Doctor Demon

A slow music was playing in the background. The fireplace was lit with blazing flames, the only source of light in the dark room. A chair was rocking back and forth, occupied by a woman who was casually sipping dark wine. She was staring at the fire but was in deep thought.

"What are you planning?"

A voice spoke up from behind her. Hongsik sat there, looking nervous. He had been hiding in the Vozakel Lord's mansion because the police was still looking for him with regards to the Cho murder case. The Vozakel Lord would not let him leave either; they needed him for the final ritual.

"Using Orma was a big mistake," she muttered. "She is a demon but she spilled the beans on us!"

"You were the one who insisted on using her!" Hongsik pointed out. "I didn't want to. You know how she loathed working for us."

"She didn't care as long as she got the souls. But she also set us back several steps. The souls she took were sent directly to Hell and we couldn't steal any of them for the Prince! If this keeps up, we won't be able to free him for another 500 years."

She gripped her glass so tightly that it broke into pieces. Blood trickled from her palm but she did not care. These things do not hurt her anyway.

"I have to think big now," she muttered. She glanced at the table next to her. 

Several files were on it with the names and pictures of a few people she had been investigating.

"Hwang Jina," she muttered as she picked up a file. "The reincarnated Butterfly Priestess. And this…"

She picked up Hobin's file. "The half blood brat is back again! Last time he managed to lock us away but not anymore."

"He can communicate with the Prince," Hongsik pointed out. "I can tell. His powers are getting stronger and he doesn't even know it."

"The demon hiding in him is going to burst out any moment," the Lady stated. "If that happens, we'll be forced to flee. The Prince won't be happy if his brother takes the throne."

"But where is the Emperor?" Hongsik asked. "He's the ruler of Hell! What if he interferes-"

"The Emperor is long gone!" the Lady snapped. "He is gone and he won't return. That guy is too busy looking for a way to reunite with his lover. He won't let her go to Hell with him because he wants her to live a full life as a human. The curse her brother put on her is too strong and can't be broken. She's destined to die and reborn only to die again. The Emperor has to see his lover die again and again. He brought it upon himself."

"The love of a demon is dangerous," Hongsik muttered.

"But ruling Hell is even sweeter," the Lady smirked. "It might not be the best place to live but once we unleash the demons on Earth, we'll be able to rule over all humans. The humans will be at our mercy…"

Her eyes were still on the files, contemplating her next move. 

"It's time to play big," she declared. "Bring out Park."

Hongsik's eyes widened in shock. "Park?" He gasped. "No way! We can't do that! He's too unhinged and dangerous-"

"He's perfect for our plan," the Lady said. "The only one who is crazy enough to bring us the souls we need. Bring him out and we'll be able to reach our goal faster."

Hongsik's heart was now beating in fear. The demon they were about to use was not someone who could be controlled. Park was the most ardent follower of the True Prince and he was one of the most dangerous demons Hongsik had ever encountered. Park was so dangerous that even summoning him for a contract meant instant death. He was one of the demons who did not care about contracts and forced summoners to request their own deaths. 

And they had a very big reason to agree to such ridiculous demands.

"Think about it again, Lady," Hongsik urged. "We can't control Park."

"Who said anything about controlling him? On the contrary, I want to unleash him on the world. That's how I can get my work done."

Hongsik was not keen to carry out the plan but angering the Lady was even more dangerous than Park. He had seen her cruel side and he had no desire to be at the receiving end of her punishment. 

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed. "But don't tell me that I didn't warn you!"

The Lady ignored him and kept on reading the files in her hands. She was flicking through Yoonmin's file before putting it aside. The last file she picked up was of a five year old girl with chocolate brown eyes and chubby cheeks.

"The other Seer," she stated. "This one…Hwang Miyoo."

"We sent our spirits to bring her to us that night but the ghosts were chased away," Hongsik informed her.

"Yes, an old friend is protecting her," the Lady yawned. "Magrod. Tch! He still seems to have a soft corner for kids. That's rich considering his past as a human."

"Why? What did he do?" Hongsik asked curiously but the Lady shook her head.

"He did many things which people cannot even fathom," she grinned. "I see that he's still trying to repent. But not all deeds are worth penance. The moment he sold his soul to the demons of Hell, any chance of repentance was gone. But he's a major thorn in our way. We need this girl for the ritual."

"Why can't we use the Butterfly Priestess?" Hondsik frowned. "I'm sure we can use her."

"The ritual requires a pure and innocent child with the powers of a Seer," the Lady revealed. "I tried to kill the Priestess that night but she was saved by the lover of hers. Both of them are going to be a major pain in my ass. We need this girl but we'll have to be patient."

Hongsik glanced at the files in her hands. Over the past few weeks, the Lady had sent her human servants after the Hwang's and Kang's in order to gain more information on them. She also gathered information on the people around them, specifically their friends and lovers so that she could use them as leverage when the time arrived.

"The Prince is getting restless," she muttered. "We must hurry up. Park is our biggest hope. If he fails, I'll have to go out there myself."

"But the half blood is gonna recognize you! He's looking for you after all."

"He's weak. I don't give a damn about him. He couldn't do anything last time and saw his friend die. I'm more powerful now but I won't come out in the open until it's necessary. Use Park. He's our last hope in getting the remaining souls."

"Understood," Hongsik said. "I'll release him tonight."

The Lady nodded and returned to staring at the flames. She was thinking about the Hwang's, pondering how to get rid of them. 

I've severely underestimated them, she thought. The Hwang's may seem like an ordinary family but they were not. They were smarter than most people and even had the wealth to back up their power. Hwang Junho still held considerable influence over many renowned figures in the country and even though he did not use his power, he knew that they would come to his aid if he wanted.

The Priestess was no longer the naive girl from the past. She was now more resourceful and in control of her powers. Her powers evolved a lot, attracting the spirits with her charm and wit. Moreover, she was a detective who had the skills and resources needed to take down demons which made her more dangerous.

Equally cunning were her two brothers. Hwang Minyoon held a lot of power over the young fans. His words drove them to action and he could make them do anything with a snap. Despite his seemingly goofy nature, he was as clever and strong as his siblings.

His twin brother, Hwang Yoonmin was the shrewd and highly observant one. If Minyoon was like a king, Yoonmin was a kingmaker. He knew how to handle people and analyse them. Dealing with the supernatural was not much work for him. Individually, the twins were dangerous enough but once together, they were even more dangerous than demons despite being mere humans.

Lastly, was Hwang Miyoo. The youngest and also the most protected one. There was not a single moment when she was left alone. Like the other members in her family, she was unusually smart and too shrewd. But they need her and there must be a way to get their hands on her.

"For now, focus on getting more souls," she finally said. "The less the Hwang's suspect, the better for us. They probably still don't know about us but knowing Orma, she might have warned the Priestess before taking Aina's soul. My human informers told me that the Priestess was chasing Aina when the latter died in that accident."

"Think about it again, Lady," Hongsik warned. "Releasing Park might cause us a lot of trouble."

"It's a risk we have to take," the Lady told him in a cold tone. "Release him and let him do the work for us. Only a few more souls are needed and the Prince can gain enough powers to leave Purgatory."

"What if the half blood finds him first? The Priestess might try to kill the Prince!"

"Then we'll kill them first," the Lady grinned.