Chapter 19: The Imugi’s Tale

“Is it the first love you mentioned before?”

“That’s right. It’s them.”

‘Even if you tear my body apart, you can’t take me away.’

Suddenly, Jeong Eun-gyu trembled. His eyes widened. The voice he had heard in a dream. Even though he wasn’t dreaming, he heard it. It couldn’t be an auditory hallucination…? Outside the window, rain was still falling.

“I asked why he had to die, and he said it was because his bloodline was lowly. What bullshit is that? Don’t you think so too, Professor?”

“……Yes.”

“Ironically, I was born into that very bloodline, and I had enough power and authority to use. So it pissed me off. In their eyes, I was messing around shamelessly with a worthless imugi.”

“If you were born into a good bloodline, does that mean you’re royalty… something like that?”

“Similar. The underworld is also a large kingdom. We should arrive on time, so how about a coffee?”

He pointed to the drive-through at the next light. Jeong Eun-gyu nodded and unconsciously gripped his seatbelt tightly.

“I’ll have a warm latte with two extra shots, please.”

“Why are you gripping the belt like that? Cute.”

“I’m nervous.”

If there were a computer inside my body, it would be easier to organize things hardware-wise, but emotions take over and reactions come from the skin. Ahn Dae-young chuckled, ordered at the speaker, and turned the corner to wait. When the car window rolled down, cold air rushed in like a wave.

“So, was that imugi killed?”

“No.”

Ahn Dae-young handed Jeong Eun-gyu his latte, then put a straw in his own drink and downed more than half. Unusually, it was coffee, not chocolate.

“I got there first. I fucked them all over.”

“……How?”

“I hid them somewhere no one could find. As naturally as possible, dreaming of the perfect crime.”

“…….”

“But my sharp-eyed father found out. For the sake of face, he went around saying that he was the one who did what I did… Honestly, that wasn’t necessary. I just wanted them to live.”

– Entering tunnel 500 meters ahead.

As the navigation indicated, the entrance to the tunnel appeared. Jeong Eun-gyu couldn’t taste the latte sliding down his throat.

“But then.”

“…….”

“They forgot me.”

“…….”

“They shouldn’t have forgotten me, of all people.”

The lights hanging from the tunnel ceiling suddenly flickered, on and off repeatedly. The tunnel, where darkness came and went in an instant, seemed like the gates of hell. Jeong Eun-gyu froze solid.

Ahn Dae-young, who had been telling the story indifferently while keeping his eyes fixed on Jeong Eun-gyu, snapped his fingers. At once, the tunnel lights, which had been flickering as if about to burst, shone brightly.

“On the 25th, the imugi can ascend on the night of the full moon. Because it survived a thousand years without dying. Yesterday, I went to the cathedral for that and other things.”

The cathedral was where Father Peter was. There might be other cathedrals in this country, but given the circumstances, it was likely he went there. However, Jeong Eun-gyu couldn’t say a word.

His insides were too noisy.

Unwanted things tore through his head and chest simultaneously. It felt like the snakes and ghosts that had tormented him were digging in, devouring his organs and flesh.

Instinct told him: these were not made-up stories.

Headache medicine. He desperately needed headache medicine. He would swallow it as soon as he got upstairs. If he had his way, he would swallow an entire pack at once.

“If you’ve got what you wanted, why don’t you answer now?”

The hospital came into view. Seyeon Hospital. Jeong Eun-gyu had endured here. Ironically, this hospital, where the boundary between life and death was precarious every day, was the only place where he could live like a human. When he worked busily here, the past he wanted to tear apart was forgotten for a while. So he had immersed himself in work.

“……Yes.”

A very weak reply followed.

“Let’s date.”

At the answer that seemed about to collapse, the sharp, cold eyes under the baseball cap narrowed. Even though he got the answer he wanted, Ahn Dae-young didn’t smile. Instead, he grabbed Jeong Eun-gyu’s hand as he was about to get out of the car and said:

“Get a grip on yourself.”

It was the same warning as their first meeting, but the nuance was completely different. Jeong Eun-gyu stared at Ahn Dae-young for a moment, then, as raindrops fell on the nape of his neck, he hastily shook off the grabbed hand and disappeared into the lobby.

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

Beside Father Peter, who made the sign of the cross, an assistant priest took out items that had been soaked in holy water one by one. The items were very simple: a small bell, a cross, and a rosary.

Before them sat a possessed person, their body limp as if dead, and a trembling family, anxiously watching this side. The assistant priest placed the rosary around the possessed person’s wrist and looked back at Father Peter.

“Father, we are ready.”

