The Large Apartment Complex in Songpa District

Early in the morning, the Ashen Girl lay fast asleep on her large bed.

It wasn’t time to wake up yet, but a musty smell suddenly drifted into her nose, waking her up.

“Cough, cough.”

The smell felt thick with dust, and as soon as she sat up, she began coughing heavily.

As she opened her eyes and looked around her room, she saw warm sunlight streaming in through one side of the room.

A small vase on the windowsill spread a gentle floral scent through the room.

The room was spotless, without a speck of dust, filled with a pleasant fragrance.

It was the same room as always.

So why had she smelled that musty odor?

And why had she started coughing?

Maybe it was a half-asleep illusion.

Taking a deep breath, she smelled the air again, but all she could detect was the soft floral scent.

She got out of bed and, as usual, looked out the window to enjoy the morning sunlight.

When she looked outside, however, everything—the buildings and trees—appeared covered in black ash.

It looked like mold, or maybe even soot.

‘!!!’

She blinked, and the world instantly returned to its vibrant colors.

It was back to the view she loved most since moving into this home.

The lush green trees surrounding the apartment complex.

And that unique, fresh scent of the trees.

Yet, somehow, after glimpsing that ash-covered scene, her favorite view no longer felt as comforting.

Like an old photograph that had faded over time.

‘Am I just too tired?’

Yesterday, she’d seen clear water turn red; now a perfectly normal view had looked distorted.

Could she be ill?

‘Maybe I should tell Mom and Dad?’

Just as she made up her mind and continued to gaze out the window blankly, the warm scent of toast filled the room, and she heard her parents calling her.

Hearing their voices soothed her anxious heart.

Everything was as usual.

Yes, it must just be her imagination.

Wanting to avoid worrying her parents, she pushed away the odd sense of unease and carried on with her morning as usual.

It wasn’t an extravagant breakfast, but it was warm and filled with family harmony.

After finishing breakfast and getting ready for school, her brother leaned in and whispered to her.

“Want some candy?”

He pulled out a large piece of candy.

“But… I shouldn’t eat candy after brushing my teeth….”

She mumbled, casting a cautious glance toward their parents.

“That’s why it’ll be our secret.”

With a playful grin, he popped the candy into her mouth.

As the sweetness spread, a smile naturally appeared on her face.

“…?”

But her brother was looking down at her with a mischievous smile.

Just as she began to feel something was off, an unbearable sourness hit her tongue.

The sourness was so intense that she squeezed her eyes shut and reflexively spat the candy out.

“Cough, cough.”

She collapsed to the floor, coughing uncontrollably.

“Did I go too far? Sorry.”

Feeling her brother patting her back, she opened her eyes.

Right in front of her was a crushed cockroach, wriggling.

The insect, oozing red blood, was rounded like a ball and covered in her spit as it squirmed.

“Ahhh!”

Startled, the Ashen Girl looked up at her brother, only to find he was gone.

In his place was a monster crudely fashioned from twisted wires, covered in soot.

Thump.

Terrified, the girl scrambled back across the floor.

“What’s wrong?”

Hearing the commotion, her parents came over.

Their voices were as gentle as always, yet she felt that if she looked up, even they might appear as monsters.

Suddenly terrified of everything around her, she closed her eyes tightly.

In that moment, she faintly heard voices, as if from far away.

Her parents scolding her brother.

As time passed, her fear gradually subsided, and she cautiously opened her eyes.

There they were—her parents and brother, looking as they always did.

When she looked down, she saw a red, translucent candy on the floor, looking like a ruby and covered in her spit.

Had it all been a trick of her mind?

The horrific visions had lasted only a moment, but a sudden wave of nausea overcame her, and she began to vomit uncontrollably.

“Are you alright?”

The voice was warm and filled with concern, yet an unshakable chill ran through the Ashen Girl.

The Sunny Courtyard at Sehee Research Institute, Filled with Mini Reapers and Little Animals

I had asked the Green Reaper to make “the most special Tyrannosaurus” and was now waiting for it to be completed.

Since it was a special request, it was taking longer than expected.

