The man knelt on the cold ceramic, not allowed to even rest on the carpet, surrounded by gray-skinned, faceless beings, in that enormous mansion with mahogany-finished walls and red curtains, darkening the room where he would soon be judged.
“Please sir, just a couple more days, I swear I will pay you absolutely everything I owe you, in cash.”
Seeing the pathetic attempt at mercy, sitting at the desk in front of him, he rolled his eye in displeasure, leaning his cheek against the side of his eyepatch, adorned with the embroidery of a red rose with green leaves around it, tired of the same old theater.
“Are you a masochist?”
“Pardon me?”
“No? I see, then you have a death wish.”
“Not I-.”
The man with the eyepatch lowered his hand and bowed his head, looking at the criminal on the floor with disdain, annoyed with him for having the audacity to think himself worthy of mercy.
A being who had brought his own family to ruin, with his addiction to gambling and the substances he himself dealt, even forcing his children to work for him satisfying other vile creatures.
“So why do you insist on testing my patience?”
“No, please Mr. Park, I promise that this time I will give you the money back.”
The criminal's fearful face only irritated him more, how could someone who subsisted by ruining the lives of others, with vices and regrets, dare to give value to his own life.
But on the other hand, if there were no scum like that, neither he nor Adam would have such a clear conscience with the requirements of their diets.
“I had already given you an entire extra week and yet, you still want more time.”
“But I will really pay you, you just have to wait a little.”
“That's what you said last time.”
The man on the ground trembled uncontrollably, he slammed his head against the ground, thinking about how he would escape from trouble this time. Then he remembered the famous rumors about the kumiho.
“Please, my family needs the money, you know…”.
The man with the eyepatch remained silent, giving him hope for his survival.
“I have two little girls, one just started high school, they are too young to be begging on the streets.”
The kumiho sat up straight in his chair, still not saying a word, fiery fury brewing within him.
“You are a father, are you not? You must understand…”
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Park changed his annoyed expression into a friendly smile.
“Oh, right… I fully understand the efforts and ‘sacrifices’ of a true father…”
He stood up, resting his hands on the desk as he pulled his five tails out of the chair, waving them gracefully.
“There is still an alternative.”
He walked over to the man on the floor, standing in front of him with one hand behind his waist.
“There is a way for me to not only forgive the debt but also give double the money that you owe me to your beloved family, without having to pay it off later.”
With great relief the man bowed at Park's feet, believing that he had been freed from bankruptcy, not knowing what awaited him.
“Thank you Sir, I knew you would understand.”
The kumiho turned to look at one of his employees, with a nod of his head two of them took the man by the arms, preparing to drag him away.
“Take him and prepare his heart for tomorrow. Tell the other one that he will live one more week.”
“NO, PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!”.
No matter how much he struggled he could not get out of the grip of those beings. Screaming for his life, he was taken to the dungeon in the basement of the mansion.
Annoyed by the impertinence and disrupting screams of that criminal, the man with the eyepatch ran his hand through his short black hair, letting out a loud sigh, exasperated. He turned to two other of his aids, the closest ones to him.
“I'm really fed up with these idiots who think that by saying 'father' or 'family' they can manipulate me” he removed his hand from his hair, letting it fall with force “As if my puppies were a sort of weakness”.
“But boss, your children are your weakness”.
Kim Dae, on his left, spoke with great joy in her voice, making the kumiho angrier. Everyone who worked with him and for him knew how much he pampered and cared for his two children. Although he also let them have some freedom to develop, always under surveillance.
“You're lucky you don't have a mouth…”
With an aggressive tone, he stuck out his long tongue and stabbed it with his nails, sharp as claws, drawing a drop of blood.
“... or I would have already ripped your tongue out for saying such stupid nonsense."
The entrance door to the study suddenly opened. Vincent peeked through it with a huge smile.
“Mr. Park, we're back.”
