Chapter 2: The Contract in the Empty Between

A pitch-black smoke covered Sia.

In contrast, blazing red flames surged as if to snatch Sia away.

Amidst that, a girl—looking about sixteen—stood.

Wearing a black dress rarely seen in real life, with black hair and black eyes, the girl walked calmly through the heart of the flames, radiating an undeniable presence.

‘Am I seeing things right now?’

Lee Jaehyun couldn’t help but doubt his own eyes.

Was he witnessing an absurd hallucination right before death?

As he pondered, a low voice reached him.

“Do you… want to live?”

A question thrown directly at him.

Did he want to live?

Of course, he wanted to live.

If he died like this, what would happen to his Mother left alone?

What about Park Daehyung, who was demoted?

And there were still too many Criminals he hadn’t caught.

Most Police Officers in Korea seemed satisfied with catching just enough Criminals to maintain the ‘line’ of good.

But that wasn’t right.

More Victims would appear.

He had to stop it.

His answer was already decided.

If he could live—if, by doing so, he could get out of this situation, demote Park Daehyung, save his Mother from being threatened, and catch those who tried to kill Lee Jaehyun himself—

He would sell his soul to a Demon if that’s what it took.

“I can’t die here.”

The moment he answered like that—

The girl smiled faintly.

“Then, take my hand.”

The girl extended her hand as she spoke.

Would grabbing that hand really let him live? Would anything truly change…?

He didn’t know.

But Lee Jaehyun wasn’t in a position to be picky about cold or warm water.

It didn’t matter at all who this girl in front of him was.

If she could help him escape this place, what problem was there in taking her hand once?

Before he knew it, Lee Jaehyun, whose hands had slipped free from his restraints, slowly reached out and grasped her hand.

And then—

The world turned upside down.

***

Just moments ago, he’d been in a place engulfed by flames, but now he was somewhere completely different.

It was only dark—suffocatingly dark and silent.

Lee Jaehyun slowly rose to his feet.

Nothing was visible, which made the place feel even more unnerving.

“Where is this…”

“Between Hell and Heaven. The ‘Empty Space.’”

“Empty Space…”

Between Hell and Heaven—an Empty Space?

Lee Jaehyun narrowed his eyes, trying to see anything, but nothing appeared.

The only thing he could see was the girl standing before him.

She shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking.

“It’s a bit awkward to make a Contract in that place, so we crossed over here for a Temporary Contract. Lately, there’s been a lot of fuss—if you force a Contract in a desperate situation, people call it an unfair Contract, a scapegoat Contract, and so on.”

Her voice was oddly bright and clear for such a dark, oppressive space.

Her presence was so vivid, it was as if he could feel her voice on his skin.

At this point, he had no choice but to accept it.

“So this isn’t just something you see before dying.”

He had wondered if it was a hallucination seen while delirious on the verge of death, but now he was sure it wasn’t.

Or maybe he was still hallucinating even now.

As various thoughts flitted through his mind, perhaps the girl could sense Lee Jaehyun’s uncertainty.

“It’s not an illusion.”

The girl spoke in a firm voice.

She took a few steps closer to where Lee Jaehyun stood and continued.

“My name is Se-re-hen. You might have guessed already, but I’m a Demon from Hell.”

“A Demon?”

Lee Jaehyun looked at the girl who had introduced herself as Se-re-hen and repeated her words.

He had said he’d sell his soul to a Demon if he could survive—

But to think she really was a Demon.

It was surprising, yet at the same time, part of him unconsciously accepted, ‘I guess it could be.’

Maybe this was what people meant when they said humans always carried dual thoughts.

“Even if I try hard to explain, whether I’m a Demon or not isn’t really the point. Should we get to the main issue?”

Her tone suggested she didn’t care whether he believed her or not.

And upon hearing that, Lee Jaehyun managed to clear his mind.

Right now, the Demon in front of him was showing him courtesy, but it was clear who held the upper hand.

Having come this far, he had no choice but to believe.

As Se-re-hen said, it didn’t really matter if she was a Demon.

What mattered was what Se-re-hen wanted from Lee Jaehyun himself.

“I want to make a formal Contract with you, Temporary Contractor.”

“Contract—what exactly do you mean?”

“Exactly as it sounds. I want something from you, Temporary Contractor, and you provide me with what I need in return—”

“If it’s what I need, is that my life?”

Lee Jaehyun asked, trying to confirm if she meant letting him escape his previous predicament.

Se-re-hen smiled faintly.

“That’s included, of course… and if necessary, I can even return you to ten years ago.”

“Ten years ago?”

“Yes. If so… wouldn’t you be able to achieve the wish you so dearly desire?”

A wish.

What was the wish he truly, deeply hoped for?

He didn’t even need to think about it.

There was only one thing he most regretted, one thing he desperately wanted to fix.

“Father.”

To fix everything that happened on the day his Father died.

To save his Father.

That was his wish.

“That… is possible?”

Turning back time—such an outrageous thing.

Could that really be done?

It wasn’t that he doubted she was tricking him.

Se-re-hen had already shown him things that defied all logic, so there was no reason not to believe her.

It was just—

Because it was something he’d yearned for so desperately until now, it was actually hard to believe.

Even if she showed him even more impossible things, Lee Jaehyun probably would have reacted the same.

