(This chapter contains mentions of violence and blood. Readers' discretion is advised.)
(Please play the embedded while reading for a better experience.)
The group slowly made their way to the chamber, Chang Min leading them. Chan Seong also felt the whole room turn cold, it was instantaneous. The other two police officers and the tour guide cautiously stepped down, but the guide's face was lit with amazement.
"Wow! This is my first time coming inside and all I can say is... WOW!" He exclaimed, looking around. He took out his camera and snapped a few pictures enthusiastically.
Ae Ra was immediately gravitated towards the stone slab in the center of the room, with Chan Seong behind her heels. She turned to look at Chan Seong who was staring at the stone rather suspiciously.
"These inscriptions.." Chan Seong spoke out. "They are similar to Hanja* but none of this makes any sense!"
(Hanja: Character script used for writing Korean words before Hangul was invented.)
"Ah! These inscriptions!" The guide looked at them incredulously. He then took out a small battered diary from his backpack and began thumbing through it furiously.
"Here! Look at this." He pointed a page to Chan Seong, who took the diary in his hands. The police officers were now assembled around the slab as well.
"The characters here are a match. We just need to translate." Chan Seong looked around, searching for something. The guide realized what it was and rummaged through his bag, procuring a pen. All six of them sat on the cold hard floor beside the stone mass and began translating. The room continued to get cold, now it was hard to not chalk it up to being underground.
"My butt is freezing right now." One of the police officers shuddered. Ae Ra exchanged a look with Chan Seong, knowing they were both thinking the same thing.
"Chang Min, can I talk to you for a second?" Ae Ra got up. Chang Min was confused but still followed Ae Ra to the other end of the room.
"What I'm going to say will be absolutely unbelievable, but I don't want to put you guys in any more danger. I don't have it in me to do that intentionally."
"Okay, slow down for a second." Chang Min giggled nervously. "Isn't this just an expedition?"
Just as Chang Min asked, a bright green light materialized on top of the stone slab. The group gasped in surprise and moved quickly backward.
"It was an expedition, but not anymore." Ae Ra called Chang Min's attention to the light.
"What is that?" Chang Min drew his gun instinctively, pointing at the now blinding light.
"That is what I was going to talk to you about."
*
All the police officers moved forward with their guns drawn, despite Ae Ra telling them to run away.
"I'm sorry, I"m out!!" The tour guide dashed to the stone steps before Chang Min or the others could react. The police officers nudged Chan Seong and Ae Ra to the steps but the two refused to move.
"It is you guys who shouldn't be here, just leave!" Ae Ra pleaded. Right then, the light diminished and on the slab was a woman dressed in a black cloak, leering at the group. Her long fingernails twirled her long, black hair, her dark eyes landing on Ae Ra.
"Jung Ae Ra, my sweet little thing." Aghui stepped out of the stone, landing softly on the ground. "I missed you so much."
"What the..." Chang Min thought he was losing his mind. "Put your hands behind your head, whoever you are!" He called out, the only thing he could do right now. Aghui giggled at Chang Min.
"You mere mortal. You want me to put my hands behind my head?" Chang Min raised his gun directly at Aghui's head, his hands trembling. "Very well," said Aghui, her lips twitching into a smirk.
The tour guide stumbled across the stone hallway, running towards the light at the end of it. Before he could reach it however, a tall man blocked the entrance.
"What? Move out of the way you-!" Before the guide could finish, the man caught him by the throat. The tour guide began slapping his hand on the man's face, but it did no good. The pressure around his neck only increased and the guide was about to pass out.
"That is enough, Kim Do Hwan." A voice growled behind him. Do Hwan dropped the tour guide on his feet. He turned around slowly to find Grim Reaper standing, with his sword drawn. Do Hwan smirked and clenched his fist. His glowed like embers.
"Stand down, Kim Do Hwan."
Do Hwan did not respond however, he charged at the Grim Reaper. The Reaper swung his sword, ready to strike.
"Chang Min, you gotta run away. Right now! Take your team and move out!" Chan Seong's feeble voice was heard from behind. Chang Min tightened the grip on his gun.
"Yes, listen to your friend." Aghui taunted, stepping forward. The whole group took a step backward with Ae Ra and Chan Seong at the very back. The police officers stepped in front to protect the two.
"Stand back! Do not step forward!" A police officer yelled. Aghui looked bored.
"How long will officers of law like you will say the same thing?" She looked at her long nails, disinterested. "I thought it would be interesting to kill you all slowly and painfully, but it is as boring as me being in my cell. Ugh."
Aghui moved her fingers ever so slightly and a green spark emerged between them. The group looked terrified, understandably so, but the burden to be brave fell on the police officers in front. Aguhui raised her hand and the green spark now erupted into a fireball, it's light blinding. Chang Min faced towards the group and flung both of his arms around everyone, trying to cover them with his body.
Aghui was ready to strike, when a loud bang distracted her. From the entrance, something flew into the cave wall, just above where the group was standing. Ae Ra was the first to notice the thing landing on the wall.
"Isn't that Do Hwan?" She brought Chan Seong's attention. They both tuned to look at Aghui, who was furious now.
"Pick someone of your own size, Aghui." The Grim Reaper landed with a thud in front of her. Aghui gritted her teeth as she spread her hand, creating a ring of fire around her. The Grim Reaper turned around and looked at Ae Ra, smirking.
"Now is the time you run away." said Grim Reaper, before flinging his sword at Aghui. Chang Min took his cue to drag Chan Seong and Ae Ra out. The remaining officers covered them from behind and the group swiftly made their exit while Grim Reaper and Aghui fought each other.
