The following day was a disaster. At first, Minji was convinced she had only dreamed about the weird encounter with Baëkhyun, that he was merely a figment of her imagination, but then her eyes discovered a star-shaped crest on her left wrist. She froze and blinked, once, twice—then, she jumped out of bed in a panic. Since she moved too fast, her legs got tangled in her blanket, and she landed on the hard wooden floor face first. The pain came instantaneously, and she cursed herself for being so clumsy.

“Human!” someone roared from outside the door, nearly knocking it down. “What the are you doing in there?”

“Good morning to you too, demon!” she chirped sarcastically and got up, stretching her arms and rolling her neck. She dumped her blanket on the bed and unlocked her door, facing Baëkhyun, who glared at her with all the hatred he could muster.

Minji almost flinched since he appeared just as intimidating as last night, and his being real was still hard to fathom. If demons existed, did other mythical creatures exist as well? What about elves and unicorns? Or vampires? She considered asking him about it but ruled it out when he glowered at her with a ferocious glint in his eyes.

“I’ll make breakfast,” she mumbled, eager to escape his menacing presence. Being in his proximity made her feel like a rabbit sitting in front of a snake—she’d rather keep some distance between them. Walking around him, she fled to the kitchen, where she made tea. Unfortunately, the demon followed her, leaning against the door with folded arms. She noted he wore the same black leather suit he had already worn when he first appeared in her living room.

“I would have offered you something too, but since you demons only eat… uh… blood and guts, you’ll have to take care of that yourself.”

“I would never eat your disgusting food, human.”

“I have a name, you jerk.”

“You dare insult me?” he growled, closing in on her until his chest pressed up against her back, trapping her at the counter. “I might not be able to hurt you physically, but there are other forms of torture.”

She shuddered fearfully, forgetting about the boiling water in front of her. A burning pain shot up her hand when she accidentally touched the kettle, her skin turning an angry red instantly.

“Ahh, damn it,” Baëkhyun snarled, clutching his aching hand. “You’re pathetic! I can’t believe how a living being can be so stupid! How are you even still alive?” He grabbed her wrist, pulling her over to the sink to pour cold water over her burn, hoping to alleviate his pain. It didn’t help much, though.

“That’s it, I’m tying you up. You’re not going anywhere,” he decided, but Minji refused to let herself be treated like this.

“If you tie me up, I’ll bite my tongue until you regret it,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. He abruptly snapped his head in her direction, the rage in his blue eyes overflowing. Red seeped in his iris. He appeared more and more like the powerful demon he was—she had chosen the wrong person to mess with.

“Oh really?” he growled. “I’ll knock you out, then.”

“Wouldn’t you knock yourself out, too?”

“It doesn’t work like that!” he snapped at her, dimming the light in the room. “Hell, this is awful. I need to find a way to murder you before I lose my mind.” Blinding white light flooded the room, originating from his body and forcing her to shield her eyes with her arm. It subsided soon, and when she opened her eyes, she was alone in her kitchen.

“Is he gone?” she breathed, her body slumping in relief. She leaned against the counter since her knees felt like they were about to give out. Minji had tried her hardest not to let her fright show in front of him, and now that he was gone, raw fear hit her with full force. She collapsed, kneeling on the kitchen floor, hugging her knees with her arms. Her body shook uncontrollably, torn apart by everything she had witnessed in the past 12 hours. This was too much for an average human to bear; she had been forced to open her eyes to a world she had never believed to be real. Demons existed, and one was chained to her, searching for a way to kill her. She didn’t doubt he would succeed. Forming the bond had been ridiculously easy; how hard could it be to break it? He would return soon enough to kill her, and she had to do something about it.

Overtaken by determination, she got up and ran into her bathroom, getting ready to leave the house. She couldn’t be here when that psycho returned. Not bothering to apply make-up, she changed her clothes and briefly brushed her black hair, picking up her purse and rushing out the door, her hair flying after her. She sprinted down the street with a clear destination in mind.

