The Fox's Price
I know nothing. "Just calm down. That crazy old man already ran away." "Huh? What, what is th-that..." "That old man. The damn old man already thought you were dead and ran off. And right now, the police are set up in the village. Maybe they'll find this place soon." "P-police..." My head still wasn't clear. It was a mess. It felt like an extension of a nightmare. My pale lips trembled over and over, unable to settle. I was thirsty, my throat burning. "Was it... all a dream.." Memories began to surface one by one. And honestly, it wasn't a dream. Regrettably, every single one of them was real. I asked the woman in my confused state. "H-how am I alive then?" I remember. I remember clearly. I had definitely died. The vivid sensation of that sharp, icy blade stabbing deep into my neck still haunted me. Ah! Just thinking about it made my spine crawl with goosebumps even now. I touched my neck with a trembling hand, but surprisingly, the wound was already gone. What the hell had happened? Not just the wound. My body felt light. There was no pain. Only the clothes I was wearing had torn in places, blood staining them. The woman's expression grew even colder as she said, "You still don't know how you survived?" "What?" "Hmm.. Who would you think could save you here?" She actually asked me back. Her voice was still sharp as a blade. I had to look at her again, rubbing my neck where it had been hurt before. Yeah... The only person who could save me here right now was... She suddenly stepped right in front of me. "You get it now? I saved you." "W-why..." "Why? Because you have to get me out of here. Even to smear that stupid Buddha statue over there with my blood. I will never... I don't want to be trapped here again. I can't survive in this hellish place any longer." She glared at the Buddha statue behind the rock, grinding her teeth. My gaze naturally turned to the statue too. The statue that had been furious just moments ago was now smiling with benevolence. At that moment, her hand gripped both of my cheeks and forced me to look into her eyes. Her eyes burned with hatred and fury, like sinister flames flickering and roaring. I couldn't look away from her. "Since I saved you, now it's your turn to help me. No! Now you're mine. From now on, follow me like a mother, obey my every word, and follow my will. Understand? That's the price you paid for me saving you." It was no longer just a warning—it was nearly blackmail. And in her appearance, a strange fox-like look overlapped once more. I shuddered at the sight. My body trembled like aspen leaves again. Yet deep in my chest, an unbearable, infuriating feeling surged. It soon turned into defiance. "Why..." My lips turned blue as I forced out the words. I barely managed to speak. My voice was choked, and my throat burned like it would spit blood with every word. I vomited tears and spilled my grievance. "Why are you doing this to me... Why me.. Why..." "What, what did you say?" The bubbling rage finally exploded. Why? Why did I have to end up like this? What wrong had I done to make me submit to this woman? I... I really knew nothing. "What wrong did I do?! Why?! Why do I have to listen to you! Why do I have to obey you! Why me!" Crack! At that moment, her sharp hand slapped my cheek hard. My head snapped to the side. A stinging pain exploded across my face. At the same time, a massive aura surged from her body. Her eyes turned completely inhuman, glowing blood-red with rage. Her fingernails had grown sharp like blades, and on her beautiful face, the white fox's appearance overlapped once more. "How dare you try to defy me? A filthy human like you! You dare rebel against me, who has lived for thousands of years!!" "Then kill me again! Kill me!" I could endure no more. I really didn't know how to calm this rising fury. "What the hell?! Why is this happening to me! I... I really know nothing! I was chased away and killed because I knew nothing! But what are you?! Who the hell are you! Why are you doing this to me! Why is this happening to me! Where are my parents.. Mom and Dad, where did they go! Why me!! Why are you doing this! I hate it! I hate everything now!!" Her aura grew sharper. An immense, tidal wave of fury wrapped around me. At the same time, the furious woman reached out and grabbed my throat, forcing it upward. "Cough.. cough cough.." I struggled. I grabbed her hand and thrashed in agony, but the power transmitted to me wasn't human. The dimensions were different. "Kuhhk.. kuhk...." It felt like my breath would stop right there. My face flushed bright red, my eyes rolling white. The woman ground her teeth and said, "If you really want to die that much, I'll kill you? Huh? You'll die?" She spoke while pressing harder on my throat. As I struggled desperately, my arms finally went limp and dropped to my sides. She clicked her tongue in irritation, then threw me to the ground without mercy. Thud! I fell heavily to the ground with a loud noise. I barely gulped air and panted, clutching my stinging throat while still glaring at her. I still hadn't given up my defiance. The woman found my defiant eyes even more displeasing. "Why... why can't you kill me?" Her expression hardened even more. She coughed dryly, spit thickly, staggered to her feet, and glared at me. "You... You can't get out of here unless it's me, right? That's why you can't kill me!" "You really want to die?" "No! You can't kill me! You need me too! That's why you called me! That's why you can't kill me! The reason you tried to save me from those crazy ones, the reason you asked me to remove the talisman on that rock—all of it is because you want to get out of here! Am I wrong? You also... need my help after all." Her fingernails sharpened further. And then those nails reached right in front of my eyes again. But this time, the nails stopped abruptly at the last moment. I could feel even more certainty from her reaction. Moreover, I myself was no longer sane. The surging grievance had driven me to the brink of losing reason. I didn't want to be treated like this anymore. I didn't want to be dragged around by this unbearable, infuriating feeling. "Tell me! You needed me too, right? Then... let's make a fair deal." "A deal? How dare a mere human ask me for a deal?" "Yes! It's a deal! I'll get you out of here. In exchange... you have to help me.. I don't know where my parents are right now. Save my parents. Then I'll help you too." "A mere human? How arrogant you are, to me who has lived for thousands of years?" "If you don't like it.. just stay trapped here.. and kill me." The woman scattered her ruthless aura, but in the end she couldn't say anything else. She just glared at me with eyes full of hatred. "Hurry... decide.." ///////// I had finally come outside. A gloomy sky appeared. How long had I been in the cave? Time was unclear. Ah well... At least I knew the day had brightened. The wind blowing was quite cold. The rain had stopped, but the weather looked like it could start raining again anytime. I started descending the mountain wearily, stumbling. Beside me was a beautiful woman with an expression as if she had stepped in something disgusting, but she didn't say much. Perhaps because she hadn't been outside in a while? Her expression looked full of irritation, but she seemed to feel a new emotion from coming outside. She stared at the gloomy sky for a long time. Then she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It almost seemed like a tear was about to form at the corners of her eyes. At that moment, I stopped walking briefly and asked. "How should I call you from now on? Do you have a name?"