The goddess continues moving toward my parents, ready to strike again, and my heart drops into my stomach. No! This is not how the plan was supposed to go. We already lost Hattie and Auntie Oh. I can’t lose my parents, too.

That’s when the first metal star blade flies across my vision en route to the goddess.

“Austin, be careful!” I call out, feeling conflicted. I know it’s the goddess in there, but she’s using my auntie’s body.

“I won’t hurt her,” he calls out, hurtling two more stars toward her. “But we need to keep her from hurting anyone else.”

The goddess momentarily halts and looks surprised. She must not have known the Horangi taught themselves a new kind of magic. But she doesn’t stay surprised for long.

“Impressive,” she merely says. “But I’m afraid your party tricks will not be enough to stop me.” She laughs and makes another flicking motion with her hand. Austin gasps as he’s lifted off his feet and thrown across the sanctuary, landing hard against the Mountain Tiger Goddess’s statue.

“Austin!” Taeyo cries. He looks around, searching for any water he can animate. But all he has is the little bit in his water bottle. He makes it shoot up from the bottle and form a barrier in front of Austin’s body, while Eomma runs toward them, leaving Appa recovering in a pew.

As Eomma attempts to heal Austin’s injuries, Sora rubs her wrists together and makes a lifting motion with her two open hands. One of the wooden pews in the front row of the Horangi section rises into the air. “Don’t you dare lay another finger on him!” she calls to the deity as the entire bench flies through the air and lands in her path.

The goddess takes a step back in annoyance, but then she simply climbs over the pew. This time she starts coming for me.

I gulp. I look down at my wrists and see the glaring absence of a Gi. I feel for the bump of the biochip, but thanks to the dokkaebi, that’s gone, too. I want to be able to do something to protect my families, but I’m powerless. Useless.

“I am going to enjoy this,” the goddess coos in my auntie’s voice. “I’m going to enjoy this very much.” She lifts her hand as she nears, preparing to attack.

I hold my breath. The fact of the matter is that I tried my best, but the goddess is right. We mortals are no match for divinity. Especially when she’s using a physical body. A body we don’t want to attack.

“Feel my wrath, mortal child.” She locks her eyes on me and claps her hands together. I close my lids, ready to surrender to whatever comes next.