Satanas Chapter 8.1 - Ribs

The locked door rattled from the force pushing against it. The lips that had been half parted became firm. The shy tongue could not even intertwine, only sticking to the roof of his mouth. It was a kiss as if being stuffed into his mouth in one bite. Out of breath, he pressed into the doorway where there was no room to back away, and a loud rattling sound filled the hallway. Embarrassed by the sound, the tips of Tadeo’s ears burned bright red.

“Eup… haa, uum….”

The hand that had been on the door came down and lifted Tadeo’s chin. Above the collar that hid his neckline, his Adam’s apple bobbed, swallowing repeatedly. As his head was pulled back, the gentle slope of the light blue dopo robe he wore also became steeper. Bell’s teeth were grinding and he was on edge with a hunger that could not be satisfied by eating or drinking. His face, silently moving only its jaw with a furrowed brow, made it difficult to gauge the depth of his thoughts.

So Tadeo, not knowing where to put his hand that had been holding the doorknob, brought it to his chest. They were the same two hands as when he was a child. The hands, possessing the purity of a saint, touched the demon’s face without hesitation.

“Look at this. You were always the one to provoke me first.”

Bell pulled one of them away and gripped it tightly. The two hands, with fingers intertwined, bumped against the door with a thud. Tadeo’s body was pushed further, and he frowned slightly.

“W, wait… just a…. Aup.”

He turned his head to the side to briefly break the kiss. The red lips, which were always chapped and dry, were now swollen and puffy. Before he knew it, he was devoured again, and Bell let out a breath like a beast.

“Huu, I should not have just stood by and watched you become some priest….”

“I can’t… can’t breathe….”

“Is that the only reason you have for pushing me away?”

The rustling silk, like stepping on piled snow, that melted the tension in his nape was only for a moment. The hand that had been scratching the back of his head as if to tickle it wrapped around his waist. He was embraced so tightly there was no space to even twist his body. The soft tongue that occasionally brushed against his teeth slid out, traveled up his jawline, and then entered his ear in a spiral.

A paltry, drizzling kiss like that was not enough to even wet his throat.

“Be, Bell! Bell, just a moment…!”

A tingling foreplay pierced his mind. Tadeo squeezed one eye shut strangely and urgently pushed Bell. The black durumagi, which he did not know when had fallen, was crushed under a dress shoe. It was when the dress shoe, having slipped on the silk, was pushed back. The hand that had supported his waist to keep him from falling easily turned his body around.

“Ah!”

Thump, his body was pushed forward and flattened. His pressed cheek squished up, its plump flesh pushed upward. With his shoulder and chest completely stuck to the door and only his stomach being held, his lower body naturally came away. His raised thighs and buttocks were fully exposed. Swallowing the saliva that had pooled in his mouth, Bell reached his hand through the gap under Tadeo’s armpit and untied the ribbon.

“Bell, this is the hallway… the hallway, I tell you…!”

Rattle, rattle. Even when he pushed with his elbows propped up as much as he could, the sound of the door only grew louder.

“Then what about inside?”

“Heup!”

Tadeo, who was staring at the ribbon tie falling between the long index and middle fingers, clapped a hand over his mouth. His heart pounded at the damp voice, and the back of his neck throbbed. Bell pulled his waist closer to the front of his four-panel pants, which he had brought to the center of Tadeo’s mounds. Tadeo’s heels lifted in a flash, and he flailed slightly in surprise. The two unconcerned fingers stabbed between the cleft of his raised buttocks, clothes and all, and Tadeo, flailing as if about to faint, whipped his head around.

“I, in, inside…!”

“What?”

“N, n, no. I take it back. Take it back!”

Bell could not help but let out a laugh. It was a laugh that could cool even the heat. However, the earlobe the laughter brushed past grew even hotter. The mood had become comical, but he had no intention of letting go of the body he held. Bell brought his fingertip to the keyhole located below the lion head doorknob.

Click. There was no need to bother finding and inserting a key. Achieving what he wanted without even touching it was always easy. Except for you.

“Is it amazing?”

The eyes staring at him with lips parted like a child’s were dazed.

“Uh…. No?!”

“Yes, good boy. Shhh….”

Instead of clicking his tongue at the face that had suddenly come to its senses, Bell covered the smaller hand with his own. When their joined hands rested on the doorknob, he lightly kissed the cheek that had regained its vitality.

“My good child….”

As the door slid open, the demon blew a whisper into the priest’s ear. Gulp, Tadeo swallowed dryly with a tense face. Pushed from behind, his sliding dress shoes stepped through the doorway. His two feet, coming to their senses late, began to scramble wildly.

“I never said I’d allow you my body!”

“Then must I put a hole in my heart for you to allow it?”

“You!”

It seemed as if he would plant his feet and hold onto the doorframe, but he raised his terrified eyes and glared fiercely. Finding the sight ridiculously endearing, Bell kept a smile on his face.

