Prolongue: Heavens hell, hellish heaven.

Why dont he listen?

Seok stiffened at the mentioning of the word hollow, but he managed to stay calm.

"I see... and what about you? Are you sure you can perform it? You say you're fine, but honestly, you look like shit."

She waved her hand dismissively, not bothering to even get angry at him.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me. I'll stay here for a while and oversee your father so that nothing would happen to him. Don't worry though, using some of my tools, I can implant a memory in his mind, so that he wouldn't have to live with the truth about the deaths of his children."

Closing his eyes for a moment, Seok sighed.

"Thank you."

She quickly protested.

"Don't thank me. I... you should be angry at me. It was my job to protect you but I failed. You should take that sword and kill me... I don't know why you still haven't done it ..." Soo-An tried to raise her voice, but her broken ribs were too painful and she had to stop talking.

"It doesn't matter who is guilty, so ... don't. Just do the Konso."

She gulped when his voice hardened but it didn't look like he was angry at her.

Motioning him to kneel, she grabbed her sword and readied it.

"Just one more thing before I'll let you pass to the Afterlife."

Seok raised his head a little and looked at her expectantly.

"What is it?"

She stared at him for a while.

"I told you before but you possessed quite unusual amount of a spiritual energy as a human. Therefore, it is quite possible that, once you find yourself in the Soul Society, that energy will awaken and you may become a shinigami, just like me."

He raised his eyebrows and glanced at his hands, covered in a dried blood.

"Is it that rare?"

She shook her head.

"No, it happens from time to time. Once the souls are in Soul Society, they sometimes awaken their hidden potential and become a full-fledged shinigami. If that happens, try to make your way to the center of Soul Society, the Seiretei and look for me. I have a feeling that you could become quite the shinigami." Seok lightly snorted and grabbed her hands that held the sword.

"We'll just have to see."

Feeling the hilt of her sword tapping him on the forehead, he was surrounded by a bright light and he knew nothing more.

...