Yama Rising

Saint Virtue High School was a famous private school in Daehan.

Located at the south end of Hanyang, it was an education hub for the children of many plutocrats or other influential members of the Daeian society.

In March 1951, the Korean education system officially adopted the 6-3-3-4 framework for education. [1] Like in Cathay, the high schools in Daehan also had delayed starts to their classes, supplemented by both morning and evening self-study sessions. Everyday ran like clockwork. Thus, when the school bell rang at the end of the day in Saint Virtue High School, the students continued to linger about in their classes, whistling to the tune of music in their headphones. The boys would soon take to the fields and courts for sports or bury their heads in their cell phone games, while the girls would bunch up in twos and threes as they chatted and gossiped among themselves.

The boys wore white shirts, ties, and gray shorts, while the girls wore the same, but with short skirts and bowties. Suffice it to say that the school uniform here looked far more splendid than those back in Cathay.

After all, everyone knew that school uniforms were generally the bane of the students’ lives back in Cathay. Nobody could pinpoint the reason why the aesthetics of Cathayan school leaders were so sorely lacking, but rarely would you find the sports teams exuding an air of youth and vitality around them. It was truly a dismay.

“Hey, did you hear about the Nam-joon oppa fan meeting tomorrow? Is anyone going? Let’s head over together! I absolutely adore Nam-joon oppa!” One of the girls screamed joyously with a spring in her step. [2]

“I’m going!!” “I’m going as well!” “No way! Seriously?! I didn’t know it was tomorrow!”

One of the girls hurriedly switched on her phone, only to sigh in dismay, “Damn it… The tickets are all sold out! My goodness… Oh yeah! Somi, do you think you’d still be able to get us tickets? You’ve got relatives working in the government sector, don’t you? Help me out and get me a ticket, pretty please~?”

Several girls turned around at once and glanced at Ahn Somi. She was simply lying on her desk right now. The girl who just spoke pranced up like a rabbit, thrusting her head into the gap between Somi’s arms to get her attention, “Somi unnie, you’d do it for me, wouldn’t you? I’ll even treat you to CJ fried chicken next time!”

However, she jumped in shock as soon as she made skin contact with Somi.

“What’s the matter?” “What’s going on?”

Everyone looked over as a result of the commotion. The girl who was trying to get Somi’s attention stared at her hand, wondering if it had been an illusion on her part. She had inadvertently touched the hands of their wallflower, Ahn Somi, and to her surprise… her body felt as cold and frigid as a dead body.

“So--... Somi, are you feeling alright?” The girl took a deep breath and pointed at Somi’s arm. Somi trembled for a little while, and then finally lifted her head.

“I… am fine.” Her face was unusually pale. The dark circles around her eyes only accentuated her bloodshot eyes. She smiled bitterly, “Don’t worry… You can have my ticket… I won’t be going…”

With that, she rested her head on the table once more.

Damn!

She buried her head into her arms and gritted her teeth fiercely.

This was a symptom of having been attacked by high quality Yin energy. It had caused her own Yin energy to collapse, and it didn’t look like it would get any better until she had some blood food.

She had already decided on her next few targets. Unfortunately, these naive students were none the wiser to the fact that a wolf hidden among the sheep was currently ready to bare her fangs.

“Then… do you want to have dinner… together?” The girl who touched her just a little while ago asked with a tremor in her voice. For some strange reason, she couldn’t help but feel as though... the current Somi was somehow terrifying…

Call it a woman’s intuition.

“Dinner?” Somi licked her lips discreetly, “No thank you… Rather than dinner, I’d much prefer late night snacks…”

Somi’s behaving rather weirdly today… Several male students exchanged a knowing glance, before heading off with their other female classmates. They had a hunch that something bad might happen if they remained here any longer.

Thus, one by one, the students left the classroom. Unfortunately, none of them noticed how Somi’s facial features were slipping out of place, almost as though they were drifting about her face like flotsams in a lake!

Gurgle… gurgle… Her mouth was currently at the top of her head causing her to gulp with much difficulty like a beast trapped in a cage, “Damn it… I’m so hungry… I’m SO HUNGRY!”

“This damned Yin energy is definitely from one of the top underworlds in the netherworld… I can’t take it much longer…”

“But you must.” Just then, a man’s voice echoed in her ear, “Otherwise, you would no longer be useful to us. Lee Jung-sook isn’t someone who trusts others easily.”

The entire classroom was empty. Nobody was around at all.

Dong… dong… Just then, the clock tower on the campus grounds chimed six times.

It was the demonic hours. Just then, Ahn Somi’s silhouette flickered softly, and then vanished for three minutes without appearing once.

“I… can’t hold on any longer…” Somi spoke hoarsely. The man interjected calmly, “Another fragment of Lord Rumyantsev’s soul will be arriving at midnight tonight. So long as your spiritual body doesn’t sustain any further trauma, you should be fine. Head over to my office and apply for medical leave. I’ll grant your request.”

Unfortunately, the only response he received was an endless gurgling and gulping of spittle.

Somi’s hands were now covered with livor mortis spots once more. She picked up her phone with great trembling, unlocked her phone, and then began to search through her contacts.

The contact she was searching for was… Hanyang Wanderer.

I can’t take it anymore… I’m famished… especially… especially when there’s just so many delectable pieces of flesh and blood around me! I’ll go mad if I stay here any longer!

