Thud–!
When I opened the door, the floor in front of gradually collapsed, as if it had been waiting for . I had to stop abruptly–as if I was stepping at the edge of a cliff.
[OoKkeeKkee!]
The monkey leaped around as it looked behind us. Even if I didn't turn around, I could tell Dawon was chasing .
[Choi Lee-kyung, you'll never find your way out of here anyway.]
Dawon didn't even bother to respectfully call ‘Hyung-nim' anymore. I clenched my fist as if I had swallowed sothing bitter. Even if I needed to jump out of the building, I knew that I must avoid being caught by Dawon at all costs.
But suddenly, the hallway began filling with new blocks. The floor tiles turned black, and the once-red columns turned white. The previously straight path split into multiple alleys, and everything in front of changed in real ti. Dawon truly had the ability to reshape this entire mansion.
‘That isn't unexpected, though.'
Of course, that didn't an I was giving in.
Without turning back, I threw myself into the newly ford space. As soon as I entered the hallway, yellow lights flickered on, almost as if they had been waiting for . One by one, the lights illuminated in sync with my running, guiding straight down the center of the path.
"Haah, cough…!" I ran so hard that sweat pooled down my back.
Nurous people stood waiting for in the large hall I arrived at.
The mont they saw , gasping for breath, their heads turned slowly, scanning with an eerie gaze. The tranquility of their stares sent a shiver down my spine, but I soon sensed sothing off about these ‘people.’ Under the chandelier, I noticed the faint shadows of thin threads attached to each of them—just like the ones I had seen on the Shikigamis.
‘They're all dolls.'
In other words, Dawon had prepared this ‘place.'
As soon as I realized that fact, the dolls began to back away as if they were making way for .
Dawon was waiting for in the center of the path created by the parting crowd…even though he was behind until a little while ago. He wore black ceremonial robes, and stood behind a golden veil. His red eyes–the very thing I used to identify him–pierced through the golden threads.
[I told you that you can't get away from here.]
Then, when Dawon deftly shook his hand, I unwillingly approached him, step by step. I was forced onto my knees in front of him; when I sat down, a beautiful lody began to flow forth from sowhere.
At the sa ti, dozens of motionless puppets began to perform synchronized actions. So raised champagne glasses, while others danced with one another. The scene was surreal and unsettling.
Jingle–! Jingle–!
I was approached by the servants with bells dangling around their necks. They neatened my ssy robes and started braiding my long hair with a pretty, oil-slicked thread…. Like they were preparing for a wedding banquet.
"……"
Regardless of my desires, my makeup was applied calmly. In this bleak situation, I couldn't change my expression, but I was still allowed to speak freely.
I asked Dawon, "…What happens after the banquet?"
[You'll accept *everything.*]
"You're going to erase my mories?"
[No. You'll realize that, no matter what you do, you'll realize that you can't get away from .]
Dawon then unfurled the fan he was holding. The fan was unique in that it was made of bleached-white bone. Tattered black feathers were attached to it.
But, every ti he swung the fan, this sloppy party populated by dolls began to feel increasingly ‘real.'
[The wedding will begin soon…]
[They're the perfect pair…]
[How beautiful.]
Soft whispers began to rise from within the hall, which had been suffocatingly silent except for the flowing music.
I realized that the puppets, which all appeared identical at first, had suddenly transford into distinct, lifelike figures, each focusing their attention on . Dawon's fan had begun showing fantasies.
Even the void-dark face, discernible only through the glowing red eyes of this "Vengeful Ghost," had returned to the original ‘Seo Dawon's' face. Moreover, this ti, he did not adopt a child's appearance but rather returned to the age of the ‘Seo Dawon' I knew well.
"……"
[You seem to like this appearance.]
He smiled slightly, and the fan he held, once made of bone and feathers, had transford into an elegant white fan adorned with jade.
‘I shouldn't try to distinguish what is a hallucination.'
