Inside the real Cheol's mind:
I see myself in some kind of prison… I wonder, is this the afterlife? [closing his eyes with a faint smirk] Well, one thing's proved—those cultists of the white building and those pipe people were all frauds. This isn't a hot pot of oil. This is the Nine Tails' resting place.
"Look at you enjoying yourself after all this .You can't even remember the sins you've committed." A voice drips with mockery.
"Sins? I am no bad person—you are mistaken," Cheol answers quietly.
"Oh, right. You were a really kind person. Trying to help everyone… by ruining their lives!" The voice is cheerful, almost playful.
"No. I never did such… I offered myself to the fullest," he replies in a numb tone.
"One would have a better life dying than accepting your help."
"That isn't true. Not at all…" Cheol's voice slowing down a bit.
"I am the better one—the one who deserves this body."
"What do you mean, by deserve? "Cheol questions in a confused state
"Yes, I do. You have already caused enough suffering to those around you. So sit back without disturbing me." The voice is calm, suffocating.
"..." Cheol halts, his eyes gloomy, lips sealed as if words themselves have abandoned him.
"Good," the voice replies in a satisfied manner.
Cheol sat there with gloomy eyes staring the cold dry stone floor, the voices stopped. He murmered"i need to know what happened to, me i cant remember anything except - ."
The cold voice screached"as you wish!"
"Cheol, come here.""Yes, mother.""Go in the living room and help papa set up the fireplace.""papa I will help you…"
A sudden crackle of fire—then screams."Aaaaagggggrrrhhhhhh!" Loud cries, desperate."Mother! [sniffles] Father! Give them back! " [stangers ]: "poor child ""yeah , really unfortunate, to be orphaned on christmas" "what are you talking about he was cursed to begin with "
"Hey, did you hear about the new child in the orphanage?" [a woman's voice]"Which one?" [another, confused]"The one who burned his parents.""Ohhh, that one…""Yes, I heard from the other workers he's cursed."
"I am not cursed!" [a young Cheol, voice cracking with a sniffle]
"He's here, let's go… or else we might get cursed as well."
Cheol: "No… mother… father… it wasn't my fault… it was the chimney, right? It was the… the fireplace…"
The mocking voice: "A fire has no will. It was you who set it up."
Cheol: "..."
The voice pressed further, suffocating him with its calm cruelty."And what about the girl? The one who tended to you whenever you were hurt. What about the old man—her father? What about the man who let his kids play with you? What about… all the others?"
The prison walls shivered, shadows shifting into faces. Angry cries overlapped inside his skull:"Why did you burn us?""You killer—you killed my daughter!""Cursed child! You ruined my sons' lives—I'll kill you!"
Cheol dropped to his knees, clenching his head so tight his nails dug into his skin, tears spilling down."Stooooopppp! Stop, please! I'm sorry… forgive me… please…"
The mocking voice hissed, unrelenting."You think a simple sorry will return what happened? You think it will fix their lives?"
Cheol: "I am… I will stay quiet. So please—stop this!"He clawed at his own ears, ripping them apart as he screamed
The mocking voice finally relented, cold and satisfied:"You better."
The voices faded, leaving behind a silence far heavier than their torment.
Cheol collapsed, trembling,
"Mother… father… Rumi… I'm sorry. I will never ruin anyone. Never…"
He lay on the dry stone floor, curling in on himself, covering his eyes as if to hide from both the darkness around him and the one inside.