Hellfire Oasis

CHAPTER ELEVEN

UNBOUND

Seulgi is exhausted, utterly drained. She has just completed the daunting task of collecting the souls of the sinful who refuse to go to hell, a task that leaves her feeling utterly exhausted each time. But that's not all she does. She is also trained to ensure peace in the entire realm of hell, just like Joy and Wendy's work.

As she trudges through another day in hell, Seulgi reflects on the grueling nature of her work. She's been at it for days, facing countless failures along the way. Yet, despite the setbacks, she's grown accustomed to the challenges, her resilience strengthened by each trial she endures.

“Are you okay?” Wendy's concern was evident, etching lines of worry onto her face.

Seulgi managed a faint smile at her friend.

“Yeah,” she replied softly, grateful for Wendy's presence.

In the midst of her exhaustion, Seulgi found solace in the unwavering support of Wendy and Joy. Despite their own weariness from their respective tasks, they remained by her side, offering guidance and companionship.

The overwhelming workload weighed heavily on all three of them, leaving little time to rest. Seulgi couldn't shake the feeling that Azazel, the superior of hell, was behind the increased demands—a punishment of sorts.

However, she harbored suspicions that these orders were actually from the queen herself, intent on inflicting suffering upon them.

The three of them took a brief rest, they sat together in silence, their eyes scanning the surroundings for the telltale emptiness that signaled the absence of lingering souls.

“When our Nonno passed away, Yerim was 15 years old, and I was 20,” Seulgi began, her voice breaking the silence, infused with a touch of nostalgia.

“As the only adult, I tried to find decent jobs because Yerim was still a minor and had school. Meanwhile, I had to stop attending school because if I didn't find a job, we would have ended up living on the streets, and I couldn't bear the thought of that,” Seulgi chuckled sadly to herself.

Joy and Wendy listened intently, empathizing with Seulgi's past struggles.

“But then, one day, Yerim got sick. She had pneumonia, and we didn't have the money to pay for the hospital. I nearly lost my mind at that point because we had no one to turn to for help, no one was willing to lend a hand..” Seulgi's voice quivered as tears welled in her eyes.

“You know, I was desperate. I couldn't bear the thought of losing my sister. So I stumbled upon some bad people who taught me how to steal money, and that eventually became my means of survival—stealing and conning people,” Seulgi said, her laughter tinged with bitterness.

Joy and Wendy listened with a mixture of sadness and understanding, realizing the lengths Seulgi had gone to protect her sister.

“And Yerim knew about my work. She wanted me to teach her to steal money too because she said she didn't want to see me suffer alone. Of course, I didn't want her to learn that, but you know Yerim, how stubborn and determined she can be. Eventually, we became a pair of conning sisters,” Seulgi admitted with a mixture of fondness and regret.

Joy and Wendy listened, understanding the bond between Seulgi and Yerim, forged through hardship and survival. They couldn't help but admire the strength and resilience of the two sisters.

“We struggled a lot together. As we grew older, we believed that nothing else mattered as long as we had each other. Yerim and I even decided to live in separate houses, thinking we needed to learn to depend on ourselves. But we always ended up longing for each other. I would call her constantly just to check on her, and Yerim would always find her way to my apartment,” Seulgi chuckled softly.