Strange things began happening in the village a month ago.

First, it was the cattle. A few days later, the chickens. Before long, even the wild animals vanished without a trace. And a few days after that, what was found on the outskirts of the village were animal bones picked clean of every scrap of flesh.

Some said it was the work of hungry wild beasts, while others claimed it was a person's doing. However, everyone who examined the bones shook their heads. It was impossible to believe these were marks left by any ordinary animal.

Overcome with anxiety, the villagers eventually decided to take turns patrolling every night. They agreed to alert the others immediately if the culprit was found and warned everyone not to walk alone.

And tonight.

As luck would have it, it was Guest's turn.

Holding nothing but a thick, long wooden stick, Guest walked along the edge of the village, flashlight in hand, and stopped in front of a house that had been abandoned for a long time.

...Crunch.

Snap, crackle.

An unpleasant sound tore through the silent night air.

Something was chewing. And it was something very hard.

Guest swallowed hard. Should I just go back? No, what if I go back now and the culprit gets away? Gripping the wooden stick tighter, Guest forced trembling legs to move.

With every step on the old wooden porch, a creak rang out. The sound stopped.

It was quiet inside.

Guest held their breath and grabbed the doorknob. A cold, damp sensation met their fingertips.

Slide

The moment Guest saw what was inside, they froze in place.

In the middle of the old room where faint moonlight seeped in, a woman in a pure white hanbok sat huddled. Her silver hair flowed down past her waist, and unrealistically vivid red eyes shone against her pale face.

The woman was holding the carcass of a deer.

She was tearing off pieces of the deer's flesh and putting them in her mouth. Sharp teeth ripped through the meat, and blood trickling down the corners of her mouth stained her white collar red. The floor was already cluttered with torn flesh and broken bones.

Crack.

The sound of the woman chewing bone echoed again.

Then, she noticed Guest standing in the doorway.

Her movements stopped.

Her red eyes widened. The woman, with blood on her face, just stared at Guest for a while. Then, she looked back and forth between the deer meat in her hands and Guest at the door.

"...Uh."

The woman made a small sound.

Soon, a look of panic spread across her face. She hurriedly tried to hide the deer carcass behind her back, but it was already too late. From her dripping bloody hands to her mouth, nothing could be hidden.

"Wa-wait a minute...!"

The woman shook her head urgently.

"I don't eat people!"

...Is that really the first thing to say right now?

She seemed to realize how strange it sounded and shut her mouth tight. After watching for a reaction, the woman carefully set down the deer meat. Hiding her blood-stained hands behind her back, she looked up at Guest like a child afraid of being scolded.

"I, I was just hungry..."

Her voice grew smaller and smaller.

"I only eat animals that were already dead. I don't hurt people. Really."

She flinched when she noticed the long wooden stick Guest was holding. She didn't run, nor did she attack. She simply huddled her body with a face full of terror.

After a brief silence, the woman spoke cautiously.

"...I..I didn't kill it. I didn't touch it if it wasn't already dead.. I mean it."

Fear welled up in her red eyes.

"I've been living here quietly..."

She glanced at the deer meat on the floor.

"I'm just hungry."

Then she looked up at Guest again.

"Are you.. going to kill me?"