By Zephyria Thud- Thud- The sound of stepping on old iron stairs echoed through the underground space. The further down he went, the damper the air became, and the mold climbing the walls gave off an unpleasant smell. It was a humid and unpleasant space that made his skin crawl even if he stood still. Teacher Park sighed and tried to shake off his heavy shoulders. Ah, I’m not a prison guard, you know. His disgruntled muttering spread widely through the empty space.
“Sigh……. I have to do it if they tell me to.”
Thus, he arrived at the underground prison.
A dusty yellow light bulb flickered, illuminating the eerie space. Judging by the atmosphere alone, it felt like a scene from a crime drama.
Teacher Park approached the largest iron cage among them.
“How many days has it been already? Are you planning to starve to death?”
That won’t work on me. Saying it in a tone that suggested it was impossible, Teacher Park unlocked the lock on the iron door and opened it.
Creak- Behind the eerie sound, a faint groan could be heard from inside.
A man with his hands bound and his eyes covered with a white cloth.
It was Shin Yoon.
He had been refusing to eat or drink since being captured by this main office. Therefore, it was useless to interrogate him. Even when the interrogators took turns throwing words at him, he remained silent. If they forcibly opened his mouth and put food in, he would vomit it out immediately. It was a wonder he hadn’t starved to death yet. Well, what would come out of shaking down a corpse-like thing that was barely clinging to life?
‘He must already be suffering quite a bit because of the Divine Punishment.’
To cut off even grains, he’s truly cruel!
Teacher Park thought briefly as he crossed the threshold. Wow- he must be at that level to have his Family annihilated.
“The Great Elder has instructed me to repeat the process until you eat this time. Please, I’m begging you. Can’t you just not make me do things that bother you?”
Teacher Park said as he put down the food tray.
Inside the five-compartment stainless steel dish, there was white porridge close to gruel to avoid shocking his empty stomach, dongchimi to aid digestion, and seasoned vegetable side dishes with moderate seasoning neatly arranged. Finish it all. There are no refusals. Teacher Park threatened that he would watch until he ate it all.
“…….”
“Have you forgotten how to speak now?”
Teacher Park looked down at Shin Yoon with his arms crossed. Why aren’t you answering? The voice he spat out was very dry. Thinking about it, it was natural. No matter how unwell he was, he was a criminal. There was no room for sympathy.
“Haa……. Really.”
It was when he thought he would have to do something he didn’t want to do after all.
The man, who had been lying down the whole time, staggered and raised his upper body. It was a tremor like a baby deer.
At the sight of his precarious appearance, Teacher Park unconsciously bent down and supported him. One way or another, his good nature was ingrained in him like a habit. It was an unavoidable attitude of a teacher of the main office.
‘He’s lost a lot of weight.’
The man in his arms was skinny and emaciated due to prolonged starvation. Recalling his physique from their first meeting, he must have lost at least ten kilograms. But even so, he was still large and heavy.
‘I’m getting nervous for no reason.’
It felt like holding a wounded wild animal.
A being who had once reigned as the mountain lord, felled by a hunter’s gun.
He was weak now, but a dangerous fellow who might bare his fangs at any moment.
He didn’t want to get involved for no reason.
“Oof, heavy. Hey? I’ll help you lean against the wall.”
“……-”
Teacher Park stopped trying to pull Shin Yoon away.
“……Hmm? What did you say?”
Because a small sound was leaking from the cracks in his parched lips. Pout, pout. It was a sound that was ambiguous to call a word, so Teacher Park listened closely.
“I can’t hear you. Again.”
“……Hun.”
The voice that seemed to be squeezed out with difficulty continued.
“Hun, gry…….”
“Hun, gry……? Ah, hungry? Yeah, of course you would be. Wait.”
Teacher Park sighed with an expression that seemed to say, ‘If you’re not hungry, you’re not human,’ and helped Shin Yoon lean against the wall. Fortunately, there was no resistance.
‘Even if he’s a man who slaughtered dozens of people, he’s still just a creature after all. Everyone crumbles in the face of starvation.’
He thought he was holding out well, but it was his limit, huh? Teacher Park clicked his tongue and flinched as he was about to release Shin Yoon’s restraints. In fact, in principle, he was supposed to feed him directly.