I’ve got to line my stomach with some food first. Then, I’ll wait for Lord Rumyantsev to arrive, and everything will be resolved. Damn it… Who the hell was it in that mirror last night?!

Lord Rumyantsev’s soul fragment managed to stave him off last night, but… would he come looking for me again tonight?

No… he probably wouldn’t come so quickly. I can’t leave my station in any case. Hanyang is the gateway from North Daehan to South Daehan. So long as I remain here, I can be the first one to receive the lord of the envoy…

Just then, the door to the classroom suddenly clicked open, and then shut with a soft thud.

A teenager walked into the room with a baseball cap and a plastic bag in hand. He walked straight up to Ahn Somi and gently placed the plastic bag on the table, “Somi… Are you alright?”

No response.

A few seconds later, she spoke hoarsely, “Go… away…”

The teenager frowned, “Somi, shall I walk you back to your dormitory? Or should we go to the school doctor’s office? What happened to you?”

Silence.

Several seconds later, Ahn Somi responded once more, “Seongho hyung, I’m fine… Please go on without me… Leave me be… I’ll head… to the dorms by myself…” [3]

“How can I ignore you after seeing you in that state?” Seongho furrowed his brows and pressed his hand to her forehead, “If you don’t feel well, you should just apply for medical leave. I’ve brought you your favourite bibimbap located at the entrance of school. You should at least have some food--...”

He suddenly paused.

And then, he raised his hand with consternation and stared at his fingers with great surprise.

He’d felt a sharp pain on his fingers earlier, and it was only upon closer inspection that he discovered… a row of tooth marks on his hand…

But… I’ve… just touched her forehead…

It was exactly 6.00 p.m. The waning sunbeams that shone straight through the window cast dappled shadows in the classroom. This was the classroom of Senior Class Three, and there was a boy and a girl who were locked in tense silence.

“S-s-s-s-somi…” Seongho’s voice trembled as a wave of terror surged from the bottom of his heart. He gasped in horror and took a few steps back. And then, he did a double take at a certain part of the classroom.

Shadow…

Everyone was supposed to have shadows, but… Ahn Somi clearly did not!

She simply lay there on the table, silent as a puppet.

T-t-t-t… Seongho’s teeth began to chatter uncontrollably, while his hair stood on end. Without hesitation he turned around to leave. But, just then… Bam, bam, bam… The doors and windows to the classroom slammed shut all at once!

“S-s-s-s-somi… You… you… you…” Seongho gasped for breath as he hobbled back, knocking over chairs and tables in his path of retreat. But he didn’t feel any pain. His adrenal glands were soaring right now, and most of all, the fear in his heart had consumed everything.

She’s not a human being…

Ahn Somi… the girl of my dreams… isn’t a human being?!!

Gurgle… gulp… The gurgling and gulping sounds grew louder and louder in the tense silence of the evening light. Just then, Ahn Somi spoke for the second time, “I’m… hungry…”

Thump, thump, thump! Seongho’s heart was practically beating right out of his chest now. He could now see that Somi’s face was dripping with blood! Copious amounts of blood flowed down her body, dyeing her white school uniforms completely red as they continued to drip onto the ground.

Drip… drip… The drops of blood sounded like a deafening death knell.

Seongho shuddered violently. He bit down on his lower lip and slowly retreated to the side of the classroom, where he desperately twisted the doorknob as he wailed, “I… I’ve brought you your favourite bibimbap! Somi, please have that!!!”

But as he spoke, the lights in the classroom suddenly flickered wildly! And then, the books on the table suddenly rose into the air and riffled through their pages, while the pens on the desk suddenly began to write on them in unison!

“Ahh… haaa-....” Seongho’s teeth chattered wildly. He twisted the doorknob desperately, but to no avail. It just wouldn’t open! The classroom was filled with a cacophony of otherworldly sounds, almost as though several ghosts had gathered to wreak havoc in the school!

“AHHHHH!!!!” That was the last straw. He screamed at the top of his voice and braced himself to kick down the door, only to find a series of words written on the door in chalk and blood.

Die die die die die die!!!

Seongho shivered wildly.

“Why… did you come back?” A hoarse voice sounded overhead, “I truly… didn’t want to eat you…”

“I’m hungry… So hungry… And you’ve delivered yourself at just the right time… Well, since you care about me so much… then, what do you say to staying by my side… forever?”

Drip… A drop of blood landed directly on Seongho’s body. It was September, and yet his entire body felt awash with a wave of chill.

And then… drip, drip, drip… Several more drops of blood began to patter down like an indoor shower of blood, dyeing his entire body a gory, scarlet hue.

Amidst the bloody rain, he looked up to the ceiling in despair.

Right there, he saw Ahn Somi’s twisted body completely covered with livor mortis spots. Her features were completely misaligned, while her entire being was covered with horrific wounds. She stared intently at him with her tongue hanging loosely a meter out of her mouth. Blood dripped slowly from the tip of her tongue.

“Brother Seongho… You smell really good…”

“I’ve always had an eye on you… You like exercising… so the muscles on your body… must be delicious…”

“AHHHHHH--!!!!!”

1. This refers to 6 years of primary school, 3 years of middle school, 3 years of high school, followed by 4 years of tertiary education.

2. Oppa is the term used by a girl to refer to an older guy.

3. Hyung is used to refer to an older guy.