“How can you say that, you of all people!”

Tadeo struggled to pry away the arm wrapped around his stomach. When it did not budge, he now clenched his fists and began to beat him, as if pummeling him. The forcefully hitting hands only felt like a tickle, and his lowered eyes did not stir. As another fist flew at him, Bell’s eyes narrowed. This time, he decided to snatch that hand.

“…!”

The captured hand, unable to move either way, flapped. Tadeo was always like this. Though he was easily caught like a fish in a net, he was not quick to give up. Even if it was a futile resistance. The saying that you only feel the thrill of the catch when the hooked fish thrashes its tail was a perfect example.

The beetle-like eyes that belatedly met his were tense. What should I do? Should I take a step back like this? The way he tries to protect his own body, being a priest and all, is not entirely disagreeable. A smile, as if savoring an ice cube rolling on his tongue, formed on his lips. This time, he brought the hand that twisted to escape again to his own lips.

Tap, tap. Excited voices came and went, stepping onto the top of the stairs. Tadeo whipped his head toward the end of the hallway. The footsteps, which had stopped along with a laugh, as if a dress hem had been stepped on by a shoe, soon resumed.

“Stop playing around. People are coming…!”

“Then you must be feeling inclined to go inside.”

Where the lips had missed the silver ring, a heat rash bloomed. The eyes that had gently closed and opened guided his gaze. The voice, which made one want to be stubborn for no reason, seemed to say it knew things would turn out this way. The lips, always red and chapped, sealed shut. Tadeo took the silk hem he held between his middle and thumb and gently stroked it.

“Think carefully. You are the one at a disadvantage.”

The more one met Bell’s eyes, the more they led the other person down a disadvantageous path. The lips, which cornered you onto a single path without giving you a way out, make you face the reality that you can rely on nothing else.

“There are three steps left now, Tadeo.”

Bell said, as if counting down seconds. There was no lie in his words.

“I never imagined I would be enjoying a party all the way in Joseon.”

“Tell me about it.”

The sound of conversation, having passed the landing of the turning staircase, drew closer to the wall connected to the hallway.

“It’s not difficult. The answer is set, and you just have to say the set answer.”

“You really….”

At the end of his patience, he unfurled his clenched hand in midair. The toe of a noblewoman’s shoe, having climbed all the stairs, peeked around the corner. The hand, with its short, rounded nails, grabs the lapels of the dopo. The hand reaching behind him turns the doorknob without hesitation, and the two bodies lightly enter through the door pushed open by his back.

Thud. The door that had been open became a dead end. When the hand gripping his lapels pushed him against the door, the door rattled once more. Tadeo let out a breath that had become needlessly ragged. Even in a situation where their positions seemed reversed, Bell leaned his head back and laughed softly.

“Why are you suddenly so proactive?”

“Stop saying strange things. My heart was about to explode because of you.”

The grip that had been so tight loosened. The hand sliding down came to a stop on his chest. For an unintentional act, it was rather provocative. Thanks to the palm on his chest, Bell had to feel the heartbeat he had been concealing all along. The thrumming that echoed through his chest like a ship’s horn made his ribs tingle.

The black crown of his head, which came up just past Bell’s chin, could not seem to lift its face. Tadeo was racking his brain, not knowing what to say first. Of course, that thought was clearly read by Bell, and he instantly found a good excuse to make him lift that face.

“Ah. The tie and clothes are on the floor in front of the door, by the way.”

“What?”

“Sort of… like we were immersed in lovemaking even before coming in, looking like we were so desperate for each other that we hastily stripped.”

Bell’s eyes narrowed with amusement. As he expected, the face that shot up wore a blank expression, and soon it flushed red. Thump, the arm that had been on his chest dropped. He brought a hand to his forehead and rubbed his face vigorously. The more he did so, the redder Tadeo’s face became.

“I can’t take this. Move aside. I’ll go get them.”

“That would be even stranger. Right now, in front of the door….”

His eyes, which had abruptly widened, seemed as if their blue pupils were shrinking. A thin layer of ice formed in the eyes that seemed capable of seeing even the subtle movement of clouds, even the movement of water currents. Bell whipped his head around and stared at the firmly closed door.

“Bell, what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

Crackle. The electric light sparked. Several lights illuminating the hallway flickered. This place, where the only light was the moonlight peeking into the room and the flame of the kerosene lamp, was no exception. The two eyes staring at Bell turned toward the flame dancing as if it would go out at any moment. With that as a starting point, the entire hotel was instantly plunged into darkness.

🦇

Sontag placed the hand she had been waving on her hip. A pleased smile remained on her face as she watched Bell and Tadeo ascend the stairs side by side. Only after they disappeared around the turning landing did she compose her smile. A finely dressed, tall Japanese woman stood at the entrance to the banquet hall. Sontag watched the woman, fiddling with her gloved hand.

