Potatoes, carrots, chicken, cabbages, onions, and garlic.
That's everything on the list Mother gave me.
I read it again, just to be sure.
She said she's making my favorite meal tonight.
I can already imagine the warm smell drifting from the kitchen…
It makes my stomach rumble.
With a grin, I push the shopping cart and roam deeper into the grocery store.
There's still a few things left to find—and I don't want to disappoint her.
When I finished gathering all the groceries, I double-checked the list one more time.
All checked.
I smiled, hugging the paper bag close to my chest. Mother was going to be so happy.
With everything ready, I stepped out of the store and began walking home.
The sun was dipping low in the sky, painting the clouds in soft shades of orange and pink.
It was peaceful. Quiet.
I walked toward our home. It wasn't very far from the grocery store—just a few blocks away.
I strolled along the sidewalk and thought to myself,
"Walking like this isn't so bad. It's good exercise, too."
But just as I was about to reach our apartment building, I noticed something strange.
A crowd of people had gathered near the front entrance.
They were standing close together, whispering and looking toward the building with worried expressions. Some were on their phones, while others were pointing or trying to get a better look.
My steps slowed as I clutched the grocery bag tighter.
What's going on?
A strange feeling settled in my chest. Something didn't feel right.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.
Without thinking, I quickly tapped on Mother's name and held the phone to my ear.
It rang once.
Then twice.
Then three times…
But she didn't answer.
I frowned and tried again, pressing the call button harder this time, as if that would make a difference.
Still no answer.
"Why isn't she picking up her phone?" I whispered to myself.
My hands were starting to sweat, and I clutched the grocery bag tighter. Something about all of this didn't feel right.
The people near the building kept whispering. Some were even starting to cry.
My heart began to race.
I walked slowly toward the crowd, my footsteps unsure.
Something didn't feel right.
As I got closer, I saw something on the ground.
There was blood.
A lot of it.
My heart dropped.
I pushed through the crowd, trying to see what had happened.
"Excuse me… please let me through," I said, my voice shaking.
Then I saw her.
At first, I couldn't believe it. I blinked, hoping I was just seeing things.
But I wasn't.
Lying there, in the middle of it all… was a woman.
Her clothes were stained with blood.
Her body wasn't moving.
My eyes widened.
And then I realized—
It was Mother.
"No…" I whispered.
I ran to her side and dropped to my knees.
"Mother! Mother!" I shouted, grabbing her gently and pulling her into my arms.
She didn't move.
Her skin felt cold.
"No, no, no—this can't be happening!"
My voice cracked, and tears streamed down my face.
I held her close, begging that she would open her eyes.
As if this was all just a nightmare I could wake up from.
Then, something caught my eye.
Across the street—just beyond the crowd—I saw a strange, glowing shape.
A spectral body.
I squinted at it, my heart pounding. There was something familiar about it.
No… not something.
Someone.
I looked down at Mother's lifeless body again, still cradled in my arms. My hands were shaking. Gently, I laid her back down on the ground.
Then I stood up, still staring at the glowing figure across the street.
Could it be…?
Without thinking, I ran. My legs moved on their own. I pushed past people and crossed the street as fast as I could, barely noticing the cars or the sounds around me.
As I got closer, the glowing figure became clearer.
It was her.
It was Mother's spirit.
She was floating a few inches off the ground. She was looking at me.
Then, slowly, her spirit turned around—and began drifting toward a narrow alleyway between two buildings.
"Wait!" I shouted.
But she didn't stop.
She kept floating, farther and farther away.
I took a deep breath… and followed her.
As I stepped into the narrow alleyway, the air felt colder.
There—standing in the middle of the path—was her spirit.
Mother.
She was glowing faintly, her form made of light and mist.
Without thinking, I ran to her.
"Mother!" I cried, arms open, hoping—somehow—I could hug her one more time.
But my arms passed right through her.
She wasn't solid. I couldn't touch her.
I froze.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Why, Mother?" I asked softly. "Why did you leave me so soon?"
My voice cracked, and I could barely breathe. "You promised you'd always be there. You said we'd eat together tonight…"
Her spirit looked down, her face filled with pain.
"I'm so sorry, Matthew," she said gently.
I stared at her, confused and afraid.
"I couldn't take it anymore…" Mother's spirit whispered, her voice heavy with pain. "Your father left us, and the debts kept piling up. I was drowning, Matthew."
Her words hit me.
Tears welled up in my eyes again. "But… we could've figured it out together!" I cried. "We still had each other! You didn't have to go through it alone…"
I was about to say more, to ask her why, but suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned around quickly.
A group of people had appeared at the end of the alleyway. Three of them, all wearing the same black uniform. They looked like secret agents.
Each one had something glowing on their chest—symbols I couldn't recognize.