Between them, a long path made of salt had been created. It was a line that must not be crossed.

“Even if something surprising happens, do not be alarmed and continue to pray.”

“Yes, yes. Yes… F-Father… Is there really S-Satan inside our Myeongseok’s body…?”

The mother, wearing a veil, trembled especially violently. Father Peter pushed up his glasses.

“Hmm. Most are cases of counseling. Statistically, it’s about one in a hundred. Human beings are inherently weak and fragile, so they are what evil spirits covet most, but there are far more people who live safely through the grace and mercy of the Lord. That’s why when people come seeking exorcism, I start with psychological counseling first. In Myeongseok’s case, unfortunately, it’s not a counseling case but a situation that truly requires exorcism…”

As he spoke, he made a small gesture, and the assistant priest discreetly scooped holy water into a metal cup. Father Peter dipped his thumb in the holy water.

“Christ is the true exorcist. I am only called by the Lord to assist. It won’t be easy, but I will do my best, so please continue to pray during the ritual.”

“Ah, I understand… I understand…”

“Let us begin.”

The thumb moist with holy water drew a cross on the possessed person’s forehead. The family’s prayers filled the room with earnestness.

“In the name of our God Jesus Christ, and of the immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and of Saint Michael the Archangel…”

Reciting the exorcism prayers, Father Peter covered one of the possessed person’s eyes with a cloth bearing a cross and offered rapid prayers, almost whispering. They were in Latin and Hebrew. Between Father Peter’s prayers, the assistant priest rang the bell. Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling. Even though it was a small bell, its heavy and reverent sound layered over the family’s prayers.

Twitch.

The possessed person’s body moved stiffly like a log. Twitch, twitch. It was a movement where each bone joint seemed to move independently. The sight was so horrifying that the brother, who had been peeking through half-closed eyes, almost bit his tongue and tightly shut his eyes again. The mother, her face hidden by the veil, trembled even in her hands as she continued to pray.

God the Father, please protect our Myeongseok. The child is innocent. God, please cast Satan into hell…

Kiiyaaaak—!

With a shriek, the possessed person’s eyes flew open. Force was applied to the cloth covering the eyes. Under Father Peter’s hand, he could distinctly feel the eyeball rolling. The exposed eyeball also moved left and right as if assessing the situation, then focused on Father Peter, who was casting a shadow.

“Hiya… Who is this? Isn’t it Simon? You’ve found your way well.”

It was Latin. The assistant priest hurriedly wrote it down. Father Peter glanced briefly at the scribbling assistant priest and then looked down at the possessed person again.

“You cunning bastard. You tried to devour it all yourself… Your wickedness of using us as shackles and treating us like slaves is showing itself without fail…”

The possessed person’s voice and language changed from moment to moment. From a husky man to a cheerful baby, there was no consistency. Yet somehow the story continued.

“To think that the prison you’re stuck in is such a gilded cage! They say no one is as tolerant as Mary, and it’s true. You are a traitor and a murderer. You betrayed Christ and mocked him.”

“I can’t let you devour it alone…”

The assistant priest’s hand stopped. Eyes filled with fear and doubt turned to the possessed person, who revealed pale gums, and to Father Peter, whose glasses had slid down to the tip of his nose. Father Peter, who had been reciting prayers, glared at the assistant priest and shouted.

“What are you doing? Write it down!”

“……Yes, yes!”

“Do you want power? So you want to devour the imugi of the abyss?”

This time, a slender woman’s voice flowed out. The assistant priest, who had been burying his nose in the notebook, suddenly fell backward. Frothy bubbles formed around his mouth. Not only the assistant priest, but the family had also fainted.

In an instant, dead silence fell. Strength gradually drained from Father Peter’s hands. The possessed person had already straightened their creaking body and stood up.

“I can give you power.”

“I command you in the name of the Lord. Leave this body.”

“But in the end, you too are the serpent that ate the forbidden fruit.”

“I repeat. Leave this body. It is the Lord’s command.”

The possessed person sniffed around. Unable to cross the salt line, they circled around, smelling like a dog. They pulled aside the curtain covering the window that took up half the wall and pressed against it, sniffing. Father Peter gripped the cross.

“It’s coming…”

What.

“I smell fish… Heeheehic… Heeheeheeheec!”

As the possessed person laughed grotesquely and tried to break the window and escape, Father Peter grabbed them by the back of the neck, threw them onto the bed, and climbed on top of them. Over the possessed person’s face, a kaleidoscope of features constantly changed. This was an evil spirit that had fled from Satan. If he didn’t catch it now, who knew what it would do.

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