Dancing on the golden ashes

Every step I took felt like a mountain crushing me, the weight of my past exploding in my heart with every movement. The darkness inside me feasted on that very pain, feeding on it, growing stronger little by little.

"Soul Harvest..."

The words escaped me without command, and all the human souls suddenly flew toward me, forcing their way into my mouth. The vile taste of human flesh assaulted my tongue, making me nearly gag.

I felt a deep wave of revulsion, not just at the act but at how familiar the taste had become. The realization churned in my stomach, making it all the worse.

I was terrified. The dark entity within me had grown strong—strong enough to use my skills without my permission.

How dare you! I screamed inwardly, my voice laced with rage and disgust. But the entity only laughed, an eerie, tormenting sound echoing in my mind. It always waited for the worst moments to assert itself, to remind me of its hold over me.

"We must grow stronger, by any means..."

Those words sent a chill down my spine. This entity was terrifying—a lurking predator within me. Who knows who I might hurt, or even kill, if I couldn't control myself someday?

I quickly rotated my soul energy through my body, forcing it to flow rapidly. The brightness of my soul burned fiercely, pushing back against the encroaching darkness. The entity fell silent, retreating into the depths of my being, for now.

We must grow stronger, by any means...

Those words sent an icy chill through my entire body. This entity was terrifying—its voice carried an inevitability I couldn't ignore. What if I can't control myself? Who might I kill someday, by accident... or worse, because of it?

I gritted my teeth and focused, rotating my soul energy rapidly through my body. The bright, searing flow pushed back against the creeping darkness within, igniting my soul like a raging fire. The entity recoiled, silenced for now, but its lingering presence left me shaken.

"Haah..." I exhaled deeply, my body weary from the effort of pushing away the darkness, though I still couldn't feel safe.

I shouldn't think of it as eating humans… it's only their souls after all… but it still feels so wrong. So disgusting.

I could feel my heart tremble at the thought.

But it makes me grow… strong.

I quickly shook those thoughts away and turned my attention to the crying Soo-Ah. Without a word, I called to my beasts and Malrang, then turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Her sorrowful voice made my body tremble for a moment, but I ignored it, stepping forward.

"Lee Gaon! I said wait! You stupid princess!" she screamed, her voice cracking with desperation.

Stupid princess…

The words struck me, pulling me into a memory—a simpler time, a different life. Back then, things felt so much easier, so much warmer.

10 years ago…

Two elementary school girls walked along a narrow, paved path winding through a quiet neighborhood in Seoul. Around them, towering apartment buildings cast long shadows in the fading daylight, their concrete facades stretching endlessly.

The path led to a tiny park, tucked away like a secret. Giggling, the girls made their way to a wooden bench, settling down as if it were their own special spot.

The two looked almost like sisters, both with dark black hair and warm brown eyes. The only noticeable difference was that the girl on the left had a slightly fuller figure—not plump, but sturdier—while the girl on the right was unnaturally slim, her pale face lacking any color in her cheeks.

"Gaon! Look!" the sturdier girl exclaimed, pulling two lipsticks from her backpack. She handed one to the frail girl beside her, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"I asked my dad to buy this for you! What do you think? It's going to look amazing on you—like a true princess!" she declared, opening the lid to reveal a soft pink lipstick. She leaned forward, moving to apply it to Gaon's lips.

Gaon pushed her hand away, turning her face in rebellion.

"But it's moisturizing! Look at your chapped lips!"

"No! I'll never wear lipstick! I told you before, Soo-Ah—never!" Gaon proclaimed proudly, as if refusing lipstick were some grand act of self-care.

The two wrestled playfully, laughter filling the air. Gaon struggled, squirming as she tried to fend off Soo-Ah's persistent attempts. But in the end, she lost the battle. Her lips were now decorated with a beautiful pink sheen, making her look like a doll.

"See! I told you—you look like a princess!" Soo-Ah exclaimed, clapping her hands as her face lit up with a triumphant smile.

"Hahaha!"

Their laughter was interrupted by another, harsher sound echoing in the distance. A group of older girls approached, their expressions dripping with disdain and mockery.

"Look at these two bitches trying to look pretty. Can't they tell they're both ugly as hell?" one of them sneered, prompting laughter from the trio.

The leader of the group, an arrogant girl with heavy makeup, stepped forward. "I like that lipstick in your hands," she said, her voice dripping with menace. "Hand it over, and I'll let you go home with your clothes intact. Unless…" Her smile twisted. "…you'd rather have the boys in this neighborhood see your naked, ugly bodies."

She moved closer to Gaon, wiping a finger across her lips to smear the pink lipstick. Holding up her finger for her friends to see, she laughed. "What do you think, girls? Does this shade suit me?"

Gaon and Soo-Ah trembled slightly as they sat frozen on the bench. Anger flickered in Gaon's teary eyes, but in Soo-Ah's gaze, there was something else—a fire burning brightly.

