Toxin

“Just beyond here is the continent.”

A firm voice seeped into my ears. Was this really the end? Beyond this point, would the end of this tiresome journey finally await me?

“From here on, I won’t hold back. Change into comfortable clothes.”

Raonhiljo dismounted and handed me a bundle of clothes. I couldn’t meet his eyes. Right now, I didn’t trust myself to look at him with a clear head. He watched me, seemingly noticing my dazed state, and spoke.

“Need help?”

“No, it’s fine.”

I got off the horse, took the clothes, and walked toward the nearby bushes. Every step felt like it was weighed down with lead.

“Did something happen while I was away?”

“No….”

I heard Raonhiljo speaking to someone behind me. There was also a faint woman’s voice. Hidden behind a tree, I changed. I shed the suffocating clothes like peeling off a layer of skin. When I emerged in a simple jacket and trousers, Raonhiljo’s eyes widened.

“That was fast. You’re getting quicker at this.”

“I’ve gotten used to it.”

I cleverly avoided his gaze. Raonhiljo reached out and untangled a strand of my hair that had gotten caught in my collar. The damp hair slithered against my skin like a snake as he freed it. At that moment, I spotted someone behind Raonhiljo’s shoulder. As the blurry figure in my vision grew clearer, it turned out to be Narsha. She gave me a bitter smile before mounting her horse. I watched her movements slowly. And then, a suspicion rose again, like smoke.

Why was she here? She couldn’t possibly have survived falling into the hands of the Black Martial Emperor… What had the Black Martial Emperor said when Jincheonroe was first discovered? How had they found Lady Yehui, who had been so deeply hidden?

Something approached me. I numbly looked up. Waiting was Raonhiljo on his horse. Narsha and Raonhiljo exchanged puzzled glances as they looked at me, frozen in place.

“Hurry up and get on. We need to move quickly now.”

I couldn’t move. The tangled threads in my mind bound my feet.

“There’s no way….”

Raonhiljo’s gaze turned to me as I muttered absently.

“…there’s no way the Black Martial Emperor would let her go.”

“What…?”

Every time I saw her, it felt like something was caught in my throat. The fact that she had returned alive, like a miracle, was too unreal. Veronjubille, who wanted me dead. Narsha’s family, whom we’d secretly saved. Narsha, who had rejoined us. It all fit together too perfectly. As if someone had deliberately arranged it. Suddenly, a fragment of a memory pierced my mind.

The fog that had filled my head suddenly cleared, sending a chill down my spine. I shuddered as though struck by lightning.

“This won’t work! We need to get out of here first…!”

“What’s wrong?”

“We need to leave here…!!”

My voice was almost a scream. Narsha and Raonhiljo looked bewildered at my sudden outburst. I didn’t have the presence of mind to explain it in detail. My instincts screamed at me to get away from here. I hurriedly grabbed Raonhiljo’s horse reins and started turning around. At that moment, dark clouds began gathering in the distant sky. As their shadows covered the dense forest, an ominous wind began to blow.

Shadows that had fallen over the hillside moved eerily. When the leaves rustled again, three men appeared from beyond the bushes. Unsa, Usa, and a giant man wearing a traditional hat stepped forward. It was Pungbaek. My mind was overwhelmed with shock. Completely blindsided, we were frozen in place. Unsa shook his head in disbelief.

“Who would’ve guessed? You really know how to wear people out, just like your brother. But, well, I’ll explain how much we’ve suffered getting here as we go.”

Unsa drew his sword and gave a decisive order.

“Capture them alive.”

As soon as the signal was given, the forest surged. Dozens of soldiers emerged from all directions, surrounding us. Raonhiljo gritted his teeth and shouted.

“Quick, get on!”

He yanked me up by my arm and seated me between his legs, then sped off on his horse. Narsha swung her sword at Usa and Pungbaek, while soldiers surrounded us, brandishing their weapons. Raonhiljo quickly drew his sword and deflected the incoming attacks. After shaking off the enemies, he spurred the horse forward, but Unsa leapt into the air.

Without hesitation, Unsa launched a counterattack. His blade slashed toward my leg, but Raonhiljo parried it with agility. Skillfully, he changed direction, leaping over Unsa’s head. The horse, with its mane flying wildly, charged toward our destination. I quickly scanned the scene. Narsha was battling Usa and Pungbaek alone, while Unsa’s eyes gleamed as he pursued us. Something was off. Why wasn’t the Black Martial Emperor here? Could his poisoning have worsened? A chilling wind brushed against my skin.

