The door had barely clicked shut behind Woo Joon when another presence slipped into the house—silent, deliberate.
Daki stepped inside.
She didn't knock.
She didn't need to.
The moment she entered, the air changed. A faint scent of rot lingered in the room. It was subtle—but to someone like Daki, it was loud.
She stood in the middle of the quiet house, and that's when she heard it—a soft whimper from down the hall.
Her sharp ears perked.
She walked slowly, unbothered, until she reached the bedroom door. It was slightly ajar.
She pushed it open.
Inside, the girl was pinned to the ground by the same woman Woo Joon had seen earlier lying "sick" in bed. Her long black hair flowed wildly now, and her hands clutched the girl's wrists with unnatural strength.
Why did you bring that man here she said.
The girl struggled beneath her but didn't scream—only whimpered in helpless defiance.
Daki cleared her throat.
The woman froze.
The moment she heard Daki's voice, she immediately shifted her tone, releasing the child and putting on a mask of concern.
"Oh my, what are you doing on the floor again, dear?" she said sweetly, brushing the girl's shoulder. "I told you to behave, didn't I?"
The girl stayed on the floor, wide-eyed, trembling but not from fear of the woman anymore. She was staring at Daki. Who was this stranger?
Daki smiled faintly, amused at the performance. "Hmm… are you her mother?"
The woman turned her face with a soft expression. "Yes, of course. I'm her mother. Is there something I can do for you, miss?"
Daki didn't answer her immediately. Instead, she turned and looked directly at the wall behind the woman.
"Nothing much," she said calmly. "Just handling… a little business."
The woman's smile faltered.
Her eyes went blank—completely white. Not a hint of a pupil.
A cold silence filled the air.
Then, without warning, a sharp black tentacle shot out from the woman's back—swift and vicious—ripping through the air straight toward Daki like a spear.
Daki didn't flinch.
She shifted slightly to the side, the tip missing her face by inches.
When she turned her head back, the woman had already returned to her human appearance. The tentacle vanished. Her eyes now looked normal again. The fake smile returned.
Daki smirked.
She wasn't fooled. But she played along.
The girl, however, had seen it all. She clutched the side of the bed, breath held, watching Daki and the monster that claimed to be her mother.
"Who are you…?" the girl asked quietly, unable to hide her curiosity.
The woman looked surprised and quickly jumped in. "I thought you knew this woman?"
Daki tilted her head slightly and smiled. "Oh, I don't know her."
The woman stiffened.
"Then why are you here?" she asked, voice colder now.
"There's something I need to take care of," Daki replied softly. She slowly approached the center of the room, stopping just beside the girl, who instinctively shifted a little behind her.
Daki's gaze turned toward the second door—the one Woo Joon had been about to open earlier.
She stared at it for a long moment, her sharp eyes narrowed. Then she said casually, "You keep snacks in there?"
The woman's expression froze.
Her fingers twitched.
The girl looked at Daki, stunned.
Daki could sense it pure fear radiating from the woman in waves.
"I mean," Daki continued playfully, "it smells like something's in there. Old food, maybe?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Or maybe something rotting…"
The woman laughed, too quickly. "Oh! Haha, you must be mistaken. That's just a storage room. Nothing inside but old furniture."
Daki gave a half-smile, but her eyes were sharp as knives.
"I see…"
The tension thickened.
"I think I'll stay a little longer," Daki said. "Just to make sure no one else is lying sick in any other room."
The woman's polite facade cracked—just slightly.