A face whitened with powder, lips painted with thick rouge to resemble cherries. The upswept nihongami hairstyle was luscious. Even the distinctive collar of the kimono, which intentionally exposes the nape, was perfect. Her stance was a bit stiff and looked awkward, but it was fitting for a Japanese woman forced to display submissive femininity.

Sontag, having arranged it all herself, had to suppress the corners of her mouth from rising in satisfaction. The man, who appeared to be a perfect Japanese woman on the outside, was a Joseon court lady who would join in the operation to help King Gojong escape tonight.

“Darf ich Ihnen einen Drink geben? (May I offer you a drink?)”

Yeonsun did not doubt for a moment that she would be the one to change history tonight. The geta she wore for the first time were uncomfortable, and the space between her big toe and second toe hurt because of the clog’s thong, but she endured this time with that one thought.

“あ, ありがとうございます…。 (Th, thank you….)”

There were some Japanese men who struck up conversations, but no Westerners like this. The reason for that was obvious, wasn’t it? One could tell just by looking at this not-so-spacious banquet hall. The clear division between Westerners and Japanese was not a group separated simply by country. It was a difference of race.

“Es sieht sehr angespannt aus. (You look very tense.)”

But for some reason, this young gentleman was offering Yeonsun a drink. Staring at the golden liquid with rising bubbles, Yeonsun accepted the glass with a trembling hand. The rims of the glasses lightly clinked, and even in the moment she swallowed a sip of champagne, she did not stop thinking.

It was a language she had never heard before. She could not tell what country he was from. It seemed similar to a French accent, but….

“すみません。フランス語はよくわからないので…。 (I’m sorry. I don’t know French very well….)”

“汚くてぼんやりした雌犬だ。 (What a dirty and stupid bitch.)”

“Haha…. 日本語もできますね。(You can speak Japanese as well.)”

It was difficult to understand with the Japanese she had learned in a short period. This was because all she had learned was a memorized selection of words necessary for the situation. ‘Never make eye contact. If you are in a difficult situation, just smile first.’ Yeonsun, following Sontag’s words which had thoroughly emphasized these two points, just showed an awkward smile. The German gentleman, who had been watching that face with interest, smiled faintly. The glass of liquor at his lips twirled, and he slyly opened his mouth.

“あなた, 朝鮮人でしょう? (You are Joseon-in, aren’t you?)”

“…!”

Yeonsun’s gently smiling face hardened instantly. The champagne glass she was bringing to her lips stopped dead, and the golden liquid sloshed and spilled. Her frozen gaze traveled up the high-class tuxedo. The black bow tie, the thick neckline, the cleft chin with faint traces of a beard, and the corner of one lip rising, all came into view in disjointed pieces. Her gaze, grabbed by the scruff of the neck as if a fisherman were yanking up his fishing rod, was pulled up in an instant.

“Tonight, you will become the seed of discord.”

The voice the man produced seemed to hold the screams of all the despairing people in the world. His gaze was more tempting than a trap luring prey, and more binding than shackles. Yeonsun’s two hands holding the champagne glass and her raised, slender chin tremble.

“And you will make our existence known to the world.”

Unable to close her eyes, her stinging eyes turned red, and soon water pooled within them. Yeonsun’s sparkling black eyes gradually lost their vitality.

“If anyone asks of my existence.”

“…”

“Tell them I am the king whose grass withers when he dies, and who bears fruit when he is resurrected.”

By the time the man finished speaking, his eyes, which had been like greenish sedge grass, glinted like the eyes of a beast.

Crackle, crackle. When he put on his top hat, all the lights in the hotel turned off and then on again in sequence. The electric lights flickered like a candle in the wind, and all the candles in the banquet hall that had been illuminating the tables went out. Those who did not know the reason for the lights flickering so much that it hurt their eyes just furrowed their brows. The cozy and harmonious atmosphere under the dim lighting faltered.

Finally, darkness fell upon the Sontag Hotel, which would have been the brightest place in Hanseong.

“What on earth is going on?!”

“I can’t see a thing now that it’s suddenly dark!”

“Where is the proprietress!”

The commotion that started in the banquet hall climbed the sprawling vines and crossed the window frames. Bell was still looking at the closed door. In a place that was no different from a dead end, he acted as if he were looking out a window.

“Something must have happened….”

The velvet suit that had separated from the rustling silk was painted pitch black, making only his fair face float in the air. The moment Tadeo placed his hand on the doorknob, Bell grabbed it. The large hand was more than enough to hide Tadeo’s hand.

“Tadeo. A demon cannot sense the presence of a demon of a higher rank than itself.”

“…So?”

“But Joseon is too quiet. Even though who knows how many demons have popped out of the jar.”

His gaze was as sharp as the bridge of his nose. In his eyes, which had at some point changed into a night sky full of stars, Tadeo had no choice but to silently keep his mouth shut.

