Fox Sister

After resolving to live together with my younger sister, a year has passed.

Through the changing seasons, everything that once felt strange has now become second nature.

Even the damp feel of soil on my fingertips after enduring the chilly autumn and harsh winter no longer feels foreign.

The stains on my clothes have grown familiar too.

Bud tips of fresh green sprouted from barren branches.

Instead of the putrid stench that once weighed over the village, the wind carries the scent of grass.

The roads in the village are still overgrown with ankle-high weeds, but the ominous aura that once blanketed this place can no longer be felt.

Blood-red talismans etched carefully along ley lines faintly glow, purifying the village.

The desolate empty houses remain eerily silent, yet the shadow of death no longer lingers there.

Our hometown, left with just me and my sister, is slowly returning to nature. Flowers bloom between crumbling buildings, birdsong echoes through the empty skies.

Under the crimson sunset in the west, I visited the graves of the villagers. I clasped my hands in prayer for them quietly. Perhaps it was hypocritical, but I believed burying bodies left scattered about was the bare minimum duty as a human being.

“May you rest peacefully in the next world.”

Murmuring softly, I turned away from the graves and returned home. The house, which was nothing more than ruins, had been restored into something livable thanks to my sister’s surprising strength. She’s deceptively frail-looking, but her yokai nature grants her unimaginable power.

Pushing open the wooden gate, the gentle smell of doenjang stew teased my nose—a comforting warmth all its own.

“Welcome back, Elder Sister?”

My sister ran up with a bright smile, her pale face glowing with happiness, her sunlit orange hair shining. Taking the hoe from my hand with her small ones, she wiped the sweat from my brow with the edge of her sleeve—her care melting away the fatigue in my body.

“Ryeonga, I’m back.”

A soft smile naturally graced my lips as warmth spread from deep within.

She took my hand and led me to the table where a modest yet lovingly prepared meal awaited: warm doenjang stew, crispy grilled fish, neatly arranged vegetable side dishes.

“I made all your favorites, Elder Sister!”

Her excited boasting made me burst into laughter without realizing it.

“Thank you. As always, you’re the best, little sister.”

We sat across from each other at the table, sharing small joys in quiet contentment. It was a serene and peaceful evening.

Just as we were about to retire after dinner, the brass bell among Master’s keepsakes began to ring, breaking the silence of the room. Its clear yet sharp sound pierced my ears. Trembling, I clutched the bell tightly.

As the cold touch seeped into my palm and reached my heart, a heavy hammer seemed to pound deep inside my chest. Under the silver moonlight, the bell in my hand faintly trembled. My stiffened expression caught my sister’s attention, and she cautiously spoke up.

“What’s wrong, Elder Sister?”

Though her worried voice reached me, I couldn’t bring myself to answer immediately. The bell continued to ring in my trembling hands, and it took a while before I could speak.

“…It’s a summons from the Heavenly Nine Assemblies.”

The Heavenly Nine Assemblies—an organization of exorcists appointed by the emperor to eliminate malevolent spirits and evil monsters. Though I wasn’t officially part of it, I’d only briefly joined under Master.

But since the day the great seal was broken and black mist escaped, not a single summons had come. This one was clearly no ordinary matter.

My mind was in turmoil. Did I have to shatter the hard-won peace with my own hands? If the matter was serious enough to make Master’s relic ring, something grave must have happened. Yet leaving everything behind would mean abandoning the tranquility I share with my sister.

Moonlight poured through the window, filling the room, our long shadows swaying in the darkness.

“Elder Sister… Is it dangerous?”

My sister’s voice quivered slightly. Her delicate hand gently grabbed the hem of my sleeve, the tender warmth transmitted from her fingertips making my thoughts waver amidst countless conflicting emotions.

Meeting her anxious gaze, buried memories surfaced. Master’s teachings, the words of the malevolent force I once empathized with, and now my sister’s pure eyes watching me—all three worlds I hold dear threatened to tear me apart.

“Hongik Ingan. Benefit humanity widely…”

That noble teaching was once the center of my life. But I turned my back on it, taking my sister’s hand who feeds on humans, abandoning the path of the Taoist priest to live as a human with her.

“Do what you want.”

Seolhwa’s words became my way of life. Though my head was chaotic, the direction of my feelings was clear—it was just the hard-won peace holding me back.

Lifting my head slowly, I looked at my sister. Her bright large eyes brimmed with anxiety and anticipation.

“Ryeonga.”

I spoke softly.

“How about… we take a short trip together?”

Surprised, my sister’s eyes widened, her breath catching as she stared at me, like someone lost in a dream. But soon a shy smile bloomed on her face, her hesitant gaze turning resolute as she nodded vigorously.

“If Elder Sister goes, I’ll follow anywhere.”

Before dawn broke, we packed our things. I retrieved Master’s sword, unused for a long time and covered in dust, along with talismans and vials of white, red, and blue ink. I also prepared needles mixed with rooster blood for writing incantations.

After turning my back on Master’s teachings, these objects symbolizing my life as a Taoist priest had lain untouched, but picking them up again felt heavy with significance.

Turning at a sound, my sister was already by my side, her sleepy face still glowing with big eyes bright even in the early morning darkness.

Together we stepped out of the gate. Our hometown lay quiet in the stillness of dawn, skeletal branches reaching toward the sky like desperate hands, abandoned houses silently hiding their existence in the silence.

Leaving this place felt real now. My sister’s soft voice drifted behind me, calm like the morning air.

“Elder Sister.”

Looking back, she gently took my hand, her warmth cutting through the chill of dawn. Glancing sideways at her walking beside me, I spoke slowly.

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

She smiled sweetly and nodded.

“Yes, Elder Sister. You said not to harm people indiscriminately, though wild animals might be different.”

Her clear and innocent eyes reminded me of the reality hidden beneath simple words, perhaps the thing I desired most. Even if some call it hypocrisy, I thought it better not to commit unnecessary evils if possible.

When we arrived at the bustling harbor town after walking far from our hometown, the lively sounds of the marketplace brought back distant memories. Of markets explored with my sister, of cities walked through with Master—all remnants of another era now.

Stepping onto the boat, the wooden deck creaked underfoot. The boatman’s cry announcing departure rang out as the ship slowly cut through the water.

The sea breeze smelled fresh and salty, familiar yet strangely different today. Memories of fleeing alone across the sea filled with fear and anxiety surfaced, but now my sister stood beside me.

“Isn’t the smell of the sea nice, Elder Sister?”

My sister asked cheerfully. Her orange hair fluttered in the wind, brushing against my cheek lightly. Nodding, I replied.

“Yes, it is.”

Gazing at the endless horizon stretching before us, hope and relief welled up in my chest. In this moment, the most important truth was that I wasn’t alone.

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