What Are You Doing Right Now?
"What are you doing right now?"
A voice rang out. It was so low and menacing that it barely sounded human. Ha Ye-jin pulled her hand away from the picture frame. She was too shocked to even scream. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed right there.
In the darkness, Ha Ye-jin saw a shadowy figure approaching her.
"Ah, well... um..."
"I asked what you're doing."
The figure was already right in front of her nose. It was Ji Hye-seong. Gone was the kindly smile he wore during conversations. His face wasn't fully visible in the dark, but it was clear it was twisted into something grotesque and chilling.
"Not going to answer?"
Ji Hye-seong reached out toward Ha Ye-jin as he spoke. That hand was truly a devil's claw. Ha Ye-jin felt utterly powerless before it. The pitch-black hand, painted by the shadows, slowly approached her cheek.
Crack.
In that instant, the single shadow split into two, and the extending hand froze.
"Whoops, looks like the friend I brought made a big mistake."
"......"
Mun Yo-seop, who had snuck up, grabbed Ji Hye-seong's wrist and spoke in his usual nonchalant tone. Ji Hye-seong stared silently at Mun Yo-seop's face. Mun Yo-seop continued.
"I was deeply moved by that painting too. Isn't it the scene of Adonai descending through the burning bush? The flames are depicted so vividly, it almost tricks you into thinking they're real fire."
"Mun Yo-seop."
"Right, and last time, I almost touched that photo too and got scolded by you. Seeing that painting just gives you this irresistible urge to touch it."
"That never happened. You've never cared about icons or anything like that."
"It's like knowing it won't burn you, yet still reaching toward the flame in hope. Like a moth to the fire. Isn't that right, Priestess Ha Ye-jin?"
Mun Yo-seop shifted his gaze to Ha Ye-jin. Even in the darkness, his eyes gleamed with madness.
Ha Ye-jin stood up, nodding.
"Yes. I just... couldn't help myself."
"I understand, but it's still someone else's painting. You shouldn't have touched it."
"I'm sorry."
"......"
Ji Hye-seong alternated glances between the two conversing. Mun Yo-seop lightly patted Ji Hye-seong's shoulder and spoke.
"We'll be off now. 'Those who know much dress themselves humbly,' was it? Anyway, I'll take your advice to heart. It was really helpful. Come on, Priestess Ha Ye-jin. Let's go."
Mun Yo-seop said his piece, gave a casual farewell, and quickly left Ji Hye-seong's house.
Even after leaving the house, Mun Yo-seop kept silent for a long while. Ha Ye-jin did the same. They hurried away from Ji Hye-seong's house as if fleeing.
"......Did he catch the scent?"
"......"
Ha Ye-jin nodded silently at Mun Yo-seop's question. He nodded back.
"A shame. It would've been better if we'd gotten hard proof right in front of us."
"But the circumstantial evidence is clear. The smell, his words and actions—too many suspicious signs."
"That's why I plan to follow up investigating him."
Mun Yo-seop continued expressionlessly.
"You should sit out the follow-up."
"......Pardon?"
Ha Ye-jin thought she'd misheard. After three sleepless days helping with the investigation, now that the suspect was narrowing in, was she being discarded?
Mun Yo-seop looked down at the ground as he spoke.
"From the follow-up on, it'll really get dangerous. This isn't like hunting demons in the city or catching devil beasts. It's crawling into the lions' den—the source of the demons and devil beasts."
"Still, I don't want to back out. No matter how dangerous—"
"If we catch the Satanists this time, I'll make sure you get your full share. Don't worry about that. Still want in?"
Ha Ye-jin hesitated at his words. Getting the reward for catching Satanists without the danger sounded ideal.
"......I knew it was dangerous from the start. Scaring me now won't make me quit."
"Then come to my house this Sunday. The ruined cathedral from last time."
"Yes."
"We'll link up then and move together. Head home and rest for today."
They parted ways there. Tension and fear etched Ha Ye-jin's face, while a strange sadness and horror lingered on Mun Yo-seop's.
*
Click.
I fastened the watch around Ma Yu-hyeon's wrist and untied the knots binding his ankles and neck.
Ma Yu-hyeon stretched luxuriously, reveling in his long-lost freedom of movement, then looked at the watch on his wrist and spoke.
"What's this? A GPS tracker or something?"
"GPS tracker and a wiretap."
I stated the facts plainly, as if it were no big deal. I figured telling him outright would be more effective at curbing his behavior than hiding it.
Ma Yu-hyeon snorted as if he'd expected it.
"Fine, I get the tracker, but a wiretap too? What, gonna eavesdrop on me?"
"To make sure you don't say anything stupid."
"The watch looks expensive, so I like it... but what if I take it off or smash it? Then it's pointless, right?"
"Try it."
"What?"
Ma Yu-hyeon asked incredulously. While imprisoning him in the worship hall basement, I'd run various experiments on him to test how far Voodoo spells worked. The ones that affected him were only Faint and Nightmare. Spells like Memory Crush or Intoxication had zero effect.
Whenever I cast them, some unknown force attacked me—something I couldn't comprehend.
I pointed to the watch on his wrist.
"If you're curious, go ahead. Take it off, smash it, whatever."
