A Voice in the Dark

At Dohyung's command, Jia, Jiseon, and Eunji had no choice but to upload the videos of themselves with their own hands. They each ended up uploading a single video to three different websites, forced to click the upload button themselves. The three of them wept silently.

Even though their faces were blurred beyond recognition, they had not only been forced to film a video that stripped them of their dignity as women, but Dohyung was now forcing them to publish it themselves. To them, he was nothing short of a mad demon.

"Well, shall we call it a day?"

Once he confirmed that all the videos had been uploaded, Dohyung picked up his laptop and stood up. As usual, he was preparing to leave the Basement now that the game was over.

Just as the three girls collapsed to the floor, relieved that they had survived another day's game, a voice rang out.

"W-Wait a minute!"

It was Sujin who screamed. Unlike the other three, who knew that Dohyung would leave the Basement once a game ended, Sujin was entirely ignorant of the rules here. Terrified that Dohyung might leave them locked up forever, she cried out in sheer panic.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"A-Are we... are we going to be kept here forever...?"

Sujin looked up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at Dohyung with trembling, anxious eyes. The mere thought of remaining in an environment so utterly detached from the world she knew made her feel like she was losing her mind. Moreover, she was terrified that if she stayed here any longer, she would end up broken and twisted like Jia, Jiseon, and Eunji. That fear drove her to cry out desperately.

"Of course. You'll be living here from now on. It's too much of a hassle to keep you locked in separate rooms anyway, and besides, unrecyclable trash like you is best kept in a single pile."

Before his heart-to-heart with Minah, Dohyung had planned to slowly and meticulously torment all four of Minah's bullies, including Sujin. He had intended to entangle them with his three existing slaves, creating an endless cycle of misery. However, after witnessing Ara's genuine repentance, her sincere apology, and Minah's forgiveness, Dohyung's perspective had shifted. He realized there was no point in separating these subhuman creatures who couldn't even muster a shred of genuine remorse.

That didn't mean he was going to let Sujin and Hyemin participate in the main game, though. That game was reserved strictly for his own tormentors. Instead, he would find other ways to torture them. He planned to give them minor, side-quest-like missions; if they failed, they would be punished alongside the others.

As the reality of their permanent confinement sank in, tears began to stream down Sujin and Hyemin's faces. Finally, unable to contain her mounting fury and despair, Sujin burst into tears and screamed at Dohyung.

"Ugh... You son of a bitch! What did I ever do to deserve this?! You and I have absolutely nothing to do with each other! I don't even know who you are! You have no reason to hold a grudge against me... so why are you doing this to me?! Sob, sob..."

"Y-Yeah! We have nothing to do with you, so why the hell are you doing this?! Did that bitch Minah tell you to do this? Did that beggar sell her body to you or something? Is that why you're—"

Slap!

Before Hyemin could finish spewing her venom, Dohyung's hand whipped through the air, striking her across the cheek with brutal force. The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the Basement as Hyemin's body was lifted slightly off the ground before she collapsed sideways onto the cold floor.

For a moment, Hyemin couldn't comprehend what had just happened. One second there was a flash of light, and the next, she was sprawled on the ground. Then, a searing, throbbing pain began to radiate across her entire cheek.

"Whew... You think you and I have nothing to do with each other? Perhaps you're right."

Dohyung spoke, his voice tightly controlled as if holding back a raging fire.

"I am simply punishing you on Minah's behalf. It doesn't matter whether she wants this or not. I simply cannot stand looking at people like you—people who ruin someone else's life and then go on living with a smile on their faces as if nothing happened."

Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as they listened, Sujin and Hyemin couldn't understand why Dohyung was so angry at them. The idea that he was taking revenge on them of his own volition, without Minah even asking for it, felt absurd beyond belief. He was acting like some self-righteous apostle of justice delivering judgment. But just as their bewilderment was about to turn into indignation, Dohyung's next words struck them dumb.

"My life was ruined by school violence, just like Minah's. That's why I despise people like you."

"T-That..."

"And the ones who tormented me are those three over there."

Dohyung pointed a finger toward Jia, Jiseon, and Eunji, who were watching from a distance.

In that instant, the missing pieces of the puzzle clicked together in Sujin's mind. She finally understood why Eunji was here. It was Eunji who had ordered her to start bullying Minah in the first place. Of course, Sujin didn't deny that as the severity of the abuse escalated, she had grown to enjoy it. But she remembered the initial reason Eunji had given for targeting Minah—a petty, trivial grudge.

Before Minah transferred, she had defended a boy Eunji was bullying. Eunji, disgusted by Minah's self-righteousness, had half-requested, half-ordered Sujin to make her life hell. Later, Sujin had heard that the boy Eunji used to bully was named Dohyung, and that he had gone missing and was presumed dead. To think that very boy had returned from the dead, kidnapped Eunji, and was now holding them all captive... A cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Besides, I gave you a chance. I told you that if you sincerely repented, apologized to Minah, and she accepted it, I would let you go. But you haven't shown a single shred of genuine remorse, so why on earth should I release you?"

"But... then, did Ara... did Ara really go home?"

"Do you think everyone is a liar like you? She was forgiven by Minah and went home. Oh, and just in case you're getting any ideas, don't expect her to call the police for you. I made sure she can never utter a single word about what happened here."

In truth, when Ara didn't return, Sujin and Hyemin had assumed Dohyung had murdered her. They couldn't believe that someone capable of such monstrous acts would actually release a captive just because of a simple apology and forgiveness. Hearing that he had truly let her go left them utterly stunned.

