TCGAD 16

Lemon guided him. The inside of the cave fell into silence in an instant, and I quietly sank into thought. I was mulling over the words the doctor had left behind.

“…….”

Suddenly, Bulkan stood up abruptly from his seat. Then he began pacing around the cave. He muttered to himself incessantly.

“Should I just bury it in the dirt? No, no. Then those d**n things in the soil would try to decompose the body. It’d end up disappearing, leaving only bones.”

Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He slammed his head against the wall with a thud.

“Then what do I do? I need to use my head, my head!”

There really was no one crazier than him. Eventually, he began gnawing at his knuckles. Blood started seeping from his hand. I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Bulkan.”

I grabbed his arm and pulled. His thick arm was so heavy that it took both hands to manage it. Only then did his gaze turn toward me.

“You’re bleeding.”

Bulkan stared at me blankly. His eyes were narrowed.

Sometimes he looked at me with those eyes, so intensely unfamiliar that words would suddenly catch in my throat. What kind of gaze was that? It felt like staring into a bright lightbulb or like a predator spotting hard-to-find prey.

“Is something wrong?”

When I asked what was going on, Bulkan flinched.

“Ha, you idiot!”

Then he suddenly burst into hurried laughter. There wasn’t a trace of amusement in his eyes. They were somehow empty, with dark shadows cast beneath them.

“You know I don’t die from something like this, right?”

I shook my head, urging him to stop.

“It still hurts, doesn’t it?”

His “Ha!” laughter cut off abruptly. Bulkan rummaged wildly on the table. He grabbed a bottle of liquor and shoved it straight into his mouth. Glug, glug—the liquor spilled out, soaking Bulkan’s lips. Lately, he’d been drowning in alcohol.

‘Is something going on?’

He had desperately wanted ten successors. With only two left in this state, was that why he was so stressed?

“You humans.”

He roughly wiped his liquor-soaked mouth with the back of his hand. Then he asked urgently,

“If you can’t even live a hundred years, why were you born on this earth?”

I didn’t understand why he was picking a fight over this. Even I didn’t know why I was born. How could I possibly know the grand purpose of humanity? I just shrugged passively.

“What were you in your past life?”

“Me?”

I blinked slowly. I’d never thought about it before. I was an extreme realist. Too busy living this life to spend much time thinking about the past or future.

“Well, I don’t really know.”

Bulkan smacked his lips. It seemed like his mouth kept burning.

“Then what will you be born as next?”

Why did he keep asking these things?

“I…”

I let the word trail off.

“I don’t really want to be born again.”

Crash! A sharp sound erupted. The wine bottle in Bulkan’s hand fell and rolled across the floor. His feet were soaked in wine.

“Why?”

It was a grim question. For some reason, a chill ran down my spine, a dizzying sensation coursing through me. It was just an ordinary answer, but the reaction it provoked was far more intense than I expected.

“Because there’s no reason to be born.”

My wrist was grabbed. His molten-lava-like body heat instantly enveloped my sensitive skin. Squeeze—my arteries felt trapped. It was as if he’d crush my pulse, and my body stiffened.

“Don’t ever say that kind of garbage again.”

His eyes flashed like a dog’s. Goosebumps prickled all over my body. He hadn’t spoken this menacingly since I got pregnant.

“I hate your eyes. I despise how you breathe through that nose to survive, and I can’t stand watching you eat with that mouth.”

His hot breath, reeking of alcohol, wafted over my face. Hiss, hiss—each breath he exhaled seemed to unleash suppressed emotions in bursts.

Was this drunken honesty? It wasn’t the first time I’d heard this, but today it hurt a little more. I was already mentally and physically exhausted. I asked weakly,

“Why do you hate me so much?”

He was so quick to list what he hated about me, but when I asked why, he had no answer. His gaze, staring down at me, was relentless. His unblinking, furrowed brow was so inhumanly intense.

“Don’t you think I’m the one who should feel wronged?”

It was a feeble question. With my free hand, I rubbed my face. My lips felt rough against my palm.

“I’m twenty now. Up until last year, I was a high schooler…”

Even as I spoke, I thought these were pointless words. Would a dog understand? The significance of being twenty to a human? For most, it’s a new beginning, but for me, it was a cliff where my life broke off.