We entered the suspension bridge in an instant. It was about a hundred paces long, and the height was dizzying enough that if you fell, there would be no recovering your bones. The precariously swaying bridge was just wide enough for one horse to pass. Far below, the land was dotted with stone tombs, and I could even see human bones among them. We barely made it across the precariously swaying bridge. Narsha, after swinging her sharp sword at Usa and Pungbaek, turned her horse and nearly trampled Unsa, who was halfway across the bridge. Usa and Pungbaek also entered the narrow bridge, riding in single file, their terrifying speed making my hair stand on end. As soon as Narsha caught up with us, Raonhiljo raised his sword high toward the rope that held the bridge. The bodyguards and the soldiers trailing behind them froze in unison as if on cue. Unsa, at the front, turned an unusually pale face. Raonhiljo pulled his lips into a smirk and mercilessly cut the rope.

“Damn it! Hold on tight to the ropes!”

As the bridge tilted to one side, the bodyguards cursed under their breath and grabbed onto the ropes. Raonhiljo cut the other side of the rope. The bridge collapsed downward, swinging like a pendulum before crashing into the opposite cliff. The soldiers fell helplessly, their heads and guts exploding upon the stone tombs below without a single scream. The bodyguards barely clung to the severed bridge, glaring at us from their perch. Raonhiljo swiftly turned his horse around and galloped away at full speed. Just a few steps away, the final suspension bridge came into view. Its end seemed impossibly far away. Raonhiljo spurred his horse, urging it for a final leap. However, the white horse that had charged forward so valiantly until now suddenly reared up, hesitating.

“It’s alright. Don’t be scared, just go. We’ve already crossed one.”

Raonhiljo tried to calm it, but the horse resisted even more fiercely. Then it happened. Suddenly, from below the cliff, a massive, dark creature flapped its wings, slowly ascending. It moved with the same gradual, overwhelming force as the sunrise. The glossy, black-skinned creature was cutting through the air currents of the sheer cliff, rising with eerie tranquility. And atop the creature, bathed in intense, otherworldly hues, stood none other than Black Martial Emperor. His royal robes flared behind him like black wings, his hair whipped by the wind, and with the blood-red sunset at his back, Black Martial Emperor radiated an overwhelming presence. Every cycle and movement within my body halted, and the warmth was sucked out of me.

Through his tangled hair, his half-lidded eyes slowly lifted. Everything felt so slow, almost like a hallucination, as I could hear each breath. Our gazes met, locking onto the black pupils embedded within those eyes. Eyes devoid of any impurity. Only pure, unadulterated madness resided there. Heukryeong bared its ferocious teeth, roaring so powerfully that the very earth trembled. The giant wing beats whipped the dust and leaves from the ground into a swirling vortex.

The sound of teeth grinding pierced through the overwhelming noise. Black Martial Emperor slowly raised his hand, resting something long on his shoulder. The cold gleam of blue metal flashed. My blood and cells realized the truth before I could. My heart pounded so hard it felt like my ribs might crack. Raonhiljo pressed my waist from behind and immediately turned the horse in the opposite direction, galloping away.

Once again, Jincheonroe spat death. Raonhiljo ducked low, holding me tightly. We reached the cliff edge where the bridge had been severed. Raonhiljo swiftly turned the horse around, racing toward the other suspension bridge. Heukryeong’s shadow loomed over our heads. As Heukryeong veered to the side, Black Martial Emperor immediately fired Jincheonroe. The horse, startled by the blast, bucked wildly. But Raonhiljo yanked the reins, regaining control.

Heukryeong, having reached the peak of the sky, now plummeted down at terrifying speed. Black Martial Emperor, balanced firmly on the creature’s back, aimed Jincheonroe once more. The bullets zipped past us, just missing. Heukryeong, now flying low, circled back and charged at us head-on. Raonhiljo pressed me down and gripped his sword tightly. He drove the horse forward, slashing Heukryeong’s belly open in one swift motion. The creature’s innards and blood rained down on us like a storm. Heukryeong howled as it fell, its remains scattering across the forest in a violent crash.

