Waiting For Your Reincarnation

I spit out the dirt that came into my mouth, but it came out again. I wonder if this is what it’s like to walk in the sandy hell of the desert.

 

There was dirt everywhere, so I didn’t dare open my eyes. As I relaxed, I felt myself floating in the air, and then I landed somewhere.

 

A puff of fresh air hit my nostrils.

 “Ha!” 

*Cough, cough*,

“What is that?” 

I pressed my palms to the ground and felt the cold marble floor. A hard mound of earth pushed up through the floor and pressed against my legs.

 

Whatever this earth was made of my legs felt like they were trapped in rock.

 BANG! 

I heard a loud bang and was relieved that my entire body wasn’t trapped in the hard ground.

 

Brushing the dirt out of my eyes, I turned my head toward the sound and saw Ryu Won and a woman confronting each other.

 

Ryu Won was staring at the lemon-colored, short-haired woman with a patch of skin on her forehead.

 

The woman laughed hysterically as she made a shield of dirt in front of him, as if she wasn’t afraid.

 “Lower the wind. My shield is collapsing.” “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” “I’m so happy for you. You’re going to be our youngest, aren’t you?” 

The woman winked out of the corner of her eye, as if seeking my approval and enjoying the situation. 

 

Apparently, she was responsible for both the earthquake and my being trapped in a pile of dirt.

 

*Cough, cough*

“Are you inside the building?” “Stop playing around, Ms. Chairman, and loosen that thing on her leg, she’s struggling.” 

Ryu Won blew on the wind to keep the dust away from me.

 

The woman stared at me like a beast of prey about to attack.

 

However, it was hard to tell what she meant because she was smiling.

 

After a moment of wondering why the woman had such a strange reaction to me, I spoke up.

 “Was it illegal for me to eat the fruit in the forest?” “Pfft. No. It’s a felony for outsiders to trespass on protected areas, of course, but eating fruit is just fine.” “Oh, good.” 

She reached over and brushed the last of the dirt off her stomach. In an instant, the dirt that had been pressing down on my legs disappeared as if it hadn’t been there for a long time.

 

The woman hugged me so hard and tight that I couldn’t even squirm.

 

As the woman hugged me, a warm rush of energy went through my body. I was so tired that I could barely stand, but that feeling slowly faded.

 

The woman pulled away from me as if her confirmation was complete.

 “Well, it’s definitely strange. Our powers aren’t working. It feels like I keep pouring water into a glass with holes in it. Where did you find such a cute youngster?” “The forest. Sly’s was a good follower.” “Eh, those nasty little beans?” “She’s a phantom, right?” “Well, look at those innocent kitten eyes. Yep, she’s a phantom.” “All right, I’ll just get her autograph. The rest of the examination is your job, Ms. Chairman.” 

The words went back and forth, none of them understandable, and I was surprised to realize that the woman was a high-ranking official.

 

The woman looked much younger than Ryu Won. I couldn’t imagine how capable she must be to hold such a high position at such a young age.

 

Energized by the woman’s energy, I slowly rose from my seat. The woman held out her hand to shake mine.

 

I looked at Ryu Won who nodded as if it was okay to hold her hand. It was a relief to have someone approve of me.

 

The woman took my hand and shook it vigorously up and down, introducing herself.

 “My name is Shin Saeri. I’m the president of the Soul Protection Center Branch 1. Congratulations on joining us as our youngest employee. You’re so cute.” 

When I heard the word

“join”

, my eyebrows were raised. What kind of a job is this?

 

I thought I’d been rescued from a deserted island, but it sounded more like I’d just boarded a new fishing boat.

 

The woman who introduced herself nuzzled her face close to my neck and smelled me.

 “You smell like a young soul.” “What do you mean, join?” “Our youngest. You said you woke up in a forest. Do you even remember why you died?” “Ah… yes. I died in a car accident.” “A phantom soul like us, with memories of a past life… That’s funny, it’s not a mistake from God, is it?” 

Despite the heavy title of chairman of the board, she seemed so carefree. 

 

Looking at her carefree smile, I felt anxious from the bottom of my heart.

 

I felt like my brain was screaming at me to run away if I had the chance.