“I just felt the energy of a revenant.”

“…”

“And that means there is an uninvited guest at this banquet right now.”

As Bell finished speaking, he squeezed the hand he held, doorknob and all. It was a grip that did not hurt. Looking at the back of the hand with its bulging veins, Tadeo opened his mouth.

“And that there is a possessed person.”

“Yes, so you must not move a single step from here.”

“…I don’t want to.”

When vitality suffused the clear, stream-like eyes that revealed the bottom, it meant that he would not be broken by any stubbornness or obstinacy. Because he was the child he had cared for, Bell knew him better than anyone. He already knew the answer that would come back.

“I never thought you would listen to me.”

“You know. The reason I came back to this country.”

“That’s why I was thinking of locking you up before I go….”

“Bell!”

The grabbed wrist was supple enough to stimulate some twisted part of him, but the name called out in defiance and the furrowed brow were fierce. Bell ended up laughing softly. It was a bitter laugh mixed with a sigh as fine as his own hair.

“I can’t even do that anymore. A demon’s reputation is in shambles. It’s all your fault, Tadeo.”

“I promise nothing will happen.”

Tadeo gently wrapped Bell’s hand and brought it to his cheek. This hand, which he had felt was coercive, was in fact a desperate plea to hold onto him.

“If something happens….”

“Yes, I’ll call your name.”

The face, making a vow as it rubbed its cheek against the large hand, nodded. At that cat-like gesture, Bell’s anxiety subsided. For a life where stepping on the child’s shadow had become routine, even this brief separation was not permitted. It was a moment that overturned the long years in which he had been confident that the only end to a relationship he had never once imagined was your death.

Bell pulled on the hand he held. He pulled him into an embrace and kissed him. The short but intense kiss seemed to be a mutual promise that they would meet again soon.

“If… the uninvited guest is your ‘old friend’….”

Tadeo gently stroked the silk hem he held with his middle finger and thumb. The lips that had parted of their own accord twitched for a moment. And he regretted it. He should have kept them pressed together a moment longer rather than saying something so foolish.

“Are you jealous?”

The large hand, big enough to cover one whole side of his jaw, reached beyond his earlobe. At the question, Tadeo burst out with a bland laugh. It would have been better to let it go, but the evasive answer left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“…No.”

“It would be nice if you could be honest for once.”

Bell gently scratched the black hair with his long fingers.

“We will meet again soon.”

Tadeo did not doubt those words, and the same was true for Bell. The two hands, on the verge of letting each other go, simultaneously bid a brief farewell.

🦇

“What are you doing, not lighting the fire?! Can’t you do even that one thing right?!”

“W, well, the fire isn’t lighting well…!”

The Joseon waiter, dressed in a bow tie and a two-piece suit, had the youthful face of someone not yet twenty. He had already wasted five matches and was just now striking the sixth.

“Wait, what is that sound…?”

A sudden sound came crawling across the floor. It sounded like rice grains spilling from several sacks of rice, and also like starving wild animals gnawing on trees. The sound soon multiplied from tens to hundreds and was rushing toward the banquet hall.

As soon as he brought it to the wick, the flame went out again. Not a single gust of wind was blowing, but the fire would go out as soon as he brought it to the candlestick, which was driving him crazy. He was running out of matches now. The proprietress was one thing, but Mister Hwang next to him would surely nag him day and night. The hand that took out the last match was resolute.

“No way….”

“I, it lit! Mister, I lit the fire!”

“Ye, Yeongho, get up! Now!”

Mister Hwang, who had jumped onto the table, grabbed the back of his shirt. Yeongho, who had barely caught the candlestick that was about to fall, wiped the sweat not from his chest but from his forehead. And not even a second passed before he saw the candlelight coincidentally shining on the floor and was shocked.

“Eu, eu, euaaaaargh!”

“Kyaaaak!”

The floor beneath their feet was teeming with a swarm of rats. With screams that made their eyes roll back, the banquet hall literally became a chaotic scene where hell had appeared. And for good reason, for to Westerners, rats were no ordinary fear. They were the hosts of the plague that had roamed all over Europe, causing bodies to pile up on the streets.

Movements of people climbing onto tables to avoid the rats left silhouettes jostling in the darkness. Crash, smash, glasses and plates shattered one after another, and ornate metal utensils fell with a clatter. One of the tables, with no room to step, tilted precariously. When a short, stout gentleman stepped on the edge, the table, which had been teetering off-balance, finally toppled over.

“Kyaaaak! A rat, a rat! A rat in my clothes! A rat got in!”

“Hoo, hooo, heu, it hurts, it hurts! I was bitten! I was bitten, I tell you!”

Thump, thump, thump. As one rat entered a trouser leg, several others followed. The high-quality suit pants bulged out, and the man, shaking his legs every which way, screamed in pain and thrashed about.

