Chapter 91
Chapter 91
Demon (2)
During a break in filming, Yu Yeon-seo decided to watch the first and second episodes of the drama, which had aired two days ago. Although about half of it was pre-produced due to the CG processing, filming was so hectic that he hadn’t had a chance to watch the live broadcast.
“Oh...”
The screen showed objects symbolizing the devil, a Bible, and a blood-soaked cross. Along with a hymn, a scratching sound could be heard, like the whispering voice of a ghost.
Demon
After the mysterious and eerie opening sequence, featuring typography that seemed to scatter like water, the screen faded to black.
-June 6, 1992-
Director Choi, who believed in seizing the audience’s attention from the very first episode, heightened the horror by showing the Black Night Cult’s devil-worshipping ritual in the opening scene.
A priest chanted strange incantations, trembling as if possessed by a spirit, while a person bound on the altar struggled to break free.
(Ugh, ahhhhh!)
The body of the sacrifice caught fire. The CG was clearly well-done, as it didn’t look jarringly fake.
A horrific scream filled the space. The cult members remained motionless as a person burned to death, while the priest wore a look of regret over the failed ritual. The screen turned black, leaving only the grotesque and chilling sounds of death.
Then, a different scene appeared. The reduced aspect ratio and yellowish tint made it look like it was set even further in the past than 1992.
(Without a mother, you can’t register the birth.)
(But he has a father! Why can’t I do it?)
(That’s just the law. Why are you asking me... Sigh... Next, please.)
The community center employee maintained a dismissive attitude, as if thinking, ‘Ah, this guy again... what a pain,‘ and the desperate man was practically kicked out.
Without a resident registration number, the child couldn’t receive health insurance benefits. He couldn’t attend daycare or school. Raphael’s father held a one-man protest in front of the courthouse.
(Oh, you poor thing.)
(We are members of the Black Night Cult.)
(If you become a member, we will do our best to help you.)
A brief narrative of Raphael’s father struggling for his child showed why he ended up joining the Black Night Cult. Finding it hard to get a job while raising a newborn, Raphael’s father became a devout follower thanks to the support from the cult and eventually lay on the altar as a sacrifice for the demonic ritual.
(Ahhhhhhh!)
(Damn, another failure...)
(Dad!)
Raphael’s father was engulfed in flames, the priest watching with a disappointed gaze as if looking at a failed experiment. Over his shoulder, a young, wailing Raphael could be seen.
Next, a fast-paced scene showed a woman escaping with two children. The child and the baby were found by Father Peter and taken into the church.
(Where’s the kid?)
(...)
Leo’s mother, who had acted as a decoy, was cornered in a dead-end alley.
(No choice. Take her.)
(L-Let go of me!)
And so, Leo’s mother also became a sacrifice in the demonic ritual, dying a lonely death on the altar. Then the screen changed.
Inside the church, Raphael drank cocoa made by a nun, while a baby slept soundly in Father Peter’s arms. Rain was falling outside.
-Present Day, 2020.-
-Ooh, this is like a movie
-The atmosphere is insane
-But the minor actors’ theatrical tone is so awkward lol
-I just tuned in, has Yu Yeon-seo appeared yet?
-They said it was horror, but it doesn’t seem that scary?
There was also a feature that replayed the chat messages from viewers who had watched the live broadcast through an app. Yu Yeon-seo, who had been about to turn it off because it was distracting, decided to leave it on, wanting to see the viewers’ reactions at the time.
Nosang-gu St. Peter’s Church, Lunch Service for the Low-Income
In the fictional city of Nosang-gu, Seo Ha-jun, dressed in a black cassock as Kim Leo, was bickering with a middle-aged woman complaining about the food. And Father Peter intervened. Though they argued, their gazes weren’t sharp. It was like watching a close father-son relationship.
(Father?)
(Huh? Oh, right... You’re right.)
The TV screen showed a crime scene. Where a person who had spontaneously combusted had fallen, a soot mark resembling the shape of a demon remained. Father Peter stared at it blankly.
