*Ha-ah... ha-ah...*
Sohwa nearly tumbled headlong down the steep mountain path. Each breath clawed at her throat, her heart hammering so violently she thought it might burst through her ribs—but she didn't dare stop.
Being a light fox, she could normally scale these slopes with ease. But the cruel predator behind her drove her only where *he* held the advantage: downward.
*Kyah!*
Unable to control her speed, Sohwa rolled straight into a muddy hole. Her body slammed against a tree trunk and landed in a heap before the entrance to someone's abandoned den.
Every cell screamed in protest. Her once-sleek silver fur was now matted with filth and reeked of rot, but she didn't care about the pain or the stench.
*Survive.* That was her only thought.
Gripped by terror, she crawled into the hole—it looked like something a badger had dug long ago.
_It will be too cramped for him to fit through here._
Sohwa huddled in the farthest corner, trembling violently. Soon, the predator's footsteps squelched through the wet earth outside.
*Grrr...*
A low growl rolled through the darkness—subdued and muffled, like distant thunder. He would say it was simply the sound of his breathing. But what kind of monster *breathes* so viciously?
_I don't want to hear this. Please, I don't want to hear this._
Sohwa buried her head between her front paws and pressed her ears flat against them, praying for one thing only—for this nightmare to end.
_Let him not find me..._
Her prayers were useless. The predator was too skilled at hunting, especially with that keen sense of smell and a mouth larger than Sohwa's entire head.
Looking back now, she remembered how he had never once let prey escape. She herself had failed countless times trying to catch a sparrow, yet he had effortlessly brought her a fresh bird for breakfast every morning.
Why hadn't she realized it sooner?
The one she had raised—that ferocious beast—was a **tiger**.
"Come out already, Sohwa."
Of course, there was no point in regretting it now.
"Did you think you could run away from me?"
The hole shuddered, dirt raining down as if the walls might collapse. Sohwa had thought the cramped shelter would be too small for the predator to reach inside, but that was a foolish mistake.
The sound of earth being torn apart filled her ears. It was a nightmare made real.
Sohwa looked up, paralyzed with fear, and saw a massive paw break through the entrance.
Claws like black hooks reached toward her, ready to snatch her up.
"Come out. You have something to answer for."
Cold sweat drenched her fur. She flailed her hind legs frantically, trying to scramble backward, but gnarled tree roots blocked her escape.
The predator couldn't quite grasp her—not yet—but he began digging again, widening the entrance with terrifying efficiency.
_What do I do? What do I do?_
Sohwa's gaze darted wildly around the shrinking space, searching for any way out. But her efforts were useless—the tiger's paw thrust inside once more.
This time, those curved claws caught her easily around the ribs. Shocked, Sohwa bit down on the massive paw with all her strength.
But the predator only seemed *amused*. A low, rumbling purr vibrated through his chest despite her fangs buried in his flesh.
Sohwa was dragged outside and hoisted into the air, pinned by her front legs. Dangling by the scruff of her neck like a rag doll was humiliating, but she had no time to dwell on wounded pride.
The tiger's golden eyes—holding the faintest glimmer of a smile—fixed upon her.
"That hurts. You bit me."
Under that molten gaze, Sohwa shrank like a stream frozen solid in the dead of winter.
Warm liquid dripped from her hind legs, trailing downward.
"Again..." he muttered quietly, glancing at the wet ground. He shook his great head slowly. Shame and horror flooded through her as her paws flailed uselessly in the air.
"Alright, alright. Let's go home, shall we?"
He placed her gently on the ground—but immediately pinned her beneath his massive paw, allowing no chance of escape.
"Don't move."
He began licking her face, cleaning away the caked dirt. His large, rough tongue—textured like tree bark—scraped over her nose and ears. Each stroke made her shudder.
"You see? If you'd listened the first time, none of this would have happened," he grumbled, rolling her over with casual ease.
Sohwa could barely breathe under his weight, but the predator paid no attention. He calmly licked away the traces of urine as though grooming a wayward cub.
When he finished, he lifted her carefully in his jaws. The grip wasn't painful—just firm enough that she *could* have struggled free. But the moment Sohwa felt those iron-sharp fangs close around the back of her neck, every ounce of willpower drained from her body.
And so the predator carried the fox back up the mountain, his mouth swaying gently with each step, as if mocking her predicament.
---
They soon reached the clearing at the foot of the mountain where their first meeting had taken place, all those years ago.
The tiger thrust the fox into a waiting cage.
"This is a cage I specially ordered from a Western merchant in the human village," he said.
Sohwa trembled.
"So that's why... *that's* why you bought it," she whispered.
"Of course not."
The predator slammed the cage door shut and began to transform.
Fur melted away. The long muzzle shortened and smoothed. Paws tipped with menacing claws became long, pale, masculine fingers. His powerful limbs gave way to a pair of strong arms and lean, muscular legs.
As befitting a purebred shapeshifter, he assumed human form with practiced ease—a young man with ink-black hair and deep brown eyes.
His high forehead and thick brows gave him a fierce expression, while a straight nose and sharp jawline lent him the air of a distinguished nobleman. His full lips, curved in a slight upturn, radiated both arrogance and barely leashed danger.
Sohwa had known him since he was a cub. He had always been beautiful.
"Don't even think about running again. It's pointless—it'll only make things worse for you. Understand?"
Dohwi tapped the iron bars with his long fingers. Sohwa bared her teeth and growled.
He laughed—as if he found her defiance *charming*—and lifted the cage.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You'll be happy with me." His voice dripped with satisfaction.
"The Imoogi possess a magical pearl. With its power, even creatures of different species—like us—can have children together."