Before Heukryeong collided with the ground, Black Martial Emperor leapt from its back with agile grace. He landed with ease and, without hesitation, unleashed a barrage of bullets from Jincheonroe. His assault was relentless, driven by a single, ruthless purpose. The white horse, now mortally wounded, collapsed, its guts spilling out. Raonhiljo rolled with me to the ground, taking cover behind the dead horse. I couldn’t keep up with the frantic pace, my mind spinning out of control. Raonhiljo shouted at Narsha.

“Go! Get out of here first!”

“My lord…!”

“Go now!”

Raonhiljo’s voice was hoarse and broken. Narsha squeezed her eyes shut, urging her horse forward. She reached the middle of the bridge, preparing to cut the ropes with her sword. Black Martial Emperor’s lips twisted mechanically. The metallic beast roared again. The bullets shredded the horse’s flesh as they rained down. Raonhiljo quickly calculated the path and dragged me toward the bridge. We reached it in an instant.

“Hold on tight.”

Raonhiljo gripped me tightly around the waist and severed one of the ropes. The recoil sent our bodies swaying. The gaping abyss below, with the stone tombs waiting to claim us, seemed to open its mouth wide. Clinging to the last rope like it was my lifeline, I held on with sweaty palms.

A deafening shot echoed through the air. In that instant, Raonhiljo clutched his stomach and staggered violently. The blood pouring out consumed his clothes and fingers.

“My lord…!!”

My breath came in ragged gasps, as if I were climbing a steep hill. Black Martial Emperor, without hesitation, aimed his gun at Raonhiljo’s head and strode toward us. His ice-cold expression froze the very air around us. His tightly closed lips spoke of all the destruction and death in the world. It was the very face I had seen countless times in my nightmares. No, this moment was even worse than those nightmares.

“I’ve dreamed of this scene every night.”

His horribly low voice echoed in my head like a hallucination.

“The only way I’ll ever get a peaceful sleep is by flaying your skin and cutting off your limbs.”

He described our gruesome future with a sweet voice. Surrounded by cliffs on all sides, we were literally at the end of the line. My heart raced uncontrollably, my entire body trembling as if it were about to turn to dust. Just as Raonhiljo was about to cut the last rope, Black Martial Emperor calmly and precisely pulled the trigger.

The shot of despair roared as it hurtled toward Raonhiljo’s head.

No…! No…!

It was an unbelievably fast movement. I used all my strength to push Raonhiljo away. In that instant, the shattering sound of the gunshot pierced through my chest. The recoil sent my legs flying into the air. The smell of gunpowder rushed in all at once, and my hair floated in the air like blood. It was a strange moment where all airflow seemed to stop. I could only feel the heat consuming me, but oddly enough, I didn’t feel any pain. Raonhiljo’s gaze lingered on my chest, and upon confirming something, his face turned pale with disbelief. For a moment, my eyes met with those of the Black Martial Emperor. Through the thick smoke, the Black Martial Emperor stood there, frozen, almost as if he wasn’t breathing. The expression on his face was unfitting for the bloodthirsty killer who had just been frantically trying to take our lives.

In a way, it was a relief. Rather than dying a senseless death at the hands of the Black Martial Emperor, this felt like a cleaner end… Now, I wouldn’t have to endure sleepless nights anymore… I wouldn’t hold Raonhiljo back any longer…

But still, I wanted to witness the downfall of the murderer.

The suspension bridge swayed in the wind. The ropes that had been precariously hanging on finally snapped. I plummeted into the abyss. Raonhiljo immediately reached out and grabbed my hand, but my blood-soaked hand slipped away helplessly. The suspension bridge that Raonhiljo clung to drew a graceful arc toward the opposite cliff. Clenching his blood-covered hand until it seemed like it might break, Raonhiljo screamed with all his might, spitting blood in anguish. Before long, the bridge carrying Raonhiljo reached the other cliff, where new opportunities, new bonds, and a new life awaited him—a land full of hope.

Moisture gathered in my eyes, breaking apart in the air. Blood sprayed out like threads of silk, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. My breaths became weaker and weaker. As my body gained speed and plummeted with terrifying force, everything began to blur into the distance.

A cloak, black as night, fluttered in the sky. Someone hurled themselves down the sheer cliffside. A figure with the setting sun on their shoulders fell rapidly. I held my breath.

Why… Why are they doing this…?

