...

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.

Evan set up the tent on an open space. This place was a dried-up riverbed.

The first time we came to watch the stars, it was also here.

Under the romantic starry sky, I slowly moved closer to him that night. I looked into his beautiful eyes.

Evan smiled. That smile could melt my heart.

"You're such a little girl. Why can't you ever be reserved? Can't you wait for me to make the first move?" Evan said,

I laughed, too. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I can't be reserved!"

Under the starry sky, there was only laughter. There was only happiness.

His hand wrapped around my waist. I felt the firm arms of a man. He pulled me into his embrace. A fresh, pleasant scent filled the air. His soft, moist lips pressed against mine.

We were entwined.

I watched his back. My mind was filled with memories.

I watched him revisit this place with his current lover. I should have been happy for them, but the paper in my hand told me this would abruptly end tonight.

To be honest, my feelings were complicated.

"The signal here is bad," Esther suddenly said.

Esther frowned as she fiddled with her phone.

"Perfect, no one will bother us then," Evan lit the bonfire, waving Esther over.

"Look up," Evan pointed.

I looked up and saw the vast starry sky.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!" Esther exclaimed.

Just as beautiful as before.

"There's a meteor shower tonight," Evan said, pulling out a telescope. "We might be able to see it."

"Really? That's awesome," Esther said excitedly, resting her head on Evan's shoulder.

She looked at Evan with affection and said softly, "You're so good."

Then she slowly leaned towards him.

Seeing this, my heart suddenly felt like it was pierced by something. I quickly turned my head away.

Time seemed to freeze.

I didn't hear any lingering affection or intimate caresses.

I only heard Esther ask, "Why?"

"No reason," Evan said.

"Then you didn't have to agree to be with me. Why did you agree and then not let me touch you?" Esther's voice turned sharp.

"Can we not talk about this tonight?" Evan's voice grew low.

"She's been dead for three years!" Esther's expression twisted. "How long are you going to keep suffering?!"

Evan lowered his head and didn't speak.

Esther took a deep breath and adjusted her emotions. "It's always like this. Every time I bring her up, you just stay silent. She's dead, and there's nothing I can do. I just want to live well with the person I love. Can you stop making the living suffer so much?"

Evan stared at the bonfire and said for no reason, "After tonight, it'll be fine."

Esther stared blankly at the man in front of her. After a long time, she turned and went back to the tent. She pulled the zipper tightly, and faint sobs could be heard from inside.

I quietly walked over to Evan. I saw his once calm face start to twitch. Two clear streams of tears flowed from his eyes.

He frowned and raised his wrist. He bit it hard with his teeth, desperately trying to hold back his tears.

My heart clenched along with his.

I couldn't bear to see him sad.

I crouched down. I held his face, and said softly, "Don't cry, Evan. Don't cry."

He couldn't hear my voice. His shoulders shook. He didn't want anyone to see his pain.

I caressed his face. I leaned in and kissed his forehead and his hair.

I couldn't feel his warmth. Life and death had separated our worlds.

"We'll see each other soon, Cecilia."

"Cecilia, that's my name."

He whispered softly, as if he was talking to me.

I was stunned.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

Of course, he couldn't hear me. He didn't answer me, just quietly stared at the starry sky. His emotions gradually calmed down.

"What are you planning?" I started to get nervous.

I began to have bad suspicions about the cause of Evan's death.

He stood up and took out some ingredients from his bag. He poured them into the pot over the bonfire. Then he pulled out some seasoning packets from his pocket and added them one by one.

After it was cooked, he scooped a bowl and walked to the tent. He squatted down and said, "Esther, come out and have some tortilla soup."

"I'm not hungry," a muffled voice came from inside the tent.

"It's my fault. Don't be mad..." Evan said softly.

His emotional shift was a bit abrupt. For some reason, he suddenly became humble.

There was no sound from inside the tent.

"Esther, give me some time," he continued.

The sound of rustling came from inside the tent. The zipper was opened, revealing Esther's delicate face.

"So how do you plan to make it up to me?" She didn't seem as pained as before. A smile appeared on her face.

"What kind of compensation do you want?" Evan asked.

Esther threw her arms around Evan, almost spilling the soup.

"Be careful," Evan said, carefully protecting the bowl of soup.

Esther kissed Evan on the cheek.

