The Priest's Cry and the Detective's Burden
In the suffocating silence of the abandoned house, the creature finally seemed to feel some measure of relief after scanning its surroundings for so long. A heavy sigh escaped its lips with a wet thud. Then it growled like a beast once more, eyes fixed on Hye-jeong as it licked its chops. Saliva dripped in thick strands from the protruding muzzle of its animalistic snout; the hunger gnawing at it was that intense.
But it was not mere hunger. As it stared at the pale softness of her flesh, a sticky, viscous lust oozed from its gaze. It looked ready to devour that tender skin at any moment and then wear her hide as its own. Ah, even without that interruption, suppressing such urges had been nearly impossible. Its stomach rumbled continuously, sounding like thunder rolling in its belly.
Interlopers… Yes, if only those damned interlopers had not appeared, this bottomless greed would have been sated long ago. The creature snarled irritably and scanned the quiet surroundings once more. Still nothing but silence. Not even the chirp of a single insect could be heard. Could it relax now? Had it truly shaken off that priest and the fox bitch?
When it sensed no presence at all, its patience finally snapped. The prey before it wriggled so appetizingly, practically begging to be consumed. It could wait no longer. It wanted to ravage the woman at once, swallow every inch of her soft flesh, and then slip into her skin. Yes. For a while, it would live inside this woman’s hide. A yellow gleam flashed deep within its eye sockets.
Drooling heavily, the creature finally approached Hye-jeong. She trembled like an aspen leaf, backing away in terror, but there was nowhere to run. It shot out a hand and seized her leg in a crushing grip, then yanked her forward with brutal strength.
“N-no! S-save me!! Please, save me!!”
“Shut up!!”
It roared the threat and clamped its hand viciously over her mouth. After all, that priest and the fox woman might still be nearby. The grip was savage, fingers digging into her face. “I said shut up… understand?”
The razor-edged voice came with sharp claws pressing against her cheek in warning. Frozen with fear, Hye-jeong could only nod frantically, tears spilling down her face. Only then did the monster’s lips curl into a satisfied smile, its sticky lust resurfacing.
Hye-jeong believed no one would come to help her. She thought it was all over. The moment she imagined dying after being violated by this monster, her tears refused to stop. Please, at least let it not be too painful…
It seized her thighs by force and pried them apart. Its still-erect member pushed forward, trying to force its way between her legs. Hye-jeong, powerless to resist, squeezed her eyes shut. She hated it. She hated it so much. Please… if there is a God, if there truly is a God, please help me. It was the first time in her life she had ever prayed so desperately.
And that was when it happened.
“I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and humble the pride of the ruthless.”
(Isaiah 13:11-13)
The creature’s movements froze instantly. Its complexion turned deathly pale.
The verse continued, each word striking like a hammer.
“On the day of the Lord Almighty’s fierce anger, the heavens will tremble and the earth will shake from its place.”
The gwoeyi suddenly began to choke and gag. Its hand flew up from Hye-jeong’s face to claw desperately at its own throat, as though some invisible force were strangling it. At the same time, a strange ringing drifted in from behind—soft at first, then growing steadily louder.
The creature slammed both hands over its ears and thrashed wildly in agony. Hye-jeong scrambled to her feet in shock. The monster lay sprawled on the floor, still choking, still covering its ears as it writhed.
From the darkness behind it, a priest approached, holding up a small round bell attached to a thin cord. Once again, his figure seemed to carry light within the gloom, like an angel descending through shadow.
“Lord, have mercy. Lord God, all-knowing and almighty, master of all ages, you who created all things and transform all things according to your will. You saved and protected your three holy children from the fiery furnace in Babylon that blazed seven times hotter.”
Ding… ding…
The soft chimes of the bell wove between the words of prayer. The gwoeyi screamed louder, its body wracked with torment. It howled as though its flesh were burning, then shivered violently as if plunged into freezing cold. Every cry that tore from its throat sounded like the roar of a wild beast.
“You who are the healer of our souls and the salvation of those who seek you, we implore you: drive out and destroy all demonic power, every work and activity of Satan. Protect us from the influence of evil, from curses, from the evil eye, and from all wicked deeds committed against your servant. By the power of perfect goodness, banish jealousy and curses, and transform them into love and victory.”
The priest opened his eyes. A blue glow now flickered within them. Black mist-like energy poured from the bell in his hand. Hye-jeong could not look away. The sight was so bizarre, so awe-inspiring, that she even forgot she was completely naked.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(Romans 12:21)
In the priest’s other hand, instead of the silver crucifix, he now held a sword that gleamed with crimson blood. It felt different from before. Rather than pious and noble, it radiated a sinister, almost profane energy, as though it were a power a priest should never wield. He raised the blood-red blade and stared down at the monster sprawled on the ground.
Just as he lifted the sword high, the thrashing creature suddenly seized Hye-jeong’s ankle.
“Kyaaak!”
Hye-jeong screamed. She kicked desperately, but the monstrous grip refused to loosen. In one violent motion, it hurled her through the air.
“Kyaaaaak!”
Hwan clicked his tongue in irritation and leaped forward, catching her before she could crash into the wall. The moment the prayer’s power faltered, the gwoeyi sprang to its feet and fled once more. Hwan pulled something from his pocket and threw it without hesitation, but he could not give chase. The creature had already escaped into the distance.
Then another figure came running, gasping for breath. His face was flushed crimson, lungs burning from running all day. It was Detective Oh Su-hyeok. He staggered to a stop before Hwan, only to flinch at the sight of the naked woman cradled in the priest’s arms.
Hwan handed Hye-jeong to the detective and turned to leave without a word.
“W-wait… where are you going?” The detective’s tone had become noticeably respectful.
“We haven’t caught it yet. If we let it go now, more victims will appear.”
“B-but… you’re not seriously going alone, are you?”
“Haha… I’m not alone.”
Hwan turned away again. Oh Su-hyeok’s expression remained troubled; he clearly did not understand what the priest meant. At that moment, an impossibly beautiful woman materialized beside them. No one could say how long she had been there. She gave the stunned detective a fleeting, knowing smile. Oh Su-hyeok found himself letting out an involuntary sigh of admiration, then blushed and cleared his throat awkwardly.
The priest and the mysterious woman walked off into the distance. Oh Su-hyeok stared after them.
“Who exactly are you? Why do you—”
There was no answer.
Haunted House Experience
Nearly a week had passed since that day. Time seemed to have slipped away without notice. Detective Oh Su-hyeok still did not know how to explain what he had witnessed. The victim, Hye-jeong, appeared equally lost, unsure how to describe the events. Perhaps because she had been drunk at the time, her claims of seeing a strange monster lacked credibility. In the end, even she struggled to articulate the bizarre ordeal she had endured and eventually kept repeating that she simply did not know for certain.
Meanwhile, Hui-seon, Young-hoon, and Jae-hyuk remained listed as missing persons. In Jae-hyuk’s case, multiple witnesses had seen him at the scene, so the police were pursuing him as a suspect rather than a victim. Yet no trace of him could be found. If the young priest’s words were true, they might never locate him. And perhaps he could not even be called a perpetrator. He, too, might have been an unfortunate victim.
Detective Oh Su-hyeok had no idea how to report any of this to his colleagues, his team leader, or anyone higher up the chain. He wondered if speaking with the man in the suit who had taken the previous witness, Jun-hee, might yield more answers, but a lowly detective like himself had no way to arrange such a meeting.
Still, deep in his heart, Oh Su-hyeok kept the truth locked away. He knew he would never be able to forget what had happened that day.