But just as Daki turned to leave, the air behind her shifted.
A deep, wet sound echoed through the underworld slrrrk.
From the shadows, a huge black slime-like entity began to crawl forward. Its body stretched unnaturally, dripping thick darkness onto the ground. Wherever it moved, the floor hissed as if it were being burned.
Daki stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"…I thought I wouldn't see that thing here."
She turned fully, unimpressed.
"Well," she said lazily, "here's a little gift for you."
She pointed at the trembling man on the floor.
"Do whatever you like with him."
The slime let out a low, distorted sound, as if it were laughing.
Daki glanced back at the man.
"You're probably wondering where you are."
She waved her hand around the endless darkness.
"This place is called the Underworld. I used to come here often when I lived in hell."
She scoffed.
"I can't believe this place is actually worse than hell."
She walked closer, crouching in front of him.
"Honestly, hell needs an upgrade."
The man's entire body shook.
"I'll explain only two things," Daki continued calmly. "First—"
She snapped her fingers.
"You're going to follow that ugly thing."
The slime moved closer, its surface bubbling violently.
"You'll experience all kinds of pain," she said casually.
"You'll be thrown into acid. You'll feel every second of it. Your flesh will melt, fall apart… then grow back again."
She smiled faintly. "You won't die."
The man screamed, shaking his head violently.
"Your skin will peel off," Daki went on, unfazed.
"And once it grows back… it'll be ripped off again."
She straightened up.
"I won't even mention the second punishment."
The man collapsed forward and knelt, pressing his forehead to the ground.
"Please… please… I'm begging you…"
Daki looked down at him.
"Relax," she said. "It's only one month."
He looked up in shock.
"But," she added, tilting her head,
"one month here equals five months of suffering."
She tapped her chin.
"I'll let Bo Ah watch all of it."
His eyes widened in terror.
"She'll see every moment," Daki continued.
"Until she gets tired of watching."
The man crawled forward and grabbed her leg, sobbing.
"Please… I'll do anything…"
Daki looked down at his hand gripping her clothes.
"…Tch."
She kicked his hand away.
"How about I remove one week from your punishment," she said coldly,
"on one condition."
His head shot up instantly.
"Tell me where Bo Ah's sister is."
She narrowed her eyes.
"The one in a coma. You should know." It's not like I can't find her..
The man hesitated.
The slime growled behind him.
"She's… she's at Kongul Hospital," he stammered.
"I swear I don't know what really happened after that."
Daki's lips curved slightly.
"So she's still alive."
She turned away, clearly bored.
"I've been bored lately," she muttered.
"Guess I'll go check on her."
She took a step toward the glowing door.
"Oh," she added over her shoulder,
"the slime's waiting."
She smirked.
"Have fun."
Then, almost casually:
"And the person who actually killed you?"
"They're probably in hell… or heaven by now."
She shrugged.
"Fifty–fifty, right?"
Daki stepped through the blue door.
It slammed shut.
The man's screams echoed through the underworld until his voice completely vanished.
The city was unusually loud that afternoon.
Sirens wailed in the distance, people crowded around shop televisions, and the same headline repeated everywhere:
"MYSTERIOUS DRIED CORPSE CASE — POLICE STILL WITHOUT LEADS."
Eun Jun barely paid attention.
He was too busy buying instant noodles.
The moment he stepped out of the store, someone collided with him.
Thud.
"Watch where you're going, brat."
Eun Jun stumbled back.
When he looked up, his breath caught.
The man in front of him was huge — tall, broad, muscles stretching the fabric of his black shirt. His presence alone felt heavy, like the air had suddenly thickened.
But that wasn't what scared Eun Jun.
It was the feeling.
A strange, crawling sensation spread across his skin.
His eyes slowly lifted… and landed on the man's neck.
There.
A necklace.
A dark metal chain… with a jagged shard attached to it.
The moment Eun Jun saw it—
His vision blurred.
His ears rang.
And deep inside his chest, something burned.
His pupils flickered red for half a second.
That thing…
That thing doesn't belong here.
Eun Jun swallowed.
"You've… got to be killing me…"
The man noticed his stare.
"What the hell are you looking at?" he growled.
Before Eun Jun could answer, the man grabbed his collar and shoved him back against the wall.
"You got a death wish?"
The pressure of the man's grip made Eun Jun's breath hitch.
But before the fist could come down
"Stop."
A calm voice cut between them.
The man turned.
It was the new transfer student from Eun Jun's class standing there with his hands in his pockets, watching quietly.
"Leave the kid," the student said. "It's not worth it."
The big man scoffed, released Eun Jun with a rough shove, and turned away.
But Eun Jun didn't stay.
The second he felt free He ran.
His heart thundered in his ears as he sprinted through the crowd, weaving between people, turning corners without thinking.
Behind him—
"HEY! COME BACK HERE!"
Eun Jun didn't stop.
He reached into his pocket.
His fingers closed around something cold and sharp.
He raised his hand.
"Looks like… you lost something."
The big man froze.
He grabbed his neck.
The necklace was gone.
"What—?!"
When he looked up again Eun Jun was already disappearing into the crowd.
At HomeThe door burst open.
"DAKI!"
Eun Jun nearly crashed into her.
He grabbed her arms, panting, his chest rising and falling like he'd outrun death itself.
Daki looked down at his trembling hands.
Then she felt it.
Her eyes glowed deep blue.
She seized his wrist.
Energy surged between them.
Her lips slowly curved into a wide, dangerous smile.
"You found part of the sword… didn't you, Eun Jun?"
Eun Jun's breathing slowed.
Cold ran down his spine.
But for the first time since he met her
Daki was smiling like that.
And that terrified him more than anything else.