he will leave his mark. Think of it as the engagement rings they have in America. You are promised to him, and your courting begins.”