In the meantime, I made mini white Agwi skewers instead of the mini rabbit skewers I’d wanted and was slowly grilling them.

Kyuheekheek.

I’d carefully selected only the smallest white Agwis, creating a premium skewer.

But, perhaps because they weren’t rabbits, no matter how much I ate, I didn’t feel fully satisfied.

I kept an eye out for a chance to catch some mini rabbits, but the Golden Reapers were constantly watching me with wary eyes.

Sigh.

Then, lying nearby with a round belly, I spotted the Black Reaper.

The moment I saw it, I took out a red, jewel-like candy from the Mini Reaper Garden.

“Want to try this?”

When I sent my thought to the Black Reaper, it looked up at me with curiosity and got up.

A delicious red color.

Transparent and glistening like a gem.

It looked so enticing that even though I knew it was one of those super-sour candies popular in Korea, I almost wanted to try it myself. The Black Reaper looked up at me with shining eyes.

“Ahhh~”

I opened my mouth wide, signaling it to do the same, and the Black Reaper imitated me, opening its mouth wide.

It hesitated for a moment, likely remembering the Golden Reaper’s advice, “Don’t just eat anything Mom gives you!”

But that wisdom was no match for the allure of the gleaming candy.

Beep!

Like a baby bird awaiting food, the Black Reaper let out a little “beep” and opened its mouth.

I promptly popped the candy into the Black Reaper’s mouth.

“Tasty, isn’t it?”

When I asked, the Black Reaper, cheeks puffed with the candy, nodded with a happy smile.

Hehe.

A few seconds passed.

The Black Reaper’s face quickly began to scrunch up from the sourness.

Click.

In that instant, Yerin, who was beside me, quickly took out her phone and snapped a picture of the Black Reaper’s scrunched-up, bizarre expression.

Looking at the Black Reaper, who was now featureless and squirming, Yerin smiled in satisfaction.

Watching the Black Reaper struggling with its eyes, nose, and mouth gone, I sent a thought.

Hehe.

Beep!

The Black Reaper let out a sharp sound, climbed onto my head, and started thumping me on my crown.

It was a heavy blow, much stronger than the Golden Reapers’ usual taps.

“Sorry! I won’t do it again, so don’t be mad.”

I gently picked up the Black Reaper, placed it on my palm, and petted it. Soon, it started smiling again.

Indeed, the Black Reaper’s temperament was similar to the Golden Reapers’.

Hehe.

As I poked the Black Reaper’s shrunken features and continued to play, the Green Reaper flew over to announce the Tyrannosaurus was complete.

With a proud pose, the Green Reaper seemed quite pleased with itself.

“Finally!”

But what appeared before me was utter despair.

A face as chubby as a hippo’s.

Thick lips.

A protruding belly.

Feathers covering its entire body.

It was an even more absurd-looking Tyrannosaurus than what I had seen at the space station.

In my fury, I grabbed the Green Reaper and stuffed it straight into my mouth.

“Miiing!”

The Hideout of the Yellow Reaper and the Ashen Girl

The Yellow Reaper was waiting for the Ashen Girl to return, comparing two large candies.

One was a sour candy from Sehee Research Institute.

The other, a sour candy from the Ashen Girl’s apartment.

They would appear identical to a human eye, but to the Yellow Reaper, they looked completely different.

One was a ruby-red candy.

The other was a crushed red ball, looking like a smashed cockroach.

“A truly potent, mental corruption….”

The Yellow Reaper carefully crafted a doll out of concern for its beloved human, or perhaps its beloved object.

The doll wore the same tattered clothes as the Ashen Girl, with her distinctive ashen hair.

Shuffle, shuffle, the sound of footsteps dragging through dirt.

Hearing the Ashen Girl’s footsteps, the Yellow Reaper threw the candies to either side.

The candies rolled into opposite corners of the hideout.

Looking around, one would see pairs of identical items throughout the hideout.

Objects collected from outside, and others found within the apartment complex.

Normal items and twisted, rusted ones.

In this cluttered hideout, the Yellow Reaper greeted the Ashen Girl with a warm smile as she entered.

Hoping she would find happiness.