I Won't Just Take It Anymore. 【 SIDE Ha-eun 】

I still remember it. That day at Gwiam Reservoir.

Suddenly, black smoke was absorbed into my body—

And I had a dream.

'Not bad at all.'

Who was this man? On the surface, he looked like just an ordinary middle-aged guy. The kind you'd spot walking down any neighborhood street once or twice—completely unremarkable.

The only thing setting him apart from your average neighborhood uncle was his outfit. From head to toe, pure white. Like a declaration to purify all the filth of the world—a spotless white robe. Over his heart, some incomprehensible pattern was embroidered in gold thread.

And beside this middle-aged man stood another, slightly younger, rubbing his palms together fawningly. I knew who he was. From Il-sik's memories, the man called Il-sik.

'Haha, what do you think? I nearly broke my back raising her this far. Scrounging up sacrifices, sneaking in the drops... dodging the cops, shamans, and those Vatican bastards—do you know how hard I worked?'

'Well done, priest. Thanks to you, I can bring good news back to headquarters.'

'No need for thanks. It's all thanks to you, Bishop. So, then...'

'Rest easy. That business with "the one sacrifice that got away" won't be held against you. I'll handle that "escaped sacrifice" myself.'

'Thank you! Truly, thank you!'

'But don't forget—this must be handled discreetly. Nothing like this can happen again. Understood?'

'Of course! I'll be extra careful, I swear!'

'Good... Oh, right. Time to wash your hands of this reservoir now.'

'Pardon?'

'This reservoir's almost complete. It'll be safer if I take over from here instead of you.'

'...Understood. So what should I do next?'

'Isn't it obvious? Lure in some suitable mark like always and make another evil spirit. Customers willing to pay top dollar for them are piling up... Hold on.'

'Yes?'

'Ho, interesting.'

Suddenly, the man called the Bishop reached toward the reservoir. From its depths rose a sunken soul.

'Guh... guh... I'll kill you! Kill you! I'm gonna KILL youuu!!'

'Huh? Isn't this that Il-sik punk?'

'Right, the latest one you said you dropped in. But this guy's got some real spiritual sense, it seems.'

'Pardon? That's news to me...'

'Haha, of course I wouldn't tell you. People with spiritual sense don't get treated well in the world.'

'Ah...'

'Plus, his resentment resonated with the other vengeful spirits down there. He'll make a fine evil spirit.'

'So you're turning him into an evil spirit?'

'The more evil spirits, the better, right?'

The Bishop chanted some incantation and pulled a talisman from his robe. He looked like a pastor on the outside, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a talisman? It didn't suit him at all.

He slapped the talisman onto Il-sik's soul.

'Grah... grahahaha< strong>KRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE!!'

Suddenly, Il-sik's form turned black and he let out a horrific screech. I could feel his soul warping, corrupting.

'Kyaa, kyaaaaah!!'

At the same time, excruciating pain hit me. It should have been Il-sik suffering, but the agony echoed straight into me.

Right then, something else seeped into my body. Darker, stickier than the Bishop's talisman—a ravenous power that wanted to devour everything in the world.

But the more that ominous force spread through me... the pain faded.

As if it were claiming to be on my side.

'Wha...?'

It wasn't just the pain. That greedy power stripped away Il-sik's memories, his emotions—everything.

Breathing felt easier.

'Ha-eun! You're finally awake!'

'M-M-Manager oppa?'

When I came to, I was in the hospital ER. Apparently, a bunch of bodies had washed up from Gwiam Reservoir. Seorin had gone to the police station to give her statement. They'd brought me here because they were worried about my condition.

Luckily, I was fine health-wise. Just fainted, nothing more.

After that, I went home without issue.

'Yeah, just a dream. Right, that's all it was.'

A nightmare born from too many brutal experiences. That's what I told myself and tried to move on.

But.

'Ugh... uuu...'

After the Gwiam Reservoir incident, I started having strange dreams every night.

In them, I was very young. Maybe four or five?

And the people around me weren't my parents. Or more precisely...

Not my current parents.

'We offer her! Please let us offer our child!'

'Ah, for the child I bore to become a sacrifice for the Great One—what greater honor could there be?'

I was bound on some altar.

My "dream parents" gazed up at someone with beaming smiles, overjoyed.

I couldn't see the someone's face—just their back.

'Your faith impresses even me. The "God" will be most pleased.'

'Ah, aah...!'

'Then!'

'Rest assured. Offer this child as sacrifice, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and your business will thrive. God will watch over you.'

'Ooh! Finally! Our lives are saved!'

'Thank you! Thank you!'

