“The Lady in White? You’re telling me you saw the Lady in White?” Gloria narrowed her eyes at Gyuu Park: “That’s - how are you still here?”

  “From what my parents told me, more like the Wit White.” Gyuu Park shook his head: “But yeah, I’d prefer ‘Lady’ as well. But that’s less about how much respect I have for her, and more about ‘I don’t believe in witches’.”

  “Really, you, the watcher and clergyman for this very Fragrant Chrysanthemum Temple, and the dedicated iigator of the paranormal, don’t believe in witches?” Gloria snickered.

  “There’s no evidehat they eve.” Gyuu Park shrugged: “Female watchers, female taoists, even female voodooists. But witches that could cast spells on anyone just by the look of their eyes? I am not vinced.”

  “Okay, so what happened after you saw her?” Gloria shook her head, not going to dive into what the differences were.

  “Actually - I don’t remember much of the details. Everything’s kinda - foggy.” Gyuu Park took a sip of the st of beer in his hand, then scratched his jaw: “I just remember seeing some kind of well - a small well in the middle of the ruins. I took only one good look at it. There’s something special about it, and I am pretty sure it has some really iing knowledge inside.”

  “She invited you into the depths of the ruins?”

  “She BROUGHT me in there. To be ho, I don’t really remember how I evehere. The fog just swirled around me, and when it dissipated, I was there.” Gyuu Park responded with a fused frown on his face: “But I wasn’t able to trol anything or even just simply walk around. I was led through the ruins, with her holding my hand. She said something to me, but I just ’t for the life of me remember what it was. I saw some stone pilrs, the well, and some kind of altar made of va stones.”

  “That’s - that’s a bit - ” Gloria struggled to find the right word to describe it: “How I say it - strange, you’re sure you were not just dreaming?”

  “Good question. I’ve spent weeks and even months sidering the probability of this.” Gyuu Park nodded and took another sip of his beer, seeming sav the st bit of the gift brought over by Gloria: “Do you happen to, you know, have any more drinks with you?”

  “No. And you o cool it with the drinking.” Gloria shook her head then slightly hardened her tone: “And how did you know you weren’t dreaming?”

  “Because before that, I did not know shit about running a temple, or how to read the old texts and scriptures, not to mention the ability to decode and write special talismans.” Gyuu Park shrugged: “If you remember what I told you about my past, I kinda became the protege of talisman making after missing for three days, which was why they awarded me this temple.”

  “Assighey assigned you this temple.” Gloria couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

  “Nobody’s run this temple for years. You knoart, and being here doesn’t help me at all.” Gyuu Park shrugged: “But yeah, I didn’t learn that from any of my family or from my school time. I am pretty sure she taught me all of that, and I just don’t remember how.”

  “Okay. I see what you meant.” Gloria nodded: “You think she actually has some kind of ih knowledge about the paranormal and mysticism. If I could not find anything about the is or the 15 year cycles through normal means, I could in theory resort t to the Lady in White for help.”

  “Yeah, but I’d still suggest you check the archives first. The other kids that abandoned me in the fog were found the day along a road leading up to the ruins, and they were sick for almost half a month right after.” Gyuu Park finished up the of beer in his hand: “But that’s all I help you with this. Maybe I give you some help deciphering old texts if you ever get t some back. And if there’s any is, I’d be happy to help you iigate them.”

  “What made you so proactive all of a sudden?” Gloria tilted her head and smiled. “You want to stash some favors first?”

  “That. And I think you are onto something. Not to mention, I am indeed a little worried.” Gyuu Park threw the empty bato the pstic bag with which it came in.

  Just when Gloria was about to say something, her ph. It was not anyone calling her, but an arm she set for herself.

  “God dammit.” Gloria sighed and stood up: “I o go to the railway station. I have a babysitting job ihan an hour.”

  “Well, then you’d better get to it.” Gyuu Park stood up as well, aended one hand at Gloria: “Good chat my friend. Thank you for the gift, a me know what else you need.”

  “Take care.” Gloria smiled and shook her hand: “And remember, moderation.”

  “Oh, before I fot.” Gyuu Park ran to the back of the temple, then came back with a small bck cloth pouch.

  “Talismans?” Gloria opened up the poud saw two pieces of folded pletely bck paper with some strange symbols written with golden ink on them. “What kind?”

  “It’s still experimental, but it should be able to mask you in the eyes of the spirits, even some malicious ones, if you find yourself in a pickle.” Gyuu Park nodded: “It needs a little bit of Qi and your blood to activate. And it will make you feel gross and unfortable. But it works, at least from my own experience.”

  “Alright, I’ll take your word for it.” Gloria put the pou her jacket. “And I’ll e back to haunt the shit out of you if they don’t work.”

  “Good, then you tell me more about the other side.” Gyuu Park chuckled as he apanied Gloria to the door: “See you around.”