mindwomanjigrave
(The Witch's Cat)
-The Witch's Cat-
W. Seolha
Trigger Warning,
There are numerous scenes of violence and some graphic depictions of gore that some viewers may find offensive.
Please be careful.
The moonlight, obscured by thick clouds, could not illuminate the path, so Hongwol, hidden in shadow, was the perfect way to avoid the eyes of those patrolling the palace. Silent footsteps relentlessly stalked the palace grounds. Occasionally, Hongwol would stop and sniff the air, searching for a familiar scent lingering, like a wild beast. The cool air of the late night touched Hongwol's face. Blood scent (血香), and among them, blood (血), imprinted with a strong power, left a particularly strong scent.
It was an abandoned palace. It was clear that no one, except for a few of the palace's residents, visited it. Untouched and poorly maintained, dust piled up here and there, and the worn-out doors rattled violently in the slightest breeze, ready to fall apart. Judging by this, it was clear that no one sought out this forgotten, abandoned palace tucked away in a corner of the palace. No one sought out this empty, forgotten palace. Except for a few.
“I found it.”
“...!”
"hi?"
Hongwol tripped the man, tripping him. With a loud commotion, the man fell to the floor, his pupils trembling slightly. The pitch-black cloth that covered his lower face fluttered, revealing his jawline. The young girl who had been practically hiding behind the man also froze, unable to move. The girl's face, hidden by the man's pitch-black shadow, was now brightly revealed in the moonlight. Hongwol's face, as she let out a final exclamation of "Aha," was cold. She was familiar. No, rather than familiar, she was an unforgettable girl. It was definitely the young court lady who had served the emperor at the tea party. Hongwol reached out with a cold gaze.
A loud, "Keuk-," came out of the man's mouth. This was probably because Hongwol had lightly grabbed his neck and lifted him up. How could such monstrous strength come from those delicate arms? The young maid's face turned from blue to purple as she watched Hongwol lift the man without any effort. Hongwol watched him until he collapsed to the floor on his weakened legs. A smirk appeared on Hongwol's lips as she saw the hem of his skirt soaking wet.
Hongwol's strength was far greater than that of the man, and all the man could do was struggle, his body flailing as he was lifted up in her grip with his neck still trapped. His struggling became even more intense as his breath was choked. His trapped face distorted grotesquely, and for a moment, his pitch-black eyes took on a peculiar blue hue. This was undoubtedly the energy of the Seven-Tailed Fox he had been seeking. The blue energy spread out in all directions as if raging. Hongwol did not even blink at the heavy, oppressive murderous intent that weighed on him. To her, who had lived by the nine-tailed fox's side for hundreds of years, even that fierce murderous intent was nothing more than a breeze that would pass by lightly.
“Just stay still, I have no interest in fox hunting.”
Hongwol's grip tightened around the man's neck. The man, his breathing tight and gasping for air, stopped struggling, realizing that no matter what he did, he could never defeat this woman. The man instantly retracted the blue energy that had spread out in all directions. His face flushed red with shame at his apparent defeat.
"What a miracle. You managed to survive in the palace of the protector of the nation, hiding your true nature as a monster."
“....”
"Yes, if you were going to be caught, you would have been discovered and beheaded long ago. It seems no one in this palace knows you're a fox demon, except for that one court lady who's your right hand. You also seem confident that you'll never be caught."
“....”
“So, you must have come up with the silly idea of feeding me your blood and leaving me half-dead.”
“....”
“Even if someone finds out that what I ate was a monster’s blood, no one will know that that monster was you.”
"You've got a good head on your shoulders," Hongwol said. He raised the hand that wasn't gripping the man's collar. A red sphere formed above his palm, and the cool, murderous aura that had been swirling around Hongwol gathered.
"Ugh-,"
A red sphere pierced the young court lady's chest, and her body fell limply to the floor. Her eyes, wide open and watching for a chance to escape, gave out. Before she could even scream, her limp tongue tumbled out of her mouth, and her last breath was expelled in a whoosh. Crimson blood pooled on the floor.
