The Guide of the Dead

...

If I hadn't gotten sick, Evan and I might never have started.

Or maybe, I stole the fate that Evan and Esther were supposed to have.

During a routine check-up, they found a shadow on my lung. It scared me. I asked my good friend, Esther to recommend someone reliable because she's a doctor.

Esther said there was a young associate chief physician at their hospital who had just returned from abroad and was skilled at diagnosing lung nodules and lung cancer.

That person was Evan.

"It's not a big issue. It's likely benign. Even if it's cancer, it should be primary. The prognosis after surgery is good."

The first time I met Evan, he looked at my test results and said this.

I was immediately captivated by his looks and professionalism. I couldn't help but fall for him.

Evan was very aloof. He was indifferent to everyone. Even though Esther was quite friendly to him, he didn't seem to care.

But I liked the challenge of pursuing such a cold and handsome man.

Going after a man was my virtue.

I wiped my tears and admired Evan's face in the rearview mirror, thinking about how his looks had bewitched me back then.

"Cecilia's mom has been saying she feels short of breath lately. I'm planning to take her for a check-up tomorrow," Esther said. She changed the subject and did not press further.

Seeing that Evan remained silent, Esther continued, "As her best friend, this is the least I can do for Cecilia."

I was touched again. We grew up together, and she's always been better than me. My parents adore Esther.

It's true, you can always rely on your sisters!

After I passed, my parents must have suffered greatly. I was too stubborn, and it wasn't right for me to see them. I couldn't even return on the seventh day.

I couldn't fulfill my duty to my parents, nor could I reincarnate to repay them. I was truly a useless daughter.

Luckily, I had a good sister who helped take care of my parents.

Thinking of this, I looked at the paper in my hand, then at my best friend Esther, and finally at the man I had loved for so many years.

The scenery outside the window kept changing. An hour later, we arrived in the mountains.

I knew this mountain. It was Mount Barney.

The place of death on the paper was right here.

I looked up at the sky. It was clear, and everything seemed calm.

"We'll take this path up the mountain. I know a great camping spot where you can see the stars at night," Evan said.

Evan pointed to the road ahead. It wound deep into the lush forest, disappearing from view.

Esther smiled. She skipped a little and then linked her arm with Evan's.

Evan didn't look at her. Instead, he turned toward me, sending a shiver down my spine.

Ultimately, he said nothing and just turned to walk up the mountain.

I could see a trace of sadness in his eyes, which made my heart ache.

The burning time of the paper is unpredictable. Generally, when the paper burns out, its owner is about to die. Once the flame goes out and I appear beside the owner, death follows shortly, and I guide them on their way.

Sometimes, the paper starts burning long after the owner has died. By the time I arrive, the soul has already wandered for some time.

It was rare for the paper to bring me to the living several hours in advance, like with Evan.

Since the paper brought me here, I had no choice but to follow.

"Do not interfere with the fate of the living."

I remembered the advice given to me by my predecessor when I first started delivering papers.

After that, he completed his thousandth delivery and crossed the Mackinac Bridge.

Spirits burdened by memories of their past lives suffer greatly, and that obsession prevents their souls from finding peace.

I remember, it was the night before my wedding. If I hadn't died that night, maybe I wouldn't have been so obsessed.

I had seen the black flame of obsession devour a thin sheet of paper on my chest. Later, I realized that it was the key to my reincarnation.

I never saw the guide for my soul. I was lost in despair. A strong will to live led me to the paper and made me a guide.

I was about to complete my thousandth guiding and finally say goodbye to all of this, entering a new cycle of life.

Why did it have to be you, Evan?

"Further up, there's an open space, far from the city. The stargazing at night is beautiful," Evan said, pointing ahead.

I had been here with him before. He said the same thing back then, but he added something else.

"But you have to make sure the weather is good. Otherwise, this mountain can easily flood."

This time, he didn't mention any of those dangers.

He just buried his head and kept walking.

I had a bad feeling. When I looked up at Evan, I noticed his back was faintly glowing.

As the sun set behind the mountains, the glow became more noticeable.

It had a slight red hue.

People's souls have different colors, and most are white.

I didn't say anything.

"Honestly, being with you, everything's good," Esther replied.

Two people and a ghost walked along the mountain path. A quiet stillness enveloped us.

I remembered the first time I told Esther I would pursue Evan. She looked at me with disdain.

"I advise you to give up early. Evan is famously cold and handsome at the hospital."

"That's because you're using the wrong methods," I said.

Later, when I won Evan over, Esther's expression was unnatural. She didn't say anything then.

"I really envy you. From childhood to now, you've always gotten what you wanted."

That's what Esther said the night before my wedding.

We both drank a little, feeling tipsy. Her face was flushed, and she seemed a bit down.

Later, I don't know what happened. When I became aware, my lungs were already filled with water. I was suffocating, in pain, sinking.

I saw a reflection in the water. I couldn't make out the person's face. I reached out for help. There was only water everywhere. It choked my voice, my breath, my life.

As night deepened, I saw a red glow on Esther's back. It was even redder than Evan's, casting an eerie light on her smooth skin.

I looked at my watch. The time had arrived.