Chapter 212 - Mouse
Baekha woke up in the middle of the night, feeling uneasy. She was sweating a lot and her heartbeats had sped up for the past few days.
"Agh!" she winced when a sharp pain jabbed her head. Massaging her temple, she slowly got off her bed. She shuffled towards the desk where a jug of water was placed. Pouring some for herself, she drank it all. Her uneasiness was not going and she was confused by it. Usually, she was quite healthy and rarely became sick. The Cho's would not pay for her medicines so she had to take extra care of herself to make sure that she did not fall ill.
But lately, something was happening to her. She was more tired than before even though her schedules were fairly normal.
Is there something wrong with me? She wondered as she poured herself another glass of water.
A cold chill swept over her, making Baekha shiver. She turned around to see if a window was left open but everything was shut. The air conditioner was set at room temperature but she switched it off.
CREEEEAK!
Baekha jumped in fright at the sound of something creaking. Instinctively, she grabbed a metal rod which she kept by the bed and slowly opened the door.
The outhouse she lived in was well within the CCTV coverage of the mansion's premises so if someone had broken in, the guards would alert them. But there was no such alarm so it was impossible for someone to simply waltz in her tiny house.
Nevertheless, she raised the metal rod as she slowly stepped forward. Her hands were shaking in fear but she clasped the rod tightly. The house was seemingly empty without another soul in sight. Her small number of furniture were kept in order without even a speck of dust on them. From somewhere, a cold wind was blowing in but she could not pinpoint the source. Her breaths were short and haggard as she looked around for an intruder.
CREEEEAK!
It was that sound again! Baekha turned towards a small study in a corner of the outhouse which was mostly used as a storage room. She twisted the knob but it was in a rut. It took her several attempts to open it.
A thick wave of dusty air hit her. Baekha coughed violently, the dust making her slightly allergic.
The room was full of old junk and abandoned furniture. Several shelves lay in disarray while broken wood and china were scattered all over the floor. Baekha entered the room, stille holding the rod. She was now more alert but there was no one in sight.
Something soft brushed by her foot.
"AHHH!" she screamed and jumped only to find that it was a mouse. Sighing in relief, she watched as the mouse ran under a shelf, disappearing from view.
"Just a mouse," she sighed. "I'm going paranoid here!"
She felt more relaxed and left the room. Her energy was low and she was now very sleepy which was unusual. Baekha was a light sleeper but lately, she had been sleeping a lot.
Should I get myself checked by a doctor? She wondered. "I'll tell my manager to book an appointment," she muttered and went back to her room, shutting the door behind her.
Inside the store room, the mouse was scurrying fast. It ran from one spot to another, seeking food or small crumbs to eat. The brown creature was sniffing something in the air, attracted by the strange smell. Its tiny paws were running towards the source while its small nose twitched with excitement.
The mouse stopped in front of a broken old couch, studying it curiously. The small animal edged closer to it. A smell of rotten eggs was coming from underneath, luring the innocent mouse. It scurried towards the scent and-
SPLASH!
Blood exploded everywhere, staining the walls and furniture around the couch. A large claw had smashed the tiny creature, letting blood ooze out from underneath its palm. Slowly, the palm moved, revealing the mangled remains of organs and crimson liquid. A long tail was slightly wriggling on the ground. The claw shoved the remains towards itself and the sounds of chewing echoed through the room.
The monster under the couch was eating the mouse it had just killed. For days, Sungki had been sucking out Baekha's energy but every time he did that, his appetite would increase. He killed the small animals around the mansion to sustain himself but he needed to find a body quickly.
"Fucking shaman!" he hissed. "How long will it take?"
The shaman said the drugs would take at least a month to make because the ingredients were illegal and he must smuggle them into the country. This made Sungki even more furious because he was tired of waiting.
Baehka's soul energy was also depleting fast and she would die if Sungki kept on sucking out her energy. He did not care if she died but she was his source of energy and without that, he would not be able to gather enough power to take Jisoo with him. Sungki was a Kistris level demon but still highly unstable. It took other demons centuries to become a Kistris but Sungki's obsession was so strong that he gained powers fast.
"Jisoo…" he whispered as he tore off the mouse's skin, gobbling it down in a bloody mess. "I'll take him and you! I'll take that bastard's body and make you come to hell with me! I'll not spare him...you...you are mine…"
"And what are you going to do if she refuses?"
The demon spun around to see a strange dog-like creature staring at him with its red eyes. Magrod was glaring at the demon which was now going out of control. His canines were snarling at Sungki, who immediately knew that the dog was also a demon.
"You...you are a demon too," he smirked. "I can sense it."
"Leave these people alone," Magrod warned. "This isn't your world! You were summoned by those two idiots. Just take their souls and leave!"
Sungki only grinned. "They still didn't get what they wanted," he said lazily. "They want a child. My child. And I will only have a child with Jisoo.. So the contract hasn't been fulfilled yet."