Doctor Demon

Jina stood outside Hobin's apartment, knocking on it. Miyoo was in her arms, trying to reach for the automated lock but Jina was keeping her away from it. The child was dropped off at Jina's place by Minyoon who had a show that night and could not take her along. Miyoo pouted and was angry at her brothers. One was keeping her away from Binbin and the other one was keeping her away from Beaky. 

Moreover, Magrod did not return for the past two days which also annoyed her to no end. How was she going to play pranks on the demon now?

"Why are you cranky?" Jina wondered when her sister scowled. 

"Maggie," Miyoo mumbled. 

"Who?"

"Binbin. Beaky!"

Jina shook her head. She knew very well that if Miyoo wanted, she could talk properly but the girl was just too lazy. 

"Oi, Doctor Demon!" She called, knocking on the door again. "Where are you?"

"I'm coming!"

Hobin opened the door. He was shirtless and was wiping his wet auburn hair with a towel. Jina, who was still looking at Miyoo to figure out why she was angry, turned around and almost gasped.

Water was dripping slowly from his sturdy body from his neck to all the way to his abs…

"I'd love to let you stare all day but your sister is here," he pointed out.

"What's wrong in ogling at my boyfriend's body?" Jina said cheekily. "It's okay as long as I'm the one ogling and not anyone else!"

"Ogle ogle!" Miyoo added. Hobin shook his head and let them enter the house. It was past midnight but they were so used to barging into each other's houses that it became a norm for them to converse till late hours. He put on a t-shirt and turned to her.

"Jiwoon settled into Siwan's house," Jina sighed and sat on a chair while Miyoo jumped off her lap and ran towards a plate of crab cakes which were on the desk. She was busy eating while the adults discussed the recent events.

"But the whole thing is so strange," Jina went on. "Her husband became a demon! I've never heard of such a phenomenon!"

"You mentioned that your parents once had to encounter a demon," Hobin said. "Tell me about it."

He vaguely recalled that Hwang Minho's mother was killed by a demon when Minho was really young. For years, many people believed Junho was the one who killed his wife but it turned out that it was the work of a demon. 

"That demon had killed my grandmother a long time ago and pinned the blame on my grandpa," Jina said sadly. "He hid in my mother's household after he was forced to go on the run. You see, he was her godfather and after my maternal grandmother died while giving birth to mom, he raised her. Years later when my dad and grandfather met, they managed to clear out the misunderstanding thanks to my mother's intervention. But the demon was still on the loose. Now, the entire family was looking for him because he was creating havoc in our lives."

"The demon possessed my uncle Kanji," she went on. "His purpose was to free his lover from hell. You see, demons aren't allowed to fall in love with humans. It's a law. If they do, the demons become obsessed and when the human dies, the demon can become crazy. Some even get banished from Hell like the one we had encountered."

"Banished from Hell?" Hobin echoed. "That's weird. I thought only people who do bad things go there."

"People who sell their souls to demons go there, regardless of their actions," Jina corrected him. "The rest either go straight to Afterlife or to Purgatory. Anyways, long story short. The demon was trying to open the Gates of Hell to bring out his lover but the Gates can only be accessed through Purgatory. You see, the Gates are hidden in there so the demon needed a Transporter like my dad who could open them. But mom and grandpa stopped him on time and dad pushed the demon in the way of a reaper who slashed him."

At that point, Hobin held up his hand to stop her.

"This isn't going to work," he said sharply. "I'm not understanding anything. Is there any way for someone like me to enter there and see for myself?"

"Well…" Jina fidgeted nervously. "Usually, no one can enter the place unless they are sent there after death for purification. But...I can take someone with me."

Hobin was surprised. "Can you take me there?" he asked.

"Yes, but not for too long," she replied. "If a living person other than a Transporter stays there for more than an hour, he or she might die! It sucks out the soul energy from a living human but not from Transporters. And if you fail to return, you'll die and remain there forever."

"Ten minutes then," Hobin said. 

"Okay. I'll put Miyoo to sleep and lock the door."

Upon the sound of her name, Miyoo looked up. Jina picked up her sister in her arms and began to hum a lullaby for her. Miyoo, who was full from the crab cakes, was already sleepy. It did not take her long to snooze.

Jina put her on the bed and locked the door. For added safety, she put up charms on the walls to protect Miyoo from passing spirits who might disturb her. Once she was done, Jina turned to Hobin.

"Let's go," she said.

"But you just locked the door," he frowned. "How are we going to go anywhere if the door is locked?"

"We don't have to," she said. 

When Hobin looked confused, she revealed, "Purgatory is here, my dear doctor. It's everywhere. And also nowhere."

With that, she raised a finger and drew a circle in the air.

"Patentibus," she whispered.

Instantly, red sparks began to erupt from her fingers and a portal was opening. Hobin watched in astonishment as the circle grew bigger and bigger until a small pathway appeared. Jina stepped into it and he followed suit.

To his shock, it was his bedroom and yet, there was something odd about it. Miyoo was no longer sleeping on the bed, leaving it empty but that was not the only odd thing. There was something else.

"Noise," he whispered. "There's no sound!"

"Welcome to Purgatory," Jina grimaced.