Fox Sister

Following Horyeon into the cave, there was a single door on the inner wall.

When the door opened, a spacious room appeared,

and the room was so luxurious and warm that it could have been mistaken for a palace.

Instead of lamps or candles, something emitted a soft glow, illuminating the walls,

which reminded me of what Master had once told me about Yamyungju—stones that shine on their own.

Horyeon quietly opened one of the room’s doors, laid the bandit chief down,

and then pointed to another room, saying,

“Rest in that room.”

After hesitating, I gently laid my younger sister down and covered her with blankets.

Then, stepping out of the room, I turned to Horyeon and asked,

“My sister… What happened to her?”

Though a thousand questions about curses and mysteries swirled in my mind,

I was most worried about my sister’s condition.

My chest was filled with anxiety over what might happen to her,

and I couldn’t stay still.

Horyeon sighed softly as he gazed deeply into my eyes.

“So that’s what you’re most curious about? Rest assured.

She’s neither injured nor dead.”

He then quietly set up a small table and placed two cups on it.

Though I didn’t understand his intentions,

when Horyeon gestured, a steaming liquid filled the cups.

The gentle aroma of green tea filled the room.

“Let’s talk while we drink.”

With a soft tone, he offered two cushions,

and naturally, I sat down beside him.

“I can still see the concern in your eyes for that girl.”

Horyeon sipped his tea, his golden eyes slowly meeting mine.

“Don’t worry. She just fell asleep due to being unable to handle the yokai’s aura.”

Setting down his cup, Horyeon stared at me intently before speaking again.

“So now, I want to ask you something.

Why does a Taoist priest travel with someone like Ryeong—a yokai who eats people?”

Horyeon’s gaze was firm and deep.

It felt like he was piercing through me,

and an inexplicable pressure weighed down on me.

Sweat trickled down my forehead as I felt like I was being interrogated.

After a brief silence, I finally began recounting everything that had happened until now:

how I fled leaving my sister behind,

met my Master and became a Taoist priest,

and even the story of the curse and the ominous presence.

“Black mist?”

The moment I mentioned the black mist being released,

Horyeon’s eyes narrowed sharply.

The flow of the air changed subtly,

and his golden eyes flickered uncertainly.

His gaze was a mix of worry and fear.

“And what happened to this ominous presence, this ‘fierce’ entity?”

His tone was slightly urgent.

Though I sensed no threat from him,

his mere presence was overwhelming.

“He is dead.

A woman named Seolhwa, known as Mara, killed him personally.

We confirmed his body and burned it afterward.”

At that moment, Horyeon’s fingers trembled slightly.

He looked at me with disbelief.

For a moment, a heavy silence hung in the air.

Finally, Horyeon spoke slowly.

“I can understand other curses.

But…that shouldn’t vanish so easily.”

His snow-white hair and golden eyes gave him an otherworldly, almost divine presence.

Seeing him trembling with fear made me feel like some great calamity was about to occur.

Cautiously, I asked,

“My Master said that Hwanwoong sealed away three curses.

What exactly is this black mist that you fear so much?”

Horyeon stared at the empty teacup for a moment,

then slowly shifted his gaze back to me.

“I don’t know.

All I know is that it’s something incomprehensible.

The only thing certain is…

its malevolence and its indescribable nature.”

Afterward, silence enveloped us.

Though I had many more questions for Horyeon,

I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

“Umm…”

Suddenly, my sister murmured faintly in her sleep.

Horyeon glanced at me and said gently,

“It’s late. Let’s rest for tonight and continue our conversation tomorrow.”

With that, he stood up.

Alone in front of the table, I pondered for a moment.

There were definitely doubts lingering in my mind.

Could a human carrying such a curse be truly eliminated simply by dying?

Even legendary figures like Hwanwoong couldn’t destroy it,

only seal it away.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer.

Eventually, I slowly rose from my seat

and headed toward the room where my sister lay.

She was still sound asleep.

I carefully lay down beside her and closed my eyes.

As usual, I felt the warmth around me,

allowing me to momentarily forget my worries and drift off to sleep.

But soon, I woke up feeling as if something was pressing down on me.

Slowly opening my eyelids,

I saw orange hair with fox ears poking through,

nine tails flowing behind her,

and sky-blue eyes quietly staring at me.

It was Ryeong disguised as my sister.

“Ryeonga…?”

Calling her name half-asleep,

she smiled softly and responded,

“Your older sister.”

Something felt wrong.

For some reason, her hands were trying to undo my clothes,

her face buried in my neck, creating a soft yet warm sensation.

It felt too real to be a dream.

My face heated up instantly, and my heartbeat echoed in my ears.

I couldn’t comprehend the situation and tried to push her away,

but she was surprisingly strong.

Even though yokai are generally stronger than ordinary humans,

she usually wouldn’t use force against me.

It was as if she was forcibly trying to violate me.

“Stop it!”

I shouted and struggled, but I couldn’t break free.

I felt a prickling sensation on my neck,

followed by a sudden weakness as if something was being drained from me,

accompanied by a burning sensation.

For a moment, I thought she was trying to eat me,

but then I realized,

“You’re not my sister!”

Upon hearing this, Ryeong pulled her mouth away from my neck,

wiped the blood from the corner of her lips, and said,

“Caught me?”

Suddenly, her right hand began choking herself.

Ryeong grabbed her hand, trying to pull it off,

as if fighting against her own body.

“Enough… Aren’t you hungry too?”

With a pained expression, Ryeong resisted for a moment before leaning closer to whisper in my ear,

“If neither of us truly dislike each other… why hide it?”

With those words, my sister’s body suddenly distanced itself.

Her trembling gaze watching me was so familiar,

and I realized it was truly my sister, not Ryeong.

“…I’m fine.”

I tried to comfort her as best I could,

but she didn’t come closer and instead said with a sorrowful look,

“I’m sorry… for hurting you, Sister…”

Moved by her expression, my body acted on its own.

I slowly approached her, hugged her tightly, and stroked her head like I used to when she was little.

I could feel her softness and trembling,

and sense the guilt she carried within.

“…I’m sorry, Sister.”

She whispered with a trembling voice.

“What do you mean?”

I asked as kindly and gently as possible.

“…In truth, I wanted to overpower you.”

I could see her eyes shaking.

A deep sadness and conflict were evident in her expression.

Seeing this, my heart ached, and I slowly whispered to her,

“It’s alright.

Didn’t I say you could eat me if needed?”

At this, the sister hugging me tightened her grip and said strongly,

“…That’s not what I meant.”

Suddenly, I felt myself lifted into the air.

The next moment, I felt the soft touch of the blanket beneath me,

realizing I was lying down.

I felt pressure and warmth on my chest,

and her breathing near my ear.

She was on top of me and said nothing,

just looking down at me silently.

I felt a tear drop onto my cheek,

and noticed her hands were trembling.

“I know I shouldn’t do this to you, Sister.”

She looked at me with wet eyes and said,

“I’m sorry.”

I slowly moved my hand,

gently brushing her hair as I lifted my head,

fully aware that this was something we shouldn’t do,

something the world would frown upon.

But if I’ve already crossed one line, why not cross another?

Taking my sister’s hand, who had become a yokai that feeds on humans,

I thought it wasn’t unreasonable to harbor affection for her as well.

So I slowly leaned in and kissed her.

I felt the softness of her lips.

Ryeong’s wide eyes opened in surprise.

For a moment, she tried to pull away, but then closed her eyes and accepted the kiss.

Our first kiss tasted faintly of blood.

---