A look of guiltlessness turned to the man. Hongwol, without hesitation, ripped off the mask that covered his face. He tried to hide his face, but in the end, his face, clearly visible under the moonlight, became so familiar that Hongwol let out a hollow laugh.
“The Crown Prince of the Nation,”
“....”
“Aren’t you his bodyguard?”
Jeongguk's pitch-black eyes and Hongwol's red eyes met.
* * *
Hongwol lightly climbed onto the windowsill. The corner of Namjoon's room had long since been empty, leaving no trace of anyone having been there. Hongwol threw Jungkook's body, which had taken up one of her shoulders, onto the floor. With a heavy thud, Jungkook slumped to the floor, struggling to get up. His body, battered to the bone, had lost all strength, so he simply staggered awkwardly.
"Why did you try to kill me?" Hongwol muttered, and Jeongguk opened his eyes. His red eyes sparkled strangely in the moonlight. Unlike the bright red glow of the eyes he met, the sight in them was terrifyingly eerie. Jeongguk flinched, and Hongwol came down from the windowsill with a deflated laugh. Jeongguk, facing Hongwol, who approached him step by step, hesitated and stepped back.
“I’ve heard the story of a fox who changes his appearance and name every few decades and remains loyal to the royal family of his country for life.”
“....”
“Now that I think about it, you were definitely the one who started that rumor.”
"There's no such thing as a royal dog," Hongwol said, mockingly, but Jeongguk didn't react. He had to survive. That took priority over his own feelings. It was to protect his master, and Jeongguk's mind raced. Hongwol, too, watched him silently, absorbed in his thoughts.
“...I know why you came to the country.”
“What is the reason?”
“I heard that you are looking for a being called the Witch’s Grave.”
Hongwol's expression hardened. Jeongguk looked straight into her fierce face. "I know about the Witch's Grave," Jeongguk said.
Only about five days had passed since Jimin found the tombstone. Because it had been scattered across the Eastern Continent, most people were unaware of its existence. So how could Jeong-guk, who had grown up in the royal family of the protectorate, know its contents and the existence of the Witch's Tomb? Hong-wol grabbed Jeong-guk by the collar, and the tendons in his delicate, pale hands bulged.
“Do you know about the tombstone?”
“...Cough, let go of this, and say,”
"What do you believe in that makes me let go of this hand? Judging by your reaction, you know a lot."
“...Let go of this, please!”
“At least, you know that it’s my lifeline, right?”
The red eyes were unfocused. It was dangerous. The deep, sunken red eyes, the presence of the witch slowly releasing a murderous aura that no ordinary human could ever possess, the situation where his throat was once again tied. Jeongguk slammed Hongwol's hand down with all his might. He twisted her slender wrists, and the strength in her hands vanished, and at the same time, the grip on his throat disappeared, and he was able to breathe. The red eyes slowly gazing at him were eerie and unmatched, and Jeongguk quickly knelt down, raising both hands above his head to show he had no intention of attacking.
“I’ll tell you everything I know, so do whatever you want with that energy.”
“....”
“After listening to my story, you can decide whether to kill me or not.”
As his eyes, once dark and sunken, returned to focus, he met Jeongguk's gaze once more. The aura was chillingly eerie. Before he could even recover, Hongwol collapsed before Jeongguk. Her fierce gaze, as if demanding he speak, forced Jeongguk to speak. Several times, a rasping sound escaped his sleepy throat.
“...It wasn’t a tombstone or anything that told me about the witch’s grave.”
There's someone else who knows about the Witch's Grave. Jungkook has no idea where they are now or how they came to know about its existence, but he's just heard, heard, heard, and memorized the story. It came from someone he met so, so long ago that he can't even remember if it was him or her.
He was Jeongguk's teacher. He used to tell young Jeongguk stories while sitting him on his lap. He said that the Witch's Tomb was someone who should be forgotten. He said that the only weakness of his people was someone who should be forgotten by all beings in the world. So, now that I think about it, it wasn't 'he' but 'she', and she, Jeongguk's teacher, was the one called a witch.
