The Cheon’gwang bestowed divine life force on the four gods—the god of Heavens, the god of Earth, the god of Water, and the god of Underworld—to protect the worlds and all the beings within them.
When the time came, the Cheon’gwang sacrificed itself to imprison the Amheuk beyond the abyss—for only true light can defeat eternal darkness—and the Endless War was no more. But in its absence, the four gods grew arrogant and selfish.
Ungnyeo, a bear with a noble spirit, saved the god of Earth, Hwanung, from losing his way like the other gods. She taught him love, humility, and selflessness, and the fated mates watched over the Mortal Realm with generosity and benevolence. Their happiness was complete when they were blessed with a son, Dangun, who was good, through and through.
But Hwanin, the god of Heavens, thought Ungnyeo—a mere mortal and a bear spirit—beneath his divine son and asked Hwanung to return to the Kingdom of Sky. He even offered to take in his half-blood grandson, as long as they left Ungnyeo behind. Hwanung refused.
The god of Heavens bitterly resented his son’s happiness with his mortal wife—called it obscene and wrong. To justify his own vile heart, Hwanin convinced himself that Ungnyeo schemed to steal hisson away from him—that she destroyed his family. He spread his vitriol in the Realm of Four Kingdoms by convincing the Shinbiin that animal spirits were lying, deceitful creatures.
But even that proved insufficient to satisfy Hwanin’s hate. And the god of Heavens vowed to have vengeance on Ungnyeo.
Chapter Seventeen
Sunny
I glance at the menacing black door a few steps behind us. My friends and I finally made it out of hell, but we didn’t get very far.
“Fuck my life,” I sigh as very tall, very broad males—dressed in tailored black suits of all things—swarm us, brandishing caveman clubs covered with inch-long spikes. I glare at Minju. “I thoughtdokkaebisdidn’t use spiked clubs. You said I was beingoffensive.”
“I will allow thisoncethat I was mistaken,” the historian says primly, even as she presses up against me.
“Ya think?” I yell.
“Perhaps we should shelve that discussion for another time.” Captain Seo stands with her back against mine and raises her twin swords.
“Right.” I sandwich Minju between myself and the captain, then hold out the Shin’gwangdo, taking a defensive stance.
The ten mountainous goblins sprint headlong toward us. My blood pounds in my ears. I bounce on the balls of my feet to stop myself from paralyzing in fear. A battle cry rips out of my mouth when they’re almost on top of us. Then ... the males rush right past us, like they don’t even see us.
What in the ever-loving hell?
Thedokkaebiscollectively heave the black metal door shut, inch by arduous inch. It seems much heavier than when I pushed it open with next to no effort. My friends and I can’t help but flinch when the door shuts with an ominous thud.
Gods, I never want to go back in there.
It occurs to me too late that maybe we should’ve made a run for it while they were distracted. Because with the door to hell shut, thedokkaebisswiftly surround us in various threatening poses. They move awfully fast for such ginormous people. They would actually be intimidating, if it weren’t for their ridiculous sunglasses.
“I appreciate the nod toMen in Black,” I drawl, gripping the hilt of the Shin’gwangdo with both hands. “But are the shades really necessary in the middle of the night?”
I can’t tell where we are. Dull, gray fog surrounds us as far as even my magicgigoggles can see. There are no trees, buildings, or anything at all, except for hell’s door behind us and the towering goblins looming in front of us.
Icansee the night sky above us, though. The moon seems impossibly far away, as small as my pinky nail, but itisnighttime, so no sunglasses necessary.
“Sunny.” Minju tugs on the sleeve of my T-shirt. “Goading them might not be the best idea.”
“We can remove the sunglasses, if you prefer,” the biggest of the bigdokkaebissays in a smooth, dark voice. He steps toward us and takes off his sunglasses with one hand, angling his head just so.
“Oh my,” Minju breathes.
Oh myis right. The move is so blatantly sexy that I bite my index finger, considering asking him to do it again ... mostly to aggravate him but also because I wouldn’t mind seeing him do that again.
The saucy request, however, dies on my lips when he raises his head and meets my gaze. A chill runs down my spine, and this time, it isn’t the good kind.
His eyes are completely black. No pupils, no irises, no sclera. Justallblack.
“Please don’t trouble yourself on our account.” Captain Seo clears her throat, not quite meeting the male’s eyes.
“Thank you. That is very thoughtful of you.” The goblin gives her a crooked grin as he puts his sunglasses back on in a reverse striptease.