That’s because he didn’t know what this man might do.
‘But…….’
Teacher Park’s gaze swept over Shin Yoon’s entire body.
‘Can he really pull off any tricks in this state?’
His fingers are like skinny twigs.
‘Besides, he keeps refusing if I try to feed him…….’
Well, he might obediently open his mouth now that he’s surrendered to hunger.
“Hmm.”
Anyway, he wanted to avoid conflict as much as possible.
No, to put it more bluntly, it was a hassle.
‘If I release him, he’ll eat on his own. What’s with a man serving another man’s meal?’
Teacher Park chuckled lightly.
‘Yeah, what can he do?’
He judged that he could sufficiently subdue him even if the other party had other intentions.
In the end, he decided to release the restraints.
“I’m going to release you, so you have to eat slowly? If you eat too quickly and get indigestion for no reason…….”
I’ll be the only one suffering. Before he could finish his sentence.
A ghost.
A white hand stretched out like a spider web and grabbed Teacher Park’s face accurately. Fingers moving fluidly as if playing the piano, grabbing from his chin to his temples in one go. It felt as if his entire face was being sucked into the man’s hand. Crunch-! Teacher Park screamed at the gripping force that offered no resistance.
“Kuaaaaaaack!”
His arm instinctively rose and grabbed the other’s wrist. Let go, let go! He struggled in pain, scratching and pinching here and there, but it was useless. Rather, it only tightened its grip on his head even more. What kind of strength is this!
It feels like my head is about to explode.
No, hasn’t it already exploded?
Teacher Park let out a sobbing sound from instinctive fear. It was a scream so full of terror that it was hard to believe it was coming from an adult man.
“Kheuheut!”
A lie…… it’s a lie.
Is this strength really coming from that man!
“Heueu, heu.”
In the meantime, he saw the corners of Shin Yoon’s lips twisting to an unpleasant degree beyond his grip. It was a truly eerie and ominous smile.
“Your suspicion is too short, isn’t it.”
A voice withered from long silence flowed out. It was similar to the eeriness often encountered in horror movies. Above all, Teacher Park found…… clear enjoyment in that voice. Yes, enjoyment. That emotion that comes when a human is happy or achieves what they want.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t let go of this hand even if I starved to death, you know.”
People are so good, so they suffer. Shin Yoon whispered kindly.
“Teacher, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time—”
“Heueueueuk!”
“Ata ma, is your stomach aching?”
“Kheu!”
“People say that if you live with anger, you’ll die young.”
“Aak!”
“Then I’d be a little wronged.”
The hand tightened its grip on his face even more.
“Aak!”
Teacher Park twisted his body. He floundered in pain several times, but the grip did not loosen.
“Teacher, I’ll ask you just one thing.”
A polite tone, but a question with a clear purpose.
“Where is Ki Jae-eon?”
Teacher Park couldn’t answer. The moment he opened his mouth, it felt like Ki Jae-eon would meet a terrible end at the hands of this murderer, so he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth. Ah, I shouldn’t have released the restraints. A belated regret washed over him, but it was too late to turn back now.
“……Kheuheu.”
“Haigo, I’m getting sleepy. Tell me quickly.”
“Eueuk!”
“I’m in trouble, I’ve even forgotten how to speak.”
Shin Yoon laughed, mimicking what Teacher Park had said.
“It’s okay. It can’t be helped if you don’t know. I don’t really care either.”
“……Heoeok, heoeok.”
“Does it matter if I kill one or two? Isn’t it all the same? Right?”
It was a murmur that felt devoid of any emotion.
Shin Yoon grabbed and tore off the cloth covering his eyes with his other hand. As the white cloth fluttered to the floor, dark, malicious eyes appeared before him.
“Our teacher is not coming to his senses.”
Shin Yoon threw the already fainted Teacher Park into a corner of the underground prison and stretched his body comfortably.
“Then there’s no other way.”
Hoo, he took a breath and lightly crossed the threshold.
“Let’s turn it upside down.”
As his smiling face turned towards the ceiling, the old light bulb flickered for a moment and then shattered with a crack.