(The fire, the fire won’t go out!)
(Father!)
Then, a burning person appeared, and the church descended into chaos. Screams erupted as Father Peter tried to extinguish the flames. Backing away from the burning man approaching him, Kim Leo collapsed to the ground.
(W-What is this...)
The scene then shifted to an aerial view of the person who had collapsed in front of Kim Leo. A time-lapse showed police tape being set up and police officers and paramedics coming and going.
(In Nosang-gu, Seoul, a suspect who murdered a family of four and fled has been apprehended after a pursuit.)
(A couple has been arrested for brutally assaulting their six-year-old son, leading to his death from abuse and neglect.)
(A man in his 40s has been caught by the police for luring a minor to his home under the guise of a part-time job and committing a sexual offense.)
A news anchor’s voice narrated the bizarre incidents occurring near Nosang-gu. After the investigation was over and the body was removed, a black soot mark remained in the church’s front yard—identical to the one Father Peter had seen on TV.
Father Peter realized that the series of incidents was related to a demon.
(I must request help from the Holy See.)
As a genre heavily reliant on direction, horror had its own unique atmosphere. The screen was mostly dark, but not entirely so.
The Black Night Cult scenes were extremely dark, while the church, despite being set at night, was brightly and warmly lit by streetlights and the lights inside. It seemed intended to show the contrast between good and evil, darkness and light.
(They say he’s the best among the exorcist priests.)
This contrast in brightness was maximized when Yu Yeon-seo’s back appeared, accompanied by Father Peter’s narration. The sound of a pipe organ played as the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace shone brightly in the sunlight. And, of course, this background was CG. Yu Yeon-seo had to walk calmly while playing Father Raphael amidst the green screens.
(Father.)
In a hallway with a sacred atmosphere, a man in a priest’s cassock stopped walking.
-Is Yu Yeon-seo coming on
-Wow, his back is insane
-Awesome
-Wow what an aura
The chat window exploded with messages. It was filled with special characters, as if everyone was using swear words as exclamations of awe.
Yu Yeon-seo furrowed his brow as he watched himself on screen. Was it really that bright? he wondered. Since the background was going to be CG anyway, I don’t think they used strong lighting.
‘There were a lot of reflectors, though...’
Father Raphael, having stopped, turned around. His face, slightly obscured by the pouring white light, gradually came into focus.
Did they add special effects to the screen too? Yu Yeon-seo let out a hollow laugh at the sacred-looking effects lavished upon his on-screen self.
-Wow, he’s crazy handsome, where are his wings
-This is insane
-Father, I like you so... so much..
-Yeon-seo, did you fall from heaven after your wings were torn off ㅠㅠ?
-I want to explain specifically what I like but all I can say is I just like him ㅠㅠ
(Korea? You mean... Korea...)
Here, Yu Yeon-seo had paid close attention to his facial expression—a subtle smile that held both gladness and sorrow.
Satisfied that it had turned out as intended, he smiled and moved the playback bar forward. He found it too awkward to continue watching himself in such a scene. The gushing comments from the viewers were also hard to watch.
And that was the end of Father Raphael’s appearance in the first episode.
Convinced that the spontaneous combustion incidents and crimes happening nearby were closely related to a demon, Father Peter began preparing for an exorcism ritual before Raphael’s arrival in Korea.
(Why are you suddenly making so much holy water?)
(There will be a need for it.)
(Jeez, how strange.)
Then, another news anchor’s narration: the frequency of spontaneous combustion incidents and bizarre crimes was increasing. There was still no word from Raphael.
It wasn’t in Father Peter’s nature to stand by idly knowing about these incidents. The scene showed Father Peter resolving to perform the exorcism himself, with Kim Leo watching him strangely.
(Yes, this symbol... from Africa...!)
Father Peter noticed that the symbol at the site where the person burned to death was similar to the symbol of a heretical religion he had seen on the outskirts of Nosang-gu. While investigating the Black Night Cult, Father Peter was struck on the head by an unidentified assailant and lost consciousness.