The mass in the church nearby must have ended a few minutes ago, meaning the priest was most likely still there. This was her chance! Running even faster in desperation, she didn’t stop until she had reached the church's large wooden doors. Entering quickly, she passed many empty rows of seats, gazing up at the altar, where she spotted an old man wearing the clothes of a priest. He was about to leave, so Minji needed to be quick.

“Excuse me,” she said, gaining his attention. He walked up to her and smiled warmly.

“What can I do for you? I’m afraid the mass is already over,” he said apologetically, his welcoming tone fueling Minji’s hope that he would help her.

“I know, and I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me with something. I have a… uh… problem,” Minji began, and the priest tilted his head, urging her to elaborate. She raised her sleeve and showed him the mark of the demon. It looked like a regular black tattoo, not emitting any light as long as Baëkhyun wasn’t nearby. “You see, I accidentally….”

The priest flinched back, his eyes wide and focused on her wrist. He looked genuinely shocked and scared to the core. However, before Minji could say another word, disgust took over his features, chasing away the kindness in his expression. “You… you committed the worst sin there is,” he breathed, appalled. The sudden change in demeanor unsettled Minji. “Not only did you form a contract with a demon, but you also chose one of the most dangerous creatures in hell for such an outrageous act. Leave this church now!”

She flinched back when he glared at her with unexpected loathing, clutching the cross he wore around his neck so hard that his knuckles turned white. “B-But why? Please help me! You can’t just send me away!” she pleaded.

“I can’t help you,” he said, pointing at the door. “Leave! You’re tainting this holy place with your sin. Leave before he comes here!”

Tears burned in Minji’s eyes as she walked backward, not believing he could just send her away when she desperately needed help. Her chest hurt, desperation clouding her mind as she turned around and fled from the church, the tiny flame of hope within her heart snuffed out. Now she felt truly alone; her life was as good as over because of an accident that was never meant to happen.

“Why me? Why did this happen?” she cried, rubbing her eyes, but the tears kept coming.

There was only one more thing she could do now; it was the only solution she could think of if she wasn’t welcome in the church. She could ask Jisoo’s grandmother for help. Maybe she was aware of the supernatural world and knew of a solution.

Ringing the doorbell of Kim Eunsook, Jisoo’s grandma, Minji was jittering in panic, dreading the outcome of this visit. Soon, the door of the tiny house opened, and Eunsook appeared, her hair a little grayer than Minji remembered. The corners of her eyes crinkled when she saw the young woman, welcoming her with open arms.

“Minji! It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you. You have grown. Why don’t you come in? I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”

Minji sat down at the kitchen table opposite Eunsook, who prepared a cup of tea for her guest before she also took a seat. Folding her hands on the table, she studied Minji curiously. “Why are you here? Your aura seems troubled.”

Unsettled by the strange comment, Minji forced herself to concentrate and told her the whole story, starting with the Ouija board and ending with the demon's appearance. Eunsook’s eyes turned darker the more she heard until a frown decorated her aged face.

“My own granddaughter dragged you into this,” she said, pursing her lips. “I should have never taught her how to draw a summoning circle, but I hoped she would become a good witch one day. However, this proves I can’t teach her anymore.”

So Eunsook indeed had been a witch all along… After Baëkhyun’s appearance, Minji doubted anything could still shock her.

“Will you show me the crest?”

Minji pulled her sleeve back to uncover the cursed star on her wrist. Eunsook frowned in concern, prompting Minji’s unease to rise. The young woman gritted her teeth, not liking this reaction at all.

“This is… bad. Of all demons, why did Jisoo have to pick Baëkhyun? Silly girl.”

“Y-You know him?” Minji managed to say, leaning forward, eager to find out more about him.

“Yes, I do. He despises humans; you must be careful around him.”

“B-But how do you know him?”

“I’m human just like you, but I’m also a witch,” she revealed with a sad smile. “I