They were young, maybe around my age—in their early twenties. A guy with short silver hair and glasses stepped forward. Beside him were two young women: one with blonde hair and sharp eyes, holding a strange-looking weapon; and the other with black hair, silent and quiet.
They weren't ordinary people.
And why were they looking at my mother's spirit?
They could see her too?
"Are you familiar with this spirit?" he asked.
"Yeah, she was my mother!" I replied.
"Look, we're sorry for your loss," he said gently, "but we have to help her cross into the afterlife."
"We are Reaper's Agents," added the young woman holding the strange weapon. "We were sent here by the Grim Reapers to guide your mother's spirit to the other side."
I noticed something strange—Mother's expression changed the moment she saw the weapon the young woman was holding.
Her gentle face twisted with anger.
"If you're really here to help," Mother asked sharply, "then why are you carrying weapons?"
The blonde girl smiled awkwardly and raised her hands. "This? These are just fans!" she replied.
She quickly flipped both fans open in her hands. But then—click—sharp, thin needles emerged from the tips.
I flinched.
They didn't look like harmless fans anymore.
"Silence!" Mother suddenly shouted, her voice louder than I'd ever heard before.
Mother had always been calm and gentle. But now… her eyes were burning, and her voice was shaking the air.
A red aura started glowing around her—dark and pulsing, like boiling mist. It made the whole alley feel heavy, like something was pressing down on my chest.
"Just calm down…" the guy with glasses said quickly. "If your emotions get any stronger, you might turn into a Vengeful Spirit."
But it was too late.
In a flash, Mother's spirit vanished from beside me—and reappeared behind the three agents.
"No!" she screamed. "I'm not ready to cross to the other side! I'm still talking to my son!"
A chill ran through my spine. Her voice echoed, filled with pain and rage.
Then, out of nowhere, a wave of red energy exploded from her body and rushed toward the three agents like a splash of angry fire.
But they were fast—so fast I almost didn't see it. Each one dodged in a blink, flipping and rolling away with practiced movements.
Then, without warning, Mother raised both hands and summoned red-glowing orbs that hovered in the air around her.
They buzzed with dangerous energy.
"Freya!" the guy with glasses shouted to the black-haired girl.
Freya nodded. She stepped forward and raised her hand. In an instant, a golden barrier shimmered into existence in front of them. It glowed like sunlight and formed a dome that shielded them.
The red orbs slammed into the barrier with a loud crackle—but the light held strong. The orbs disappeared.
"I've got this!" the blonde girl shouted confidently.
"No! Please—don't hurt my mother!" I cried, running forward but not too close.
The blonde girl didn't attack directly. Instead, she spun her twin fans so fast they began to glow, creating a swirling wind around her.
Then—whoosh—she sent them flying through the air. The fans flew toward Mother, spinning in a perfect circle around her body—above her head and around her feet—creating a small tornado that held her in place.
Mother was trapped, floating gently inside the wind, unable to move.
She looked scared… and hurt.
And I didn't know what would happen next.
"We're trying to help," the young woman named Freya said, reaching out a hand to Mother through the swirling winds that held her floating in mid-air.
She looked at Mother with a reassuring gaze.
Slowly, Mother began to calm down. Her reddish aura faded away.
The twin fans also returned to the blonde-haired young woman, spinning gently before landing in her hands.
"It's time to say goodbye to your son," said the guy with glasses.
"My son…" Mother whispered, her voice shaking with sadness. "I'm so sorry… for being a bad mother to you. I left you with so many burdens… and so much pain. I'm sorry I jumped… I thought it was the only way… but I was wrong."
Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at me one last time. Her form began to fade, turning lighter and lighter.
"No… Mother!" I cried out, reaching my hand toward her. "Please don't go yet!"
But it was too late.
She smiled softly, then slowly disappeared—her body fading into glowing particles of light that floated up and vanished into the sky.
All that was left was silence.
I fell to my knees.
My heart felt heavy, like something precious had just been taken from me forever.
Then, I felt a gentle tap on my back.
I turned and saw the guy with glasses standing behind me. His voice was calm but kind.
"Don't worry," he said. "She's on the other side now. She's at peace."
I looked up at the sky, wondering if she could still hear me.
I hoped she knew I forgave her. And I hoped… she could finally rest.
"Hey," she said gently, "do you want to join us and become a Reaper's Agent?"
I blinked, surprised.
Join them?
A Reaper's Agent?
I didn't even fully understand what that meant yet.
Before I could say anything, the guy with glasses quickly turned toward her.
"Guin!" he said in a sharp voice, clearly annoyed. "You can't just ask him that out of nowhere!"
Guin pouted and crossed her arms. "What? I'm just saying… she said she left him with burdens. I don't know what those burdens are, but if he needs money, we can offer that!"
I stood there, confused and curious. A part of me was still trying to process everything that just happened.
But something about her offer made my heart race.