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Coughs racked Jihoon. His cheeks and chin painted in crimson.

The bead cooled in her palms, the energy leaching from it.

Miyoung cursed as she applied more pressure.

“Don’t die,” she pleaded.

Jihoon’s body did not listen. He shuddered in the final death throes, his body giving in to its fatal injuries.

“It’s not working!” Miyoung yelled, pumping her closed fists against his chest.

Then Jihoon stopped seizing. He stopped coughing up blood. Everything stopped. Including his heart beneath her palms.

“No!” She slammed her hands into his chest over and over. Like she could pump his heart herself.

Halmeoni reached out to stop her. “It needs more energy.”

“I’m trying.” She opened her hands; angry red welts branded her palms. The stone sat on Jihoon’s chest, saturated with blood, his and hers.

Halmeoni took Miyoung by the shoulders. “It needs gi.”

“I don’t have enough.”

“I know. Siphon mine.”

“What?” She wanted to ask how Halmeoni could know this, but instead she said, “I’ve never taken a woman’s gi. I don’t know if I can.”

“Well, I guess we’ll find out.” Halmeoni took Miyoung’s bloody hands in hers.

Miyoung hesitated, glancing at Jihoon’s still body.

“Please, quick,” Halmeoni pleaded.

Closing her eyes, Miyoung formed the link.

When she pulled at the gi, it pushed back, but she didn’t let go and finally it flooded her in a hot wave, as if Halmeoni had pushed her energy toward Miyoung.

The bead heated and Halmeoni guided their joined hands, pressing the stone to Jihoon’s chest.

Halmeoni’s gi entered Miyoung’s body, feeding her hunger. Then it immediately siphoned into the stone. Like a flow of thirst-quenching water hitting her stomach only to be squeezed back out again. She was merely a bridge between Halmeoni’s energy and the stone.

Jihoon’s eyes fluttered, a roll of movement behind his lids. His chest rose in shallow breaths.

Miyoung tried to close the connection, but the bead pulled at the energy. She was helplessly caught in the current, a waterfall effect that couldn’t be stopped any more than one could reverse gravity.

She started to pull her hands free, to break the bond physically, but Halmeoni’s hands clamped down.

“It worked,” Miyoung whispered. “Stop it now.”

“It’s not done yet,” Halmeoni insisted.

Sweat dripped from the old woman’s brow, mixing with her blood.

Miyoung felt Halmeoni’s energy waning. A drying well that would soon leave an empty pit behind.

A trail of blood dripped from Halmeoni’s nose, splattering onto their joined hands.

Jihoon’s eyes shot open. He gasped like a fish suffocating on dry land.