In this pandemonium, the rats steered clear of only one man, and the darkness was no obstacle for him. He was leisurely putting on leather gloves he had taken out from his pocket.

“Madam, for now, you should evacuate…!”

“Ugh!”

“Are you alright, Madam?”

Sontag, who had been watching the situation from a few steps up the stairs, clamped a hand over her mouth and staggered at the rising nausea. Her light gray-brown eyes, with little pigment, darted from side to side, shaking. She could not ruin things after coming this far. If only this matter succeeded, the honor that would fall into her hands would shine brighter than that of any man staying in this hotel. Sontag clenched the hand that had been covering her mouth and descended the stairs.

“Where is Hamiko?!”

The eyes, slowly adjusting to the darkness, looked around distractedly. He descended the stairs, blindly reaching out a hand. Yeonsun, who had approached without a sound, grasped that hand.

“I am here, madam.”

“We must go, Hamiko.”

“A swarm of rats is coming from upstairs too!”

The shout from above was Tadeo’s. When Sontag looked up the stairs, she saw Tadeo and Bell running down. Behind them, a dense swarm of rats was in pursuit. The sight was so chilling it sent shivers down her spine, like a broken water main flooding the place with sewage.

“There’s no time, madam! Hurry!”

The two men who landed on the last step at the same time went in different directions. Bell stood in front of the stairs and just silently glared at Yeonsun, while Tadeo grabbed Sontag’s hand and pulled her.

“We have to go out to the back garden!”

Sontag said clearly, despite her panic. Before her words were even finished, the dress shoes leading them dashed toward the back of the lobby.

“Meet me at Jonghyeon Cathedral. Tadeo.”

Passing by the long wall adorned with picture frames, he heard a voice seeping into his ear. It was as vivid as holding a conch shell to his ear. The gentle current contained in the conch’s roar clearly imprinted its existence in his mind. Like his clear, ever-changing eyes, it carefully delved into his mind without making it dizzy.

However, Tadeo ran without a single glance back.

Bell was still standing in front of the stairs. The ocean-blue eyes, angled at the corners, lingered on the hallway that was hidden from view by the wall. From behind, the squeaking cries sounded somewhat terrified and frantic. Only after confirming the sound of the back door opening and closing did he turn his body. The eyes that looked down on the swarm of rats, stuck to the floor as if with glue, revealed a blue light between their lashes.

“It’s been a while.”

Thud, thud. The uninvited guest leisurely walked out of the banquet hall.

“Bellred.”

The footsteps, which seemed capable of silencing all things in the world with just their sound, made one feel as if they were being driven alone into a deep cave.

“Well now, did you send the priest off safely?”

“Do not even think of speaking of that child.”

The firm set of his mouth, which had been as flat as a plain, parted, and the toe of his taesahye shoes turned.

“Do not even let him cross your mind, Hadad.”

“You still call me by that name.”

The voice, tinged with laughter, made him realize the reunion they were having after a long time. The light blue dopo, now fully turned around, finally faced the unexpected guest.

His features were thoroughly hidden by deep shadows, yet his nose and lips were distinct enough to be distinguished even in the darkness. The greenish eyes, glinting more than the gleam of a beast’s, confirmed he was one absolute demon. A master of disguise, a god once worshipped in Canaan. He, who had stood at the head of darkness from the beginning of time, was the chief of hell.

“Bow your head. Show some respect. When will you ever show courtesy to your new lord?”

“I do not even show courtesy to my own lord, so is there any reason I should go that far for you.”

“Luciel would be disappointed to hear that.”

“No, Hadad.”

The eyes that had closed and opened rose coolly. His refined gaze was spiritually bright even in the darkness.

“The one I serve is singular. Only my young master, whom I have cared for for seventeen years.”

🦇

The door leading to the hotel’s back garden burst open. The three people who poured out stood facing the waxing crescent moon. Sontag, who had set down the heavy hem of her dress and was calming her ragged breath, checked on Yeonsun. The feet, clad only in tabi under the narrow kimono skirt, were extremely dirty. It seemed one of her shoes had come off while running.

“Yeonsun, are you alright?”

Yeonsun raised her head. The gaze that had been consistently withdrawn was revealed in the moonlight and changed. As Sontag, unaware of this, tried to approach, Tadeo blocked her.

“Madam, there is a place you must go with me.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Sontag asked sharply. At that moment, Yeonsun’s wide-open eyes became bloodshot. As Tadeo, confronting those eyes, was about to open his mouth, Yeonsun, who had been biting her lip, quickly opened hers.

“Do not listen to him, madam! It is a trick to ruin our plan!”

“Yeonsun, he is not that kind of person.”

“Who knows if this man is a spy for the Japanese!”

The shouting voice echoed through the quiet garden. The ensuing wind left a trail as it dug through the fallen leaves. Despite the absurd fabrication, the look in Sontag’s eyes towards Tadeo changed into something unfamiliar. The screams leaking from the hotel implied that time was of the essence, and Tadeo stopped hesitating.

