Getting a second chance at life isn't exactly as enchanting as it seems.
Sohee Young, who lived life like the callous person she was, dies. She gets another chance to live life correctly though, and that is by swapping lives with Lina Park, who die...
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"YOU REALLY COULDN'T help us?" I hissed to Elizabeth, who shrugged.
"If I did, you wouldn't have defended Emma, would you? After all, actions speak louder than words."
"At least we stopped your shopping spree," Emma sighed from ahead of us, walking to her car, my receipt in hand. "And returned like, all the Lush products. We can try on the rest of the clothes you picked. You did say that Lina always needed a colorful closet."
Yeah, but that didn't mean to buy her college fund's amount of clothes.
"Hey..." I started, hesitating. "You want to go somewhere?"
Emma's eyebrows crinkled together. "Like, on a drive?"
"No," I huffed. If she was that worried about her car, might as well replace it. "I just haven't hung out with anybody for a while, and I don't really know the area. If you want, we can have a low budget dinner."
At my awkward proposal of a peace offering, Emma giggled. "Is this your way of apologizing to me?"
"Maybe," the corner of my lips tipped up.
"I accept! Should we hug on it?" At her offer, I shot her a look, and opened the passenger seat of her car.
"So, where are we going?" I asked, as Emma boarded the driver's, and Elizabeth the back.
"You're even letting me choose?"
I rolled my eyes. "It's not my fault I state my opinions. And unlike you, I can't tell you what's good around here."
"Fine," Emma grinned. "Then we can eat In-N-Out and go around eating fast food."
"We're eating what?" I scrunched my nose.
"Come on, you can't hate greasy food. And as a foodie, mukbangs are so my thing. I know Sohee Young can't handle spicy, so we're going to visit fast food restaurants and eat them in cars."
"No wonder this car's so dirty."
"Hush! No sarcastic remarks allowed in this car now. It's going to die on me if you offend it, and I don't want to explain to my mother what's going on for the second time."
I laughed. "We'll see." And sobered up, recalling our latest escapade.
"Elizabeth. About earlier."
The elder sighed from the backseat. "I know."
"So what you're saying is... the souleater's radar on Lina is off, off?"
"Yes. He's been trying to read a little bit of revived's minds, but the oath Lina took scrambles it. Of course, you and the other revived like Emma do see the truth, but in the souleater's eyes, it's much more hard to find her."
"I'm interrupting, but I feel like it's about time that you tell me everything that's going on," Emma told me, elbow propped on the window, she turned to face me as Elizabeth hummed in the back. "I meant, I went through all this trouble and you're still not telling me the reason why you're here."
"If I tell you, you'll be vulnerable," I said. "And I've already had to save you twice."
"What? It's not my fault the monster or whatever thinks I'm easy to kidnap!"
"Because you are."
"Didn't you see how I elbowed the revived? I can defend myself."
The elder cleared her throat. "Actually, you informing Emma might cause the opposite intention."
"What?" I whirled around. "The souleater would read her mind, and not only that, he'd use her as leverage."
Elizabeth hesitated. "Do you recall the previous soulcatchers having a close friend?"
I did, but I had been ignoring that fact since it was too similar to my situation with Andrew. Some of their friends became a little too close, and based on their memories, I couldn't see anything after the former council members were defeated. Did the two meet again? Or cut each other off?
"There's one soulcatcher that I was the guardian over of," Elizabeth continued. "The one before you. Thomas. About midway through his mission, he fell in love, and wanted to tell her everything."
My breath caught in my throat—when did that happen? "And it didn't backfire?"
"Quite the opposite, actually. Though his mission had less complications like yours, he wanted to be honest with her. But in short, when you become revived, a "revived knowledge" region forms in the frontal lobe, which is where your judgement and planning occurs. We thought it was just a trait, and didn't think much of it before. But apparently, that knowledge needs to be filled. If it's empty, it allows the souleater to form and manipulate those memories. Fill it, and—"
"—you could be more resistant!" Emma shouted and wiggled in her chair. "See? This is such a great reason. And it'll really tighten our friendship. You can't back away now, I won't let you."