Without hesitation, Soo-Ah shrugged off her heavy backpack and hurled it, hitting the leader square in the face. The girl stumbled back with a cry of pain, falling to the ground.

"You sluts!" she screamed, her voice cracking as her friends rushed to help her.

The scuffle escalated quickly. Soo-Ah grabbed Gaon's backpack and swung it like a weapon, beating the bullies back. Her sturdy frame gave her an edge over the slim older girls, and soon, they were scrambling away.

"We'll come back for you sluts—just you wait!" one of them screamed, their voices fading as they retreated.

Gaon sat frozen on the bench, her face streaked with tears. She was too scared to move, sobbing uncontrollably.

Then, a sharp sting brought her back to reality—a slap across her cheek.

"You stupid princess!" Soo-Ah yelled, her voice firm but trembling with emotion. "If someone picks on you, you fight back! Do you hear me? Don't ever give up on yourself! You're better than them!"

Another slap landed on Gaon's other cheek. Gaon stared at Soo-Ah, her teary eyes filled with confusion—and respect. That day, Soo-Ah taught her how to fight, how to stand up for herself.

Present…

Soo-Ah was right… I'm a stupid princess.

My steps slowed, my heart growing heavier with each one. I'm running away again. Running, when I should be facing my problems—facing reality.

My hands clenched tightly at my sides. I need to know. I need to hear her confession. Why did she betray me?

I stopped in my tracks and turned back.

It's enough. I'm done running away.

I took steady steps toward my sobbing friend. Her tear-filled eyes widened as she saw me turn back, most likely surprised I'd changed my mind.

Without hesitation, I raised my palm. It happened so quickly—my hand met Soo-Ah's crying face with a sharp slap.

"Enough crying... You're better than that… remember?" I said, my voice trembling. My own eyes began to water, and I wanted to disappear, drown myself in a pool of regret for coming back. After all these years, it felt so humiliating.

"I'm sorry, Gaon… I know you'll never forgive me..." Soo-Ah whispered, her hand reaching for her throbbing cheek. She turned her face away, unable to meet my eyes.

"You're right," I said softly, my voice laced with a quiet pain. "I will never forgive you."

But it didn't change the truth lodged deep in my heart.

"It doesn't change the fact that you'll always be my best friend, no matter how much you hurt me, Soo-Ah..."

I extended my hand to her. The anger burning inside me hadn't faded—it lingered, sharp and unforgiving. But I knew I had to stop running. I needed to learn the truth, even if it didn't bring me peace.

Would it ease the weight on my chest, or would it make me sink deeper into despair? I didn't know.

But one thing was certain—if I ran away now, this mindset would destroy me. How could I win any fight in the future if I kept letting my past control me?

She took my hand, and I pulled her up. Her black hair and brown eyes were as striking as ever. Since school, she had grown into a true beauty. Time had polished her into someone who could rival a model. Despite our fallout, I felt a pang of happiness for her—she seemed to have adapted well to this world.

"Why are you here?" I asked, keeping my tone steady. I wanted to take this conversation slow.

"I… I got dragged into this world when my boyfriend and I found a golden card on our doorstep…" Her voice trembled, still heavy with sobs. Suddenly, she moved closer, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Gaon! I missed you! I had no choice, I promise you!"

Her words struck a nerve, but I took them with a grain of salt. I wasn't naïve enough to believe her excuses. The fake posts on social media, the lies about me—she wasn't forced. She likely did it for money.

But whatever. That world was gone. I would have my chance to confront her about it later—just not now.

"It's okay. Calm down," I said softly, patting her back.

Then it hit me. Boyfriend?

"Don't tell me… your boyfriend was one of them?" I asked, my voice dropping as suspicion crept in.

She froze, stepping back slightly. "Ah… no…" she stammered, but her eyes betrayed her sorrow.

"We got separated after arriving," she said hurriedly, avoiding my gaze. "I think we appeared in different places."

"Thank you for killing those scum… They forced me to follow them, to protect them with my skills. And then… they took turns every day and r-…" Her voice broke, cutting off as she hugged herself tightly, trembling uncontrollably.

"BASTARDS!"

Rage surged through me like an unstoppable wave. I wanted to bring them back to life just to kill them again—and again—in an endless loop of suffering. I wanted them to feel the pain they had inflicted, a thousandfold.

Malrang leapt onto my shoulder, her gaze shifting between me and Soo-Ah. My beasts circled us, sniffing her cautiously. Then came the words I didn't want to hear right now, the ones that made my fury boil over.

"She's telling the truth," Savryn barked softly.

Flames erupted around me, raging like a wildfire. They consumed the men's lifeless bodies, dark flames reducing them to nothing but ash.

I clenched my fists, trembling in anger. "It's my turn to protect you now, Soo-Ah," I said, my voice trembling with resolve. "No one will ever dare to touch you again. I vow to you!"

In that moment, a singular thought burned in my mind—I wanted to destroy the world. To tear apart all the vile, disgusting people who dared to harm others so cruelly.