There was something heavy on Hyeon’s chest. Dread washed over him when he realized… he was having another episode of sleep paralysis! Hyeon peeked open his eyes with all his might. There were outlines of people in the room. And next to those figures was the familiar shadow, something his paralysis episode conjured. He attempted to warn them about the unnatural darkness but could not utter a sound as he watched it float closer to him. 

Soon, it hovered over him. Before it touched his chest, he was released from the sleepy jail. Hyeon sat up quickly. “Agh.” Bad idea. A splitting pain on the right side of his head made him wince. Laying back down from the headache, he gingerly touched the spot. It was bandaged up.

What happened? 

Memories of being chased by a demonic beast, falling, and then being saved by a gigantic wolf flashed through his mind.

“How are you feeling?”

That was a new voice. Hyeon studied him. His hair color was an interesting concoction—like a tutorial on a beautician’s social media channel. The outer layer was inky black, but orange and yellow peaked through from the roots. Small black feathers spotted his sideburns and neck. His eyes barely had any white, making the pupils look unnaturally large.

Wait… feathers?

“You hit your head but can take off the bandage tomorrow morning. Does it hurt anywhere else?”

“Uh, no, I think I’m…” Hyeon observed the small, bare room. He was in a hospital bed. There was a small table with surgical tools in the corner. “Where am I?”

Sani spoke from the other side of the room. Hyeon flinched. “After we were separated, you came across a hellhound, unlike Blue. Well, yes, the same, but different. Since you were injured, you were placed in the medical ward. It’s been… ten hours. This is Coty, the current doctor here.”

“Current”?

Coty’s smile was warm. Well, as warm as a physician could be. “It’s nice to meet you. I sincerely hope I don’t see you here under such circumstances again, human.”

Is he being sarcastic? 

“Nice to meet you, too, and thank you for helping. That’s a cool hair color, too.”

Coty touched his hair, surprised by the compliment. “It’s a characteristic that stayed with me from my previous life as an emperor penguin. I’m hoping the color will be brighter when I go through my final shift if I want to find a mate.” He winked. 

Everything he said was… peculiar. Previous life? Mate?

Coty looked down at the bottom of the bed and jumped. The paperwork he was holding slipped from his hands. “What is that?” he pointed under the cot. “Is that yours?”

Confused, Hyeon leaned over to see under the bed. Nammi was a few inches from his face. Since it was dark under there, her fur blended in perfectly. The only thing visible was her bright eyes. He pulled her out and placed Nammi at his feet.

Sani explained, “That’s his little escort from the human world. Interesting, isn’t it?”

“Mmm, charming.” Grabbing the paperwork he dropped earlier, Coty said, “You're free to go anytime, Hyeon.” He left and shut the door behind him.

Hyeon wanted to know more about the weird conversations. “What chased me? Who saved me?”

Sani sat in the doctor’s chair and wheeled forward to Hyeon’s side. “I’m not going to cookie-cut it for you. You’re in Hel. Well, the side for animal spirits at least. Including Myrkrheim, Helheim, and so forth. But, it’s a different dimension not meant for the living.”

This was absurd. Then again, he was chased down by a zombie hyena. “So… this isn’t a dream.” Hyeon said this as a statement.

“No.”

“And I’m in an afterlife of some sort… for animals,” he said skeptically.

“Every animal has a soul just like humans do. I’m sure you know what the auroras are, correct? The Northern Lights are reserved for the heroic, pure, and good animal souls. Darker, malicious souls are sent to the south. Just like Heaven has angel tiers, Hel has demon tiers. Souls that are not powerful enough remain in their original, animalistic form… and it may be common to grow limbs or eyes from other species. Over time, they can get stronger and gain human characteristics. Basically, the more anthropomorphic they are, the more powerful.”

It was overwhelming to understand the dynamics of this place. “So why am I here?”

“Didn’t you read your job description?”

“...A little.” And that’s because there were apparently sections he couldn’t see. 

Sani continued, “This place was originally dedicated to trap the Festr Castle’s wolf. It’s an area specifically meant to enclose him. Festr isn’t a family name, but rather a term which means ‘trap’ in the Norse language. Festrheim—Home of the Traps. After centuries of residing here by himself—and some sort of big event that happened with the King in Myrkrheim, the afterlife for fae souls—the idea spawned to use the castle as a rehabilitation center for animal demons he deems worthy. Although almost impossible, a demon can be switched to the northern aurora or reincarnated through extreme behavior changes. After working here for a while and reaching atonement for their sins, their soul can be transferred to the other side.”

He scratched his chin as he explained further, tail swishing back and forth. “These chosen demons work under him until they lose their animal features. It can take years. Decades. Centuries, even. I’ve seen numerous demons make it to their final trial but fail… and revert to their primal selves. If this happens, Master releases them back into the Southern Light since they can’t be salvaged. The chances of failing are high but—and a big but—there’s always that tiny hope for redemption.”

“Occasionally, I find a lucky dýr candidate to work for us as a seasonal employee. Having such a job on a resume looks phenomenal when they move on to their family business or some high-profile career. This job can be found on any normal job website… except it’s only visible in the eyes of a dýr. We occasionally hire one to bring perspective and diversity here. Also to serve Master’s needs, of course. Hyeon, I know you are adamant that you’re human. Do you know where you came from exactly?”

This subject was a sensitive one. Hyeon twiddled his thumbs. “F-from what I know, my parents died after I was born. None of my blood relatives could be found, so they placed me in the system. I have a few records, like how I know my maternal grandparents are from South Korea. But I was adopted out when I was in early elementary school…”

He choked up when he thought about those people who adopted him. He was only grateful for them finally giving in to his pleas to put him in some sort of club—like bo-staff class. He wasn’t ready to talk about the details of his parents’ passing and the awful family who took him in.

“Look, Sani, I don’t know exactly where I came from. You could dig information on me from the government but even I know my file is mostly blank.”

Sani considered what he said. “You must have some dýr blood in you somewhere.”

“How do you know?” Hyeon asked. “How can you be sure I come from a… uh… a dýr family?"

“For starters, you found this job and reached out to me. Second, the soul you possess is definitely a strong one. I could see it in your eyes from the photo attached to your application. Third, you wouldn’t have been able to experience the signs of a spegill nearby. Lastly, you 100 percent would not have been able to enter the Southern Lights. Wherever you came from, you have animal blood.”

Hyeon huffed and laid his head back on the flat pillow, hair spilling around him. There was so much to process. “So what do I do now? Also, you never told me who saved me.”

Sani gestured to the pile of clothes. “After you clean up and change, I can take you to him. I think it’s time you meet the Lord of Festr Castle. Or Master. Either name is fine.”