In response to his question, Se-re-hen calmly nodded.

“Yes. Of course, it’s not easy… but it is possible.”

“Then what do you want from me?”

“What I want from you is simple. Just continue doing what you’ve done so far. Though it would be better if you did it a bit more proactively.”

At Se-re-hen’s words, Lee Jaehyun frowned.

He couldn’t quite understand what she meant.

Fulfilling his wish—was the only price just to do what he’d been doing, but more proactively? Who wouldn’t accept such a deal?

But then, what exactly did she mean by ‘what you’ve done so far’?

“What I’ve been doing so far?”

“Yes. Catching evil people.”

“And what do you get from me catching evil people?”

Lee Jaehyun asked at Se-re-hen’s words.

If she was a Demon, wouldn’t she want to spread Crime and throw society into chaos instead?

Why would she want him to catch evil-doers?

He couldn’t understand.

While he was still processing this, Se-re-hen continued.

“That’s because people don’t really know what Demons are.”

“What do you mean?”

“Demons are beings that feed on Karma. Especially the Sins of evil people—those are a delicacy to Demons.”

At the word Karma, Lee Jaehyun paused for a moment.

It wasn’t a completely unfamiliar concept.

But the idea that Demons feasted on it was new to him.

“Karma—as in karmic retribution?”

“Something like that. It’s a bit more complicated, but you’re a Police Officer. You’re going to catch bad guys, right?”

“Of course.”

That was a given.

Ever since the day his Father died, Lee Jaehyun’s very purpose in life had been to catch Criminals and make them pay for their actions as a Police Officer.

Catching bad guys was as natural to him as breathing.

“If you catch bad guys, I can consume their Karma as I please. The quality and taste may differ, though.”

“In the past, a single person might have been able to build up lots of Sin, but nowadays, how much could one really amass? It’s much better to stick by someone who’s constantly catching bad guys. So just do your best to catch them. And if needed, I can give you a little help along the way.”

So, to sum up—

The terms of Se-re-hen’s Contract were that she’d send Lee Jaehyun back ten years, and in exchange, she’d eat the Karma of the Criminals he caught.

If that was the case, it was something Lee Jaehyun could only welcome.

It was what he did best and felt most confident in.

And if she could really send him back ten years, he could even save his Father—so he had no reason to refuse.

The only variable was…

If all of these terms were the tricks of a Demon.

Lee Jaehyun quietly watched Se-re-hen.

She simply met his gaze, her expression unreadable.

A moment of silence passed.

In the end, Lee Jaehyun made his choice.

Whether it was a Demon’s trick or not, he’d been given a chance, and he would seize it.

“If that’s all, as much as you want.”

He answered in a firm voice.

“The Contract is sealed.”

Se-re-hen extended her hand.

And the moment Lee Jaehyun grasped her hand, the world turned upside down once more.

***

“Haaah…”

Gasping for breath, Lee Jaehyun snapped his eyes open.

He blinked rapidly, looking around.

He still couldn’t grasp the situation, and the scenery didn’t fully register, but—

There was one thing he was certain of.

Unlike the suffocating darkness just now, he could definitely see something now.

A desk, a computer, documents, a Police Officer’s uniform…

A familiar place.

“This is… the Capital Region Police Station?”

This was definitely the Han-seong Capital Region Police Station where he’d worked several years ago.

Did he really return to ten years ago?

As Lee Jaehyun blinked and tried to process his thoughts—

“If you’re dozing off during duty, what are you going to do? Isn’t it about time you got used to Three-Shift Duty?”

A familiar voice spoke up next to him.

Lee Jaehyun reflexively turned his gaze and checked who it was.

Anyone could tell he looked like a gangster boss.

Park Daehyung.

And he was at least ten years younger.

Park Daehyung was leaning on his own desk with his palm, looking down at Lee Jaehyun.

The problem was—his face was spotless.

Of course, his fierce look was still there, but the scar at the corner of his eye, which he’d gotten while saving Lee Jaehyun, was gone.

Looking at Park Daehyung, Lee Jaehyun spoke up in a slightly trembling voice.

“Superintendent?”

“Why are you acting all weird all of a sudden?”

Park Daehyung looked at him as if surprised by the strange response, his eyes widening.

Lee Jaehyun hesitated at his reaction.

If this really was ten years ago, he wasn’t yet close enough with Park Daehyung to call him ‘Superintendent.’

And as expected—

Park Daehyung shook his head and continued.

“We may be on the same team, but we’re not close enough for nicknames yet, are we?”

“Ah, um… I’m sorry.”

Lee Jaehyun apologized immediately.

It was a term of address he’d grown used to over the years, but it must have sounded unfamiliar to the other man.

After apologizing to Park Daehyung, he once more slowly looked around.

Seeing the office he’d used so long ago, it finally hit him.

He really had come back.

“Come to think of it, exactly when, ten years ago, is this?”

As he wondered, Park Daehyung tapped his shoulder and spoke up.

“Well, anyway, it’s patrol time. Get it together. Let’s head out.”

“Yes, sir.”

After meeting Lee Jaehyun’s eyes, Park Daehyung pointed his thumb toward the parking lot behind them.

Shaking off the strange sense of déjà vu, Lee Jaehyun nodded and headed out of the Capital Region Police Station alongside Park Daehyung.