"Alright, I'll forgive you this time," she said with a playful smile.

Evan handed her the bowl of soup. "Here, drink this first."

Esther took it. "Okay. Since you made it yourself, I'll drink it all."

After saying that, Esther took a sip of the soup.

"Let's go by the fire. It's cold at night."

"Okay."

Just then, I saw another person appear in the clearing.

It was another guide, Justin Walker.

He smiled at me and waved. "Hey there, you're early."

I looked at him in confusion, then looked at Esther.

"Are you here for Esther?"

"Yeah. I just got the paper," Justin said.

I looked at the two by the fire. The red glow on their backs grew more glaring.

"Tsk, what a hassle. It turns out they're both evil souls," Justin said.

"Have you picked up red souls before?" I asked.

Justin nodded. "Once. It wasn't easy."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Justin glanced at me and gave me a strange smile. "Evil souls have to go to hell. Anyone who sees that scene will wail and resist going in. It's a lot of work."

I fell silent. At this moment, the weather started to change. A strong wind rose, and dark clouds gathered, gradually covering the starry sky.

"I'm a little sleepy," Esther said. "It's going to rain. What should we do?"

"Let's go back to the tent and sleep for a bit. After we rest, I'll take you down the mountain," Evan said gently, helping Esther lie down in the tent.

As soon as they lay down, a light rain started to fall outside.

"It's been raining for the past couple of days. I thought today would be clear, but the weather changed so quickly," Justin paused as he said this. He glanced at the paper and added, "When the King of Hell calls for your life at three in the morning, he won't let you live until five."

Evan had no intention of leaving. He put out the campfire and quietly sat in the rain.

"What are you thinking? Go!" I rushed over and shook Evan's shoulders, but it was useless.

He had no awareness of my presence.

"Do you know him?" Justin asked.

I didn't answer. I just wanted Evan to take Esther and leave as quickly as possible.

No matter how much I yelled and screamed, it was all in vain.

"It's no use. He can't hear you," Justin said, shaking his head.

"Evan!" I shouted. He still didn't move.

Justin sighed and asked, "Your lover?"

"Can't you help?" I asked. I was a bit irritated.

Justin shrugged and said, "How can I help? I already told you, it's useless."

"Then just shut up," I thought.

"But..."

I turned to look at him.

"You don't know this, do you?"

"Come on, stop teasing," I said.

"A very few people can see you in a mirror," Justin said slowly, emphasizing each word.

I froze.

"As for whether he can, you could try," he suggested.

I vaguely remembered a senior telling me to avoid mirrors when I took the job. Since I was always outside, I had forgotten about it.

The rain began to pour down heavily, with a loud roar.

Even with the loud rain, Esther didn't wake up. Evan just sat there. He was drenched, staring blankly at the pot beside the extinguished campfire. The large raindrops slid down his face, but he didn't move.

I heard a loud noise coming from afar.

Evan was surrounded by a blood-red glow.

"The time has come. It's time to move on," Justin said softly.

I started to panic.

"A mirror!

Where is a mirror?"

I saw the pot Evan was staring at. Standing behind him, I could see my face reflected in the liquid inside.

I saw Evan flinch. He wiped the rain off his face.

"Go! Go!" I shouted at him.

Evan turned around and looked behind him. He was confused. Finding no one there, he turned back to the front. He was puzzled.

He must have only seen my reflection. He was unable to hear my voice.

I started gesturing frantically, urging him to leave.

Evan leaned closer to the pot and smiled wryly. "Am I seeing things? I saw you in the rearview mirror too. Cecilia, I saw you. Do I miss you that much?"

I shook my head and made a heart shape, mouthing the words, "I love you."

I pointed at him.

Then I added, "Stay alive."

Evan froze, staring at me in shock.

I started panicking. The noise in the distance grew louder, and the red glow around Evan intensified.

I began to cry in desperation. Suddenly, Evan jumped to his feet.

"Cecilia, don't cry," he said.

"Go! Go!"

It seemed like Evan suddenly realized something. He rushed to the tent. He picked up Esther and quickly moved them to higher ground.

As soon as he found his footing, the tent and campfire were swept away by a massive flood.

At that moment, the red glow around them disappeared.

The papers in my hands and Justin's, which had turned transparent, started solidifying and emitting a blinding light.