“Even if I couldn’t go to college like others, even if I couldn’t date, I wanted to study, get a job, and live happily with my grandma.”

But then Bulkan appeared in my life like a bolt of lightning. I slowly looked up at him.

“I was dragged to this gloomy place with no light, forced to give birth, and now my body’s half-crippled. Don’t you think I’m the one who’s wronged?”

My vision blurred, but thankfully, no tears fell. I’d cried so much that my tear ducts seemed to have dried up.

“Why wouldn’t I hate the idea of reincarnation?”

My lower lip trembled. Warm saliva pooled under my tongue.

“Because my life right now is miserable.”

Was it okay to say this? Part of me worried that Bulkan might take offense and lash out in some strange way, but at the same time, I felt I’d reached my limit.

“There’s a saying, you know? Life is a series of choices between living and dying. I’ve made countless bad choices. That’s what happens when you’re poor and have no parents.”

My words about the past were weak and drooping. But they were the sharpest I could muster.

“But I never once chose you.”

With those words, a deathly silence fell. I’d crossed an irreversible river. A chilling realization hit me hard. At the same time, I felt a sense of relief. I thought he wouldn’t even listen to me.

“…….”

Bulkan’s eyes grew cold. A blazing blue anger flickered in his dark pupils. His tanned skin flushed red, and his chest heaved heavily.

“D**n it.”

He muttered a curse. A growl seemed to rumble from deep in his throat. I could tell he was holding back immense anger.

“Even when you threatened me with pomegranates, I didn’t choose you… I chose Grandma!”

He grabbed my jaw with his hand. I nearly yelped at his rough grip.

“Smile.”

His thick thumb forcibly pulled up the corner of my mouth.

“Smile for me.”

His fingers pressed insistently. I resisted, tightening my lips. Then, with a groan, Bulkan flinched and loosened his grip. A small drop of red liquid fell onto the back of his hand. A warm sensation spread from my nose. Out of nowhere, I had a nosebleed.

“…Blood.”

Bulkan slowly released my jaw. He stared at his hand for a long time.

“Because of me?”

To be clear, it wasn’t because of him. He’d grabbed my jaw, not my nose. My body was just in such bad shape that even a brief moment of anger caused blood to rush. If anything, I felt relieved, even good.

“…….”

His eyes were deeply melancholic. His mouth twisted grimly. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

He just looked profoundly unstable.

I stared blankly out the window. Damp thoughts pressed on my mind like storm clouds. The clutter of worries weighed on me: the life in my womb, the sacrifice, the fire at home.

…And Bulkan, too.

‘Bulkan.’

It had always felt precarious. In the end, we’d fought disastrously. An unbridgeable chasm had opened between us. A deep, cold valley we couldn’t easily cross or even think of crossing…

B**g! A sound like the cave splitting apart rang out, and I whipped around as if someone had grabbed my neck. Bulkan was nowhere to be seen, and only the stone door remained, swinging precariously like a loose-hinged gate. I scanned the spot where Bulkan had been standing.

‘Ugh, really.’

My head throbbed, and I pressed my temples hard. I grabbed a cloth from the side table and roughly wiped my nose. The blood had already dried, making it rough to clean. I sighed heavily to myself.

“Huh?”

I felt a slight bite. Looking down, I saw round, black eyes. Moist, glistening eyes. Kkakka was nibbling on my finger. Its chubby body was pressed flat to the ground, hips raised, tail wagging furiously. It was saying, “Play with me, quick!”

“Kkakka?”

I forced an awkward smile. Thanks to Bulkan’s training, its bite wasn’t as painful as before. Bulkan often nipped at the pups’ tender necks. They yelped and tumbled over.

‘Bbiit, bbi!’

Each time, I stood to the side, quietly averting my gaze. It made my heart ache. A cold sweat ran down my spine. I knew Bulkan was controlling his strength. If he’d bitten with full force, it would’ve been a disaster. I understood it was necessary discipline, but the coldness in my heart was something I couldn’t help.

“Wanna play?”

Kkakka bounced in place.

“Where’s Bono?”

A rustling came from behind the wall. Bono peeked out with just its eyes.

“I’ll count to ten and find you.”

