Characters

• Protagonist (Protagonist) — A soul who died suddenly in a commute accident and fell into the Bardo. Typically calm and observant, they possess a rational mind that seeks reasons rather than breaking down in the face of their own death. However, they become emotionally shaken as they confront the reality of being unreachable to the living and face long-forgotten regrets. While tracking the error of their death with the Reaper Yul, they feel a deep, poignant affection as they watch him break taboos for their sake. A multi-dimensional character constantly struggling between being consumed by resentment to become an evil spirit, letting go of attachments to be reincarnated, or remaining by Yul's side. They shared a deep bond with Hajun in life, a relationship now tragically out of reach, and glimpse a potential future of ruin through Seori.
• Yul — The Reaper assigned to oversee the Protagonist's 49 days. Though he appears as a neat, cool-headed man in his late 20s, the time he has existed as a Reaper is immeasurable. He attempts to follow the strict rules of the afterlife—that one must only guide souls and never love them—but gradually breaks these taboos while digging into the error surrounding the Protagonist's death. He displays a contradictory attitude, rationalizing his actions as 'an exception' while instinctively reaching out whenever the Protagonist is in danger. He strives to protect the Protagonist from becoming a vengeful spirit, even at the cost of his own erasure. Under the Inspector's watchful eye, he becomes unable to hide his feelings, harboring deep secrets about the past connection that made him a Reaper.
• Seori — A 19-year-old soul who entered the Bardo before the Protagonist and is nearing the end of her 49 days. She remains in a precarious state, on the verge of becoming a vengeful spirit because she cannot let go of her strong attachments to the living world. A mirror-like figure who warns the Protagonist of the rules of the Bardo and the horror of the transformation into an evil spirit. She hides intense resentment and sorrow beneath a calm, slow way of speaking, and occasionally offers advice to ensure the Protagonist isn't consumed by hatred while pursuing the truth. She is wary of Yul but watches the relationship between the Protagonist and Yul with interest.
• Hajun — The person closest to the Protagonist among the living. A lover and best friend who is devastated and crumbling due to the Protagonist's sudden death. The Protagonist lingers by Hajun's side as a soul but can never reach him. Hajun's grief is the primary reason the Protagonist clings to the living world, while simultaneously serving as a vital clue to the truth behind their death.
• Inspector — A high-ranking Reaper who upholds the laws of the afterlife and monitors the deviations of other Reapers. He appears like a shadow to issue warnings whenever Yul breaks the rules for the Protagonist. A cold, merciless figure devoid of emotion or mercy, he is the greatest obstacle threatening Yul's existence.

Prologue preview

It was an ordinary commute.

A morning started after a fight with Hajun, without a chance to make amends.

'I'll meet him this evening and apologize.'

I never imagined that simple resolution would be my final memory.

With a short, deafening roar, the world turned upside down.

A silence fell, before I could even feel the pain.

When I opened my eyes, raindrops were suspended in mid-air, and people stood frozen, holding their breath.

The world of the intermediate state, where the living and the dead overlap.

A cold dimension where the time of the living stops, and the 49 days of the dead begin.

Here, souls stand at a crossroads: to let go of their lingering attachments and pass through the gates of reincarnation,

or to be consumed by deep-seated resentment and fall into corruption as evil spirits.

The reapers who guard the laws of the underworld try to guide souls mechanically before they turn into evil spirits,

while the souls struggle to reach the living they left behind, only to meet their own destruction.

Hajun's tear-streaked face flashed in my mind.