WARNING! The below chapters contain gore. Read at your discretion!
"Seullie~" The endearing voice encased the beaming in the child's face. Her black orbs shone as her gaze shifted to the tall silhouette stationed underneath the tree. The kid with thin raven hair, climbed down from the tree, "Appa!" A response was more like a squeal as the man carried her in his arms and tossed her lightly into the midair. The gentle breeze of the early season helps the man.
***
"Appa, look it's a Star!" The four-year-old jumped in excitement at seeing the twinkling pearls in the sky.
"Our Seullie is so smart, she already knows about stars." The man remarked, patting her head.
"Appa, Yuna said there are aliens in the star. Have you met them?"
"Of course, our Seullie will grow up one day and meet them too. "
***
A distant memory of the past reemerged in her mind as Iseul's eyes met the scene before her. On the cold white floor of the hospital lay a body. His black hair hid his face underneath, the grey hoodie he had worn had tainted in the streaks of the scarlet. Like a haunting corpse, his body remains laid there, his back facing the ceiling and arms that gripped onto the floor in hopes of crawling and legs almost pinned in an attempt to break.
Isuel dragged her body holding onto the wall, with stains of blood prints left behind like a trail. Kim Ha Joon was first to reach Jaehyun's side, carrying his body up and running towards the emergency room.
Iseul glanced in the direction where Kim Ha Joon was taking Jaehyun. Her eyes followed the cracks in the wall to the ceiling to the young girl standing at the terminal. Her eyes were hauntingly haunted, staring into space. Her thin hair cascaded down her shoulder and bruises which covered her body.
"Grandpa! Nooo—" Words struck in her throat as the scene unfolded. Within the blink of an eye, his head fell on the ground while his body remained still; slowly collapsing onto the floor. The headless body that remained still on the floor froze the atmosphere. As if the river of time had stopped moving, Iseul's pupils remained fixed on her grandfather.
"Where is the yeouiju, Nuwa?" A voice whispered over her shoulder, the danger that lurked beneath the soft voice was clear as day.
"Yeong…" Iseul turned around to face the man. In a black and white hanbok and a hat like the scholars of ancient times, he stood there; face calm and serene like the lake at midnight.
"Answer quickly, Nuwa. Where is Yeouiju?" Yeong repeated his question, leaning closer to her face.
Iseul gulped, staring around. If she uses her power will it work? The chances of it working were lower, Keith was someone whose weakness was mind games while Yeong…the true mastermind of her universe. Yeong can overthrow Ryong whenever he wishes; the only thing that holds Yeong back is his undying loyalty. For Ryeong he could make heaven and earth collide. Iseul put on a calm face, "I don't know." With trembling lips, she spoke softly.
"Mirae. Kill the boy." Yeong signalled the young girl who was standing afar.
"No!" Iseul screamed out, turning around in hopes of stopping it. but she was too late, Mirae already held him captive in her palm, ready to crush his head.
"It's with Ryong."
"Mirae-"
"I am telling the truth! It's with future Ryong…' Iseul plopped down on the floor, with tears streaming down her cheeks," Please let him go…"
Her pleading made Yeong scoff, "How long will you put on that act?"
Iseul dug her nails into her palm, as blood from the old wound started to ooze out, "A creature born out of lies will always look through the lens of lies. Eyes that only see lies should be taken away." Iseul glanced at him through her peripheral vision, "Disappear."
One word and both Mirae and Yeong vanished into thin air, Iseul knew it was far from ending, she only delayed her death till time passed. There was no work on Yeong, there was no mistake, it was one of his faces that he crafted. Iseul was not focused on defeating Yeong or anyone. The only thing she cared about was Jaehyun. She rushed to Jaehyun's side who lay just beside their deceased grandfather.
Seeing the bloody scene was even blood-curdling to Iseul. A body with no head drenched in its own pool of blood and the head laid just beside it, its eyes still open as if watching the world like a person alive. Iseul stomach twisted as she went closer to check on Jaehyun. The air was sucked out of her lungs, and a metallic smile filled it in exchange. The urge to just gag was indescribable. She put all her focus on Jaehyun trying to ignore the carcass. Luckily, Jaehyun was still breathing.
Since Mirae and Yeong left, people from the real world might see them. "Help!" Iseul screamed in hopes someone might hear her and appear. Luckily, they did. A young nurse, most probably in her twenties, passing by saw the horrid scene.
"AHHHHH!" A scream of fear was all it needed to get a crowd around them with doctors taking Jaehyun straight to the ER while workers covered Ha Joon with white sheets and called the police. Iseul went with Jaehyun, sitting on a bench outside the ER. Time seemed to move with her, a blank mind. Maybe she was a monster like her creation. Only a monster can create such vile creations. Her mother passed away and now her grandfather yet all she felt was nothing. It seemed like a dream where she sees everything but she doesn't control it. Someone else seems to have control over her mind and body. How strange. The blood-covered hands seem to make her feel numb and painless. Yeong was right, it was all a facade, she never cried, and she never cared to beg. All she cared about at that moment was to defeat them and not give hints and giving them hints and distracting seemed the way.
"Miss. Kim Iseul?"