The pups scampered off. They were obsessed with hide-and-seek lately. If they hid in corners, I had to go find them.

“Happiness.”

Happiness, who had been nuzzling Bo, perked up its ears. Always busy eating, playing, and sleeping with the energetic pups, Happiness trotted over.

“Come here.”

We ended up in Bulkan’s room, which had become a playground since he tore off the door. Finding them wasn’t hard. They usually buried their noses where my scent lingered. Now, my acting skills were key.

“Where are they?”

I muttered, lifting the curtain for show.

“Are they here? Oh, nope. This is tough.”

Even to me, my voice sounded stiff and awkward.

“Bbiit.”

Kkakka hopped excitedly. The blanket twitched. Thinking it was fully hidden with just its head under was adorably ridiculous. Happiness padded over and pressed the blanket with its paw. Kkakka popped out and leapt into my arms. I staggered but caught my balance. Kkakka wagged its hips and showered me with kisses. Its tiny nose felt so moist against my cheek.

“Bono.”

Finding Bono wasn’t hard either. Amid the chaotic pile of treasures, a plump rear stuck out among the glittering gems. Its chubby body was so round. I crept closer. Sensing me, its tail wagged even more wildly.

I grabbed the chubby body and pulled. A heavy weight filled my arms. With its tongue out, panting and smiling, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Huh?”

But something was in its mouth.

“Give that here.”

Worried it might swallow it, I tried to take it, but thinking it was a game, Bono tugged harder. I offered the shawl draped over my shoulder.

“I’ll trade you for this.”

Bono’s grip loosened. The item, w** with saliva, was an anklet.

“Why’s this here?”

I stared at it blankly. A strange sense of déjà vu hit me. This gem, this size—it was definitely mine. The problem was, it was the anklet stolen by the old couple in the village.

“…!”

I rummaged through the pile of treasures and found more jewelry. Some had brown stains—definitely blood.

‘Don’t come to the village for a while. The old couple was found dead.’

The doctor’s words echoed.

‘The land’s been so dry this year. They say a starving beast attacked them. It’s dangerous, so be careful.’

Uneasy thoughts floated in my mind. The old couple, my jewelry, blood, a starving beast, and Bulkan…? The scattered fragments in my head clicked into place. Soon, a complete picture formed.

☀️

I don’t know how I spent the next half-day. The pups pushed and pulled at my dazed self. Each time, I snapped back to reality. The sunset was slowly creeping outside the window.

Bulkan returned before dusk fully settled. Lemon and the pups were reading a storybook in the cradle, while I stayed alone in Bulkan’s room, confronting him.

“Why do you have this?”

His eyebrows shot up. I held out my hand. Seeing the anklet, Bulkan bared his teeth and growled.

“Give it here!”

His snatch was almost paranoid. Gripping it tightly in his hammer-like hand, he glared at me fiercely. It was an incomprehensible obsession. He hoarded tons of stuff like this without a second glance. This anklet didn’t seem special enough to warrant such sensitivity—it was too small to even fit on three of his fingers.

“I asked why you have it.”

Hmph, Bulkan snorted irritably.

“Because it’s mine.”

His breathing was faster than usual. I asked, my breath tight,

“What happened to that couple?”

No answer came.

“The doctor told me not to come to the village because it’s dangerous.”

I wished he’d say something, anything. But Bulkan just stood there, listening to me like a taxidermied beast.

“They said the land was so dry that a starving beast attacked and killed the old couple.”

His eyes, looking down at me, were still emotionless. I didn’t know how to interpret that gaze. It was like reading constellations in a pitch-black sky.

“Did you kill them?”

My voice cracked sharply. Maybe I already knew the answer even as I asked.

“Why?”

Why, of all things? Sure, what they did was awful. But… I’m here, safe. There was a slight problem with the life in my womb, but that’s a separate issue.

“Why did you do it?”

“Because they put their scent on what’s mine.”

His voice was eerily calm, like commenting on clouds floating by.

“…….”

A chilling feeling a**aulted me. It was a grotesque fear. He’d killed Priest before, but this was a different kind of shock. This time, Bulkan’s victims weren’t powerful like Priest or beasts meant for food.

“They were just old people.”

