The Horror That Refuses to Die
“You won’t get your way. I won’t let you.”
Hwan lay sprawled on the ground, kicking backward in a frantic scramble. Even standing seemed impossible. All he could do was stare at the old man in Yoon-ssi’s disguise, tears streaming down his face as rage twisted his features. Meanwhile, the old man lifted the sickle again. His eyes bulged with fury, chest heaving like a beast’s, blood droplets pattering down as he jabbed the blade straight at Hwan. He spewed curses in a torrent of raw, guttural fury. “I’ll kill you! I’ll tear your limbs to shreds and feed you to the crows! Do you hear that? Huh? Do you hear me?! That’s what’ll ease my heart… loosen this suffocating rage!”
“W-why…” Hwan was utterly bewildered. What had he done to deserve such venom? Why couldn’t this stranger kill him? He thought of his parents and felt a desperate ache to see them. But right now, no one would lift a finger to help. No one…
That was when Hwan noticed the woman standing behind the old man. Her face was blank, utterly empty. Those eyes—ice-cold, devoid of any warmth. Even the old man’s gaze seemed blind to her presence. “P-please… help me,” Hwan managed to croak. The only reply was a faint, mocking smile from the woman. Then the old man lunged forward. “AAAAH!”
He swung the sickle at Hwan’s throat with everything he had. Hwan tried to dodge, but too late. The blade drove deep into his neck with a wet thud. “Kuhk… kgh…” Blood erupted like a fountain. Hwan’s eyes rolled back, leaving only whites. He collapsed like a broken doll, body utterly limp. Consciousness faded. Cold crept in. Is this the end? Dying for nothing, without knowing why? He was furious. The rage piled too high; he refused to die like this. He couldn’t even twitch a finger. Ha… ha… ha… his breath grew shallow. Tears streamed down. He was dying. The heart that had pounded like a drum finally stilled. Time seemed to freeze. In front of him, the old man still huffed with rage. Hwan’s eyes lost their spark. The old man finally confirmed Hwan’s death, then collapsed to his knees and wailed—sobbing so hard it sounded like madness, as if the strange ritual itself was escaping. After a while he staggered up and left the cave. Outside, sirens wailed from the village. The old man froze, listening to the distant wail, then turned and ran up the mountain instead of toward the village. He’d wasted enough time there. As for the interior of the cave, Hwan’s consciousness sank deeper into the abyss. He wasn’t quite dead yet, but he was dying. He still didn’t want to die. The injustice and the leftover bitterness held his fading awareness together. Then a strange woman appeared, looking down at the dying boy. “Unfair…” Hwan muttered. Though no sound came out, the words echoed anyway. He kept pleading. “Mom… Dad…” He called for them, but no answer returned. “Unfair… too unfair…” She watched him with dead eyes, as if mocking him. She bowed slightly, facing the boy who was slowly dying from injustice. “Are you that unfair? You don’t want to die like this, do you?” she asked. Her voice rang crystal clear. Hwan’s lips twitched, yet only blood gushed from between them. Only a faint, broken sound escaped his throat. She smiled. It seemed she could read his mind. With a white hand she gently stroked his bloodied cheek. “Do you want to live?” Hwan could not answer. He only kept twitching his lips like a dying fish. “Do you want revenge? Hehe… that’s right… now you hope I’ll help you? My offer hasn’t changed. If you help me, I can help you. Well? Can you decide?” She spoke as if they were having a conversation. She asked again. Hwan let out a metallic rasp and blinked once. That seemed enough for her. She laughed brightly. She helped him stand, supporting the bleeding body, and guided him to the almost-torn amulet in front of the rock. “Here… tear it for me. I promise—if you do, I’ll help your revenge.” Could he really trust her? If he tore that amulet, would she actually save him? Could she calm this injustice, this rage? She lifted his still-intact right arm and led him to the amulet. Hwan’s fingers twitched painfully. He kept missing, but finally managed to snag the edge of the torn amulet. The woman’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She urged him on. “Hurry! Tear it for me! Then I’ll help your revenge!” Her voice shook with excitement, no trace of kindness left. Maybe this was her true voice—the gentle one she had shown until now had all been fake. Hwan understood. Perhaps she wouldn’t help at all… But there was nothing he could do. The amulet finally slipped free. A thunderclap exploded right in front of him. A blinding flash, and the rock’s seal cracked deeper. Boom! Boom! More thunder. Laughter bubbled up beside him. The rock shattered in half! Hwan blacked out and collapsed. The woman jumped for joy, laughing wildly. “Finally! Finally! Freedom! At last!! Haha! After thousands of years, I’ve reclaimed the freedom I dreamed of!” For so many years she had been trapped in this wretched place. How much time had passed? The world had changed so much he could barely tell. She had spent decades searching for someone who would listen to her voice. Years, decades, centuries—screaming until her throat burned, spitting blood, but no one listened. Until finally she found him. She saw the dying child in front of her. She had no idea why his soul resonated with hers, but trouble had almost come. Still, here she was. Her gaze shifted to the broken statue behind the rock. She sneered at the grotesque image. “I never thought you’d hold out till the end… But look! It’s done! The one you feared—the one who became free again! Hahaha! Finally! Freedom!” That old man’s roar had been the final trap. Thanks to it, the power binding the boy vanished. Maybe she had hidden strength, but the situation had been too desperate. She thought things would go her way. She looked at Hwan again and tore the amulet with her last strength. She looked finished. Blood loss was too great. She wouldn’t survive. She would die… or become a restless ghost with so much hatred. She smiled cruelly. She leaned down in front of the dying boy and mocked him. His breath was fading. She clicked her tongue. “Tsk tsk. You’re not worth helping. But… since I promised, I’ll at least give you the chance to die properly. The old man’s gone. The trap is gone. You can finally rest.” Her voice was cold, but her eyes held something almost like pity. The boy’s lips moved faintly. She watched him with a twisted smile, waiting to see what he would do. The rock had shattered. The seal was broken. Freedom—after a thousand years—had finally come.