ELSEWHERE
Seo-yun's eyes flitted open, a cascade of stars and lights dotting the night sky above. None of the pain that she had been so accustomed to was present. There was a gentle rocking back and forth, and damp wood pressed into her back from underneath. The gentle lapping of waves and faint chattering of scattered voices filled her ears. She sat up, eyes darting around, trying to get bearings on her surroundings.
She was far out at sea, on some kind of wooden rowboat. An eerily tall, robed figure stood at one end, propelling the boat forward with what looked like an oar that was also part sickle. Eight unfamiliar faces lined the rest of the boat, people around her age that she had no recollection of.
One of them had a tacky hat. One of them had thick, square glasses. One of them was ghostly pale. One of them had wild, spiky hair. One of them was wearing a pink sweatshirt. One of them was all pastel, and had a mischievous grin. One of them was tall, dark, and brooding. One of them clutched a bright blue doll closely to their chest. The others talked to one another, laughing and chattering amongst themselves, but seemed to pay her no mind. They didn't so much as look her way, let alone greet her, and try as she might to understand, everything they said was incomprehensible to her.
Seo-yun cast her eyes towards the horizon, and in the far distance she could see dozens of other boats dotting the sea. Each with their own lantern, their own passengers, and their own boatman guiding them ever forward, all in the same direction.
It was then that the robed figure finally spoke.
"You've come a long way, little one."
It was a woman's voice, dainty and ethereal, yet warm and comforting, like a mother greeting her long-lost child.
The boatwoman let go of the sickle-oar, only for it to continue rowing absent her hand. She turned to face Seo-yun, revealing a slender face that had been elaborately painted in a way that was reminiscent of the sugar skulls that Seo-yun had seen in her Spanish classes back at Mangrove Garden. Rationally, Seo-yun thought that she should feel afraid of what was happening, but instead, she felt strangely calm. Despite the strange circumstances, she could feel that this woman, whoever she was, meant her no harm.
"Where am I?" Seo-yun asked.
"You're at the crossroads, sweetheart," the boatwoman replied. "This is where you have to make a choice."
"About what?"
"Whether to stay here with the others, or go back."
The boatwoman raised her arm and let her sleeve drop to one side, revealing a half-dozen pocket watches hanging from it, all ticking away. Each of them looked unique, with their own distinct carvings and decorations. With her other hand, the boatwoman took hold of the one closest to her wrist, pulling it free and handing it out to Seo-yun. Gingerly, Seo-yun reached out and took it, gazing into its surface, and watching the hands slowly tick towards midnight.
Seo-yun looked back up to the boatwoman, now standing in the middle of the boat, only a foot away from Seo-yun herself.
"Why would I want to stay?" Seo-yun asked.
The boatwoman frowned, the somber look of someone trying to figure out how to break bad news.
"I wish I could say what comes next will be trouble-free, little one, but there is still more hardship to come on the path ahead of you. The after of your journey won't be easy. If you stay here, there will be no more pain. I will take care of you, and you won't be forgotten."
Seo-yun stayed quiet, looking between the watch in her hand and the ocean far in front of her. Stars began to blink out of the sky as it turned a dark orange-red, signalling the rising of the sun.
"Where is this boat going?" she asked.
"That's a secret, little one. I could tell you, but then you would have to stay."
"Will I get to come back?"
"My boat will only gain more passengers with time, and you will return here one day, but you don't have to come with me yet."
Seo-yun closed her eyes, listening to the ticking of the watch and the lapping of the waves against the side of the boat. When she opened them again, the other passengers were all finally looking at her expectantly. The world seemed to stand still, waiting on her answer.
"I think... I want to go back. I want to give it a try."
The boatwoman smiled, and leaned down to pull Seo-yun into a hug. Her embrace was warm, like a soft blanket on a cold winter's day.
"There's so much I want to say to you, but we don't have the time. All you need to know is that I want to see you flourish, little one."
Then, the boatwoman let go, and turned her back to Seo-yun.
"Good luck. I will be rooting for you."
Then, the pocket watch began to wind back, the hands ticking away from midnight, as Seo-yun felt herself be pulled into the air, floating up and away from the boat. She looked at her reflection on the face of the pocket watch, only for it to turn to that dark, gnarled reflection that had haunted her dreams the night before.
"YOU'RE GOING TO WAKE UP SOON," the voice intoned. "SO MAKE THESE LAST MOMENTS WITH HER COUNT. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT SHE WON'T SURVIVE OUT THERE, WITHOUT YOU."
"She's made it this far, hasn't she?" Seo-yun replied. "She's my partner, besides. She can do it."
"YOU'RE MUCH MORE CONFIDENT IN HER THAN I AM. LET'S HOPE FOR HER SAKE THAT YOU'RE RIGHT."
The Flotilla Cruise Ship, Dawn
Seo-yun's eye flitted open, and all the pain came crashing back to her. The sky turned a faint orange hue, the sun rising in the far distance. She was back on the tugboat, back in the game. The realization hit her all at once that she had gotten all ten kills. She was about to make it out, all she'd have to do was live long enough for them to get to her.
She inhaled, sharply, feeling as though she hadn't taken a breath in days. Her thoughts swam through her head, all of it hazy, buried under a deep fog. She coughed, her chest burning, her breathing labored and fast. She felt so, so cold.
"Mandy?" she rasped, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her vision was blurry, and dark. She could barely make out her friend in the haze, but the blotches of black and white that signaled Mandy's panda onesie assured her that she was still with her. She felt like something had been put on her wounds, but she couldn't quite tell. Everything felt so distant, like she was walking on a cloud.
"I... I did it, right?" Seo-yun murmured. "They're on their way, right?"