“Alright. Go ahead and resist.”

Click, the rosary that came out of the velvet suit jacket pocket was pulled taut.

“Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem. (I believe in God, the Father almighty.)”

Tadeo, making the sign of the cross and kissing the crucifix, stretched his arm out straight. Yeonsun’s vacant eyes were drawn to the crucifix thrust before her nose.

“Et in Jesum Christum, Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum. (And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.)”

Yeonsun pulled her chin back sharply and swallowed hard. Her eyes, avoiding the crucifix, rolled and this time turned to the lips reciting the Apostles’ Creed. Beads of sweat formed at the roots of her hair, and she bit her lip fiercely. Sontag, looking back and forth between Tadeo and Yeonsun, slowly lowered her anxiously trembling gaze. The hands visible outside the furisode were constantly clenching and unclenching.

“Yeonsun…?”

“Keuk, ptui!”

“Good heavens!”

With the sound of a throat-clearing hack, yellowish saliva flew and stuck squarely to his fair cheek. Tadeo’s head was turned slightly to the side. The lukewarm liquid ran thickly down his cheek. The eyes that had been briefly closed looked at Yeonsun again. The face, its nose hidden by the crucifix, was smiling, revealing all of its decayed teeth.

“Your king will die anyway.”

The low tone, beyond a normal vocal range, sounded as if it had been dragged up from the bottom of a pit thousands of feet deep. Sontag covered her mouth at the voice she had never heard before. Yeonsun’s bloodshot eyes glinted like the blade of a fodder chopper. Meeting those eyes directly, Tadeo roughly wiped his cheek.

“Even if he does not die by my hand tonight, he will die.”

The corners of Yeonsun’s mouth rose as if slashed by a sickle. His dress shoe took a step back as he unbuttoned his jacket with one hand. As the hand relying on the single crucifix moved away, the clear moonlight coiled around the rosary beads. When the shepherd’s staff that blocked the wolf from entering the fold to harm the sheep disappeared from view, her eyes, rolling back as if in a seizure, lunged at Tadeo.

“January 21st, 1919, Yi Myeong-bok, the second son of Yi Ha-eung, will die vomiting blood!”

Tadeo, who had quickly taken off his jacket, covered the demon-like face with it. With every inhale and exhale, the velvet fabric sank into and billowed out of the wide-open mouth. The sound of teeth clashing and the panting breath of a beast mixed erratically, and the neck thrashed about, trying to bite his windpipe. When that proved useless, two hands shot out.

“Ugh…!”

Failing to find his neck to strangle, she gripped his shoulders with brutish strength. The talons, grown like a bird of prey’s, dug into his flesh, and the smell of a corpse and a burning pain ambushed him. Tadeo pressed the face wrapped in the jacket with the crucifix and shouted urgently.

“We must go to Jonghyeon Cathedral, madam!”

“Madam! A palanquin has arrived from the palace!”

The manager, who had run in through the back door, shouted. To her confused face, Tadeo urged her once more.

“Hurry!”

“Madam, to the palace, quickly….”

“A, a carriage….”

Sontag opened her trembling lips for the first time.

“Pardon?”

“…Bring a carriage.”

Screech, the shirt, pressed down by her fingernails, tore. As the scratch marks bloomed into red welts, Sontag screamed.

“Right now!”

Around the time the waxing crescent moon, floating on the black river from which stars had risen, tilted to the west, a carriage owned by the hotel sped down Jeongdong-gil. By the time it passed Deoksugung Palace and entered the street where the tramway construction was in full swing, a massive explosion covered the city. Tadeo guessed the sound came from the hotel, and in that moment, his mind went completely black, like a power outage, with black feathers scattering like volcanic ash.

🦇

The monstrous strength coming from Yeonsun’s slender body was too much for even three people to handle. Just as the sound of the explosion reached Myeongnyebang, Sabina, who happened to be outside, came to their aid. As the doors of the sanctuary opened, Yeonsun tormented their eardrums with a groan that seemed to have scraped her entire insides.

“12! 14! 12! 14! 12! 14! 12!”

The path to the main altar was arduous. The closer they got to the crucifix, the more violent her struggles became, but conversely, this meant the demon’s power was weakening. Rattle, rattle. Yeonsun, seated in a chair and tightly bound with ropes, kept lifting her buttocks and spewing out meaningless numbers.

“Marie Antoinette Sontag! In 1921, you will lose all your fortune in Russia! And the following year, you will meet a lonely death in France!”

“What…?”

“Do not listen or reply! Everyone, get out!”

When Sontag tried to respond, Tadeo, wrapping the rosary around his hand, flared up in anger. Sabina, who had brought holy water, led them out of the sanctuary, and the sound of several pairs of dress shoes gradually faded. As the massive doors opened, a silvery white beam of light briefly illuminated the Jesus on the central altar.