The mont I saw him, I steeled myself. I decided not to waste energy discerning reality from illusion. In fact, I had a strong hunch that trying to do so would only lead to trouble.
But, I thought there must be one last opportunity before the wedding ended. However, no matter how optimistic I was trying to be, I was getting nervous because everything was proceeding the way ‘Seo Dawon' wanted.
I was still unable to move, but the servants appeared before us, carrying a small tray.
The try was actually a liquor table; two large glasses and a white, porcelain jar stood atop it. Dawon poured wine into one of the cups, filling it halfway, and then handed the bottle to . I unwillingly followed suit, pouring the wine into the other cup. Though the porcelain jar had been filled with a brackish, blood-like liquid, the mont it poured out, the liquid transford into a clear, fragrant wine.
‘I shouldn't try to distinguish between the two…'
I kept blinking, trying to take my mind off the whole thing. I just needed to focus on one mont–the instance where Dawon wouldn't be able to control .
"Drink."
"……"
And, just when I placed my lips on the glass…
[OoKkeeKkee!]
The monkey, lurking beneath the table, popped out and attempted to overturn the tray. Although the waiting attendants quickly restrained the monkey before it could cause much chaos, the brief distraction was enough for . Instead of drinking the wine, I gnawed down on the cup.
Cr-r-r-unch–!
Fortunately, the remnants of the broken glass rely remained at the tip of my tongue. Dawon looked at as if he was about to say sothing, but by then, the wine had already spilled all over . In that instant, the animated movents of all the puppets around us ca to a sudden halt.
‘No, perhaps they never even moved in the first place.'
I kicked off and rose to my feet; Dawon didn't even try to hold onto . He rely stood up gracefully and approached .
But, at that mont, I felt a strange discordant feeling.
"Jo Chan-young…"
Dawon's face had changed. He now looked like Jo Chan-young–as I recognized him from our brief eting the other day.
I thought that even this might be a trap, but Jo Chan-young only approached , holding out a dagger–the dagger I had used to slice through the Shikigami.
[This is your last chance.]
"……"
[The key is within you.]
His tone was rather business-like and objective, as if he were remarking on a given truth… As if the key was in my pocket.
Even after I was given the dagger, I stood there, dazed. Jo Chan-young didn't rush . I hesitated for a long while–still doubtful of his appearance, and then gave myself a light cut on the palm of my hand with the dagger.
"Nnngh…"
The sharp sting and the beads of blood that ford felt uncomfortably real. Whether it was my imagination or not, the pain seed more like that of reality than of sothing contained to the "Vengeful Ghost mory" that I was trapped in.
‘He told to find the key…'
Then, he wants to dig through my body with this dagger.
‘Until the end… Haah…'
I thought I should finish this quickly and sign the contract with Jo Chan-young. Therefore, though I was quite fatigued, I held the dagger high.
And, the mont I was about to swing–
–I suddenly saw my shadow.
I stood still and lifted my head, only to see Jo Chan-young grinning widely, his mouth stretched unnervingly. As soon as our eyes t, his grin vanished, replaced by a twisted grimace, his mouth opening as if to speak.
But this ti, I was quicker.
I swung the blade over the invisible threads above my head. Surprisingly, as soon as I did that, I could see the strings connected to my shadow being cut.
[Ahahah!!! What a waste!!! Seriously, what a waste!!!]
For a mont, I heard a hysterical voice screaming from above: a mix of anguish and laughter, though I couldn’t tell if the being was mocking or enraged.
Thump–!
Furthermore, Jo Chan-young's large body, which was about to rush at , suddenly bent over–as if the being controlling him had thrown him away.
Wary of the sudden situation, I looked around, but I heard nothing more. The only thing that remained was the summoning circle beneath my feet, flickering as it began to glow once again.
I was soon surrounded by a glare of light before I was moved into a dark space.
TL: This is as creepy as it is triumphant.
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