 “She is a spirit that cannot be captured by the Center’s computers, and her exact abilities are impossible to determine, but I suspect that if she has been around for hundreds of years, she may have some sort of mutation.”

Then she turned to me,

“Ms. Yeon-young, how much of this do you remember?” “Well, I mean, I remember the circumstances of my car accident.” 

Ryu Won’s sweet eyes were deep in thought as I replied. He looked so serious that I fidgeted with my fingers.

 

Something must be wrong.

 

Ryu Won, who had been sitting cross-legged in his chair, stood up and walked toward me with slow, lazy steps.

 

With each step, my legs grew heavier, as if they were being weighed down. Ryu Won gently stroked my cheek with his thumb and asked.

 “What about before?” “Before that? I remember every detail, even how my ex-fiancée and I broke up for the last time.” 

When I finished, the tingling around my cheeks stopped.

 

I turned my eyes to study his face, and the sweet smile was gone, and the corners of his mouth had hardened.

 

The mood had turned sour.

 

I felt a shiver run down my spine.

 “I take it you remember vividly how you broke up with your “ex” fiancee?” “What?” 

Ryu Won touched the corner of my mouth with his hand, as if he didn’t like any part of my answer.

 

There was enough force in his hand that it didn’t hurt, as if he would cut me off if I said another word.

 

I closed my mouth and looked at Saeri. There was silence for a moment, and then Saeri broke it with a hollow cough.

 

She stood between Ryu Won and me, blocking his view. Ryu Won obediently moved back a little.

 “Ryu Won, relax your expression. Can’t you see that our youngest is scared. Yeon-young, I’m sorry. It’s the first time a phantom has come to this world with memories.” “Phantom…” “Ah! We should start here. This is the Tanato World, a place where souls find their final resting place before reincarnation, and our job is to help, care for, and protect them so that they can rest here successfully.” “I think I heard somewhere earlier that you have powers. Do I know what they are?” “Um… that’s… well?” 

I trailed off, hesitating to answer, looking a little embarrassed. Ryu Won sat down again, seemingly unwilling to join the conversation.

 “Actually, spirits like us, as powerful as we are, aren’t that gentle. Usually, when a phantom appears, they get into trouble because they can’t control their unique abilities, so we tend to find them quickly. You came in a little too quietly for us to find you.” “Then why do you want me if I don’t have any abilities?” “Because it’s really rare for a Phantom to come to the First Division, so you’re worth collecting.” 

I tried to dismiss the joke with a beautiful smile like a movie heroine, but no one fell for it. Dust floated in the air. It was probably Saeri’s.

 “Just kidding, we can’t assume you don’t have abilities. Apparently, our abilities don’t work well with you, so this could be yours. We’ll have to find out, but you’re a phantom just like the rest of us.” “So, there are different kinds of souls?” “There are three types of souls in the Tanato world. Sly, Phantom, and Snarl. Only Sly and Phantom can come to this side of the world. Snarl is evil itself.” When the word Snarl came out of Saeri’s mouth, Ryu Won’s face stiffened. His eyebrow furrowed, as if he remembered a very unpleasant memory and couldn’t get rid of it. It was the same with Saeri. “Sly, you saw them in the forest, so you know. Spirits like us take human form and have unique abilities, but we have no memory of our lives, which is why we all join the Center as soon as we are found.” “I understand that I have no memories, but why do I have to go to the center?” “Because the conditions for reincarnation require a soul with memories of a past life. How long do you think it will take to find your memories?” “Well… Decades or hundreds of years?” “That’s quick if you can count. What are we going to do with all that time? The ancestral spirits used their power properly, so, shouldn’t we?” 

I feel nervous. I had heard the short explanation, but I didn’t fully understand it.

 

Ryu Won, listening to Saeri’s words, flicked his index finger in the air a few times. It was an elegant gesture, like a conductor leading an orchestra.

 

A piece of paper I hadn’t seen before flew out and landed at my feet. His gaze naturally fell on the paper.

 

[Labor Contract: Soul Protection Center Branch 1]

 “Ms. Yeon-young, when you’re done reading it, sign it.” Visit my Ko-fi for discounted advanced chapters!!