Chapter 67 - The Shaman

Jiwon went back to the inn to look for Hyun Jung but he could not find him anywhere. He searched in the kitchen, the field, the yard and also at the washrooms, but there was no sign of Hyun Jung. He spotted Junghyung and his gang at a distance.

"Hey Junhyung!" he called out. The latter turned around to see Jiwon panting.

"What's up, Jiwon?" he inquired.

"Have you seen Hyun Jung anywhere?" Jiwon managed to breath out. "I can't find him."

"I'm not sure," Junhyung frowned. 

"I think I saw him heading towards the village's exit," one of the boys in Junhyung's gang piped up. "I saw him going out of the gates."

"When did you see him last?" Jiwon asked him.

"Around twenty minutes ago," he answered. "He-"

But Jiwon did not let him finish. He sprinted off towards the village exit. 

Once outside, however, Jiwon realized he did not remember the way to Hyun Jung's house. Last night, he was simply following Hyun Jung, not paying attention to where he was going. He could no longer recall the direction.

"Was it towards the East?" he asked out loud. Maybe if he asked around, he would find some answers. He set off towards the outskirts of the village.

Jiwon walked around the area for over an hour. He was outside the Gamcheon Culture Village but outside of the tourist spot was another traditional rural village. It was not as vibrant and lively as the Culture Village and was more of a farming area than an actual village. Only a few houses stood by the road. 

Jiwon strayed towards a secluded place, looking for a person who can show him the way. However, there was only one hut in the midst of the bushes.

Maybe someone from there can give me some clues, he thought. The hut was on the side of the road. It looked abandoned. The walls were stained brown and looked as if they would break apart at any moment. The roof was a tin shed which was rusting and there were no signs of life there. But smoke was coming out of it, so someone was probably inside the hut.

Jiwon knocked on the door. 

"Hello?" he called. "Anybody in there?"

"Enter," a raspy voice came from the inside.

Jiwon carefully opened the door. It creaked loudly as he pushed it. As soon as he entered, a strong odor of stale flowers and dead animals hit him. Jiwon almost puked at the pungent smell and felt bile climbing up his food pipe. There was smoke fogged inside the house. Holding his nose, he tried to peer through the smoke. 

A lone figure sat in the middle of the room. On closer look Jiwon realized it was an old woman. She looked ancient; Jiwon suspected she was more than a hundred years old. Her wiry white hair was uncombed and tangled. She wore a red shawl and a beaded chain made of rosemary hung from her neck. 

The house too was peculiar. Strange objects like carcasses of small animals hung on the walls. Alien symbols and words were written on yellow papers which were stuck on the windows and front door. The smoke was coming from incense lights which were put in every corner of the house.

A shaman? Jiwon thought, frowning. What was a shaman doing in the middle of nowhere.

"Enter, Kwon Jiwon," the old woman croaked. Jiwon was startled.

"How do you know my name?" he demanded.

The old woman wheezed in laughter. Her chilling laugh unsettled Jiwon. There was something about this woman which was very disturbing.

"I know your past, present and futures my boy," she crackled.

"Futures?" he questioned. "You speak as if I have multiple futures."

"You don't know what you have," she sneered. "Yet, you want to achieve what you don't have."

Her words confused him, but he had no time for her.

"I'm only looking for someone," he said. "I'll be off to look for him."

He was turning away when the woman said, "If you listen to me today boy, you may be able to thwart the calamity you will bring."

Her words made him freeze. "What calamity?" he snapped at her. But the woman only cackled in another laughter.

"Come here," she said, ushering him to sit down. Jiwon hesitated before sitting down on the cushion opposite to her. She took out a teacup and filled it with tea. 

"Drink," she ordered as she held it in front of him. Jiwon was suspicious. What if it was a trap? Was the Cartel trying to harm him again?

"It's not poisoned," she said, reading his mind. "I'm sure you know the smell of most poisons by now."

Jiwon was astonished to hear that. How did she know? He wondered. Ms. Sohee taught him how to identify the most potent poisons, in case if the Cartel tried to attack him again. He took the teacup and carefully examined the contents. He even sniffed it to make sure it was not poisoned. Once, he was satisfied that it did not contain poison, he drank it.

The tea was bitter, but Jiwon did not flinch. He expected his body to feel the effects of an unknown poison or medicine, but he felt nothing. The old woman smiled at him cryptically and took the teacup from him, studying the dregs which were left behind.

"Death is looming nearer," she warned.

"How original," Jiwon rolled his eyes. "Prediction of my death."

"Not yours," she said, peering directly into his eyes. Her expression was strange, as if she could not believe what she was reading. The more she read, the more her eyes widened in fear. "By the time you will turn twenty one, you will see four deaths."

"Deaths?" Jiwon asked, an ominous feeling creeping inside his heart. "Whose deaths?"

"Deaths you cannot prevent," the woman went on, ignoring his question. "The last one will lead you to utter the words which you can never take back."

"What words?" Jiwon's voice was shaking. His nervousness was almost giving him another panic attack. The old woman leaned forward. Her bloodshot eyes were staring right into his soul

"Words which will change your time," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" he asked, but the old woman was done.

"I will say no more," she announced loudly. "Both your futures lie in your hands. You have the power of time on your side. Use it wisely. Now, I will be off to rest. Please leave."

With that, she dismissed him and went inside. Jiwon sat there, stunned at her words. What was all that?

Jiwon slowly stood up and exited the weird hut. He headed back towards the inn, still deep in thought about what he heard. Four deaths? Whose deaths was she talking about? Was she really predicting his future or was she a liar? 

Lost in his thoughts, Jiwon did not realize when he reached the inn. As soon as he got there, he noticed everyone was in a frantic state. Junhyung and his friends were in a corner, urgently delivering instructions to other students.

Junhyung noticed Jiwon standing there.

"Jiwon!" he exclaimed. "Thank god you're here!"

"What happened?" Jiwon asked as he approached them.

"You don't know?" Junhyung asked in astonishment.

"Know what?" Jiwon frowned.

"We just got a call from the hospital," Junhyung informed him. "Hyun Jung's mother has been admitted in the hospital!"

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