They were a powerless old couple. The realization that his violence and cruelty spared no one hit me viscerally. The thought that he truly saw human lives as no more than flies’ crystallized and crashed over me like a tidal wave. My stomach trembled. Noticing the subtle movement, his eyes fixed on my belly.

“Your belly’s already this big.”

I quickly covered my stomach with my hands. Without moving his head, he raised his eyes. The whites visible below were terrifying.

“I’ll kidnap that doctor right now.”

While I stood there, dazed, Bulkan moved farther away. The wolf fur clinging to his broad back receded from view. I snapped out of it and hurriedly chased after him.

“No…”

I grabbed his thick waist, pleading for him to wait. His cold, razor-sharp gaze pierced me.

“I… I haven’t decided yet…”

“That thing in your belly needs to die.”

Bulkan spat the words without a hint of hesitation. Hiss, hiss—the heat from his breath poured over my face. I bit my lower lip. My eyes shot up. My eyelids trembled painfully.

“Don’t you feel any pity?”

“It’s half-crippled. We don’t need that.”

He grimaced as if the life in my womb was cigarette ash, spitting on the ground with a “Tch.”

“I never wanted a human anyway.”

Rage toward the life in my womb surged. Emptiness stabbed at my stomach. I felt like I was burning to death. I clenched my fist tightly and swung at his cheek with all my strength.

Thud! I swung as hard as I could, but it made a pathetic sound. There was no impact, and Bulkan still glared at me. My fist stung as if I’d hit a wall. For the first time in my life, I’d struck someone. My body shook.

“You crazy b**t**d, you’re the one who made it!”

It hasn’t even been born yet. It’s barely the size of my fist, Myeongha. Do I feel paternal love for it? No.

But, still…

“Don’t you have any emotions?”

This pain stabbing at my heart—maybe it’s a sense of shared suffering.

‘Stupid thing, it should just die like its mother. Cursed things always live too long.’

The endlessly denied past piles up. The beginning and end of my memories of the human called Father.

“A bug-like life like that is better off not being born.”

Bulkan chewed out the words and spat them. Then, with his fur cloak billowing, he stormed out of the nest. I couldn’t tell where he was headed. Was he off to kidnap the doctor in the dead of night, to hunt, or did even he not know his destination?

I was left alone in the room. I stared blankly out the window. It was a pitch-black night. Only a crescent moon hung mournfully in the sky.

“Huh?”

Something sharply sliced through the night sky and landed lightly on the windowsill.

It was that crow again. At first, I thought it was hungry, looking for food. But even when I offered a bit of chicken skin, it didn’t spare a glance. I was initially wary, thinking it might bother the pups, but it seemed completely uninterested in them.

It just sat there on the windowsill sometimes, watching only me.

“…….”

What did it want? As I stared at it, it pecked at the window with its black beak. Was it asking me to open it?

I scanned the room. The cave was quiet. Lemon and the pups were all in bed by now. I reached out toward the window to secure the glass more firmly. It was just a crow, but if it got inside and caused a ruckus, that would be trouble. I shook my head at its dark, watchful eyes.

“…….”

Those black feathers and pitch-black eyes… didn’t they seem ominous somehow? It wasn’t hungry, nor was it interested in the newborn pups. All it had ever done was bite my finger, hadn’t it? And now, of all times, the thug dog wasn’t here.

I was about to pull the curtains shut entirely when—

“What the…?”

It suddenly started slamming its head against the glass. Thud, thud, thud. Its head was barely the size of my fist. But, unbelievably, the sturdy glass was actually cracking.

Crack—spiderweb-like fractures spread. Was it really going to break? Anxiety surged over me. Then, crash—the glass shattered. The crow flew in through the gap.

“Gasp!”

I quickly stepped back. And then something unbelievable happened. Its wide-spread wings transformed into slender arms. Long, wavy black hair cascaded down, and a graceful female figure appeared.

“Em…”

It was Empusa. The moment I realized, I tensed my throat to scream.

“Le…!”

There were pups in the cave. I was about to call out to Lemon to warn her of potential danger.

“Shhh.”

But a long fingernail pressed firmly against my lips. I froze, entranced. My body wouldn’t move an inch. It felt like my feet were glued to the spot.

“You filthy wench, were you waiting for me to come and take you?”