The only being capable of killing a witch, a human who has a witch as their master. Long ago, Jeongguk's master erected a tombstone at the crossroads leading to the witch's grave. In a place where no one would easily walk, he carved each character onto a very, very large stone. He erected the tomb so that those who wished to die would see it, but so that its presence would not become their weakness. And then he said to Jeongguk, "The reason I erected this tombstone is because of you—"
“Sometimes the finite is more beautiful than the infinite.”
Jeongguk remembered what he had said to his teacher. And he thought, perhaps his words were the reason for the monument's erection.
"So, you know what's on the tombstone?"
Hongwol asked. There had been no word from Jimin, who had gone to Gyeongguk to find the third inscription on the stone tablet. Seeing as Namjoon had come in his stead, it seemed like it would take time, but Hongwol had no time. No, he had plenty of time, but now he just wanted to rest.
Jeongguk nodded. Hongwol's eyes flashed. It was madness. No, it was a cheer bordering on madness.
* * *
Yun-gi's footsteps headed toward Hwabindang at dawn. It had been six days, today was the sixth day. Six days had passed since the witch had opened her eyes.
I couldn't forget the crimson blood trickling down my lips. The emperor's position, built on the blood of countless people on my hands, seemed to pale. Even though I was undoubtedly more accustomed to seeing blood than anyone else, that one scene was etched in my mind and wouldn't leave. I spent several sleepless nights, replaying that scene over and over again, and the image of his pale face, as if he were dead, remained etched in my mind.
“...What on earth are you thinking?”
“What.”
“Why are you walking to the witch’s abode so early in the morning, Your Majesty?”
“....”
Seokjin's complexion was equally pale. Since my lord, the emperor, couldn't sleep at all, naturally, my sleep was also reduced. I had no choice but to follow Yoongi, who headed to Hwabindang, the witch's abode, at dawn. He was incredibly annoying. He was a traitor, a monster that could be eliminated. The doctor I'd sent, hoping to quickly resolve this mutually annoying matter, had said I was beyond my control. The one who had confidently looked me in the eye and replied that the witch was just another life, had also failed to achieve much. Just thinking about that face, the one who had smiled without answering the question, "Did you save her?", made me burst with anger.
"As a subject, I would like to say something. Granting a concubine the title of Hwabindang to a traitor is excessive. There's no need to walk like this every morning. Please understand."
“....”
“Also, I would like to say something as a friend.”
“....”
“Please come to your senses.”
Seokjin's words, blurted out without a word, were enough to warrant a warning, but Yoongi didn't react. He didn't even stop walking toward Hwabindang, and his dark, unfocused eyes were so blank that it was impossible to tell what they held. Seokjin sighed.
“Why do you send morning greetings to the witch every day, something even your ancestors didn’t do?”
“....”
"A witch is a witch. Even after ingesting the deadly poison, she's not only not dying, but is gradually recovering. What are you so worried about that you're taking action yourself? Yes?"
“...Aren’t you unconscious?”
"...yes?"
“....”
“...Please tell me that I misheard.”
“You must have heard it correctly to react like that.”
Seokjin rubbed the back of his neck at Yoongi's incredibly calm reply. "Sigh, Duya."
"Let's at least find out why. Why on earth do you keep hanging around the witch's lair?"
“....”
“When the witch wakes up, the palace maids will come to inform His Majesty...”
“I don’t know either.”
"...yes?"
“He said he didn’t know.”
My steps kept heading that way. Yoongi let out a hollow laugh, as if he himself were dumbfounded by his own appearance. The contradiction was unparalleled. It hadn't even been ten days since I had willingly agreed to Hongwol's begging to kill me, yet now, watching her gasp for breath, I felt so utterly heartbroken. Seeing her half-dead, fear surged through me. There was no contradiction like this. Watching the person I was trying to kill die, I trembled like this. Seokjin, who had finished his dumbfounded question and remained silent, let Yoongi simply quickened his pace, his complex thoughts buried within him. "Oh, really," he said, looking at himself, "it's exactly like that." "As if..."
“Isn’t it like a hoe chasing a butterfly?”
Yunki muttered.