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A light pulsed from them. The clearing became awash in luminescence. It plumed up, encompassing the trees, the sky, the stars.

Miyoung lifted a hand to shield her eyes.

In the middle of the clearing stood a figure. At first a shadowy silhouette that Miyoung couldn’t make out. Then, as the light faded, she saw the tails weaving behind her mother, human again, her naked skin glowing in the moonlight.

Detective Hae lay at Yena’s feet, a broken form of bent limbs and torched flesh. An unrecognizable body that had once been the man who’d helped create her. The man who’d wanted to kill her.

“You won’t ever hurt my daughter again,” Yena said. But when she took a step, her legs folded beneath her and she collapsed to the ground with athud.

Miyoung ran, skidding to her knees beside Yena. She stripped off her jacket quickly, throwing it over her mother.

“Mother?” Was that her voice? It sounded so young and afraid. “What should I do?”

“Feed. Live,” Yena whispered, tears dripping down her smooth cheeks.

“I can’t,” Miyoung said.

“Miyoung-ah.” Jihoon stumbled over, wincing as he knelt beside her.

She glanced around the clearing, searching for the others, but the shamans were both gone.

Yena held out her hand, in a tight fist. “It seems the human protected it well for you.” She glanced at Jihoon as she dropped Miyoung’s yeowu guseul into her hand.

The bead grew warm in Miyoung’s palm, tapping a beat that matched her pulse—like she held her own fluttering heart. The heat of it swept through her, as if living within Jihoon had stoked the flame so brightly that it could now burn on its own.

Yena’s body began to shake so violently it looked like she was about to shatter.

“No!” Miyoung gasped. She cupped the bead over Yena’s heart.

Jihoon grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What are you doing?”

“She’s dying,” Miyoung said. “I have to help her.”

“Miyoung-ah.” All of the pleading in the world was packed in that one word. “We don’t know how this could affect you. You’re so weak already.”

“It could kill you.”

“My bead isn’t what’s killing me. I could never live in a world where I didn’t try to save her.”

It looked like Jihoon wanted to argue more, but he nodded with understanding and released her.

Yena had stopped shaking and now lay so still, she could have been carved from marble.

“Don’t worry,” Miyoung crooned. “I’m going to save you.”

She placed the bead on her mother’s chest. It beat fiercely beneath her hands, a steady tempo that calmed her.

She concentrated the gi she could gather from within. Not much was required, just a spark to jump-start the bead. It already burned against her palms like a furnace.

It thrummed as a white light escaped from between her pressed fingers.

Yena’s body jerked like a person shocked back to life.

“I think it’s working,” Jihoon murmured beside her.

The bead was so bright in her hands, she feared it would burn her mother to ash before it revived her. Yena’s body began convulsing.

“What do I do?” Miyoung asked no one in particular.