A venomous voice hissed. My jaw trembled. Fear seemed to freeze my heart solid.

“Do you want me to kill that horned beast?”

I’m screwed, really in trouble. Of all times for her to show up when Bulkan wasn’t here.

No, thinking back, the crow always appeared at the window when Bulkan was gone. Was she timing it on purpose? I wondered why I kept fixating on this tiny bird. My bad feelings were never wrong.

“I won’t cause a scene, so get out of here quick. You don’t know when Bulkan might come back.”

I put on a brave front, bluffing.

“What? You insolent wench.”

Cackle, cackle! A chilling laugh rang out. Blood-red lips exhaled toward me.

“Haaa…”

My cheek felt like it hardened where her hot breath touched. A sweet scent hit me from somewhere. It was a poisonous breath. I felt slightly feverish, like I was being enchanted.

“Gasp, huff…”

It was like eating a vibrant poisonous mushroom, my mind spiraling into delirium. My vision flashed red, blue, yellow—like colorful fireworks bursting.

This wasn’t right. I shook my head frantically to snap out of it. I bit the inside of my cheek hard.

“How much do you trust that b**t**d?”

Her question flowed out. I tried not to listen, but it was no use. It felt like my brain was being kneaded like dough.

“Tell me, just me, how much do you trust him?”

Trust? Me, trust Bulkan? It was just a simple question, but I was thrown into complete confusion. A scene slowly flickered through my cluttered mind.

“I…”

I moved my stiffened tongue. I wanted to talk about a terrible memory.

“I was lost in the village, wandering.”

It was a truly exhausting day. I was hungry, my legs ached terribly. Torrential rain poured down like toothpicks, trapping me, and the things in my womb bound my legs tightly. I could do nothing. My future felt blocked. It was like a shattered signpost. I felt like a complete stray.

‘Bul… kan…’

Wandering the streets like a starving stray dog, the one I was looking for was none other than Bulkan. In that moment, I thought only he could save me. His warm body heat, the solid flesh pulling me in. The Bulkan who came for me brought me comfort.

But… to say I trusted him? He was the one who broke his promise to me. I begged him so earnestly not to kill that old couple.

“Why are you covered in blood?”

In the end, he took their lives. His body was drenched in blood.

“I was hunting.”

Hunting. To Bulkan, killing humans was nothing more than a thrilling game. It was utterly horrifying.

His shell wore a human guise, but his core was cruel, brutal, and utterly savage. That was Bulkan’s essence. …Did I trust that Bulkan?

“I don’t know.”

I muttered, half out of my mind. Nothing was clear. I couldn’t define Bulkan in black and white. I didn’t understand him. I felt like I was drowning up to my neck in a swamp of confusion.

“Poor thing.”

Her voice was soft as feathers. The woman before me stroked my cheek. A gentle touch.

“Are you scared of that b**t**d?”

Scared? I couldn’t answer her questions properly, but this was certain.

“Yeah, terrified. My heart trembles with fear. Sometimes when our eyes meet, I feel like I might w** myself.”

I nodded. It wasn’t my choice. It felt like an invisible hand was moving my head up and down.

“Poor thing.”

She pitied me. As if she understood, she drooped her eyebrows and stroked my cheek. It was such a tender, delicate touch. I closed my eyes briefly, following the kind gesture I hadn’t felt in so long.

“That b**t**d will offer you as a sacrifice.”

I gripped the hem of my clothes. Priest had said it countless times: after giving birth, I’d be offered as a sacrifice. Would Bulkan really do that?

“Then that thing in your womb will die with you.”

A chilling premonition crept into my mind. A smoky, acrid fog filled my head like mist.

“You said you wanted to escape.”

“…Yeah, I did.”

I had definitely said that. When I was alone in the room, I muttered it without thinking. The crow was at the window then, too. Did it hear everything?

“…!”

A creepy thought made my fingers tremble. I snapped back to reality. What just happened? I was answering her questions like I was bewitched, swayed by her touch.

Was she trying to enchant me? I couldn’t fall for this. I dug my nails into my palm to stay alert.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Empusa’s face hardened coldly.

“You… you want me dead.”

A brief silence followed. Then, cackle, cackle—a grating, high-pitched laugh burst out. It was almost a scream.

