After fourteen years, a family gathering is finally happening again.
But why now, all of a sudden?
Honestly... I don't like it much.
Everyone there isn't exactly family.We call ourselves a family, but most of us aren't even blood-related.
Do you believe there are worlds beyond this one?
Yes,there are.
We are mediums, living between the spirit world and the human world.
Our job is to make sure that things between these two worlds stay in balance.
It's something passed down through our family line.
This so-called family gathering is actually a secret, sacred event.
It's where all the spiritual families like us gather in one place.
And believe me,there are more people like us than you think.
Some can see spirits, what you might call ghosts.
But ghosts and spirits aren't the same thing.
Today is that day.
The day of the gathering.
And something feels... different this time.
Only those with spiritual power or those specifically invited can enter this place.
There's a protective barrier surrounding it. You can't see it, but it's always there, humming with quiet power, shielding us from unwanted attention.
My grandmother, the most respected among the elders is hosting this gathering. She's one of the oldest living members of our kind.
"Ahh... I really don't want to participate in this," I muttered to myself.
But I couldn't deny one thing I was looking forward to seeing my old friends.
My friends from the other spiritual families.
There are six of us in our generation, all from different families, all raised in this strange duality of human and spirit worlds.
We hadn't seen each other since we were kids.
Over the years, I'd run into some of their parents here and there,during temple rituals, spiritual negotiations, or just random errands,but never them. The only exception was Mira's mother. I hadn't seen her even once since we were little. In fact, I couldn't even remember her face properly.
Some of their families have been traveling constantly for their work.Spiritual exorcisms, spirit communications, even helping settle curses in haunted lands. This life... it's not easy. It's what we were born into.
Some families even run normal businesses alongside their spiritual duties. Like mine.
Tonight, the Nine Most Powerful Spiritual Families will be present.
And for those wondering, "What about the others?"
Well, there's a yearly gathering called the Spiritual Practitioner Annual Meeting, where every practitioner is welcome. It's used to discuss problems and changes happening in the spiritual world.
But tonight is different.
This meeting is secret. Sacred.Important.
And it's held only under the moonlight.
So I dressed up, tying a small spirit charm around my wrist,a habit since childhood,and waited outside near the stone steps that led to the gathering hall. My chest fluttered with excitement.
What would my friends look like now?
How much had they changed?
Would they still feel familiar… or like strangers?
Would they even remember me?
We'll see.