Seeing him, the kumiho's attitude changed completely. He took out his fox ears, waved his five tails and his voice became soft, he crouched down speaking sweetly.
“Little Jack, how did your hunt go? Where's your sister?”
“It went well... although her red-haired doll is a little broken. Hana went straight to her room to check on her.”
Park stood up, looking over his shoulder at Kim Dae and Kim Soo-yun, with a gesture of his hand they approached, and with another after giving his order, they went to carry it out.
“Go with Hana and settle the damages. If necessary, contact Haugen and request repairs as soon as possible.”
Once the two left the studio, the little boy reached into his pocket, pulled out the Diagvelia fragment, and proudly showed it off to the kumiho.
“Look, Mr. Park, I got you another one.”
“Wow, Vince, that’s wonderful. Adam is going to be very pleased.”
With one hand he took the fragment while with the other he removed his eye patch, revealing his eye socket inhabited by a black, pulsating mass, with two eyes peeking out of it.
“Hey Adam, look what Jack brought you. It’s a little snack.”
The mass began to emerge, trickling outwards and raising its forehead like a snake. Small appendages protruded from all over its body.
The only thing that could be distinguished as a familiar organ from that mass were its eyeballs and mouth.
The eyes of the being formed spirals with its irises and pupils. In its mouth was a row of sharp fangs, following the curve formed by its lips. While the mass made sense of its shape, it spoke to the little boy with a strangely warm, deep and soft voice, stuttering but calm.
“Hello li-little Jack. It’s been a l-long time since we saw each other.”
The mass managed to arrange its eyes and mouth in the most human position possible. Vince looked at it fondly, smiling all the time.
“But we did see each other this morning… Besides, I would ask to see you more often if you called me Vincent.”
“B-But that’s not y-your name.”
The blob ate the fragment in one bite, enjoying the interaction with the boy. While refusing to use another name was a way of playing with the little one, it was also due to what would happen when he called him by Vincent.
Given the bond between the two, hearing Adam use the boy’s most precious name made him sentimental; the last time it had taken him half an hour to stop crying, no matter how much they hugged and comforted him, in fact the affection of Park, Hana and Adam had made him cry even harder.
Still, Vincent played along, making a great effort to act indignant or upset, always betrayed by the bright smile he always showed Adam, whom he unfortunately could not see for a long time, due to the circumstances that turned him into that blob.
“Yes it is. See you later, Mr. Adam.”
The mass returned to Park's eye socket, and he put the patch back on, sealing the mass inside himself.
“Well, well. Puppy, it's late, you should sleep.”
The kumiho took the boy to his room, in another area of the mansion, separated by a lush garden from where he did his business, providing privacy and security to what was his home.
The building was its own entity. A picturesque house with a stone and concrete exterior finish, two levels, in a square in the center of the flower gardens. Colorful plants hung from its balconies.
The modern interior contrasted with the facade without losing its cozy essence, furnished with magical objects and advanced technology disguised as common furniture and ornaments.
The three rooms on the upper floor had been customized for each of its inhabitants along with their respective bathrooms, the other two on the ground floor had a more neutral arrangement to be used by guests. Vincent's private room had arctic blue walls decorated with cobalt six-pointed stars.
Half of the space was taken up by the sleeping area, with a dresser and bureau designated for his prosthetics next to his queen-size bed, with side rails and tilting modules, similar to a medical bed with superior comfort.
Below and around was a plush burgundy red carpet.
Opposite it was another bureau with medicines and entertainment for the little one, with a dimmable lamp to be used during the night if required, next to it a control for the bed and to call any other room in the house.
In this part of the room was also the entrance to the huge closet.
The rest of the room was a play area, with closets full of various toys, a computer with appropriate locks and a large free space.
In this part was also the door to Vincent's bathroom, suitable for him to be able to wash himself without assistance; with non-slip floors, railings, a bench built into the shower, with crutches and a folding wheelchair in the closet next to the entrance.
Every two meters in all his rooms there were bells with which he could request assistance.
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