I'd engraved spells into his watch: Faint, Nightmare, and Memory Crush. If he removed it, if it broke, or if I pressed the button on the receiver from Mun Yo-seop, the spells would activate.
First, Faint and Nightmare would knock him out and trap him in nightmares. Second, Memory Crush would erase the memories of anyone around him.
If he said anything suspicious or went somewhere shady, I'd hit the button to put him to sleep. Then track him via GPS and kill him. Perfect control.
"......No need to test it. Pointless anyway. So you're letting me go now? About time I see some sunlight."
"Yeah."
I answered and drew a spell circle. Spotting it, Ma Yu-hyeon panicked and yelled.
"You said you were letting me out! You fucking bastard, that's not what you—!"
"Can't send you out clear-headed; you'd expose the worship hall's location."
"Hey, wait. You don't trust me? I swear I won't tell anyone, how many times do I have to—"
By then, the spell circle was complete. Mist poured from it, enveloping Ma Yu-hyeon. He belatedly covered his nose and mouth, but it was futile. Voodoo mist wasn't so easily blocked.
"When you wake up, you'll be outside."
Thud.
He passed out instantly. Other spells failed, but Faint worked like a charm. I loaded his unconscious body into Ba'al's maw and headed out. I'd been cooped up in the worship hall so long I'd lost track of day or night—it was night outside.
I dumped him in front of Florence Academy's A Dorm, the girls' residence. If someone spotted him before he woke, he'd be in a world of trouble. Not my problem.
*
Ha Ye-jin skipped Sunday mass and went to Mun Yo-seop's house as agreed. But even as the appointed time passed, he didn't show. No answer on his phone either. Had he told her to come just to ditch her and investigate alone?
Betrayal welled up—right before it boiled over, Mun Yo-seop arrived.
He held a bouquet in his left hand.
"Sorry I'm late. There was a commendation ceremony this morning, so I went, but it dragged on."
"Ah... right, today was the ceremony."
Ha Ye-jin easily pieced it together. Mun Yo-seop had astutely predicted demon and devil beast outbreaks, positioning handpicked clergy there. They'd exterminated them with minimal casualties, earning him the plaque.
But he had no plaque—just flowers.
"Where's the plaque? Just the flowers?"
"Told them to send the plaque and junk to the office. Didn't want it hindering the investigation."
"The flowers seem more in the way."
Mun Yo-seop glanced at the bouquet.
"You're right. Better toss it?"
"......No, now that I think about it, it's a gift—feels wrong to throw it away."
"Yeah. Anyway, not the time for chit-chat. Let's move."
Mun Yo-seop quickened his pace toward their destination. Ha Ye-jin followed without protest. Their target: the cathedral where Ji Hye-seong officiated mass as honorary priest every Sunday.
They waited until mass ended and people left, then sneaked inside and hid behind an abandoned confessional in the corner.
They planned to tail Ji Hye-seong.
"But do we have to tail him on Sunday specifically?"
Ha Ye-jin whispered. Mun Yo-seop watched Ji Hye-seong tidy the altar area and replied.
"If Satanists hold gatherings, it'd be Sundays. Clergy discipline's laxest then."
"......"
Even Mun Yo-seop lacked certainty. Ha Ye-jin watched anxiously, worried they'd waste the day with nothing. Hiding and spying felt sinful too.
Ji Hye-seong wandered the altar aimlessly for minutes, occasionally reading scripture or clasping hands in prayer. Then he glanced at a statue in the back, looked around, and opened a door in the corner, slipping inside.
"Where's he going?"
"No idea. Wait."
They whispered, patiently awaiting his return. But minutes passed—no sign.
Odd. Per Mun Yo-seop's intel, Ji Hye-seong usually patrolled the altar post-mass then headed home or to appointments. A break room beyond? Unlikely—he suffered insomnia, barely sleeping day or night.
"......We go in."
"Pardon? Into where?"
"That door."
Mun Yo-seop pointed. Ha Ye-jin hesitated. Unknown dangers beyond—rushing in was risky.
"......Let's go."
But the uncertainty demanded entry. They crept silently to the door. Mun Yo-seop expertly picked the lock with a wire—noiselessly.
"......"
Anyone watching would've pegged him for a thief, not an inquisitor.
Beyond: stairs descending underground. They went down. At the bottom, another locked door.
"It's locked. Now what?"
"Always a way."
Mun Yo-seop bent the wire and inserted it. It popped open ridiculously easily.
A cave stretched ahead—pitch black, visibility near zero. A faint flicker far off, like a distant point of light.
They followed silently. The light grew nearer. As it loomed close, they halted in unison.
"AUM SHRIM MAHA LAKSHMIYEI SWAHA AH-UU-MM──"
The cave ended in a vast cavern, like a mined-out plaza. At its center, massive flames flickered. Black lines circled the fire in a ring. Thirteen naked women and Ji Hye-seong danced around it, chanting incomprehensible, eerie incantations.
"Eup......!"
Ha Ye-jin clamped her mouth and nose, suppressing revulsion. The foul, horrific stench of black magic permeated the air.
The thirteen women and Ji Hye-seong danced to the flames' rhythm. Their overlapping chants created grotesque noise.
It was a Satanic rite.
(Continued in the next chapter)