I won't let you have your way.
You won't make things go the way you want. The piercing voice that tore at the ears couldn't possibly be human. For the first time, Hwan understood. He had been seduced by something that wasn't human at all, and worse, something that couldn't be called good. The situation was utterly horrifying. Ah! He was still trapped in this hell. Just then, the furious woman whipped her head around. Glaring at Hwan with fear in her eyes, she marched forward. Hwan's body spasmed and he stumbled backward, but with a broken body, escape was impossible. Glaring back at the venomous woman who had reached him, he shouted, "You damned brat! Listen to me! Listen to my words! Do you have any idea what the hell is happening in the village below? Do you know what's happening to your parents right now?! Do you want to see them? You want to see your parents? Then you'd better listen to me." "W-what the hell are you talking about..." "This you must remember. This is no lie. Only I can save you. That arrogant statue sitting over there, doing nothing to help you, won't save you. The god you believed in and followed will never save your parents! It's me! Me! I am the one who can save you and your parents! Don't forget that! Now, rip off the amulet! Rip it off, I said!" "It... it changed. She had become a completely different being. Her hysterical voice and the fox's form on her body kept overlapping, sending chills down his spine. "U-uuuuaaaah!" Hwan screamed, shoving her away and staggering backward again. Each time he retreated, she grew more frantic, stomping her feet in place. She glared once more at the statue behind him, then grabbed Hwan's head tightly again. "Ah. Aaaah! It hurts!" "Hurry! Rip it off! It's almost over. Just a little longer and I'll finally... finally be free! Do you know how long I've waited for this moment? I've suffered through hell for this! Now, hurry! Rip that thing off!" "I... I don't want to! G-get away!" "You stupid brat! Cowardly, weak little wretch! Are you trying to get your parents killed? No! Your life won't be spared either! There's no time left. The old monster who's become a vengeful ghost is looking for you. He's searching for you to tear you apart! He'll come here. Soon... soon he'll come! Now, hurry! If you don't want to die, rip it off! Hurry! I'll protect you... So hurry!" Terrified, Hwan shut his eyes tightly and shook his head wildly. He didn't want to. Deep inside, his soul screamed that he must never tear off that amulet. The more he resisted, the more the woman raged. After several twists and turns... suddenly she let out a harsh "Hah!" Then, with a vicious twist of her head, she released her grip on Hwan's hair as if giving up completely. "Is that so? Then... just die." Her abrupt change left Hwan bewildered. The woman who had been so excited moments ago, begging him to rip off the amulet, now suddenly... why had she changed? Hwan couldn't understand. While he stared at her in confusion, she suddenly grinned slyly. That's when he heard it. "You damned little shit... hiding here like a rat?" A creepy voice rang out from nowhere. Hwan startled violently. Quickly turning around, he saw Yoon-ssi, the old man from the village, standing there with a bloodied sickle in his hand, eyes filled with insane rage. "Because of you... you ran away... everyone died. Everyone's dead! You bastard! Damn you! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to tear you apart! You damned bastard!! Aaaaaah!" He lunged forward. //////// "Aaaaaah!" Yoon-ssi’s eyes were wild with madness. He was no longer sane. Gripping the sickle, he swung it with all his might toward Hwan. Hwan instinctively raised his hand to block, but that was a mistake. "Aaaack!" A deep gash opened on his left forearm. Blood spurted out, and unbearable agony flooded his body. His breath hitched. For a moment, he couldn't even scream. And there was still the raging bull-like man, spitting curses mixed with hatred as he advanced. "Because of you... ah! Everything's ruined because of you!" the old man roared again. He swung the sickle once more. Whoosh! Crack! The sickle that had been swung with full force luckily sliced between Hwan's legs. Hwan barely dodged it. The blade sank deep into the wooden floor. When it wouldn't come free, Hwan instinctively lifted his leg and kicked the old man's chest with all his might. "Ouch! You damned bastard!" Seeing Yoon-ssi stumble backward, Hwan groaned in pain from the sharp ache still coursing through him. He tried to stand up and run anyway. But the fallen old man suddenly grabbed his ankle. "Aaaah!" Snap! Hwan lost his balance again and fell. His forehead slammed into the floor with a thud. Everything spun. The pain was so intense his vision doubled. But it was fear that made him collapse. Gripping his hazy mind, he desperately swung his leg and kicked the old man's head one more time while he stubbornly held on. "Ugh!" The old man's head twisted sideways. Blood poured from his nose as Hwan barely escaped his grasp. Panting, he fled on all fours like a beast. But sadly, there was nowhere to run. Meanwhile, the old man had pulled the sickle free again and leaned against a corner, staring at Hwan with tears in his eyes, begging for mercy. Pointing the sickle at him, he gnashed his teeth. "You damned brat... do you even know what you've done? Because you ran away, what happened in the village... do you know? Begging for your life? Shut your mouth! You killed everyone because of you!" "W-why... why... what wrong have I done..." Hwan whimpered, still clueless. He didn't know a thing about what had happened in the village, why the man he barely knew was so furious and trying to kill him. So it was even more frustrating and painful. It was so unjust. Painful, yet he was dying, and the worst part was not knowing anything at all. The old man spat blood. Tears streamed down his face now too. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging. He was a demon. "Because of you... because of this damned bastard... we held on... how! Aaaaaah!!" He charged again with a bloodcurdling scream. Hwan dodged the swinging sickle and rolled on the floor. Thud! Dodging narrowly, the old man lost his balance on his own blade and crashed down. But he sprang up like a beast and lunged at Hwan again. Thud! They tangled together. The old man raised the sickle, flashing it cruelly, and brought it down toward Hwan's face. Hwan gulped air and grabbed the blade to block it, but... blood poured from both hands gripping the edge. He didn't even know how much it hurt. "Uuuugh... please... save... me... ugh..." Hwan begged. But to the insane old man, it was meaningless. Only murderous intent remained. "Because of you... because of you!! Die! Die!! You bastard! Die!!" "Why... ugh... why are you doing this to me!!" Hwan exploded in resentment. What wrong had he done? Hwan suddenly thrust his right leg forward and kicked the old man's stomach, flipping him backward. "Ouch!" The old man groaned and fell, head thudding again. Hwan shook his blood-soaked hands, trembling. The wound was deep enough to show bone. The pain was unbearable. He looked at the old man. There! He was stubbornly getting back up. Staggering, spitting blood like a furious bull, eyes bloodshot and foaming at the mouth with brutal curses. Not sane. Like a possessed demon. His eyes flashed with rage as he rose again.