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A large apartment complex located in Songpa District.

Early in the morning, the Ashen Girl was soundly sleeping on her big bed.

It was not yet time to wake up, but the Ashen Girl suddenly woke up to a foul smell that lingered in the air.

“Cough, cough.”

Maybe it was because of the smell that felt like it was full of dust, but the girl coughed violently as soon as she got up.

When the Ashen Girl opened her eyes and looked around the room, she noticed warm sunlight streaming in from one side of the room.

On the windowsill where the sunlight poured in, there was a small vase, gently spreading a floral fragrance throughout the room.

The room was spotless, clean, and filled with a pleasant aroma.

It was just like it always was.

So why was there a foul smell?

And why did she cough?

Maybe it was just a misunderstanding because she had woken up?

Taking a slow breath, the girl smelled the air in the room, but there was only the gentle scent of flowers.

The girl got out of bed and looked down at the window, letting the morning sunlight bathe her.

As she gazed outside, all the buildings and trees appeared covered in black ash.

It looked like mold or ash.

‘!!!’

As she blinked, the world regained its color.

It had returned to the scenery she had loved the most since moving into this house.

The green trees that filled the surroundings of the apartment.

And the distinct smell of wood.

But perhaps because she had glimpsed the ashy sight, the scenery she had once adored strangely no longer felt the same.

Like an old photograph faded in color.

‘Am I just too tired?’

Yesterday, clear water appeared red, and this time, the normal scenery looked completely different.

Maybe I’ve caught some kind of illness.

‘Maybe I should tell Mom and Dad?’

As the girl resolved this in her mind and absentmindedly gazed out the window, the warm scent of toast wafted in, accompanied by the voices of her parents calling her.

Hearing that voice, her anxious heart calmed down significantly.

Everything was back to normal.

Yes, it must have been just a feeling.

To avoid worrying her parents, the girl pushed aside her unease to the back of her mind and proceeded with her usual breakfast.

It wasn’t abundant, but it was a harmonious family table.

After breakfast, while getting ready for school, the Ashen Girl’s older brother whispered to her.

“Do you want some candy?”

He pulled out a large piece of candy.

“You’re not supposed to eat candy after you brush your teeth…”

The girl muttered, glancing worriedly at her parents.

“Exactly. It’s a secret just between us.”

With a playful smile, her brother popped the candy into her mouth.

As the sweet taste of the candy spread in her mouth, a smile involuntarily appeared on the girl’s face.

“…?”

But her brother was looking down at her with a playful expression, grinning widely.

Just as she thought something was suspicious, an unbearable sour taste hit her mouth.

The sourness made her scrunch her face involuntarily, and she couldn’t help but spit out the candy.

“Cough, cough.”

With her eyes closed, the girl bent over on the floor, repeatedly coughing.

“Was it too much? I’m sorry.”

Feeling her brother patting her back, the girl opened her eyes.

There before her was a squished cockroach writhing on the floor.

The cockroach, bleeding red, was curled up like a rice ball, smeared in saliva, squirming.

“Eeek!”

The Ashen Girl gasped in surprise and looked up at her brother, but he was nowhere to be found.

There was only a strange creature made of intertwined wires covered in soot.

Thud thud.

Seeing that, the Ashen Girl was startled and rolled around on the floor.

“What’s wrong?”

Her parents, noticing the commotion, began to approach.

Their voices were always gentle, but somehow, she felt that if she looked up, even her parents might appear as monsters.

Suddenly, everything in this world seemed frightening, and the girl squeezed her eyes shut.

At that moment, she heard a voice from very far away.

Her parents scolding her brother.

As time passed and the fear gradually subsided, the girl slowly opened her eyes.

There stood her ‘normal’ parents and brother.

And when she looked down at the floor, there lay a piece of candy that was bright red and transparent, covered in spit like a ruby.

Was it all just an illusion?

The horrific images had only appeared for a brief moment, but suddenly, the Ashen Girl was overwhelmed by a wave of nausea and began to throw up.

“Are you okay?”

It was a warm voice full of concern, but strangely, the Ashen Girl felt an endless chill.

*

Warm sunlight poured down, and small animals along with Mini Reapers played in the courtyard of the Sehee Research Institute.

I ordered the Green Reaper to make the ‘most special Tyrannosaurus,’ and I was waiting for its completion.

