Chapter 21: Hyeji’s playground

Click

“Gah…!”

Hours. Trapped alone in this room, surrounded by photos of myself. Pacing, circling, but nothing changed. Nothing I could do would change it.

“…Did you have a good nap?”
“…Hyeji…”

Except for one thing…

“It’s me.”
“…Wait…”

Thud

…Hyeji. Checking on me every few hours.

“What were you doing? Planning your escape…?”
“…Ugh…”

She never left my side. When she wasn’t watching, she was holding me. Her gaze, unwavering, held me captive.

And whenever I tried to provoke her, to get answers…

Thump

“Mm…!”
“…Don’t raise your voice.”

…she’d push me down, her voice a cold whisper against my ear.

“…Okay?”
“…..”

I lost my voice every time. I had to escape, to get help, but the helplessness, the primal fear…

Slide

“…Good girl…”
“Ugh…”

…it broke me.

Slide

“Haa…!”

The slightest touch sent shivers down my spine. My body was betraying me, my instincts screaming in protest.

“…..”

How did things end up like this? Regret was pointless, but… I was nothing more than a toy to her.

“…I love you, Semin.”
“Sob…”

She nuzzled my cheek. I knew. I was just a plaything.

What should I have done differently? What more could I have done?

“…”
“…Semin… Semin…”

Her hand caressed my cheek, her body pressed against mine.

“… “

And then I saw it.

“…….”

A sliver of light.

“…A door…”

A crack in the wall. A door.

“…….”
“Hehehe…”

Hyeji, oblivious, continued her ministrations.

“…”

I considered every possibility. Every possible scenario.

“Hngh…!”

Thwack

And then I acted. There was no point in waiting. Even if I failed… I didn’t think Hyeji would hurt me.

I had no proof, just a feeling. But it was enough. I wanted out, so badly.

“Ugh…”
“Hngh…!”

Tap, tap, tap

My headbutt connected. She recoiled. I scrambled to my feet and ran for the door.

Creak

“Haa…!”

I burst through the door…

“…Huh…?”

…and into a long corridor lined with identical doors.

“Jeong Semin.”
“Eek…!”

The sound of my full name, Hyeji’s voice echoing from the room, sent chills down my spine. I ran, not caring where I was, what those rooms held.

Tap, tap, tap

“Haa…!”

I glanced back. Hyeji hadn’t followed me out of the room.

“…”

Reach

A hand shot out from behind the door.

Slam

I dove into the nearest room, slamming the door shut.

“Haa… Haa…”

My heart pounded. I could escape. I just needed to be careful.

“…Haa… Haa…”

I took a deep breath and looked around.

“… “

And then I saw it.

“…What…?”

A map. Of the corridor…

“…A basement…?”

…of this place.

****

Tap, tap

“…You’re going there?”
“Where else would I go?”

The shaman, the fox perched on her shoulder, strode confidently along a deserted mountain path. The sun was shining, people were out and about, but no one seemed to notice them.

“I thought it was impossible to find.”
“…It’s not impossible, but it’s not easy either.”

They continued their ascent, until…

“…It’s been a while… I don’t quite remember the way…”
“…You still have no sense of direction, I see.”

They paused.

“Just kidding, you incompetent fox.”
“…Shut up.”

They passed a giant tree, its branches reaching towards the sky.

“…This is it.”
“You’re sure?”

A path, seemingly cleared recently, appeared before them. They followed it.

“…We’re here.”

They walked for a while longer, until…

Rustle

“…My shrine.”

…a large red torii gate came into view. Beyond it…

“…Hmm…”

…a small, traditional Korean house, and a courtyard for worship.

“…Anyone home?”
“……..”

The shaman called out.

“…No one’s here.”
“…Good.”

No one answered. The shaman, looking relieved, walked towards the house…

Slide

…and opened the sliding paper door.

“…But I’m still curious.”
“…About what?”

She turned to the fox.

“…You’re not Japanese. Why do you have a Shinto shrine? And that gate… it’s a Korean hongsalmun, not a torii…”
“…”

The shaman paused, then…

“There’s a reason for everything! You stupid fox!…You always do this when I ask a question…”

…yelled at the fox.

“…No wonder you have no friends.”
“What?!”

The fox muttered under her breath. The shaman, overhearing her, whirled around angrily, but…

“I’m just a helpless little fox. I don’t understand these things~”
“…Damn it…”

…seeing the fox’s deliberately annoying expression, she decided to let it go and continued searching for something.

“…I’ll deal with you later.”

“…Found it.”

She pulled a fist-sized orb from her pocket.

“Here.”
“…This is…”

The fox, recognizing the object, shifted into her human form, her tails swishing excitedly. She took the orb.

“…the Orb of Fate?”
“…”

The shaman stared at her, then…

Smack

“You idiot! Does this look like the Orb of Fate to you?! Honestly, you animals…!”
“Ow! Why did you hit me?!”

…smacked her on the forehead, grinning.

“You little—!”
“Enough! Look.”

The shaman pointed at the orb.

“Your memories will act as a conduit, showing you where that girl is. That’s why we’re here. Now hurry up.”
“…I see.”

The fox closed her eyes, holding the orb tightly in her hands.

“…Heehee… Oh… So that’s what she did… That clever fox… Heehee…“
“What are you looking at…?”

The shaman’s strange noises were distracting.

“Just ignore me and focus! It’s all part of the process!”
“…Hmm…”

The fox trusted the shaman and closed her eyes again, concentrating.

