Every step I took felt like a mountain crushing , the weight of my past exploding in my heart with every movent. The darkness inside feasted on that very pain, feeding on it, growing stronger little by little.
"Soul Harvest..."
The words escaped without command, and all the human souls suddenly flew toward , forcing their way into my mouth. The vile taste of human flesh assaulted my tongue, making nearly gag.
I felt a deep wave of revulsion, not just at the act but at how familiar the taste had beco. The realization churned in my stomach, making it all the worse.
I was terrified. The dark entity within had grown strong—strong enough to use my skills without my permission.
How dare you! I scread inwardly, my voice laced with rage and disgust. But the entity only laughed, an eerie, tornting sound echoing in my mind. It always waited for the worst monts to assert itself, to remind of its hold over .
"We must grow stronger, by any ans..."
Those words sent a chill down my spine. This entity was terrifying—a lurking predator within . Who knows who I might hurt, or even kill, if I couldn't control myself soday?
I quickly rotated my soul energy through my body, forcing it to flow rapidly. The brightness of my soul burned fiercely, pushing back against the encroaching darkness. The entity fell silent, retreating into the depths of my being, for now.
We must grow stronger, by any ans...
Those words sent an icy chill through my entire body. This entity was terrifying—its voice carried an inevitability I couldn't ignore. What if I can't control myself? Who might I kill soday, by accident... or worse, because of it?
I gritted my teeth and focused, rotating my soul energy rapidly through my body. The bright, searing flow pushed back against the creeping darkness within, igniting my soul like a raging fire. The entity recoiled, silenced for now, but its lingering presence left shaken.
"Haah..." I exhaled deeply, my body weary from the effort of pushing away the darkness, though I still couldn't feel safe.
I shouldn't think of it as eating humans… it's only their souls after all… but it still feels so wrong. So disgusting.
I could feel my heart tremble at the thought.
But it makes grow… strong.
I quickly shook those thoughts away and turned my attention to the crying Soo-Ah. Without a word, I called to my beasts and Malrang, then turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Her sorrowful voice made my body tremble for a mont, but I ignored it, stepping forward.
"Lee Gaon! I said wait! You stupid princess!" she scread, her voice cracking with desperation.
Stupid princess…
The words struck , pulling into a mory—a simpler ti, a different life. Back then, things felt so much easier, so much warr.
10 years ago…
Two elentary school girls walked along a narrow, paved path winding through a quiet neighborhood in Seoul. Around them, towering apartnt buildings cast long shadows in the fading daylight, their concrete facades stretching endlessly.
The path led to a tiny park, tucked away like a secret. Giggling, the girls made their way to a wooden bench, settling down as if it were their own special spot.
The two looked almost like sisters, both with dark black hair and warm brown eyes. The only noticeable difference was that the girl on the left had a slightly fuller figure—not plump, but sturdier—while the girl on the right was unnaturally slim, her pale face lacking any color in her cheeks.
"Gaon! Look!" the sturdier girl exclaid, pulling two lipsticks from her backpack. She handed one to the frail girl beside her, a bright smile lighting up her face.
"I asked my dad to buy this for you! What do you think? It's going to look amazing on you—like a true princess!" she declared, opening the lid to reveal a soft pink lipstick. She leaned forward, moving to apply it to Gaon's lips.
Gaon pushed her hand away, turning her face in rebellion.
"But it's moisturizing! Look at your chapped lips!"
"No! I'll never wear lipstick! I told you before, Soo-Ah—never!" Gaon proclaid proudly, as if refusing lipstick were so grand act of self-care.
The two wrestled playfully, laughter filling the air. Gaon struggled, squirming as she tried to fend off Soo-Ah's persistent attempts. But in the end, she lost the battle. Her lips were now decorated with a beautiful pink sheen, making her look like a doll.
"See! I told you—you look like a princess!" Soo-Ah exclaid, clapping her hands as her face lit up with a triumphant smile.
"Hahaha!"
Their laughter was interrupted by another, harsher sound echoing in the distance. A group of older girls approached, their expressions dripping with disdain and mockery.
"Look at these two bitches trying to look pretty. Can't they tell they're both ugly as hell?" one of them sneered, prompting laughter from the trio.
The leader of the group, an arrogant girl with heavy makeup, stepped forward. "I like that lipstick in your hands," she said, her voice dripping with nace. "Hand it over, and I'll let you go ho with your clothes intact. Unless…" Her smile twisted. "…you'd rather have the boys in this neighborhood see your naked, ugly bodies."
She moved closer to Gaon, wiping a finger across her lips to sar the pink lipstick. Holding up her finger for her friends to see, she laughed. "What do you think, girls? Does this shade suit ?"
Gaon and Soo-Ah trembled slightly as they sat frozen on the bench. Anger flickered in Gaon's teary eyes, but in Soo-Ah's gaze, there was sothing else—a fire burning brightly.
Without hesitation, Soo-Ah shrugged off her heavy backpack and hurled it, hitting the leader square in the face. The girl stumbled back with a cry of pain, falling to the ground.