Perhaps because it was a special Tyrannosaurus, it was taking longer than expected.

During my break, instead of grilled rabbit skewers, I was slowly cooking mini white hungry ghost skewers.

Kyu hihih.

It was a high-end skewer made from the selected tiny white hungry ghosts, as small as a mini rabbit.

But since it wasn’t a rabbit, no matter how much I ate, it didn’t satisfy me.

So I kept looking for chances to catch a mini rabbit, but there were always Golden Reapers watching me with wary eyes.

Sigh.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a plump Black Reaper lying on its back, sticking out its belly.

As soon as I saw the Black Reaper, I whipped out a piece of red, transparent candy from the Mini Reaper Garden.

“Wanna try this?”

Sending my intention to the Black Reaper, it got up with a curious expression.

The appetizing red color.
A jewel-like transparency and luster.
To all appearances, it looked delicious.

But this was one of those very sour candies that are trending in Korea!

Even I, knowing it was sour, thought it looked delicious enough to try, and the Black Reaper was staring at me with sparkly eyes.

“Ah~”

As I opened my mouth wide and sent my intention, the Black Reaper mimicked me and opened its mouth wide as well.

Seeing it hesitate for a moment before opening its mouth, it must have recalled the Golden Reaper’s saying, ‘You shouldn’t eat things given to you carelessly!’

But such advice was of no use before the glittering candy.

Peeep—!

The Black Reaper began to make a ‘peep’ sound like a baby bird waiting for food.

Without hesitation, I stuffed the candy into the Black Reaper’s mouth.

“How’s the taste?”

I asked, and the Black Reaper nodded happily, clutching its cheeks filled with candy, a blissful smile on its face.

Hehe.

How many seconds had passed?

The Black Reaper’s face began to scrunch up rapidly as it felt the sourness.

Click.

At that instant, Yerin, who was next to me, quickly pulled out her phone and captured the sight of the Black Reaper.

Looking at the bizarre sight of the Black Reaper with no eyes, nose, or mouth, Yerin wore a satisfied smile.

I gazed down at the wriggling Black Reaper that had lost its facial features and sent my intent.

“Hehe.”

Peep!

Then the Black Reaper made a sharp sound and flew up onto my head, starting to whack my scalp like crazy.

It was a strikingly heavier attack compared to the Golden Reaper’s light taps.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try not to do it, so please calm down.”

As I said this, I caught the Black Reaper and placed it in my palm, gently stroking it, and soon the Black Reaper started to smile again.

Indeed, the Black Reaper had a personality similar to that of the Golden Reapers.

Hehe.

As I poked at the shrunk holes in the Black Reaper’s face, the Green Reaper came flying over to announce the Tyrannosaurus’ completion.

It said it had been really hard, striking a pose as if to clear its throat.

“Finally!”

But what appeared before my eyes was despair.

A hippopotamus-like chubby face.
Thick lips.
A protruding belly.
Feathers covering its whole body.

The Tyrannosaurus that emerged was even uglier than what I had seen at the station.

Furious, I grabbed the Green Reaper and stuffed it into my mouth.

“Miiing!”

*

The Hideout of the Ashen Girl and the Yellow Reaper.

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

One was a sour candy obtained from the Sehee Research Institute.
The other was a sour candy obtained from the Ashen Girl’s apartment.

To human eyes, they looked like completely identical candies, but to the Yellow Reaper, they appeared entirely different.

One was a ruby-red candy.
The other was a mushy red cockroach blob.

“Truly powerful, mental pollution…”

The Yellow Reaper was worried about its Attached Human?

Or perhaps its Attached Object, and was carefully crafting a doll.

A doll with ashen hair, wearing clothing just like the girl’s, worn and torn.

Shuffling sounds of footsteps echoed as the Ashen Girl’s steps approached, and the Yellow Reaper quickly tossed the candy to the sides.

The candies rolled to the left and right, settling in the corners.

As the Yellow Reaper turned to look at the candies, oddly, inside this hideout, there were two types of identical items everywhere.

Items found outside and items found within the apartment complex.
Normal items and twisted, rusted items.

Amid the clutter of junk in the hideout, the Yellow Reaper smiled at the entering Ashen Girl.

Hoping that the Ashen Girl would be happy.