The fierce wind swallowed my voice whole. In a world where there was no longer a boundary between sky and earth, the only thing filling my vision was the Black Martial Emperor. Slicing through the air, he plummeted into the abyss like blood pouring from a wound. Through the hair whipped up by the wind, his relentless gaze bore into me—an unreal expression of madness. His outstretched hand closed in on me, and as the vivid world around me faded, my consciousness was engulfed by a vast darkness.

“Your Majesty… Please calm yourself…! You mustn’t hold them so tightly!”

“They’re utterly drained of strength. I don’t know if they can withstand it in this state…”

“We must treat Your Majesty first…!”

The voices of people echoed as if underwater. Sharp pain stabbed through my skin, consuming me whole. My muscles and cells twisted in agony. Several times, I blacked out from the sheer torment, and then, a strong force tightened around my body, nearly crushing me. A face, rigid like wax, came into view. It was a face etched deep into my bones. A face I could recognize even in the midst of a pile of mangled corpses. I faintly smiled for a moment. Yes… this kind of pain could not exist in reality. This must be hell, and I had finally dragged the murderer down to hell with me.

Mother… Mother… Do you see this? Are you watching…?

Suddenly, the smell of blood filled my mouth. My body, which had been thrown into the flames, began to boil. My flesh and soul were being sucked into a gaping void.

***

I forced my eyelids open. As my focus gradually returned, a space darker than the twilight unfolded before me. My eyes, still not fully functioning, followed the dust scattering in the air. The first sensation my dull senses registered was the acrid smell of smoke. Smoke that dulled my thoughts and weakened my body, resembling the eyes that had long since deadened my senses. I traced the elegant curve of a crimson curtain draping down from the ceiling.

A silhouette appeared in the corner of my vision. I stared blankly at the pipe dangling from his lips. For a moment, his gaze flicked toward me. His expression was neither startled nor angry; it was something else entirely. As Hyung’s figure came into clearer focus, all the blood drained from my body.

“…!!”

I tried to prop myself up, but a searing pain rampaged through me. As I nearly collapsed, he quickly caught me.

“You should stay still. The real hell begins once the medicine wears off.”

I rolled my eyes in confusion, unable to shake off the haze. The Black Martial Emperor’s face, save for a few light scratches, was impossibly unscathed. There was no way he could’ve survived that fall; this had to be hell, but why…? My mind, dulled to the core, struggled to form words. Then I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the nearby mirror. My bare upper body was tightly wrapped in bandages from my shoulder to the opposite underarm. Suddenly, he grabbed my chin and forced my head back. His eyes bore into mine, scanning every corner of my irises and the depths of my pupils as if he were about to gouge them out. Unable to find what he was looking for, he finally released me, his piercing gaze unrelenting.

“From the beginning, you came to me with those lustful eyes. I suspected you had a motive, but I never imagined it was for

.”

Somehow, all my strength drained away. Despite all my desperate attempts to escape, I had ended up helplessly caught in the same trap again. Once again, I found myself face to face with the predator in front of me. The final moment at the cliff flashed in my mind. On that cliff, we were cornered by the Black Martial Emperor, and I had crossed the bridge.

had pierced Raonhiljo’s stomach, and I was next in line. Raonhiljo was carried across the broken bridge… carried across… What happened next?

I forced my dry lips to move.

“…What happened to my lord…?”

The first thing to reach me was his cold, black gaze. He twisted his lips.

“I’ve always gotten what I want, and that won’t change. If I don’t, I can’t sleep.”

What the Black Martial Emperor wanted… What did he say when we faced each other on that cliff…? What did he say he would do to us…? I desperately struggled to recall the scattered pieces of memory. At that moment, the Black Martial Emperor’s gaze shifted somewhere else. His eyes settled on a white bowl placed on the table. Inside the bowl was a pool of blood and some unidentifiable scraps. I stared at him in a daze.

“…Aren’t you going to ask what happened to your lord…?”

The Black Martial Emperor looked at me with a blank expression, then raised his hand. His fingers lightly brushed my lips, then trailed down my neck, finally resting on my stomach. A chilling voice licked at my ear.

“He was delicious. They even begged for more.”

My ears felt blocked. I stared again at the white bowl. The pool of bloody water and the scraps of flesh left behind by someone. My limbs trembled uncontrollably.

