"In the body of a poor man, he searched for love within the body of a beautiful woman he had never known… In this case, tell me, who is truly the victim? The princess who thought she was in love with a peasant? Or the Death-Bringer, forced to hide his furious nature?"
The old woman's soft yet faintly chilling voice came to a close.
Carefully, she pushed herself up from the floor and crept toward the stairs, socks muffling her steps. Her head buzzed, cluttered with thoughts, and just before she could unlock her door, the key slipped from her hand.
The sudden clatter echoed like an animal's scream. My ears rang; panic tangled my arms and legs. What if someone heard? What if someone opened their door, curious? Worse, what if my downstairs neighbor noticed me? Heart racing, I snatched the key off the ground and rushed inside.
Once in, I stumbled through the chaos of my room, barely finding space to move.
"If only the princess weren't such an idiot, she'd be perfect… Out of all the princes, she falls for a 'slave'. Exactly the sort of thing I'd do, honestly. If I were her, I'd probably fall for the Death-Bringers too."
I muttered to myself, even smiling, until I noticed the curtains bulging inward with unnecessary force.
Living alone, I'd gotten used to things like this. I almost ignored it. But the wind… the wind seemed to grow louder the more I tried to dismiss it, rising into a low, ghostly howl.
Reluctantly, I stood and stepped toward the window.
I love stormy weather. Normally, I would never shut the window. But this wind? I could almost swear it was whispering. My skin prickled with unease. Outside, only the distant glow of city lights flickered. With a grimace, I decided to close it, until my eyes caught the shadow perched on the sill.
"EWWWWW!"
A ragged old rat teetered there, body quaking, a few wiry white hairs whipping in the gust . One walled eye rolled and locked with mine. Then, with the next surge of wind, it toppled inward-straight toward my feet.
A shudder raced down my spine. My vision blurred. I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle the urge to gag. My knees buckled, carrying me backward. I glanced again, only to see the vile thing retching, squealing.
"My earring!"
It spat up the long-lost earring I had given up searching for, its twin still dangling from my ear.
What could possibly be worse? I had no idea how to get rid of the creature, but I knew one thing: needed to get out.
Sooner or later, my landlord would evict me anyway. Debt would drag this place into foreclosure. The sooner I died, the better… so slipping out into the street felt like the only choice. Still, I pocketed the key, forced myself out the door, and crept down the stairs.
That's when I froze.
The old woman's voice drifted again, muffled but clear, through the hallway.Was she… continuing her story at this hour? How much had I already missed?Anxious or not, my feet betrayed me. By the time I realized it, I was standing at her door once more.
"The young man's eyes had changed as well. But since no one cared to look twice at a slave, the true danger went unnoticed."
My breath caught with sudden realization.
"…Alas, the boy's body was collapsing for the second time, consumed by the greedy Death-Bringer. BUT!"
Her voice swelled, trembling with fury.
"When the executed body died, the Death-Bringer would perish too. And knowing this… the Death-Bringer had already accepted every risk."
Unbelievable!
"I just dropped my key… on that the old rat," I blurted out. overthinking got over me again and again even I missed the last part!
Too late..I'd spoken aloud. Horror swept through me. For months I had lingered by her always-cracked door, eavesdropping. Maybe the lock was broken. Maybe she was only reading aloud. Whatever I was doing, it was unsettling.I could have visited. I could have asked. But tonight..tonight, convinced of my own
impending death, I decided. I would meet her.
Footsteps approached from inside. My chest hammered; my blood surged. Terror rooted my body to the floor. My crouched legs refused to lift me.
The door creaked open.
Something inside me… snapped, then eased. Warmth spread through my chest, baffling and strange. My face twisted with confusion as relief drowned my fear.
"A monkey?"