part 2
1023 Words
At his gesture, a great iron stake was placed into his hands. Without hesitation, he drove it through the man’s skull. A scream echoed, ghastly and long, before falling silent.
“Next,” the Master commanded. His followers dragged the corpse away like a sack of meat.
Later that night, Man Vol reported grimly, “Another victim… a terrible death.”
“Were they tortured?” asked the headmaster, striving to keep his voice steady.
“Yes,” she whispered. “And when it was done, a stake was driven into his head. Since these murders began, every spirit repeats the same word…” Her voice broke.
“What word?”
She shuddered. “Master.”
Meanwhile, Su Jin scoured both worlds’ networks, hacking even into forbidden sites, but she found nothing. The word Master hung like a shadow over the academy, chilling every whispered conversation. No one dared speak of it to her. When she asked, they fled as if she had uttered the name of the devil himself.
Three days passed in silence.
At last, returning from her own world where she had tended to her mother, Su Jin stepped once more through the mirror into the academy.
But tonight—something was wrong.
A sound echoed in the distance.
Was it shouting? Screaming?
End of Part One
People are such strange creatures… Instead of hiding in their nests when danger appears, they poke out their curious heads and keep staring. Instead of uniting, instead of defending themselves, they scatter in panic and flee like senseless, disgusting rats. It was such an irritating sight, gnawing at the nerves.
The Master stood on the school porch, watching the crowd of people rushing about like disturbed ants. Soon even this scene bored him. In truth, throughout his life, nothing had ever sparked his interest. Even the act of living itself felt like a tedious occupation. What could he do? After all, he had been born immortal.
“Will someone calm them down already?”—he scratched his head and yawned.
“At once, Master.” The older man in black lifted his gun skyward and fired three shots. The screams subsided at once. With a nod of approval from the Master, he began to speak loudly:
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Master wishes to address you. He has no intention of harming anyone. We have only taken your principal and teachers as hostages. If any of you dare to use your abilities against us, they will be killed.”
The guards turned toward Yon A. She was Su Jin’s closest friend in this school and possessed the ability to discern lies from truth without fail.
“They’re telling the truth…” she whispered through tears. The defenders threw down their weapons. Those who had been using telekinesis to resist went still.
The man on the stage continued:
“You are surrounded. Yet, we are willing to set you and your teachers free—if only you hand over the Talisman Girl of your own will.”
“No! Never!”—Principal Kim Nam shouted, bruised and beaten, his hands and feet bound. But the man in black ignored him.
“Refuse us, and innocent blood will be spilled. Surely you won’t deny the Master such a small request?”
“Impossible!” roared the commander of the school defenders. “Neither the talisman nor the girl guarding it will ever be yours!”
The battle resumed in chaos. The Master yawned, annoyed by this foolishness. To put an end to the noise, he walked toward the captives. He chose one at random.
A piercing scream tore through the school—the Master had sunk his razor–sharp fangs into the woman’s neck. Everyone froze in horror. Never before had they seen with their own eyes a man-eating demon.
The woman writhed on the ground as he drank her blood, her cries scraping the hearts of all who heard. Finally, growing bored of her, the Master rose. He grabbed her by the hair and lifted her into the air. The woman stared at the monster, her tongue frozen in terror. No longer could he be called a handsome young man. His eyes glowed with an unnatural mix of red and green. Blood dripped from his long crimson claws. Between his sharp teeth, a grotesque smile spread across his face. He resembled not a man, but a savage creature—living evil itself.
With brutal force, the monster tore off her head. Her body fell to the ground. Then, with his claws, he ripped off her ears and began to chew them slowly, savoring the taste as if it were a delicacy. The sight made many of the fighters faint, others vomit in disgust.
“Bon appétit,” muttered the man in black with a hideous grin. The Master said nothing, moving toward his next victim.
“Stop!”—a small girl’s voice rang out. “Don’t touch them… you need me instead.”
“Go, Su Jin, go!” cried the young principal in desperation.
“Hurt me instead… just don’t harm them, please…” sobbed the girl, torn between terror and the fate awaiting her.
The Master froze, staring at the doll-like girl with his unsettling eyes. Slowly, he began to walk toward her.
“I am the talisman,” she said. “Release them now.”
The monster’s form shifted back into that of the handsome young man.
“So… you’re the one I’ve been searching for all this time? And yet… you disappoint me. What, a mere child is the talisman? How amusing.” He laughed, the sound cruel and chilling. “At least you’ve managed to entertain me. It’s been so long since I laughed this much. But are you truly the talisman? If you’re lying… I’ll be very angry.”
“N-no… I’m not lying,” the girl whispered, summoning all her strength.
“Bind her and take her to my chamber,” the Master ordered coldly. “You’ve prepared me a room, haven’t you?”
“Yes, Master,” replied the man in black.
- Writer