He really let her go...? Just because Minah forgave her?

Sujin could hardly believe it. It sounded like a blatant lie that a mere verbal apology and forgiveness could buy one's freedom from this hellhole. But if it was true, it was the only lifeline she had left. She immediately cried out to Dohyung.

"T-Then, I'll apologize again! I'll apologize to Minah... please, just give me a chance to be forgiven!"

The moment those words left her mouth, Dohyung's face contorted, openly displaying an emotion for the first time today: pure, unadulterated disgust. He scowled, glaring down at the desperate girl.

"A chance...? Do you honestly believe you deserve a chance?!"

At Dohyung's sudden outburst of fury, Sujin and Hyemin, who had been venting their indignation just moments ago, fell ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dead silent. They could tell the atmosphere had turned incredibly dangerous.

"Before you even think about forgiveness, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do you actually feel sorry for what you did to Minah? If you want to be forgiven, you must first understand and accept the weight of your sins. You haven't even done that much."

Shifting his gaze away from the trembling pair, Dohyung looked over at Jia, Jiseon, and Eunji. They were no different. Despite the significant amount of time that had passed since their abduction, none of them had truly repented.

Jia, who had become the most submissive, wasn't necessarily repenting; she had simply accepted her reality and stopped harboring resentment toward Dohyung. On the other hand, Jiseon and Eunji spent their time cursing Dohyung for their suffering rather than reflecting on their own actions.

They weren't stupid enough to deny that their past actions had brought this upon them. They knew that if they hadn't tormented Dohyung and ruined his life, none of this would be happening. However, understanding a situation intellectually and accepting it in one's heart were two entirely different matters. Sincerely admitting one's faults and letting go of resentment toward their tormentor was an incredibly difficult hurdle for them to clear.

Dohyung wondered if it was truly that difficult to acknowledge one's sins and repent without blaming the one delivering the retribution. Looking at the five pieces of trash before him, he couldn't help but think that Ara, who had genuinely repented, was actually quite remarkable. All they had to do was reflect on their actions to grasp a lifeline, yet they couldn't even manage that. Watching them, Dohyung felt his vengeance was entirely justified.

"Keep that in mind. I'll be back tomorrow, so look forward to what's in store."

With those parting words, Dohyung opened the heavy door and stepped out of the Basement.

Late that night, Dohyung watched the Basement through the CCTV feed. The five girls, initially awkward around one another, eventually began to talk. Before long, the three original captives were asserting their dominance over the two newcomers, physically and mentally trampling them.

It was Eunji's desperate attempt to maintain her petty authority within their miniature society—a fleeting power that would instantly vanish the moment the "Casual Talk" lot was drawn from the Game Box.

"Whew... Another day of punishing the trash."

As Dohyung watched them, reflecting on the day's events, his phone—which usually served as nothing more than a clock—began to vibrate. Bzzz. Bzzz. Knowing exactly who it was, he picked it up. A single name, the only contact saved on his phone, was flashing on the screen.

Minah...

Remembering her request from yesterday to call every night, he hesitated. Honestly, there would be no consequences if he cut ties with her right now. He could easily return to his former self—the man who lived solely for revenge, completely forgetting her existence. If forgetting her proved too difficult, he could simply use magic to alter his own memories, erasing their reunion entirely. Yet, his heart refused to let her go. While his mind screamed at him to sever the connection for the sake of his vengeance, his heart stubbornly resisted.

"Sigh... The human heart really is a stubborn thing."

With a soft sigh, Dohyung swiped the screen to answer the vibrating phone.

Minah's bright, lively voice gave Dohyung a warm, comforting sensation, as if she were sitting right next to him, smiling. It was a stark contrast to her timid, despondent tone when they had first met at the Convenience Store.

"You sound really cheerful. Did something good happen?"

Dohyung understood. Even though she was physically healed, overcoming a decade of trauma wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.

"You'll get better step by step. So, is there anything you wanted to talk about?"

Minah eagerly began sharing her day. She talked about her mother's shock at seeing her completely healed body, and how their usually gloomy home was filled with laughter for the first time in years. She didn't stop there, laughing as she described a bizarre customer she encountered during her shift at the Convenience Store. Dohyung found himself simply listening and offering occasional responses, yet he felt an unexpected wave of happiness wash over him.

"I see. That sounds nice. But, you know..."

Minah's cheerful voice suddenly trailed off. She hesitated, unable to find the words. Dohyung waited patiently, wondering what was on her mind.

"...Yeah."

Hearing her question, Dohyung understood why she had hesitated. It would have been jarring to ask such a dark question with a cheerful laugh.

"...What?"

Dohyung couldn't comprehend why she was asking this. It wasn't a pleasant topic, and he would have to mention the names of her abusers, which would surely make her uncomfortable. He briefly considered lying, telling her nothing much had happened.

Dohyung flinched, momentarily wondering if she had somehow read his mind.

"...Alright. I'll tell you. Today..."

Abandoning the thought of lying, Dohyung laid out the truth. He told her how he had forced them into a singing contest, used violence, and as punishment, made them upload videos of themselves having sex with him to the internet. There were parts he felt reluctant to share, but at her earnest request, he held nothing back.

Minah listened in silence. Deep down, she wanted to beg him to stop, but she knew simple words wouldn't sway him. Instead, she resolved to call him every single night like this, slowly chipping away at the hardened stone of vengeance in his heart. She didn't know how long it would take, but she prayed that Dohyung wouldn't destroy himself at the end of his path of revenge.