"Because he allowed her freedom."
Simeon smiled kindly. Seeing a hint of the pure-hearted Sang he once was in his expression sent shivers down my spine. From the moment he placed the collar on me—or perhaps from the moment we first met—I'd been in his grasp.
Suddenly, I remembered
Yes, it's a memento. A keepsake of Johan's happiest moment, locked away in a frame. And now, on top of that, he's trying to keep me captive with this collar because I resemble Johan. His obsession has gone beyond attachment to a desire for possession that gently tightens around my throat.
Should I run away? But even if I did, Simeon would only pursue me with enjoyment, as if it were a game of tag.
"So did you place a condition when you put this on me?"
Simeon nodded quietly. If the condition is met, I can be free of this curse.
"What's the condition?"
"I'll tell you if you take on the job."
Of course. There was no way Simeon would tell me so easily.
"No, you—"
I was about to express my frustration when he suddenly interrupted.
"Sang Heo."
Simeon suddenly said his name, his real name.
"What?"
I asked him, thinking I misheard.
But he just responded with a soft smile.
"It's my name."
"Why… are you telling me?"
"Because I'd like it if you called me by my name, Mr. Hajae."
His honest confession made my pupils tremble for a moment.
Sang Heo. I've repeated that name countless times in my mind, but I'll never say it out loud. The moment I call him by his name, the carefully built walls around my heart will likely crumble. Honestly, I'm unsure how long I can hold out, but this is my last desperate attempt to avoid falling.
"Sorry, but I'm more comfortable with what I've been calling you.'"
When I firmly refused, a look of disappointment spread across Simeon's face. As he quietly lowered his gaze, he reminded me of the Sang I knew from childhood. Fearing that my resolve might weaken, I quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, if you're asking me to find 'that person,' my answer is the same as before—it's not that I won't do it, I can't. If you want to find a missing person, you'd be better off hiring a private detective."
Even with all the Apostles' resources, they couldn't find me. So, no matter how skilled a private detective they might hire, they wouldn't be able to find any trace of Johan. I spoke with confidence, but the conversation took an entirely different direction.
"Today, I'm here to request something else."
"…What is it?"
"Once the task is complete, I'll tell you the condition for removing the collar as your reward. How about it?"
How about it? As if I had any choice in my answer.
He never makes a move in chess or negotiations unless he's sure he won't lose. From the beginning, he held the upper hand. All I could do was choose from the options he generously presented, but even among those, the right answer was already decided.
"Alright. I'll do it… whatever it is."
"Wise choice."
A satisfied smile bloomed on his face. How many people have fallen for that sly smile? Well, I'm not one to be easily fooled, especially not after knowing what's behind that mask.
"I'll send someone to your house tomorrow at this time."
I was about to ask how he knew where I lived, but I swallowed my words. He already knew I was going to interview at this café, so would it be surprising that he knows my address? It's better not to think too much about it.
"Well then, I'll be off. Sorry about the job."
"Yeah…"
Sorry, my foot. He's the one who made sure I couldn't find a proper job. Even when I shot him a look full of resentment, Simeon pretended not to notice. As I watched him rise from his seat, a trivial curiosity suddenly crossed my mind.
"But…"
That single word stopped Simeon in his tracks. He halted beside me, and I looked up at him to ask.
"Why did you put it around my neck? Shouldn't it go on my head if it's a crown?"
Was the question too abrupt?
The black eyes looking down at me were anything but ordinary. Soon, a large hand approached and softly cupped my cheek. I frowned at the cold touch, but only for a moment. He leaned down and whispered quietly.
"Because your face is too precious to hurt."
The unexpected reason left my mind blank. His voice, laced with a hint of amusement, kept echoing in my ears. By the time I snapped out of it, he had already been gone for a while.
****
I left home a bit earlier the next day, just in case. When the appointed time arrived, a black sedan pulled up before me. The man who stepped out of the driver's seat was the same bodyguard who'd stood guard while I was confined.
"Hello."
I greeted him as warmly as I could, but he just walked over and opened the back door for me without a word. I knew that his politeness was entirely due to Simeon's orders. So, I quietly got into the car.
"Where are we going?"
Of course, there was no answer. We drove in silence for quite a while until we arrived at an underground parking lot of a building. No matter how much I looked around, I couldn't find any clues about our destination. Even when we entered the elevator, I stuck to the corner like a barnacle.
Finally, the elevator doors opened, and a woman in a modified hanbok bowed politely.
"Welcome."
Behind her was an interior that reminded me of a traditional Korean house. The hall had an enormous tiger statue and long hallways stretched out on either side. The dimly lit room's soft yellow lighting added to the luxurious atmosphere.
Is this a Korean restaurant? Judging by the interior and the staff's attire, it looked like a place where a single piece of meat could cost 500,000 won. In any case, it was clear that this wasn't a place I'd ever come to voluntarily. The staff slightly bowed her head, signaling me to follow. There were no open spaces, only private rooms. It was the kind of place where politicians or businessmen would secretly meet in movies.
