Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

Chapter 135: 5 Days-The Ritual

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Jina watched as Junho and Shinjin poured some powder around Nam's bed. They drew a white star with the bed in the center. 

"What is this powder?" Jina asked curiously.

"Salt," Junho explained. "If you sprinkle it on a spirit, it will temporarily go away."

"Why?"

"Because salt is considered to be a holy ingredient," he said, taking out some holy water from his bag. "In many cultures, salt barriers are used to keep away evil spirits at night. If trapped in a salt circle, the ghosts cannot come out of it unless the circle is broken."

He finished creating the barrier while Shinjin took out a pair of beads. Handing one to Junho, he sprinkled some water on to Nam who was unresponsive. Junho turned towards the little girl who was watching what they were doing.

"You shouldn't be watching this," he said.

"I want to!" Jina exclaimed. "Only I can see that black shadow!"

"This is no place for a child," Junho said in a gentle tone. 

"But-"

"I promise that your Lady Cop will be safe," he assured her. "She's an important person to me too. I won't let her get hurt."

Jina bit her lip. She usually did not trust strangers but the man had a sense of certainty and calmness about him which reassured her. Moreover, Lady Cop also trusted him and told Yumi to find him so he must be trustworthy.

"How long would it take?" she asked.

"I don't know," Junho admitted. "It can take hours or even days."

But they did not have that much time. The killer would strike any moment and they were beginning to get desperate. 

"Are you sure that no one would disturb us here?" Junho asked Shinjin who was sitting cross legged at a corner.

"I've done many exorcisms here," Shinjin explained. "The head of this department knows me and personally assured me that everyone has been moved from here under the pretense of maintenance work. So relax. No one will disturb us here."

Junho nodded and gently led Jina away from the room. The little girl was scared but obediently followed the man outside. He placed her on a seat and clasped her tiny palms. A lot of emotions were passing through Junho's heart as he held his granddaughter's hands.

He never thought that he would meet his grandchild under such circumstances and the fact that she was Gayoon and Minho's daughter made him even more determined to fulfill her only request. His heart was yearning to tell her that he was her grandfather but fates were cruel to them. Hwang Junho was a murderer in everyone's eyes and he did not want his granddaughter to think of him like that as well. It would crush his heart.

Keeping his overwhelming emotions aside, he said to her, "You must remember one thing very clearly, Jina. No matter what happens, you will not enter this room while the ritual is going on."

"W-why?" Jina asked, visibly scared. "Is something scary going to happen there?"

"Yes," Junho replied. There was no point in hiding this from the child. She had already seen ghosts but exorcisms were not something for a child's eye. Her curiosity to see what was going to happen inside might end up botching the exorcism or in the worst case, Jina would end up being possessed. He took out a packet of salt and handed it to her.

"If you see the shadow or any bad ghosts around, sprinkle some of this on it," he instructed. "And remember. No matter what happens, do not enter this room while we fight the black shadow. If you do, we might not be able to save your Lady Cop."

His last words frightened the little girl more and she clutched to the edge of her seat, shivering in fear. Junho felt guilty for imposing such burdens on her but it was important for the ritual to go smoothly for Gayoon's sake.

Using his last ounce of willpower to leave her there, he went back into the room and locked it behind him. Shinjin was already at the edge of the bed, ready with his rosary bead and holy water. The windows were tightly shut and lights turned off. Nam lay on the bed, sleeping peacefully.

"Let's start," Junho declared. Shinjin nodded.

"Oh you who has gone astray," they chanted. "The soul who has lost his way and wreaked havoc in this world. Come out! Come out!"

The air around them began to slightly swirl, the temperature dropping by many degrees. The windows rattled around them as if about to break open any minute while pages from the hospital's notebooks began to tear off. The two men stood there, not breaking the chant as the air circled them like a tornado. The force of the wind almost made them lose their balance but they were undeterred.

"Oh you who has gone astray," they kept on repeating. "The soul who has lost his way and wreaked havoc in this word. Come out! Come out!"

Outside, Jina was startled by the sound of breaking china. She shut her ears, trying not to listen to the noises coming from within. Her heart was curious to know what was going on in there but remembering the old man's warnings, she stayed glued to the seat. A cold wave was coming through the cracks of the door, making her tremble.

At that moment, Casper and Yumi appeared beside her. They were shocked to see the little girl so scared and timid. Casper immediately shut Jina's eyes while Yumi held her in her arms, trying to console her.

"What's going on in there?" Yumi gasped as the glasses inside the room began to break loudly. She wanted to go and check inside but Jina held her and shook her head.

"Don't go in!" she begged. "Otherwise we won't be able to save the Lady Cop!"

"Uhh"

Yumi glanced at the room while Casper patted Jina's head, trying to assure her that everything would be fine. All they could do was wait.

Suddenly, the sounds stopped. The cold air disappeared and the men inside were no longer chanting the charms. The trio stared at the room, waiting eagerly. What was going on?

The door clicked open and the two men came out. Their hair was messed up by the wind and they were panting heavily. Junho looked grim while Shinjin was tired. They had been in there for barely fifteen minutes and yet, looked as if they had fought a war.

"What happened?" Jina asked. "Did you guys save the Lady Cop?"

The men hesitated, unsure of how to answer her.

"Well?" Jina demanded.

"The ritual failed," Junho revealed. "We couldn't summon the black shadow."