The sanctuary was soon cut off from everything outside. Only the candles that turned night into day, the crucifix, and Tadeo remained.

“Tadeo Mun Jinha! In four years, you will die here, vomiting blood most miserably…!”

The hand not wrapped in the rosary roughly tore off the jacket covering her face. The fluttering fabric created a wind that made the candle flames sway, but their brightness remained steady. Finally, Yeonsun, who had been shaking her head and screaming, came face to face with the interior of the sanctuary.

The interior and ceiling, designed in the style of a Bach cantata. The solemn sanctuary that enshrined the Trinity and the power of the Lord. The countless flames symbolizing the assembly of the Israelites in the wandering wilderness. The two eyes that took in all these things became entranced, and soon began to shed tears of blood.

“Ah, ah… eo, u… ueu….”

“Lord! Look kindly upon this person who cries out to you, Lord!”

Placing a hand on that round forehead, Tadeo closed his eyes.

“Pray with me. Through the intercession of the saints, sinners have repented and the Church has been exalted!”

“U… u-u….”

“You, Satan, also beg the Lord for repentance…!”

“Haak, haak, heok…. Kkeuk…!”

The flowing tears of blood split into two paths on her cheekbones, forming drops on her earlobe and the tip of her chin respectively. Yeonsun’s mouth could not close as she gasped for breath toward the ceiling. Her face looked ecstatic. It was the face of a disciple who had received teachings from Isaiah, a saved soul overcoming evil. However, Tadeo stared at that face calmly.

The head that had been lifted high toward the ceiling dropped limply. The neck, limp like a sick person who had lost consciousness from a fever, swayed like a gaunt branch. Droplets of saliva fell and shimmered on the cherry-blossom pink silk of the kimono.

“I am not fooled. Reveal your form and speak with your voice.”

The middle stage. In an exorcism ritual, this was the third stage where, after the demon possessing the body reveals its ‘existence,’ it uses its cunning tongue to ‘disguise’ itself, hiding for a moment to make the priest let his guard down and fall into confusion during the rite.

At this time, there was only one thing the priest had to do: draw out the hidden demon. Drawing out the demon could take days, months, or even years, and if it could not be drawn out, the possessed person could die.

“In the name of the Lord, I command you! Reveal your form, and speak with your voice!”

“…”

Tadeo’s voice hit the organ pipes and echoed. It must have reached the stained glass that adorned the mosaic ceiling, but Yeonsun remained silent. His mouth was dry and his insides burned. The sound of the explosion still ringing in his ears and the perpetual illusion of black feathers scattered his thoughts.

What happened to Bell? At the thought that suddenly came to mind, Tadeo had to shake his head hard. Thoughts unrelated to the rite were dangerous.

“I command you again. Reveal your form!”

Tadeo reached his hand for the chalice containing holy water.

“If you reveal your form, I will listen to your story. The story you want to tell, yes, what do the numbers 12 and 14 you mentioned earlier mean?”

When whipping did not work, sometimes persuasion became another method. ‘Persuasion,’ which attempts a dialogue with the demon, was a method that could be effective quickly but failed most often, as it was like the priest giving the demon an opening.

Just then, Yeonsun, who had seemed unconscious, began to mutter something quickly.

“…What did you say?”

Tadeo put down the chalice and approached. The rapid-fire mumbling continued. Still, he could not hear it well. His dress shoes moved forward, closing the distance. It was when the head with the kanzashi pin came face to face with his sweat-soaked shirt.

“GEHENNAAAAA!”

The face, on which tears of blood had dried crustily, snapped up. The roaring bellow made a severe dissonance, as if all the organ keys had been struck at once. It shook the windows, created a wind, and raised a shadow in the shape of a person.

“Gehenna, Gehenna, Gehennaaa!”

Crack, crack. The fingernails gripping the armrests broke and were crushed. Rattle, rattle. The chair moved even though she was not struggling, rocking back and forth. Yeonsun’s shadow, which had been stretched long on the floor, shot up the wall. It gradually grew in size until it cast a deep shadow over the entire ceiling.

Tadeo, with a hardened face, looked at the shadow that had descended upon the sanctuary. Two arms multiplied into four, and the multiplied arms split the once-single body. The shadow, torn to the waist and dangling in two halves, writhed and finally took the form of two people. They were looking down at Tadeo from the ceiling.

‘Voice,’ the stage after ‘middle.’ Now, ‘clash’ and ‘expulsion’ remained.

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.”

The hands holding the rosary met and clasped firmly. It was the moment he faced the giant shadow and began the prayer to Saint Michael.

“Of 2 million Joseon people in 1919, 7,509 will die, and in Gando in 1920, 250! In Kanto in 1923, 20,000!”

“Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil! May God rebuke him, we humbly pray…!”