He leaned closer, as if sharing a precious secret.
"I'll get it for us. Your dream is to have children, isn't it?"
Sohwa curled into a tight ball, pretending not to hear. But her ears betrayed her, twitching at his words.
Yes. Her recent desire—sparked by the approaching heat—had been exactly that: to bear a cub.
_But not from you._
She was a hundred years old, a young and vigorous fox who wanted to mate with a *fellow fox*. Not with some monster like him.
"You seem interested. You're exciting me," he said, a dangerous smile spreading across his face.
"Are you *blind*? I'm not a tigress!"
"But you're female."
"..."
"*My* female."
There was no point in arguing. Reasoning with this creature was impossible.
"Once I have the pearl, we'll be considered an ordinary family."
"An ordinary family?" Sohwa nearly choked. "Seriously?"
Coming from the creature who was *holding her in a cage*, this sounded especially absurd. She snorted in disgust.
Her defiance seemed to irritate him. He stopped walking abruptly.
"Sohwa."
Dohwi lifted the cage to eye level, his voice dropping low. Sohwa's paws twitched as she met his gaze—cold, merciless, utterly unyielding.
"You *promised*. You promised to stay with me forever."
"I... I didn't promise..."
She mustered the courage to protest, but Dohwi's thick brows drew together sharply. He shook the cage, and her body flew into the bars.
"You took me in when I was tiny. Raised me however you pleased. And now you want to *abandon* me?"
She bared her teeth and hissed:
"You... ungrateful *creature*!"
"And I simply want to repay you for everything."
He leaned toward the cage, eyes narrowing to slits.
"I'm ready to fulfill your every wish. To continue caring for you, just as before—only now I'll *truly* try. What's wrong with that?"
A loud gurgling sound echoed through the clearing.
Sohwa looked down, mortified. She'd wet herself again.
Hearing it, Dohwi's expression darkened with displeasure.
"This won't do. You couldn't hold it again."
Clearly annoyed at having frightened her so badly, his jaw tightened. Rough hands undid the cage latch. Dohwi—though human in form—was enormous, a veritable giant, with hands the size of cauldron lids.
Catching Sohwa as she futilely tried to hide in a corner, he pulled her from the cage and hurled the small prison aside.
**CRASH!**
The iron bars shattered against a tree. Sohwa instinctively tucked her tail between her legs.
But he paid no attention. He lifted her to eye level.
"Transform."
He ordered her to take human form.
Sohwa shook her head frantically. *No. No!* A human body was convenient for daily life but *vulnerable* in a crisis. Escaping would become nearly impossible.
"Listen to me."
His voice held a sharp warning.
"*No!*"
Sohwa shrieked, her voice raw with fury. He sighed—almost disappointed—and grabbed her by the tail, flipping her upside down.
"Let go! *Let me go!*"
She scratched at him with her paws, squealing in outrage, but Dohwi remained utterly unbothered. He even began swaying her gently from side to side.
Her head spun. The pain in her tail grew unbearable—she was certain he would tear it clean off—and finally, she surrendered.
Her long, vulpine nose began to shorten. The silver fur that covered her body melted away. Front paws became slender human arms; hind legs transformed into a pair of pale, trembling limbs.
A young woman in thin, disheveled clothing stood before him, chest heaving, eyes blazing with fury.
"Well? Are you *happy* now?! Are you satisfied?!"
"Mm-hmm. Thank you for listening."
He seemed genuinely pleased. A broad smile spread across his face as he seized her wrist.
*Click.*
Something cold locked into place. The chill of metal made Sohwa flinch.
_What is this?_
She raised her hand to look. A thick iron bracelet encircled her wrist, and in his grip, he held the end of a chain attached to it.
"I wanted to put it around your neck, but that would have been too much. It would've looked completely savage—as if I were the hunter and you were my prey."
Dohwi smiled at her stunned expression.
"But our relationship isn't like that at all, is it?"
_If not that... then what?_
There was no point in arguing. When had he become like this?
_Dohwi used to listen to my every word..._
Since when had he grown so tall that his head nearly brushed the treetops? When had his arms become thicker than her waist?
"Let's go home, Sohwa. I promise I'll find that pearl before your next heat."
He draped an arm around her shoulders and began walking, promising things she had never asked for.
"Plums, apricots, cherries, frogs, sparrows... From now on, I'll only eat what *you* like. I'll do all the cleaning, the laundry—just like before, but this time I'll really try. So don't even *think* about leaving me. Understand?"
"..."
"There you go, silent again. If you keep this up, I'll tie you up at home."
"Who are you to—"
"Don't worry." He cut her off. "I *will* make you happy. I will."
He dropped to his knees right there on the muddy ground, as if to seal his vow.
"I have no one but you, Sohwa. You know that."
Dohwi took her hands and pressed them against his face. Like an animal seeking comfort, he began rubbing his cheek against her stomach.
"Please... don't leave me. I'll be good. *So* good. I swear. Stay with me."
When Sohwa didn't respond, his expression shifted instantly—something darker surfacing behind his eyes.
The brown irises gradually bled into molten gold.
"You won't leave... *right?*"
"..."
Those tiger's eyes gleamed with terrifying intensity in the darkness of night.
Sohwa couldn't resist. She nodded slightly, yielding to his silent threat.
His face broke into a radiant smile, and he pulled her into a crushing embrace.
"Thank you. If you leave again... I really will die."
It sounded more like: *First I'll devour you, and then I'll die.*
Sohwa swallowed hard.
"Let's have a baby and be happy. **Forever.**"
"..."
The old monk's words echoed in her mind like a prophecy finally coming true:
_"Your karmic debt is heavy, child. One day, it will come to collect."_
---