Whoosh

A faint glow emanated from the orb, the light swirling and intensifying, drawing in energy, until…

Flash

“… “

…an image appeared in the air.

“…Semin…”
“…Hmm…”

Semin, alone in a dark room, filled with photos of herself, trembling with fear. She looked terrified.

“…Where is that…?! We have to hurry…!”
“…Wait. It’s hard to tell right now…”

The shaman stared intently at the image…

“…Hmm…?”

…but all she could see were the photos.

“…That girl… She’s quite twisted… She’ll become a nasty spirit when she dies…”
“Huh…?”

The shaman, momentarily distracted by the girl’s depravity, muttered to herself, then…

“…I’ve seen something like this before… Years ago… Ironwood leaves… Twilight bellflowers… What will we need…? Hmm…”
“…What are you talking about…?”

…started thinking.

“We can’t easily enter that place. It’s not close by… If it were, I’d sense a familiar energy… but there’s nothing.”
“…I know that.”

She spoke quickly.

“You’ll need this orb. It will be crucial when you get there. Let’s head to Cheongmyosan, Fox!”
“…What…?”

She grabbed a bag from inside the house.

“…We’ll need that fruit.”
“……..”

The fox’s expression soured.

****

Crack

“Oww…!”

I’d been so focused on the map, I hadn’t heard Hyeji enter the room. I should have grabbed the map and run.

“…Still not listening to me?”
“…Ugh… Please… Hyeji, let go…!”

I stalled, trying to memorize the map, but…

Grab

“Ow…!”

…she caught my wrist, her grip like iron. My hand, useless, flapped in her grasp.

Drag

“Look at me.”
“Haa…”

She pulled me towards the door, her shadow engulfing me.

“Where were you going? Do you not want to be with me…? Semin… why won’t you listen to me?”
“Hyeji…”

Her gaze was a weight on my soul. I tried to look away, but I couldn’t.

“…Semin.”
“Hic…!”

I hiccuped.

“I’m talking to you. Listen.”
“…”

Cold sweat trickled down my face, mingling with silent tears. My lips trembled.

“…If I don’t feed you, you’ll die. If I don’t take care of you…”
“…”

“…You’re nothing without me, remember…?”
“…Gulp…”

Her eyes were wild, intense. I looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

“…Haa…”
“H-Hyeji…?!”

Click

She sighed, opened the door, and dragged me away.

Tap, tap, tap

Not back to the photo room, but down the stairs, deeper into the basement, to another room.

Slam

“Eek…!”

She threw me inside.

“…Stay here and think about what you’ve done.”
“…W-what…?”

Slam

The door closed.

Thump

“…Haa… Haa…”

My heart pounded. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and looked around.

“…”

It was dark, silent, still.

“…Haa…”

My eyes would adjust, I thought. I’d find something, a clue, a way out.

“…Huh…?”

But hours passed, and the darkness remained.

“Oh no…”

The silence was absolute.

“…Wait… Please…”

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. No sound, no light… It was unnervingly quiet. Even my own voice seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.

“…No… No…?”

The fear intensified, worse than the photo room. Nothing to see, nothing to hear… It was a primal fear, beyond comprehension.

“…W-wait…”

I could hear my blood flowing, the frantic beating of my heart echoing in my ears. My voice, barely a whisper, felt deafening.

“Haa… Haa…”

Cold sweat trickled down my skin. I was seeing things.

“…No…?”

Shapes shifted in the endless darkness.

“What…? No…”

Something moved within the blackness, even though I couldn’t see anything, even when I held my hand inches from my face.

“…Help… me…”

Hours passed. I was losing my mind.

“…No… No…”

Trapped in sensory deprivation, my body moved, but my hands and feet touched nothing. Just the sound of my own blood, my racing heart, and the growing feeling that my mind was becoming a vacuum.

“Help… me… Help… me…”

And then…

“Sob… Haa… Aaaaaah! Help! Help me! Please!”

…I screamed.

“Get me out of here! Please! Sob…!”

I was losing it. My mind wasn’t working. My thoughts felt… congealed.

“Hngh… Sob…”

My head throbbed, my body twisted and turned. I wanted out.

“Hyeji… Hyeji, please… Jeong Hyeji…! Ahh…!”

Click

“Haa…?”

The door opened slightly…

“…Ugh…!”

…a sliver of light seeping into the room.

“…Mm…”

The faint light burned my eyes, accustomed to the darkness.

“…Did you… call me…?”

Hyeji stood in the doorway, a playful smile on her face.

“H-Hyeji… Hyeji… Ah…”

My hand, trembling, reached out to her.

Step

She walked towards me, took my hand, and asked,

“Were you scared?”
“Ah… Ah… Mm…”

My hands still clutched my head, my body curled up in a ball. I tried to pull her closer.

“It’s okay… I’m here now.”
“…Ah… Ah…”

I leaned into her, resting my head against her chest, trying to speak.

“…S-sorry… Sorry… Sorry…”
“Heehee… Hee…”

She chuckled, cupped my face in her hands, and looked into my eyes.

“It’s okay~ Just don’t do it again~ Okay~?”
“Mm… Mm…”

I tried to nod, my face a mess of tears and snot.

“Haa…”

She blushed, her fingers tracing my face for what felt like an eternity.

“…Are you hungry? Let’s eat.”
“…Mm…”

She led me out of the room.

Help me… Please…