The legs of the chair touching the floor floated up. The chair Yeonsun was sitting in began to slowly rise into the air.

“In Sakhalin, 103! In Hashima, 500!”

“And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God… cast into hell Satan…!”

Tadeo approached it. He was not afraid to step into the shadow of the revenant cast on the floor.

“Girls who have not even had their first menses will be dragged away and die!”

“…and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

“Boys who have not even had their first wet dream will rot and die in the coal mines!”

“…and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls!”

The chair was now floating at his chest level. The two hands that had been clasped loosely came apart. Tadeo did not close his eyes. He raised his arms and extended his hands, which were like frost flowers. It was like the hand of a shepherd extended to a lost sheep.

“That is the fate of your country, Tadeo.”

“By the power of God….”

The moment he heard the end of the prophecy, the blood from his shoulders to his fingertips turned cold. His numb arms trembled. Even just keeping his fingers extended was so difficult that sweat soaked his back. The gaze of Yeonsun, looking down at Tadeo along with the shadow, was incredibly warm.

However, all of that is your cunning, your fabrication…. Tadeo released the lip he had been biting. His front teeth and lips, stained with blood, opened wide. Squeezing out every last bit of strength, he threw his hands up with all his might.

“Cast into hell!”

Finally, he grabbed the chair, and the voice of his plea reached the ceiling.

The voice that echoed loudly did not fall. As a silence as if all creation had entered hibernation descended, the sanctuary became an unknown space, as if in a state of weightlessness. In that state, Yeonsun was looking at Tadeo.

The prayer to Michael had not worked.

“Tadeo. I ask you directly.”

Is this a test? If so, whose test is it?

Is it a test from God, or a test from the devil?

“Where is your ‘God’ now?”

He closed his eyes, trying not to listen, but his red lips stopped praying.

“Is your ‘God’ listening to your prayer now?”

“…”

“If so, what has your ‘God’ granted you?”

Tadeo opened his eyes again. Yeonsun, floating in the air, had the eyes of a sage. With a thoughtful gaze, she captivates the eyes of the listener, and with skillful speech, she captivates the ears of the listener.

“Look, Tadeo. If ‘God’ truly exists, why does he allow humans to insult humans, and humans to dominate humans?”

“…”

“Why does he drive the poor and pitiful people of this land to despair for nearly a hundred years.”

And why can I not immediately refute it? The demon’s question was one that everyone had asked, and a question he had received countless times until now. Each time, he had answered with ease, but the eloquence that had convinced many believers, as if in a rehearsal for confronting evil, was useless at this moment.

Tadeo felt a sense of devastation. It was a moment approaching defeat.

“Are you despairing? Are you despairing right now?”

Usually, demons could not hide their pleasure when they mocked and ridiculed a priest. But Yeonsun, no, those two shadows, were different. They were composed even with the holy crucifix nearby, and they tried to teach, presenting themselves as new prophets. At the same time, they packaged their false beliefs with an attitude of wanting to have a serious conversation. Had he ever faced such a demon before?

No, he had not. This was a first for Tadeo.

“It is not difficult, Tadeo. For ‘He’ is looking for you.”

Yeonsun said, extending a hand. Tadeo momentarily doubted his eyes. Because the hand extended by Satan was shining like gold with the light of the Holy Spirit.

“Come, take my hand. Take the hand of the true shepherd. If you do….”

“…I cannot.”

A creeping voice quietly cut him off. He had to say something. Clinging to the chair legs as if they were a lifeline, Tadeo gritted his teeth and lowered his head.

“…I do not know. I have no way to prove ‘God’ in response to any of your questions.”

The one who should feel the weight of the cross is someone else, but for some reason, he is in more pain. Is it shame? Is it admitting defeat? That was not it. It was too early to admit defeat.

“But one thing. I can say one thing for sure.”

“What is that?”

“God sometimes bore the cross for us, who are as wicked as you.”

Yeonsun scoffed. It meant she had heard the story of Him sending his son and washing away human sin with his son’s blood until her ears were sore.

“I will ask again, Tadeo. Then why was ‘God’ not with your mother even in the moment she died a dog’s death?”

The tears he had held back so well finally burst forth. The tears, welling up with sorrow, flowed with a heat hotter than his chest. Though they were as uncontrollable as a river with a broken dam, he tried hard to swallow them. But the overwhelming sadness did not even allow for that. As choked sobs of ‘euk, euk’ escaped, Yeonsun’s lips, aimed at the crown of Tadeo’s head, curved into a smile.

“Why did ‘God’ allow you to be captured by a demon?”

“…”

“Does ‘God’ really only give humans trials and tribulations they can endure?”

Under the barrage of questions, Tadeo lifted his tear-soaked face. He looked past the corner of Yeonsun’s mouth, which quickly hid its smile, to the crucifix hanging on the wall. At that moment, a story from long ago lit up his mind like a candle.