"You sluts!" she scread, her voice cracking as her friends rushed to help her.
The scuffle escalated quickly. Soo-Ah grabbed Gaon's backpack and swung it like a weapon, beating the bullies back. Her sturdy fra gave her an edge over the slim older girls, and soon, they were scrambling away.
"We'll co back for you sluts—just you wait!" one of them scread, their voices fading as they retreated.
Gaon sat frozen on the bench, her face streaked with tears. She was too scared to move, sobbing uncontrollably.
Then, a sharp sting brought her back to reality—a slap across her cheek.
"You stupid princess!" Soo-Ah yelled, her voice firm but trembling with emotion. "If soone picks on you, you fight back! Do you hear ? Don't ever give up on yourself! You're better than them!"
Another slap landed on Gaon's other cheek. Gaon stared at Soo-Ah, her teary eyes filled with confusion—and respect. That day, Soo-Ah taught her how to fight, how to stand up for herself.
Present…
Soo-Ah was right… I'm a stupid princess.
My steps slowed, my heart growing heavier with each one. I'm running away again. Running, when I should be facing my problems—facing reality.
My hands clenched tightly at my sides. I need to know. I need to hear her confession. Why did she betray ?
I stopped in my tracks and turned back.
It's enough. I'm done running away.
I took steady steps toward my sobbing friend. Her tear-filled eyes widened as she saw turn back, most likely surprised I'd changed my mind.
Without hesitation, I raised my palm. It happened so quickly—my hand t Soo-Ah's crying face with a sharp slap.
"Enough crying... You're better than that… rember?" I said, my voice trembling. My own eyes began to water, and I wanted to disappear, drown myself in a pool of regret for coming back. After all these years, it felt so humiliating.
"I'm sorry, Gaon… I know you'll never forgive ..." Soo-Ah whispered, her hand reaching for her throbbing cheek. She turned her face away, unable to et my eyes.
"You're right," I said softly, my voice laced with a quiet pain. "I will never forgive you."
But it didn't change the truth lodged deep in my heart.
"It doesn't change the fact that you'll always be my best friend, no matter how much you hurt , Soo-Ah..."
I extended my hand to her. The anger burning inside hadn't faded—it lingered, sharp and unforgiving. But I knew I had to stop running. I needed to learn the truth, even if it didn't bring peace.
Would it ease the weight on my chest, or would it make sink deeper into despair? I didn't know.
But one thing was certain—if I ran away now, this mindset would destroy . How could I win any fight in the future if I kept letting my past control ?
She took my hand, and I pulled her up. Her black hair and brown eyes were as striking as ever. Since school, she had grown into a true beauty. Ti had polished her into soone who could rival a model. Despite our fallout, I felt a pang of happiness for her—she seed to have adapted well to this world.
"Why are you here?" I asked, keeping my tone steady. I wanted to take this conversation slow.
"I… I got dragged into this world when my boyfriend and I found a golden card on our doorstep…" Her voice trembled, still heavy with sobs. Suddenly, she moved closer, throwing her arms around in a tight hug.
"I'm sorry, Gaon! I missed you! I had no choice, I promise you!"
Her words struck a nerve, but I took them with a grain of salt. I wasn't naïve enough to believe her excuses. The fake posts on social dia, the lies about —she wasn't forced. She likely did it for money.
But whatever. That world was gone. I would have my chance to confront her about it later—just not now.
"It's okay. Calm down," I said softly, patting her back.
Then it hit . Boyfriend?
"Don't tell … your boyfriend was one of them?" I asked, my voice dropping as suspicion crept in.
She froze, stepping back slightly. "Ah… no…" she stamred, but her eyes betrayed her sorrow.
"We got separated after arriving," she said hurriedly, avoiding my gaze. "I think we appeared in different places."
"Thank you for killing those scum… They forced to follow them, to protect them with my skills. And then… they took turns every day and r-…" Her voice broke, cutting off as she hugged herself tightly, trembling uncontrollably.
"BASTARDS!"
Rage surged through like an unstoppable wave. I wanted to bring them back to life just to kill them again—and again—in an endless loop of suffering. I wanted them to feel the pain they had inflicted, a thousandfold.
Malrang leapt onto my shoulder, her gaze shifting between and Soo-Ah. My beasts circled us, sniffing her cautiously. Then ca the words I didn't want to hear right now, the ones that made my fury boil over.
"She's telling the truth," Savryn barked softly.
Flas erupted around , raging like a wildfire. They consud the n's lifeless bodies, dark flas reducing them to nothing but ash.
I clenched my fists, trembling in anger. "It's my turn to protect you now, Soo-Ah," I said, my voice trembling with resolve. "No one will ever dare to touch you again. I vow to you!"
In that mont, a singular thought burned in my mind—I wanted to destroy the world. To tear apart all the vile, disgusting people who dared to harm others so cruelly.
Reviews
All reviews (0)