It was hard to hide my wariness as Zerikyu hurriedly removed his hat and black jacket. My back was pressed against the door in case the man with the distinctive freckles pulled a weapon from beneath his coat. However, all he was wearing now was a plain white T-shirt. It seemed the trauma Tiger had caused was starting to take its toll.

"You look pretty shaken, Miss," Zerikyu said, rolling up his belongings and tossing them into the trash. "I understand. It must have been hard on you all these years living with him. Oh, and make sure Mr. Tiger doesn't dig through this trash, okay?"

"It's no use. Tiger can see your current location on the CCTV," I said casually. I didn't mind, as Tiger would probably consider this trivial. It's common for a fan to break into a celebrity's apartment.

Zerikyu gaped. "Oh my, that's right! What do you think?"

"Hey, are you really that great of a shaman?" My eyes narrowed. "Come in. I'll tell Tiger you're actually my childhood friend. At the concert, I was the one who pretended not to know you."

Zerikyu followed me into the living area, while I gestured for him to sit on the sofa. "What about yesterday?"

"Hm… maybe I just have an old grudge against you," I said with a shrug, "I would also say he was overreacting."

Zerikyu nodded. "Wow, that's the first real gun I've ever seen. Mr. Tiger is so scary. No wonder he's been surrounded by dark energy since the concert. Now it's all been answered!"

Zerikyu's chatter was amusing. His pink lips curled up like elastic, though they weren't any curlier than his hair. Let me guess, Zerikyu babbled because he was mumbling while reciting the text. If he were to retire, I suggest he become a...rapper.

"So?" I crossed my arms. "How much do you know about Tiger? And how are you going to help me?"

"He's a psychopath." Zerikyu swallowed nervously, leaning halfway toward me. "And only you can stop him. Something between birth and death."

My eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. The universe continued to position me as a hero, specifically, a monster tamer. Yet, I was desperately trying to figure out how to escape this cursed fate.

"I don't want to." Without hesitation, I refused as if Zerikyu had power.

Only strength can defeat power; once again, I wish Zerikyu had it.

"I understand," Zerikyu replied, "but in return, you still have to risk yourself."

"Why me?"

"You started it."

My nostrils flared. "How did you know?"

Zerikyu sighed. "You also have black, just like Tiger. Yours has dwindled because you've diverted the desires you once so desperately desired. It's like Tiger is an empty, rapidly spinning tomb. And you, somewhere along the way, filled that tomb until it sucked away yours."

Zerikyu's ancient metaphor humbled the ego. I felt a little sympathy for Tiger. It was his eternal misfortune that the influence of evil had enveloped him at such an early and troubled age. That's why Arthemisya had to pay the price. Now I realized where karma lay in this second life of my abundance.

However, I felt a part of my soul growing rebellious. Something was unfinished, and it was only right that I should find out what Arthemisya's beautiful, perfect body had been through from the very beginning.

Zerikyu approached. His hand cupped the back of my hand, offering reassurance.

"Miss Arthemisya, you were born an angel, but unfortunately, your wings were broken. What a pity…"

"I don't remember what happened to me before. Can you see it?"

Zerikyu shook his head. "I can't replay someone's entire life in my head, but I can sense your immense anger and sadness before you became the radiant Arthemisya. That's why I became your fan. I felt drawn to your biased energy, and it gave me a mission in life," he said.

I blinked and nodded. "It doesn't matter. My past isn't what matters now. So, I've already refused to tame Tiger. I just want to be free from him. Can you help me?"

"There is only one way: take the monster hostage again."

***

"Don't wander around in any unit."

Who would have thought the ban was a clue? As the weeks passed, Zerikyu and I secretly researched ARTHE PALACE, the pyramid building that was the prey of a certain Tiger Letto. Coincidentally, my psychopathic boss was also busy in a meeting regarding Arthemisya's career.

I took the opportunity to contact the parties involved in the construction of a seventy-floor building with one residential unit on each floor. Thirty minutes after Tiger left, I was on my way to Zerikyu to check on the project. Ten gleaming marble-floored foyers, with a thin carpet in the middle, divide the elevator from the residential units.

In front of the double doors, Zerikyu reads the energy, marking which residences still contain the aura of life. After that, we'll move Tiger's captives into one place to publicize his crimes. Isn't that a perfect idea?

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?"

Several times, Zerikyu almost fainted because he couldn't control the screams of fear coming from behind the soundproof wall.

Since we started on the first floor the first week, we eventually reached the seventieth floor, one below my penthouse unit. The private lobby's lights flickered, a dimmer yellow than the other floors.

"Wait a minute." Zerikyu felt the biometric door handle.

"Something's strange." One of Zerikyu's hands reached out, pushing me back a little.

A small squeak accompanied Zerikyu's index finger pressing random numbers.

Click.

Suddenly, Zerikyu and I looked at each other in confusion, while the door to unit seventy opened.

"You knew all this time?"

Zerikyu quickly denied it. "This is the first time numbers have popped into my head." His eyes widened. "Don't tell me—?"