Daki wandered through the buzzing streets of the city, a low frown curling on her lips as crowds passed her in all directions—couples holding hands, elderly women carrying groceries, children laughing and running with balloons. Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar buildings and alleyways, realizing something troubling.
"…Where the hell is his house again?" she muttered, annoyed.
For someone as prideful as Daki, getting lost in the human world was humiliating. She crossed her arms, pausing on a street corner. "Humans are really scary," she said under her breath, watching as their emotions bounced wildly—happy, angry, greedy, selfish. She found them disgusting. Yet oddly… interesting.
As she moved forward, something caught her attention.
A scent.
She sniffed the air. "Eun Jun…?" Her sharp eyes flicked toward the direction of the trail. "That's his scent. He's close."
She turned and walked into a narrow alley between two walls—and froze.
There he was.
Eun Jun, cornered by four boys wearing the same school uniform, was getting beaten. One shoved him against the wall, another kicked his side. Blood smeared his nose and lips. He didn't even try to fight back.
A punching bag.
Pathetic.
Daki clicked her tongue and turned away. "Tch. Not my business," she told herself, walking a few steps before she halted again.
She let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "I really shouldn't be doing this…"that's right I'm doing it for the sword nothing else.
In a flash of smoke and shadow, her form shifted. Muscles replaced her slim figure. Her demon features were masked by that of a tall, broad-shouldered man—handsome, intimidating, and radiating a dark aura.
With a low voice filled with venom, she stepped into the alley.
"How dare you lay your filthy hands on my thing," the man said—her voice, disguised.
The bullies turned. "Who the hell are you?
Before they could react, Daki moved. One punch sent the largest boy flying into the wall. Another was slammed to the ground. A knee to the gut knocked the third out cold. The last tried to run, but Daki grabbed him by the collar and threw him onto the others.
All four groaned and scrambled away in terror, bruised and broken.
Daki dusted off her fake jacket and turned, calmly walking out of the alley.
But footsteps followed her.
Eun Jun.
He grabbed the back of her coat timidly. "Wait."
She stopped mid-step.
"Why are you following me, you stinking human?" she asked, voice still low from her male disguise.
Eun Jun smiled weakly, wiping blood from his chin. "I know it's you."
Daki blinked.
Eun Jun stepped closer. "You don't know the way home… do you?"
Silence.
Then the fake man smirked.
Daki shifted back into her true self, flipping her hair over her shoulder and letting her usual smug expression return.
"Hmph. So you did recognize me."
Eun Jun laughed softly. "Well, you did save me. And… you punched like a demon. No human can do that."
Daki scoffed. "That's because you humans are weak. I'm just protecting what's mine."I mean the sword
"What's yours?" Eun Jun blinked.
"You," she said casually. "Until we find that sword, you're mine. So don't go dying before I get what I want."
Eun Jun grinned, despite his injuries. "Then I'll do my best to survive… Daki."
She rolled her eyes. "Tch. Come on. Let's get out of here. This place reeks of human filth."
As the two walked off—one limping, one annoyed—a shadow watched them from a nearby rooftop.
Dark eyes narrowed.
As they reached home, Daki stopped at the door.
"I have somewhere to go," she said flatly.
Eun Jun blinked. "Where are you going? We just got home." He looked around the living room—broken furniture, cracks on the wall, the remains of what used to be a TV. "Wow… you really destroyed everything. Seems like you seriously need a toy."
Daki froze.
"What did you just say?"
She snapped her head toward him, eyes burning red for a split second. She understood the meaning now.
"That," Daki growled, stepping closer, "should be the last time you ever say that."
Eun Jun swallowed but forced a smile. "Wow… so you actually know what that means."
"Screw you," Daki scoffed. "I'm leaving."
She turned toward the door.
Eun Jun followed her with his eyes. "What if you don't find your way back?"
Daki paused, her hand on the handle. "Then this will be our goodbye."
Eun Jun's expression changed. "You're joking… right?"
She glanced back at him, annoyed. "Unfortunately, I still need this stinking human."
Eun Jun smiled—wide and genuinely relieved.
Daki clicked her tongue in disgust and stepped outside, the glass jar clutched tightly in her hand.
As the door closed behind her, Eun Jun muttered to himself,
"…I really wonder what's inside that jar."
Somewhere far away…Daki walked deep into the woods, where the air felt heavier and unnaturally cold. The trees twisted upward like watching shadows.
Hidden between them stood a strange blue door, glowing faintly, floating where no door should exist. Symbols crawled across its surface like living veins, and a powerful barrier pulsed around it.
Daki placed one hand against the barrier.
The seal shattered instantly.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The moment she crossed over, the jar slipped from her hand, hit the ground—and shattered.
Blue smoke poured out.
The smoke twisted, screamed, and slowly took shape.
A human man collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently, gasping for air like someone dragged back from drowning.
He looked up, terrified.
"W-Where am I? Who are you?!"
Daki stared at him, unimpressed.
"…You're not even that handsome."
"What?!" He scrambled backward. "What is this place?!"
Daki crossed her arms. "Dead people are always full of questions."
He froze. "Dead…?"
Daki sighed. "You should already know who I am talking about." She tilted her head. "Lee Bo Ah's sister."
The man's face went pale.
"I—I didn't mean for any of that to happen," he said shakily. "I was trying to help. I swear."
"I know," Daki replied coldly. "That's why you're here."
She walked past him, glancing around the strange realm—blue skies with no sun, grass that glowed faintly, silence that felt almost peaceful.
"To demons like me," she continued, "what you did was… acceptable. To humans?" She scoffed. "Unforgivable."
He lowered his head. "Then why am I not in hell?"
Daki stopped.
She didn't answer immediately.
"I don't know," she said finally. "I should be minding my own business."
She turned back to him, eyes narrowing slightly.
"But that little human… Bo Ah. She was annoyingly cute."
The man looked up, confused.
"If I sent you straight to hell," Daki went on, "she'd never get the chance to understand anything. And I hate unfinished stories."
She waved her hand around the place.
"So instead, I brought you here. This place is far better than hell."
She smirked faintly.