In the beginning of Episode 3 of "If Wishes Could Kill," Se-ah makes a wish to save Geon-woo. Soon after, Ha-joon finds her and introduces her to his shaman sister, Ha-young. Ha-young quit her job to become a shaman, and Ha-joon lied to his friends that she went abroad. They take a taxi, but a fallen tree blocks the driver's path, forcing them to dismount. Ha-joon leads them through the forest to his sister's place, where they are so tense that a few bugs have them screaming and running for dear life.
Finally, they reach Ha-young's abode, but Ha-joon hesitates. He explains that Bang-wool never lets him go past the gate and insists that Ha-young can't step outside it. If she does, she dies. As she vents about how she hates Bang-wool, calling him 'brother-in-law,' the man appears and welcomes them inside. He leads them inside as Se-ah receives a call from Geon-woo. He asks why she hasn't visited him at the hospital and where she is.
Inside, Ha-young notices the candles going out. She rushes and shouts at Se-ah not to answer Geon-woo's question. It turns out she is not speaking to Geon-woo but the evil spirit. It switches tactics and starts threatening Se-ah when she refuses to answer. Her eyeball turns white, and she is unable to move her hands. Using a rope, Ha-young finds a way to get Se-ah to drop the phone. For a moment there, when Se-ah rotated her head to an almost 360-degree angle, we thought she was a goner!
Immediately, Ha-young jumps into action; she briefly explains to Ha-joon that the spirit has trapped Se-ah's spirit. They put an unconscious Se-ah at the altar outside. Ha-young clearly warns Ha-joon from touching Se-ah or leaving the room while she saves Se-ah. Bang-wool also warns him not to step outside, no matter what happens.
At the altar, Ha-young starts the ritual with Bang-wool helping her. He refers to Ha-young as Haetsal and assures her. The snake also comes to the altar as the ritual starts.
Se-ah awakens in a realm far removed yet bound to her fate at the altar. Haetsal, a beacon of hope, reaches out to her, pledging her aid. To survive, they must traverse the doors of three chambers, a journey fraught with peril.
In the realm of the present, Haetsal enlists Bangwool to ignite the incense, warning that the winds will hasten its demise. She chants a mantra, weaving a protective ward against the elements.
In the other realm, Haetsal reveals their bond—a white silk thread that binds them together. She cautions Se-ah not to look back, for if she does, the evil spirit will perceive Haetsal, putting both their lives in jeopardy. A door appears before Se-ah, and Haetsal vanishes behind her mask, leaving Se-ah to confront her fears alone.
Se-ah steps through the portal, her heart racing as she relives Hyeong-wook's death. She flees, but his ghostly presence pursues her, imploring her to save him or threatening her life. Each time she turns to run, she reminds herself not to look back. Finally, she realizes that he is not real and darts through Hyeon-wook's spectral form. Another door looms before her.
In the present realm, Haetsal urges Bang-wool to light another incense stick. This time, Se-ah witnesses her parents' tragic accident and death anew. Though Haetsal warns of dwindling time, Se-ah hesitates to leave them behind.
This poignant tale unfolds with every step Se-ah takes, each scene etched with emotion and urgency, pushing her to confront her fears and complete her quest.
Bang-wool, himself, warns Haetsal that the incense stick is about to run out. Haetsal assures him that she'll save herself if they get locked inside the other realm. As Ha-joon watches from afar, he hears Bang-wool pleading with Haetsal not to let herself get trapped in that realm. This prompts Ha-joon to feel a surge of panic within him. He downloads Girigo and contemplates making a wish, hoping for a solution.
Finally, Se-ah gathers the courage to run towards the third door, but it blows up just as she touches it. This time, she wakes up in Haetsal’s house, with Ha-joon and Bang-wool by her side. They tell her that she made it and all is well. However, Se-ah keeps hearing Haetsal’s voice reminding her that this is the third door. Ha-joon and Bang-wool insist that a spirit got stuck to her from the other realm.
Ha-joon starts acting possessed, just like Geon-woo. Haetsal begs her not to look behind her, but Bang-wool claims it’s the only way to save Ha-joon. In a state of confused panic, Se-ah turns around, allowing the evil spirit to see Haetsal. She starts bleeding in the present realm, and her mask breaks. She begs Bang-wool to open the door again, reminding her that she has three minutes to get out. Meanwhile, Se-ah finds herself in another realm. The place is flooded with blood, and a red silk thread is tied to her hand, connecting her to a red phone. This time, she sees the evil spirit dressed in a uniform with her throat slit. She also sees hooded bodies hanging from the roof.
Blood continues to spill, and Se-ah starts to shake and nosebleed. Suddenly, Haetsal uses an arrow to cut the red silk thread. She appears behind Se-ah and urges her to run. Just as they reach the last door, the evil spirit appears with a knife. Haetsal uses her body to shield Se-ah and gets injured in the process. They finally return to the present realm, and Se-ah passes out.
Haetsal warns them that it’s not over yet. She needs to cut Se-ah’s thread to the other side, which can only be done once they find the maehyung and destroy it. However, for now, Se-ah is safe. After Ha-joon takes Se-ah inside, Bang-wool scolds Haetsal for getting hurt and using her powers, worrying it will only make it more difficult to leave the house. She assures him that it will be fine and asks him to look after the kids while she hangs back so the snake can cure her wound.
On his way out, he finds Ha-joon’s saju and later scolds him for thinking about making a wish when his sister is already busy saving his friend. He begs him not to make a wish as it will only make things harder for Haetsal. Meanwhile, Na-ri drops by the hospital, and Se-ah’s aunt tells her about Geon-woo’s recovery. Na-ri heads to his room and shows him the video of his incident, lying that Se-ah says she can’t see him again and has gone M.I.A.
Back at Haetsal’s house, Se-ah thanks her and admits that she missed seeing her fake parents even though it was fake. Haetsal comforts her and promises to help. Later, Haetsal explains that the Girigo app is just the recent form of a curse born from a vengeful spirit. To destroy it, they need to find the maehyung, something that connects their realm to the spirit’s side.
Bangwool explains that any object that contains the power of a curse is called a ‘maehyung’. Haetsal thinks it’s the red phone that Se-ah was attached to in the other realm. She claims that Se-ah has to find the phone and bring it back to the house. Ha-joon feels worried that Se-ah has to do it alone. Haetsal tells him that they have no choice; Se-ah is the only one who can hold the phone since she's tied to both realms. They call it a night and go to sleep. It starts raining for Se-ah, but for her, it starts raining blood...