“Lies… That’s… a lie…”

Ha… Ha… A thin, metallic sound escaped.

“Lie… That’s a lie… You’re lying…”

It had to be a lie. There’s no way that person could have ended up like that. The Black Martial Emperor roughly grabbed my forearm.

“Why don’t you drop that look as if you hadn’t expected this? Even Raonhiljo probably saw it coming.”

My vision turned white, and I curled up violently, vomiting out what was inside me. But what spilled out were only screams and cries. I squeezed out my voice, sounding as if I were about to vomit.

“Y-you… are not… human…! You were never meant to wear a human shell… You…!”

No, no. The murderer is spouting nonsense. I won’t believe anything until I see it with my own eyes. I must confirm it for myself. With my own eyes…! I twisted my body and slipped from his grip, sprinting straight toward the door.

I shouldn’t have agreed…! I should have refused…! My mother’s final face, that person’s voice… Every thought that had both sustained and crushed me became tangled up, leaving me unable to stand. I wanted to be a place of rest for him. I wanted to give back what I’d received. But I couldn’t give him what he wanted in the end. Again and again, the nightmares of the Black Martial Emperor blocked me…! I…! My breathing grew rough. Just as I reached the door, a strong hand caught my waist, and I thrashed like a cornered animal.

“You killed them all…! You killed… everyone who wanted to give me a name…! Give them back! Bring them all back! Bring them back…!”

I clawed and beat at his cruel shell.

“Stop taking everything from me! Haven’t you taken enough…!?”

The Black Martial Emperor gripped my arm and violently lifted me up. His eyes emitted a sharp, cold wind.

“Is that how you were paid by the ones who spread their legs for you? If so, I should give you one as well.”

“…”

“I’ll name you.”

I froze. It felt like someone was pounding a drum right next to my ear. I couldn’t understand what he was saying or what was happening. A tainted smile twisted across the Black Martial Emperor’s lips.

“How about ‘Mongrel’ or ‘Whore’? It would suit your eyes perfectly.”

His axe-like tongue pushed me to the edge of the cliff again. I couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out. My wounds burned as if they were being seared with kindling, eating away at my skin. Without realizing it, I clutched at my chest. Just as his cruel hand reached out to grasp my forehead…

“No—!!”

I twisted like a lightning strike, spewing venom until my throat tore.

“I’d gouge my eyes out before accepting a name from you!! A name from a murderer like you would be nothing but a cursed brand!! A murderer like you is…!!”

His once-calm lips slowly began to freeze.

“That’s quite the passionate confession, one that could even raise the dead. But you’d better shut up.”

“From someone… like you… I’d rather die than accept a name…!!”

The Black Martial Emperor grabbed my hair, forcing each word out of my throat like extracting teeth one by one.

“Shut your mouth.”

“I’d rather die!”

“Shut up!!”

A fierce storm swirled in the murderer’s eyes. He bit into my lips, forcing his tongue into my mouth. I pushed against his shoulders with all my strength and bit down on the invading flesh. The taste of blood and saliva mixed. I flailed wildly as I shot toward the door. Before I could reach it, my body was yanked back violently. Bang…! My back slammed against the door. The Black Martial Emperor tore my pants apart as he spread one of my legs. His hastily exposed penis was already brutally erect, a clear sign of his arousal. He penetrated me in an instant.

“Agh…! Let… let go…! Agh…!”

“Ha… Haah…!”

His thick moans were horrifying. He pounded me relentlessly, his brow furrowed in concentration. His penis pulsed violently inside me with each thrust. I tried to push him off, flailing my arms. After several frantic movements, he ejaculated with burning intensity. Even as he came, he continued to thrust, his testicles slamming against me. He devoured my lips, licking the inside of my mouth. His monstrous member hardened once again in an instant.

“Agh…! Ahh… Let… let go…!”

“Haah… Huff…”

His voice, split with excitement, melted into my ears. The semen that leaked out smeared against my thighs and buttocks. He dropped his head urgently onto my chest, biting down hard on my nipple until blood welled up. It was the pain of being eaten alive by a beast. His lust-crazed eyes twisted me like a vice. His penis twitched violently, nearing its climax. The Black Martial Emperor yanked it out, pulling me down as he did. His semen exploded inside my mouth. The monstrous thing continued to leave its scorching mark on my neck and nipples.