Before long, the staff stopped in front of a door. When she knocked and opened it, I saw a familiar face.
"Welcome."
Simeon, who'd arrived earlier and was waiting, greeted me with a smile.
"Was the journey here difficult?"
"I was just sitting in the back seat, so not really."
I awkwardly sat down across from him and took a brief look around. The room was decorated as neatly as the lobby, with a touch of Korean traditional house charm. The subtle scent of cypress and the ink painting of red plum blossoms on the wall appeared to be meticulously chosen.
"If it's a place like this, you could have told me in advance."
"Why?"
"So I could at least dress properly."
I would have avoided wearing a hoodie and jeans if I'd known. Seeing Simeon in a clean-cut suit made me even more conscious of my shabby attire. Simeon, however, didn't seem to care.
"I like seeing you in casual clothes."
"…Even if you say that, it doesn't make me feel any better."
"It's a private room, so you don't need to worry about what others think."
After that, a staff member came in and served various Korean dishes, quickly filling the large square table. Since they went through the trouble of serving it, I ate but couldn't shake the unease gnawing at me. People usually offer expensive meals when they're about to ask for a big favor. I wondered if Simeon would be any different.
"So, what's the request?"
At the very least, it would be something I could do. Trying to push my anxiety aside, I took a bite of the neatly cut rib. As I chewed, Simeon, who had been quietly watching me eat, spoke in a light tone.
"Please accompany me into the gate and help stop the rampage of the spirit beast."
Cough—.
I nearly choked and almost spat out the food I was eating and took a gulp of lukewarm water to catch my breath. Even after thinking about it again, I was stunned. Enter a gate and stop what? A spirit beast's rampage? Me?
"Hey."
"Sang Heo."
"No, I'm not calling you that."
Even in this situation, he had the audacity to correct his title.
Thud—!
I slammed my cup down and looked up to see his face, utterly calm. He must not realize what nonsense he just spouted.
"Listen carefully. I'm not a hunter. I can't fight monsters."
"It's okay. I only need your body."
"My… body?"
"That immortal body of yours."
At his silent signal, the bodyguard approached me. He placed a tablet in front of me. As the dark screen lit up, an image of an old, yellowed book appeared. It had a hardcover with a title written in a foreign language I couldn't read.
"What… is this?"
"It's an A-rank spirit item,
As I swiped through the images, the bizarre illustrations made me uneasy.
"Is this the spirit beast that's gone berserk?"
"No. The book became a spirit object ten years ago and is now in Europe."
"Then why…"
"Due to the rampage back then, some of
Spirit beasts are nearly indestructible, but they can't handle their power when they go berserk, causing them to come apart sometimes, like
"How much of it was lost?"
"A total of eight pages. So far, the whereabouts of four pages have been identified."
"…There's still half left."
"And last month, the fifth page caused a rift in the Daegwallyeong area."
It's hard to grasp how powerful this spirit beast must be if part of it traveled all the way here from Europe. And, strangely, the gate has remained open for so long. As far as I know, it's rare for a gate in this country to stay open for over a month.
"A month has passed, and the gate is still open?"
"Yes. Several hunters attempted to close it, but they all failed and returned."
I had no idea what they could have failed at. I've never entered a gate, so how could I know? Seeing my confused expression, Simeon added an explanation.
"To end the rampage of a spirit beast, you must enter the gate and complete a specific mission."
"What kind of mission?"
"It varies depending on the spirit beast. Usually, it's related to its origin."
He then gave an example of a famous spirit beast from France,
"It's like receiving a quest in a game…."
"Thinking of it that way makes it easier to understand."
You have to complete a mission related to the origin. Naturally, given its reputation as the Devil's Bible, I wondered what kind of mission
"Don't tell me demons are wandering around inside the gate?"
"Not yet…."
"Yet?"
"We must summon and eliminate the demons depicted on those pages."
So not only do we have to enter the gate, but now we also have to… summon something?
I almost made the sign of the cross over his face, which was smiling so brightly. I wished, just for a moment, that I'd lost my mind and misheard him. But when I looked at him blankly, Simeon, ever so kind, hammered the point home.
"It's confirmed by the testimonies of the hunters who sealed the previous four pages."
Not that I wanted such certainty.
After a brief moment of avoiding reality, I just accepted it. To untangle the vine wrapped around my neck, I had no choice but to follow Simeon's plan.
With a sigh filled with resignation, I asked.
"So, which demon is on the fifth page?"
Simeon silently gestured toward the tablet with his eyes. Only then did the grotesque image on the screen, which had been on for some time, catch my attention.
It had nobody. Instead, it floated in the air with six wings attached to either side of its head. The white figure appears quite holy at first, but you realize it's a demon once you see its face. Its oval-shaped head had no eyes or nose; only pale, withered lips remained. According to legend, even those praised it as an angel upon seeing only its pure white wings covered in feathers. But it's not a human despite having a face, and it's not a bird despite having wings.
It was a creature that couldn't exist in this world.
"Phenex. Also known as 'The One Who Sings of Eternal Rest.'"