"Miss Jung! Mr. Goo!!" AeRa heard a familiar voice heard near the entrance. Mrs. Park was standing there with Kyung while Mr. Ha ran towards them.
"Are you hurt? Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, we were took by surprise but we are okay! How did you end up here?" Chan Seong asked, panting. Chang Min looked at him as if he had sprouted two heads.
"Who are you talking to, man?"
"Don't worry about it. You need to get out now, if you want to live." Chan Seong said, all too serious. Chang Min looked at Ae Ra who simply nodded in confirmation.
"The moon tree. It follows the owner everywhere they go, remember?" Kyung replied to the earlier question. Ae Ra rushed to hug all of them, but to the police officers it looked like she was hugging air.
"Alright, what's the plan?" Chan Seong asked to everyone in the room. Everyone just looked at each other.
"Where is the tour guide's diary?" Chan Seong showed it to Ae Ra, and she immediately began ruffling through it. "We translated enough characters to understand the message, right?" She opened the page with their writing, piecing together the characters they got from the carving when it finally read this;
"When all is lost and hope is gone
Will arise brave men from the eye of dawn
An army undead, thus carefully tread
The price you pay is aforesaid
A price deadly, will leave you bled
Even when you beg for a reduced
damnation instead"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? We need to sacrifice someone?" Chan Seong looked at Ae Ra.
*
Grim Reaper threw Aghui across the cave but she got back up without a single scratch.
"You know you should work for me." Aghui snickered. "You are being wasted with my mother."
"I am a servent for the universe, not your mother." Grim Reaper charged at her. Aghui blocked his shot, and pinned him on the floor. He reached for his sword, but Aghui swiftly stabbed his hand into the ground.
"That is a shame, really." Aghui raised her hand and drew a knife from thin air. "You would have been useful to me."
Something hit Aghui's head, from which she momentarily staggered. In that moment, Grim Reaper shook her off of him, reaching for his sword. He struck Aghui right on her head once again and turned to look what distracted her.
Chang Min was standing with a now smoking gun, and behind him was Ae Ra and Chan Seong, each holding the guns they procured from the other two officers. Grim Reaper nodded at them briefly, before he diverted his attention to Aghui. Do Hwan from the other corner of the room shook the dust off of him and charged at the Grim Reaper, but he managed to dodge him.
"KIM DO HWAN! YOU KILL EVERY SINGLE HUMAN SCUMS IN THIS ROOM!" Aghui bellowed, cackling maniacly. The Grim Reaper launched himself at her and everything intensified.
"So this is where we die?" Chang Min looked at the other two, pointing the gun at now enraged Do Hwan.
"You don't have to, you know that right? You could just run away now." Ae Ra said, more pleadingly this time. Chang Min simply smiled.
"It's okay, Miss Ae Ra. I took an oath to protect everyone. This," He checked the gun for remaining ammunition. "This is my job."
Do Hwan took a few steps back like a charging bull, his eyes red and ablaze. Chang Min pointed his gun directly at Do Hwan's head, with Chan Seong and Ae Ra doing the same.
"On the count of three, okay?" Chang Min released the safety. "Ae Ra, I want you to run to the stone slab as fast you could. Figure out what the message is about. We'll buy you some time."
Do Hwan charged at the trio and that's when Chang Min and Chan Seong started blasting their guns, emptying the round. He took hit several times, but it did not seem to do any real damage to him. The wounds did not leak any blood, and the tissues closed as soon as it opened, spitting the casing out. Ae Ra used this commotion to run to the slab, but not before Aghui drew Do Hwan's attention to her.
"Start with this wench, right here!" She cried before taking a punch from the Grim Reaper. Ae Ra did not pay heed to her and just kept running.
"Ae Ra, NO!" Chan Seong screamed, but it was too later. Do Hwan already reached the stone slab and was looming over Ae Ra. She staggered back in surprise.
"Do Hwan, please listen to me. This is not who you are!" Ae Ra pleaded. He jumped to the ground but Chan Seong was shooting at him, hoping to distract. Do Hwan did not even budge from the attack, but kept on walking towards Ae Ra.
"No! Do Hwan, please! Please stop!" Chan Seong ran towards them but was thrown off by Aghui. The Grim Reaper staggered to his feet from the attack, not knowing to go behind Aghui or Do Hwan. He chose Aghui in the small second and threw his sword at her.
Ae Ra dragged herself away from Do Hwan, but she wasn't crying anymore. Do Hwan did everything just like Aghui had instructed him before, he took plenty of time to terrorise Ae Ra. He clutched Ae Ra by her feet, enough to crush her bones. Ae Ra let out a blood curdling scream, enough to shake the whole cave.
Do Hwan now threw Ae Ra on the stone slab, her head hitting right on the edge of it. She felt disoriented, and for a moment, she did not feel any pain from her shattered ankle. Her drowsy eyes looked around the room and they finally landed on Do Hwan who was standing right above her.
This is what the inscription meant, didn't it ? Ae Ra thought to herself, smiling at the face of her death. A fate worse than death? To be killed by someone you trust and love.
Do Hwan extended his arm, his hand was now adorned with a black sword, which he now held it with both his hands. Ae Ra could faintly hear Chan Seong and Chang Min yelling, and Aghui cackling like a maniac. She heard the sounds of swords clanging, familiar voices of the staffs, trying to get Do Hwan off of her. She heard a sharp rip all of a sudden and realised that they were flung across the room.
Do Hwan flipped the sword, pointing the sharp end at Ae Ra's chest. He screamed as he lowered the sword, plunging it through Ae Ra's rib cage. Everything around Ae Ra went black as she lay there on the stone cold slab.