I glanced back, afraid someone might come. But the cave remained silent, as if nothing was happening. The pups, who inherited Bulkan’s blood, were sensitive to the slightest sound. By now, they should’ve been crying and sniffing for my scent.

“…….”

It seemed this chilling laugh was audible only to me.

“Of course I want to kill you. I want to let monsters ravage you and throw you to them as food.”

Empusa cast aside her beautiful face. She revealed a sharp, venomous expression, drooling hungrily at me.

“Then what’s left for me? That b**t**d Bulkan would probably twist my neck, too.”

I couldn’t find words to respond. Bulkan would do it effortlessly. He wouldn’t bat an eye. He wouldn’t feel a shred of guilt. …That’s what terrified me so much.

“And then he’d l**k your corpse.”

My body trembled. The eerily large moon lit up the cave. It was an excessively eerie night. Where was Bulkan, and what was he doing?

“That b**t**d gets aroused just smelling your neck, so even with the stench of rotting blood, he’d pant and ravage your corpse.”

Her long tongue l**ked up my cheek.

“Of course, I’m disappointed I can’t devour you myself.”

Empusa drew a knife from her bosom. It gleamed sharply, reflecting the moon’s pale light. Was she going to stab me with it? My blood felt like it froze solid.

“Take it, it’s a knife from the goddess.”

But, defying all expectations, Empusa handed me the knife. Why was she giving this to me? I couldn’t guess her sinister intentions. I hesitated to reach out.

“Use it to stab that b**t**d in the neck while he sleeps and escape!”

…What? I stared up at her, mouth slightly agape, at the unbelievable words.

“And hide your scent as you flee. That’ll buy you three days.”

Three days—I rolled the word on my tongue. The final syllable leaked out weakly. Sticky saliva pooled under my tongue.

“Even so, I can’t escape this place.”

I muttered compulsively. It’s all forest around here. Four-legged beasts roam freely. It’s vast, maddeningly so. I could never navigate it on two legs. I’d get lost and eaten by a starving beast, or I’d starve myself.

“With this body, getting caught is only a matter of time.”

Bulkan knows that, too, which is why he leaves me be even when he turns into a dog and sleeps at night. He’s a born predator. He loves hunting. If I escaped, he’d probably chase me with glee.

“I’ll prepare a carriage for you to ride.”

Empusa leaned her face closer. I flinched and stepped back.

“How would that b**t**d feel if the bride he doted on stabbed him and fled?”

Her green eyes gleamed filthily.

“He’d writhe in betrayal, smashing his head against the cave walls, lamenting not eating you sooner, tearing off his own paws.”

Empusa, who’d been spewing curses, suddenly stopped. Sensing something, she glanced at the ground. Then her red lips curled into a smile.

“Looks like the b**t**d’s returning to the nest.”

“What?”

I fumbled, clutching the knife I’d reflexively taken. If Bulkan saw it, he’d demand to know where it came from. He’d sense something was up. I hurriedly hid it in my clothes.

“Remember, you’ll soon be offered as a sacrifice!”

Her smooth arms shortened, becoming covered in black feathers. Turning back into a crow, she flew out the window. Caw, caw. An ominous cry echoed. The black bird vanished across the full moon.

“…….”

I stood there, dazed. Was I dreaming? It felt like I’d been hit hard on the back of my head with a hammer. Caught in the violent aftershock, I couldn’t do anything. I just stared blankly at the moonlight…

Drip. Drip. Something fell, and I looked down to see another nosebleed. My head spun. My vision went white.

“…Ha!”

The moment I squeezed my eyes shut, I felt my body collapse sideways. I fell to the floor. In my blurred vision, I saw large feet.

Huff, huff. Hot breaths burst one after another. What expression was Bulkan wearing as he looked at me sprawled on the ground? That same blank stare? I wanted to look at his face, but I couldn’t. I passed out immediately.

Everything turned to darkness.

☀️

My head felt like it was splitting. I woke hazily, gripped by insane thirst.

“Water…”

I reached out into the air. A pitcher came to me. Like a puppy drinking milk, I pressed my lips to it and gulped. A cool sensation washed down my throat. My stomach filled with water.