(F-Father.)
(L-Leo...)
An unquenchable flame ignited on his body. Kim Leo, who had been searching for Father Peter because he hadn’t come to the church, witnessed this.
(Father!)
(R... Run...)
He struggled to put out the fire. Father Peter, worried that Kim Leo might get hurt, forced out words through his pain.
(Hurry...!)
(No!)
(Get away...)
Kim Leo refused to give up and stayed by his side. Father Peter walked unsteadily, like a puppet on strings. His movements seemed controlled by someone else.
The entity controlling Father Peter grabbed Kim Leo’s shoulders, intending to eliminate the only witness. The fire was supposed to transfer to Kim Leo’s body, but...
(W-What is this...)
The fire wasn’t hot. With wide eyes, Kim Leo watched the flames that swirled around his shoulders before disappearing. In the burning Father Peter’s eyes, a single glint of light flickered and then vanished.
Yu Yeon-seo narrowed his eyes at the clearly intentional directing. Was it meant to represent hope? If so, the fleeting light seemed to be consumed by the flames. It was a piece of foreshadowing that only a keen observer would catch.
(Father!)
The fire transferred to Kim Leo and dissipated into the air. But seeing Father Peter’s severely burned body, Kim Leo cried out loudly.
(My... desk, drawer...)
(Desk drawer. Yes, I understand. Don’t talk.)
Father Peter, collapsing weakly, grabbed Kim Leo’s wrist with his charred hand. Kim Leo, whose hand was trembling as he was about to call an ambulance, froze and looked at Father Peter’s burnt face. Tears streamed from his eyes.
(Leo...)
(Yes, yes, Father. Please...)
(My... s...)
But he couldn’t finish his sentence.
(Father?)
He had already stopped breathing, but Kim Leo couldn’t bring himself to shake him, afraid it would hurt his burned body. Unable to do anything else, his hands trembling, Kim Leo lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Father Peter’s chest. And he wailed.
In the final scene of the first episode, a funeral service began at the church to bid farewell to Father Peter. Among the mourners was the woman with the luxury car who had complained about the food, but Kim Leo paid her no mind.
Kim Leo stayed by Father Peter’s side until the very end.
As dusk fell, Father Raphael, dressed in a cassock, opened the door of the quiet, empty church and stepped inside. The camera panned up from Yu Yeon-seo’s feet to reveal his face.
Kim Leo, who had been staring down in despair, looked blankly at the praying Raphael. His face was haggard, the area around his eyes red from crying so much. He looked pathetic.
(...Who are you?)
As far as Kim Leo knew, there were no handsome priests like this one around Father Peter. Father Raphael answered in a low voice.
(I’ve come from the Holy See.)
(What?)
(I came at Father Peter’s request... but it seems I’m too late.)
With a devastated expression, Raphael stood before Kim Leo. A bitter smile played on his lips. His complex expression made Kim Leo hesitate for a moment.
(In any case, thank you for coming. But, Father, who are...)
(Raphael. Please call me Raphael.)
Raphael, Father Raphael. Kim Leo took the letter he had found in the desk drawer, following Father Peter’s last words, out of his pocket.
(...Is that a letter from Father Peter?)
Kim Leo nodded. As Father Raphael reached for the letter in his hand, Kim Leo tightened his grip.
Raphael looked up and met Kim Leo’s gaze. A flicker of determination showed on his haggard face. It was the suspicion that there was a culprit who had done this to Father Peter, and a fighting spirit against them.
(What did our Father request?)
(...You don’t need to know, Father. Please give me the letter.)
But Kim Leo was prepared to cast aside his pride. He kept his hand clenched tightly and spoke with desperation.
(I... I’ll help you too.)
(...)
Father Raphael looked at Kim Leo with a meaningful expression. The red glow of the sunset, shining through the window, enveloped the two men facing each other. And with that, the first episode ended.