I'm a Monster

*But I want to live.*

This time, he didn't have anyone to help him. The centipede's venom struck his heart. It stopped beating.

Throughout history, countless people who came back from death have claimed to see a heavenly light. Others saw blackness and didn't know they had ceased to exist. Some reminisce about their life's memories in a speedy flash.

Hyeon didn't have the luxury to experience any of those.

He was for sure in Hell. It must be. An abyss of endless, infernal fire engulfed him, the kind that can incinerate bones. The wispy outline of his ghostly body wanted to disintegrate but was unable to. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

*What did I do to deserve this?* he begged silently. The dead can't talk.

"We have a lot to fix, young one," someone responded from above.

A hidden force tugged on Hyeon's soul in the same direction as the voice. He let it take him. Anywhere was better than forever roasting in the raging flames.

His surroundings did a 180° flip. It was now pitch black and frigid.

"Hello?" he called out, finally able to speak. The word echoed into the darkness.

Although Hyeon's figure was no longer a transparent apparition, he was shackled down in place. Kneeling down to touch it, he felt cold, metal loops. A heavy prison chain clamped around both ankles. They clanked every time he moved. Given the short leeway, he determined that the chain was only a few feet long.

*And why am I naked? Where are my clo—*

A large, movie theater-like screen abruptly appeared overhead. In the film, the camera was angled to face upwards at Sani, as if the shaky view was originating from the thing he was holding.

Hey!

"Sani! Can you hear me?" Hyeon hollered. His manager looked directly at the screen. Rather than acknowledging his call, Sani's eyes widened with dismay.

"Sinners. Corruption. Sinners. Corruption," the ominous audio track said.

*Hold on, is that...my voice?*

"You're a sinner." A familiar hand with flickering sparks flung at Sani's throat.

That is me! What is happening?!

"SANI! I'm here!" he yelled. The chain wouldn't allow him to get any closer to the illuminating screen. All Hyeon could do was watch as his body was tossed into the Jeep's mini jail cell. During their scuffle, Sani's jacket became damaged from his fiery powers.

*Oh no, not the Burberry suit...*

He exhaled in relief when Sani subdued him and retreated to Festr Castle. The car was traveling much faster on the way back, so they should arrive in the early evening.

*Okay, so I'm trapped in my body, but how do I gain control of myself? It's not like I come with an instruction manual.*

For the next few hours, he yanked on the cuffs until his skin was rubbed raw. It wasn't budging a millimeter. While contemplating, he lost focus on what was occurring in the outside world.

"Breaking him," the film stated, followed by the Jeep's door relocking. Hyeon stopped tugging at the confines and immediately looked up. Fenrir was sitting casually next to him.

"Master!"

It was useless. Although he had calmed down externally, they both remained in a quiet state for a while.

*How can I get back?*

After a lifetime of listening to the drenching rain, Fenrir finally spoke, "Þú gereigir minð ef ek mælinnr minn tunga, gerþúr?" (You don't mind if I talk in my native language, do you?)

Norse language was so foreign to Hyeon and couldn't understand.

As the wolf continued talking, the darkness's temperature increased like a sauna.

Fenrir turned away to watch outside again. "Þat's eigi lítþúr megóderstanðr mik." (It's not like you can understand me.)

It grew hotter by the second. Sticky sweat beaded around Hyeon's temple and back.

His own voice replied, "Gjalda." (Suffering.)

Hyeon was in shock. *I definitely, 100%, shouldn't know how to speak this.*

The show went on. "I am here to fix the corruption in this realm and the others. Besides, it is not me whom you should worry about within your little castle."

Now that he was reminded of it, his hidden savior from the burning place mentioned something similar.

Abruptly, an ear-splitting, ringing noise pulsated from an unknown source. Hyeon winced and covered his ears, but it wasn't any use to lessen it. The sauna warmth dwindled, as if someone had switched the thermostat to the lowest setting.

"What exactly are you?" Fenrir demanded.

The audio could barely be heard when his body gasped with, "You don't remember?"

Remember what? I don't even know what I am. Hyeon's vision was cloudy from oncoming tears. The high-pitched resonance rang louder.

Hopelessly, he observed Fenrir putting effort into restraining him. It was noticeable how Master held back his strength so Hyeon's thrashing body wouldn't get injured.

Enough of this bullcrap.

"I want out of here," he seethed. Like magic words, the chain didn't feel so heavy anymore. There was no sign of whoever helped him and probably wouldn't make an appearance.

*It saves me, but then abandons me here?*

"Let me out!" Hyeon furiously roared at the blackness. One of his ankle restraints cracked and clattered on the floor. The other leash had a much longer length than before. He pulled against it.

On the projected image, Fenrir ignited the insignia.

The second cuff crumbled, freeing him. Hyeon ran towards the screen. It displayed a desperate kissing scene. When he stretched out his arm to touch it...

...there was a brief explosion of light.

He was back in the car, right at the moment the screen showed before reaching out.

Finally able to feel his real body, the full force of the mark's heat was overpowering. He unintentionally let out a lustful moan and wanted to get down and dirty, but it wasn't the right moment for sexy stuff after everything that had happened today.

"P-please stop, Master."

The insignia absorbed the fever. Everywhere ached. Literally, it was difficult to move a muscle. "I'm so tired."

"I know," Fenrir replied, who held Hyeon close to his chest. It was somehow comforting.

*You do?*

After more conversing about what just occurred, Fenrir asked, "Could you see what creature possessed you?"

Hyeon remembered the terrifying hellhole, the luring voice, and being trapped in his head. There was no sign of who, or what, it could've been. It scared him. He didn't want to return to any of those places again. "No, I didn't see, but it was really hot. What am I? Can you help me if I lose myself?"

The assurance didn't come when his boss didn't answer. So far, every person responded to his powers with not-so-good reactions: Imoogi and Marcia's hesitation, Sani's unnerved eyes, and the wolf's uncertain silence...

Hyeon nestled his face into Fenrir's almost-dried shirt. The late-night bonfire odor that wafted from the clothing became his new sleep-aid medicine.

Before surrendering to a heavy slumber, he couldn't help but wonder, *Am I a monster?*