I drop my hand.
Forever. So final. So definite.
I spin the bracelet until I’m looking at only the four dragons whose eyes are still gold, unchanged. Somehow it makes me feel better. As if I still have a fighting chance.
Then the elevator doors slide open and I practically choke.
Haechi is standing there, his horns nearly touching the hallway ceiling. He’s as still as stone. I clutch my suitcase tighter, waiting for the elevator doors to close. They don’t. It’s as if they’re frozen, too. Sure, he’s supposed to be my protector, but there’s no denying he’s beyond scary. And he couldn’t stop Haemosu from gilding me.
“I see you have met Haemosu,” Haechi says, eying my bracelet. “If only I had the honor of assisting you in your time of need. I have no power in his land unless I am invited.”
A new idea hits me. “He’s imprisoned my ancestors, hasn’t he? Can you help me get them out?”
“Impulsive and brave.” Haechi shakes his head. “No. That task is for you and only you. But I do have a message from Palk, the great one of light and goodness.”
I clutch my suitcase tighter.
“Never doubt. Never shy from who you are meant to be.”
“How is that supposed to help me save them?”
The air shimmers around us like it does on a hot summer’s day, and Haechi’s body starts to fade. “To save them,” he says, “you must open the tomb.”
Then he disappears, leaving behind the faint scent of ginseng. The hallway looks empty without his massive bulk overcrowding it. Somehow I manage to unlock my knees and head down the hall to our apartment, trailing my suitcase behind me. My steps are slow as I grow closer to the door. Dad won’t be home from his trip from Jeju until six. And that’s if he gets back in time. Now that Haechi is gone, I wish he’d stayed.
Never shy from who you are meant to be. What had he meant?
I punch in the code and enter. The click of the door shutting behind me sounds loud against the stillness of the apartment. Beams of sunlight trickle through the windows, dust captured in its path like falling snow, and I can make out the low hum of the kimchi refrigerator as I slide off my boots and coat.
The sunlight reminds me of when I’d first stepped into Haemosu’s world and it was perfect and unblemished, and suddenly I long for that feeling. I move into the sun’s path, close my eyes, and drink in its warmth. Memories of running through the forest as a deer, the wind against my face, and the power I had consume me.
A cloud passes over the rays, and the warmth vanishes. My eyes pop open, and I jump back. Is Haemosu trying to lure me back into his world? I press my body against the wall and wait, as still as stone, for him to appear.
But nothing happens. I’m flipping out over nothing. Perfect.
I rub my hands on my jeans. This isn’t good. I’m dying to return to a place that I know will only bring me harm. What is wrong with me?
I’ve only been gone for one night and yet it feels like a lifetime. I stare at my bracelet. My whole world has changed now that I’ve been gilded.
I head to my desk, where I have all my notes on my translation of Mom’s Samguk Yusa. Now that I have entered Haemosu’s world, I’m hoping the myth will hold more meaning for me.
Grandfather told me about the time when Habaek, Princess Yuhwa’s father, tried to stop his daughter from being captured by Haemosu. But is there more to the story? Have I overlooked something?
I skim through my chicken scratch handwriting until I get to the part where Habaek challenged Haemosu to a fight.
Haemosu descended to Habaek’s palace, where they tested each other’s skill. Being deities, they tested each other in the power of _________
What is this word, I wonder, tapping my pencil on the paper. Could this be what Komo was talking about? Metamorphosis? Like when I turned into the deer. I keep reading.
Habaek first changed himself into a carp, but Haemosu changed himself into an otter and caught Habaek. Then Habaek changed into a deer, whereupon Haemosu changed into a wolf and chased him.
I stop and realize this is the same creature I chose, too. Or maybe Haemosu influenced me to choose. Interesting. The rest of the page is unfinished. I settle myself in my chair and begin to work, using my computer and sometimes texting Michelle for help. An hour later I’ve finished my rough translation.
Finally, Habaek changed into a quail, but Haemosu changed into a falcon and caught him again. Habaek gave up and acknowledged Haemosu’s supremacy. An official marriage ceremony was held, and Habaek sent his daughter, Princess Yuhwa, to the heavenly realm with Haemosu. Before Haemosu’s chariot could leave the water, the princess escaped using her hairpin and returned to her father.
How am I suddenly supposed to turn into an animal? I rub my forehead. When I saw Haemosu as a deer, did I change into one because I was thinking about it or because Haemosu put that thought into my head?
I toss aside my notes. These aren’t helping me. I turn back to Mom’s box and dig some more, hoping to find something else that can help me.
Nothing.
I flip open my laptop next and do a quick search for the word metamorphosis. Pages of articles pop up on my search engine.
I start with the dictionary. It reads: “a change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means.”
Sounds about right. It’s kind of like when a werewolf shape-shifts, but without limits. I grab my notebook and write down the definition. Then I scribble pictures of an otter catching a carp, a wolf chasing a deer, and a falcon snatching up a quail.
Seeing those images gives me pause. Why did Habaek turn into a quail and not a stronger creature? It had to be because he wasn’t strong enough. As I looked through each of the animals, I saw that Haemosu always transformed into a similar animal, but a more powerful one.
Was that because of Haemosu’s physical or mental strength?
I scroll down and click on an article that catches my attention. According to this author, the key to metamorphosis is “taking control of your own mind and harnessing your strength.”
I write down “Control of the mind” in my notebook. So it must be mental strength. I chew my pencil, trying to piece this puzzle together.
Then the author writes about “using your cunning of the mind.” What animal could outwit Haemosu?
The article ends with:
Can a bear catch a rabbit? Or a dragon outwit the tiger? Raw power alone will not win the battle.
“Know your adversary,” I say aloud, remembering my Tae Kwon Do lessons. “Makes sense.”
That was the problem. I didn’t know Haemosu well enough. I stare at my bracelet and grimace. Not well enough yet. I scroll to the bottom to see whether I can find an e-mail address there. That’s when I freeze.
DR. JAMES GRAYSON,
professor of religious studies at Yonsei University.
The man I saw talking to Grandfather at the museum ceremony. Marc’s father.
CHAPTER 18
“The trip was a complete success!” Mrs. Freeman declares, and the class breaks into applause.
I take in our National Honor Society group gathered around the large table and wait for someone to start snickering or make a comment, but everyone is soaking in Mrs. Freeman’s sunshine. There’s no doubt that I’m enrolled in the most active, most enthusiastic, smartest group of kids around; and they’re all out to create a better world.