“Ha…”

I finally felt alive. I slowly lifted my eyelids. My eyes were insanely dry. I saw the dark cave walls. A soft sensation brushed my back. At some point, I was lying on a bed.

I slowly recalled the memories before I passed out.

“Oh…”

Then, realizing something, I stiffened my neck. My heart chilled. Right, the crow. Empusa had come into the room. She told me to escape.

I thought it might’ve been a dream since the crow vanished, but I felt a hard object against my chest. The knife was definitely tucked into my clothes.

He didn’t find it, did he? I cautiously glanced to the side. There, a large, dark figure stood. Bulkan stood motionless like a grim reaper.

“You’ll go to have your belly cut open when the sun rises.”

He spoke without looking at me. His voice was chillingly cold. Not a trace of sadness in his words. I gripped the sheets tightly. My fists trembled.

“On whose authority?”

I slowly raised my body from the sheets. Maybe from magnesium deficiency, my eyes twitched. His emotionless beastly eyes pierced through me.

“You said the thing in my belly is crippled, useless to you. Then shouldn’t I just get rid of it along with me?”

I deliberately used provocative words. I thought he wouldn’t even flinch no matter what I said, but a crack briefly appeared on his masked, expressionless face.

“You’d better shut that mouth!”

Bulkan’s eyes narrowed sharply. The end of his booming voice tore roughly. An overly intense reaction. A thought stabbed into my mind like a nail.

“Maybe you haven’t filled your quota yet…”

I spoke as if entranced. Was he begging me not to die because of that? A grinding sound came, like he was clenching his teeth.

“No, you’ll never bear another pup!”

His lion-like roar burst out, his rock-hard teeth shooting like bullets from his mouth, blood dripping down his sharp jaw. His massive chest swelled like a balloon, then deflated as if pricked by a needle.

“Even if you gave birth, it’d just be another cripple.”

His eyes seemed to roll back. More ruthless words followed. Sharpened verbal garbage was hurled recklessly.

“It’d probably be one-eyed and lame! A human? I’d kill it myself the moment it’s born!”

How could he say such things? I couldn’t understand his brain. I wrapped my arms protectively around my stomach. My body trembled.

He always said weak humans were trash, no better than bugs. If he wasn’t keeping me to bear successors, then why was he so intent on keeping useless me by his side?

“Whether I live or die, you don’t care, you beast.”

“Don’t ever run your tongue like that in front of me again.”

His black eyes looked as grim as an empty cave. Every visible vein stood taut. Heat radiated from his body. White steam rose, hissing, slithering through the air like a snake. He always reacted like this whenever I mentioned dying.

A strange thought crawled into my mind. Could it be?

“No way.”

I shook my head frantically. It seemed like a bizarre fantasy, and I tried to push it out, but once it slithered into my brain, it coiled up, pressing down on my frontal lobe.

“Why can’t I die?”

Why was he so intent on keeping me here? He’s so strong, able to hurl massive boulders, uproot trees like radishes, and crush the king of beasts with his bare hands.

Why was he afraid of me dying?

“Do you, by any chance…”

My throat tightened. I’d had this thought before, looking into Bulkan’s black eyes. In a lake that dark, tossing a coin wouldn’t tell you if it landed heads or tails.

It was time to check that coin. I swallowed hard. My heart tingled sharply. I cautiously parted my lips.

“Are you in love with me or something?”

It was an airtight question.

I’d wrestled with countless questions before, each time seeking different answers. What were the emotions of a dog encased in tough black fur, and what did he want from me? I still didn’t know the answer. My heart’s pendulum swung back and forth, only confusing me.

A stark black void opened between Bulkan and me. I’d never felt silence so black before. Suddenly, his eyes crumpled miserably, his face turning fierce like a demon. The question that burst from his gaping mouth was like a wild beast baring its jaws.

“What?”

“You… me…”

My throat caught, and I swallowed dryly. I continued faintly, asking if he loved me. His beastly face contorted terribly. It was stained with moonlight. A deep darkness pooled in his sunken eye sockets.

“Pfft.”

A short scoff pierced the pitch-black silence. Bulkan soon burst into “Hahaha!” laughter.

As if he’d heard something hilarious, he slammed the floor and rolled around. The bed shook violently, and the table crashed over.

“Hahahaha!!”