Bright lights and loud music were the first things you'd notice once you enter the club. Then, you'd see people injecting meth into their bodies. Wads of cash filled the floor and nude ladies could be seen dancing seductively to attract men. This was the world Hyung had stepped into; an underground world; the underworld.
Hyung looked in disbelief at the sights he saw. The bright lights enchanted him and the women hypnotized him. The old man smiled and patted him on the back. "This is my gift for your troubles" he said. He then led him to another world above the ground; special section overlooking the world below them. This place was different. It was darker and stank of alcohol. It looked expensive…..extremely expensive.
Sitting nervously, Hyung asked a question "Ummmm, Sir, where did you get the funds to do all this?" The owner simply laughed out and beckoned at an undressed beautiful lady. She bent over at Hyung, giving him a nice view of assets and asked him what he wanted. Bright red, Hyung asked for an orange juice but the old man would hear nothing of that and ordered a beer for him. Hyung could not refuse. His trust that the old man would do nothing to harm him reassured him.
He took a sip. He took another sip. He took a larger gulp. He finished the beer and ordered for another one. He downed it instantly and ordered for the next one. Laughing deliriously, he went over and started dancing with one of the nude ladies. The alcohol had taken effect on Hyung. He'd left his shell.
However, four beers at a time were too much for him to handle. His mind had gone numb. He couldn't think. After hours of drinking, drugging and dancing, he was exhausted. He just lay on the lounge chair, completely oblivious to the world around him. "I know a nice place just two floors below. Do you want to go?" the old man asked. Hyung didn't know when he nodded his head. An answer he'd think about for the rest of his life.
This place was different. Much more than the world above it. It was dark; extremely dark. Eerie bells rung in the distance and walking feet could be heard but no one was there. Hyung walked through the long hallways in a daze. His head was jumping into random, incoherent thoughts. "One, two, three and…..Oww" he shouted as he hit his head on a wall. "Hey….old man...this place is really sketchy ain't it? He said but then he noticed that he was alone in this dark place. "I guess I'm going back now" he said aloud. "Ah, fuck" Hyung thought. "I'm truly lost" He'd walked on for what felt like hours. He sat down on the cold floors and closed his eyes. His mind drifted to a time. A time a little while ago. He didn't notice he was been carried by someone.
Hyung had been homeless from his birth. His mom had abandoned him in a trash bag by a dumpster. He was picked up by some gang men and they trained him to fight; to take over any place he found himself in. For over sixteen years, Hyung lived a life of crime. He'd stolen money, kidnapped people, broke and burnt down houses and raped women. He did all he wanted. However on his birthday, his gang was caught and most of them were killed. He managed to escape but he bled as a result of the shootings that occurred.
A mere 17 year old limping down the streets of Seoul on Christmas Eve with blood pouring out of his body like a faucet was a stark contrast to the happy vibe of atmosphere. People parted the way for him and dogs barked at him. He heard police sirens and ran like hell was chasing him. He ran through the streets like a crazy dog till he reached a shop. A dying cake shop. He pushed his way inside and saw an old man hard at work.
"HEY!! GET ME A PLACE TO HIDE NOW!!!" he shouted at the old man. The old man walked calmly at him. Hyung was scared. He brought out his gun and pointed it to the man's head. The old man showed no signs of fear and held his hands. "Look, your hands are shaking. Are you cold?" he asked with care and compassion in his voice. Tears filled Hyung's eyes and the old man led him to a room behind his counter. There he lay. He heard countless police sirens breeze past the window. He heard some scuffling outside. Looking through the little peephole, Hyung saw a police official questioning the old man. He went back and resigned to his fate. There was an opening sound. He jumped up and saw the old man with a steaming cup of tea and a slice of cake.
Sitting down to eat, he looked at the old man and asked in a weak voice "Why didn't you give me up to the police? You could have been a hero". "My gift for your troubles. It didn't seem right" the man answered. "Now eat up" he said and left the room for Hyung. Hyung took a little slice of the cake into his mouth and tears dropped from his eyes. He felt warmth. More warmth than he ever felt in his entire life.
Hyung opened his eyes and felt restrained. Bright white lights entered his retina. He heard loud bells and looked around. His eyes widened and he saw the old man dressed in pure white flowing robes surrounded by other people dressed liked him. "MMMMHMMMMM" he tried to scream but his mouth was muffled. He tried to move but he was chained to a stretcher. The men acknowledged his presence and they walked to him. The old man removed the cloth on his man and Hyung screamed "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" but was immediately shushed with a lighter to his lips. "If you try to shout, I'll commit arson on your tongue" threatened the man with a smile on his face,
Hyung's heart plunged to ground zero. "Why? Why do this?" Hyung asked with tears dropping from his eyes. "Do I have to answer you?" the man asked in reply. "Hyung... What did you see me as? A nice old man that treated you nice? Oh, did you perhaps see me as a father figure?" the man asked and stifled a laugh. "Didn't something seem off about me? I thought you were smarter than that. How could a sane human bring in a gang leader? Just talking about it gives me this sense of fulfilment" Hyung was numb. His brain went off. One thing ran through his body. Shock. His mind was running in circles.
A searing hot knife was brought and Hyung started to struggle. His back was torn apart. Pain blasted his nerves. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" A bloodcurdling scream rent the air. His blood ran out from his body. Several burning needles were pierced into the hole in his back, tearing his flesh from the inside. His head was shaved and a hole was drilled into his head. He couldn't go unconscious. He was awake throughout the extreme torture. He was being bathed with the blood that poured out his body. A pen knife was used to tear a sign into his chest. The characters for FIRE and DEVIL.
The men made a circle around him with his blood and then encircled him. The lights went off and blue flames surrounded his body. "Venite super nos diabolico flagranti" They'd started chanting a weird Latin verse but if you listened closely you could tell they were bringing something into this world. The flames went off one by one. The old man stepped forward "We offer you this vessel". The flames resurged and took control of Hyung's dead body. The chains melted and the flames went off. His eyes started glowing and his body cracking.
A massive explosion swept through Seoul. The sky parted and all water disappeared from the atmosphere. A blazing body came out of the fire. It looked at the body it had. Red flames covered its head and body. The men that summoned him here were dead except one. The body went to the old man and one thought wracked the body
"KILL HIM!! KILL HIM!!! KILL HIM!!!!!"
The body picked up the half dead old man who was in fear of what they had summoned. "They didn't tell us it would be a demon" the man coughed. The fear took over him as he looked into the hollow eyes and saw Hyung locked up behind them. "Hey, Hyung….C'mon let your old man go" he begged. He saw Hyung smile and say words he never thought Hyung could say to him
"Fuck you"
"Ah…." The man was in emptiness. He was told he could bring back his family to life. His face grimaced and he shouted "I RAISED YOU!!! I WAS A DAD TO YOU! THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME!!!!" He tried to shout again but flames burnt his head to a blackened crisp. The body then grasped the burnt ashes with such force, it destroyed the head completely.
The headless flesh dropped to the ground. The body started burning and cracking again and it smiled with its blackened teeth to the reader and waved the cracked hand at him