The Aura Echoes | Sa Mun (The Uncanny Counter)

5. forever, remember?

"I can tell that everything is going to be just fine with you and me."

The next moment, I found myself in Yung, the ethereal forest that connected the living world to the afterlife. I could sense Jiji's presence within me, her energy merging with mine. Meanwhile, Sa Mun was in his own part of Yung, conversing with his partner, Gi-wen.

"Glad to see Jeok-bong's powers are back," I remarked.

Jiji chuckled, playful and light as we walked through the greens of the trees. "Yeah, although his method of using cow dung wasn't exactly... conventional."

I laughed. "True. He really knows how to make a mess of things."

There was a pause, and I decided to steer the conversation towards something that had been nagging at me. "Jiji, how did you end up as a partner in Yung? I mean, what's the system here? How does it all work?"

Jiji's tone turned a bit more serious, yet still evasive. "It's... complicated, Vivi. We all have our roles, and we're chosen for reasons that aren't always clear, even to us."

A knot of unease tightened in my stomach.

This was my best friend, the person who knew me better than anyone, who let me win in our fights and let me force her to call me Your Royal Highness and Majestic Legendness, who I prank-called seventeen times until she gave in to be my friend, who forces me to jump off a cliff with her.

And the only person who knows the truth about my family.

Yet I felt like she was hiding something. But instead of pushing her further, I decided to approach the subject from a different angle. "Jiji, remember our promise? The bracelets we made back in high school? When it was our lunch break and my bully tore my old one, then you decided to make us both new bracelets." I glanced down at the worn leather band on my wrist, the one that matched hers. "You even suggested a ritual we did in your parents' basement to go together along with the promises we have in these bracelets. We even made our own graveyard behind your house so we can bury ourselves for a day. We swore to be honest with each other, no matter what."

The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. I could hear her breath catch. "Vivi, of course, I remember. Those bracelets were our oath."

"We promised forever, Jiji," I pressed, my voice trembling slightly with the weight of our shared history. "We promised to always have each other's backs, to be honest, and to never hide things from each other. And yes beat each others' enemies up. And yes to never eat each other's ice cream."

There was another pause, and I could almost feel the tension radiating. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer, tinged with a mix of regret and determination. "I remember, Vivi. Every word. And I've never forgotten it."

"But," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper, "it feels like you're keeping something from me. And that's not like us. We've been through too much together."

I could hear the conflict in her voice, the struggle to find the right words. "Vivi, it's not that I want to keep things from you. It's just... there are some things even I don't fully understand yet. But I am keeping our promise. I'm doing my best to be here for you, to protect you."

My heart ached at her words, torn between frustration and a deep, abiding trust. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "Alright, Jiji. I trust you. I always have. Forever, remember? No matter how complicated things get."

"Forever," she echoed, her voice firm but gentle, carrying the weight of all our shared memories and promises. "I'll always be here for you, Vivi. No matter what. Besides, it's not like I have a choice."