My parents rejoiced. The same parents who'd always been cold to me, always fighting at home—they smiled happily.

Watching them, my "dream self" seemed happy too.

Then.

The "someone" with their back to me turned around. A familiar face.

'This child is truly special.'

Ah.

I remembered. He looked just like the Bishop from Gwiam Reservoir. A bit younger, maybe.

'A "sacrifice" this exceptional is a first for me. You're truly blessed. Ordinary sacrifices don't even reach God. But this one... she's different.'

He smiled.

'A "special sacrifice" like this? God will surely rejoice.'

And there, I woke up.

It was so weird. Why had I mistaken those dream man and woman for my parents? My real parents were right outside the door.

And what did that Bishop have to do with me?

'Just a crazy dream. Yeah, that's all.'

At first, I brushed it off as a wild dream from all the weird stuff I'd been through.

But when the same dream kept repeating—

I couldn't help but suspect.

Maybe I had some connection to that Bishop's cult?

Around then, Seorin came to me.

She wanted to give the school bullies a proper thrashing and asked if I could help.

That's when I heard everything. About the Jin-hon Gu-won Association, and Il-sik making evil spirits at the reservoir.

'...No way?'

Come to think of it, why had I chosen Gwiam Reservoir out of all the haunted spots for that exorcism broadcast?

Did someone deliberately lure me there?

'Nah, no way.'

I tried to deny it. I was just an ordinary high school girl streamer. No reason for anyone to target me specifically. I didn't want to believe it.

Then one day, my uncle came begging for a favor.

Murders and disappearances had hit his goshiwon apartment hard—rumors were spreading, no one wanted to rent. He'd go bankrupt at this rate. Could I please help?

I hesitated at first. I was scared.

Every exorcism stream brought evil spirits and endless ordeals. What if I got dragged into another incident?

'And... that Bishop from the Jin-hon Gu-won Association.'

What if he was after me? Though it was probably just paranoia. No reason for him to target me. It was all just dreams, I told myself.

Plus, ignoring my uncle's plea—someone I'd owed so much to—pricked my conscience.

So I ended up on the third exorcism broadcast.

If it went smoothly, I'd know my worries were unfounded. Just bad luck so far.

...

But it didn't.

I faced an even more horrific monster and got possessed by an evil spirit.

Especially when it entered my body.

<Hee hee hee! Mine! This body's mine now!>

<Mine! The Bishop promised it to me!>

Fragments of the evil spirit's memories flashed through my mind.

'Who'd have thought this girl was still alive.'

'Now, remember this child.'

'Bring me her soul.'

'And her flesh is yours.'

The Bishop's offer to the evil spirit.

That's when I realized.

My fears weren't baseless.

The Jin-hon Gu-won Association was targeting me.

I just listened to everything Ha-eun had to say. Slurp. I finished my freshly ordered caramel macchiato, listening to the ice clink.

Calmly, I shared my honest feelings.

"That's not your fault."

"No! It is! If ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd warned you earlier that I might get attacked..."

"No, you didn't know for sure."

If she'd said she might get attacked because of a dream, I'd have worried about her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mental health. Just chalked it up to ominous nightmares stressing her out.

Who'd have guessed my friend was tied to the Jin-hon Gu-won Association... I never saw that coming.

"You saw the evil spirit's memories through your spiritual sense?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Hmm..."

This was pretty shocking. As I'd said before, evil spirits' lingering thoughts were too much for me to handle right now. That's why I'd left them alone.

Yet she'd taken them in and come out mostly unscathed?

I'd known her spiritual sense was exceptional from the moment I saw it.

If it could even read evil spirit memories...

I crunched the ice cubes one by one, pondering our next move.

And finally, I reached a conclusion.

"Ha-eun."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Let's keep doing the exorcism broadcasts."

"What!?"

Ha-eun's eyes went wide.

"What are you talking about? After today, you want to do more exorcism streams?! That's... way too dangerous!"

"It's fine. Not dangerous. You saw me handle that evil spirit bastard easily."

"But... I can't keep burdening you..."

"Nah, it's the opposite. I like it."

Because.

I'd finally found a way to get stronger.

"Ha-eun. This is good for both of us."

I recalled how my power had amplified during the broadcast.

I had a rough idea of why.

And if my guess was right...

The bigger my channel grew, the more viewers tuned in, the more my power would recover.

"The bigger the broadcast, the stronger I get."

That way, I could protect my friend too.

"To grow the broadcast, I need your help."

Ha-eun, the experienced streamer—Mirinae—her know-how was essential.

"Let's do it together."

I held out my hand to her.

"I won't just take it anymore."

Ha-eun's eyes trembled fiercely as she stared at my hand.