ULAS 44

Chapter 44

“It appeared in your dream?”

“Mm-hmm. It was such a disgusting, unpleasant dream that I couldn’t understand why I had to see something like that.”

Startled by my reaction, Yoo Chaesong nervously recalled the memory.

“There was this woman standing in front of a full-length mirror in a room. She lifted her shirt to reveal her stomach… and on that stomach, a man’s face was attached.”

Exactly the same.

The same sight Dan Seohyuk and I had witnessed.

“But she was glaring at the man with this terrifying hatred, cursing at him. She said he deserved to suffer for the rest of his afterlife. And she punched the stomach—punched his face—really hard, as if she felt no pain at all.”

The content of the dream and what the woman told us were completely contradictory.

“It was like she didn’t even consider the face part of her own body… and the man was begging for his life, begging forgiveness. I hated the sight of it, but in the dream I couldn’t look away. Then the woman came back with a knife.”

Tak Yeonho let out a horrified gasp, covering his mouth. It wasn’t hard to imagine how the scene ended.

“And then she stabbed the man’s face.”

Yoo Chaesong nodded calmly.

“Yeah. She kept going until he couldn’t even say ‘save me’ anymore. And the woman didn’t seem hurt at all. Instead she laughed like finally, finally, the sight relieved her.”

What on earth…

“She told us her ex-boyfriend was harassing her. That he caused trouble by being loud late at night or talking about personal issues.”

“I don’t know what’s true since it was a dream… but judging from the context, the one who killed the man was the woman.”

Yoo Chaesong sighed.

“And I think she used the keyring to trap the man inside her own body.”

That was insane.

On every level.

If she hated him enough to wish he was dead, why bind him to herself?

Following Tak Yeonho down the street, I realized there wasn’t a single passerby. We’d already walked quite far from school.

In the distance, I could see Eden Hospital—where Jang Hyunwoo was still admitted.

“Wh-why would she do something like that? Listening to it, she must have hated the man so much.”

Tak Yeonho sounded genuinely shaken.

Honestly… who among us could possibly answer that?

“Once we pass this café, we should be close! Café Piorum!”

Café Piorum.

This was near the place the woman had mentioned last time as well.

“Is this her main area?”

“Seems like it. She might even live nearby.”

I agreed to Dan Seohyuk’s murmured guess and scanned the surroundings.

There were no apartment buildings—only residential houses. Café Piorum was a short distance from them.

I peeked inside the café. A young owner wearing a clean brown apron was leisurely making coffee.

Completely different from the ominous image of Eden-dong.

[Child.]

Millie’s voice echoed in my mind as I stared blankly.

‘If I answer her now, Chaesong and Yeonho will think I’m weird.’

I glanced at Seohyuk. He seemed to hear nothing—his expression unaffected.

[Don’t go.]

Don’t go? Go where?

[It’s dangerous.]

Dangerous.

This was the same ghost who helped me handle the keyring ghost, rescued me during the escape room incident, and even restored my finger.

If he was warning me…

“H-hey! Guys! That woman walking over there!! Isn’t that the one we were just talking about?!”

Tak Yeonho pointed frantically. The retreating silhouette matched every detail we’d mentioned.

Panicked at the woman getting farther away, Yeonho sprinted after her. Chaesong followed, then Seohyuk, long strides and all.

I was about to run after them—

Grab!

A hand shot out from the alley and clamped over my mouth.

“……!!”

I couldn’t even scream. I flailed toward Seohyuk, but it was useless.

How could a person be this strong?

Millie’s voice had vanished. A cloth pressed over my nose and mouth—something damp, with a faint, strange scent.

‘Oh, crap.’

My consciousness blurred.

*** * ***

‘…Ah.’

Why was I fainting so often lately? This wasn’t normal.

Slowly blinking, I looked around.

‘A car trunk?’

No wonder it felt suffocating.

At least I wasn’t on an operating table or in an auction house this time.

Something like a gag—a rope—was stuffed in my mouth.

‘Is this… a person’s doing?’

A ghost wouldn’t bother with physical restraints… probably.

‘Millie, are you here?’

Since I couldn’t speak, I called out in my mind.

[Yes.]

The voice came instantly. I couldn’t see him in the darkness, but he was nearby.

Just knowing that eased my panic.

‘You can’t just warn me not to go—why didn’t you tell me someone was about to grab me?’

[Shameless.]

‘But it’s true! You’ll help me escape again, right?’

Silence.

So no?

Was he only helping when ghosts were involved? Since this was a human crime, he was just going to leave me?

‘Ugh… I can’t tell if he’s a good ghost or a bad ghost.’

[There is no such thing as a good ghost.]

[Anything lingering in this world out of attachment cannot be good.]

‘I—I wasn’t talking to you… just thinking!’

Mortified, I sighed internally.

[There are restrictions. I can’t always intervene.]

‘Restrictions? Is that why you couldn’t help quickly in the escape room?’

[No. I simply wanted to see how long your boldness would last.]

You let someone’s finger get cut off for that reason??
Your ghostly morals are… something else.

Still—Hyunwoo might’ve been harmed if not for Millie. It was my decision, so I didn’t blame him.

[I can’t tell you what the restriction is.]

‘Wow, mysterious savior ghost.’

[Millie.]

‘Okay, Millie. So you can’t help me escape now?’

[Correct.]

‘Then can you at least check who’s in the car? What’s going on outside?’

[As you suspect—it’s that same woman. She’s alone.]

‘She kidnapped me alone? But earlier, the person who grabbed me was incredibly strong… She’s skin and bones. I could probably beat her in a fight. It doesn’t make sense.’

I wasn’t big, but no way a stick-thin woman could overpower me effortlessly.

Was a frail woman really capable of subduing a struggling high-schooler?

[She is possessed.]

‘You mean the keyring ghost? But we destroyed it… didn’t we?’

I clearly remembered stabbing the doll with the dagger Millie gave me.

‘Don’t tell me… the keyring ghost is still alive?’

Chaesong had returned to normal. Nothing unusual had happened afterward.

I thought we’d finished it.

I will come find you again.

I will kill you.

That chilling curse resurfaced in my mind.

‘So “come back” meant—’