Troll

⁦⁠♡⁩ TL: Khadija SK

 

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Jin-ah was plagued by nightmares all night.

 

In her dream, she found herself in utter darkness, unable to see an inch ahead.

 

The extreme terror pressed down on her body, making it difficult to breathe.

 

Fearing for her life, Jin-ah hugged herself tightly…

 

But Then she realized.

 

‘…My arm is gone.’

 

Her hand couldn’t feel one of her arms.

 

Touching her body, she discovered her leg was missing too.

 

Her abdomen, chest, even her head.

 

Yet, it didn’t surprise her.

 

Because she had been eaten.

 

She had been devoured.

 

The fact felt as natural as the rising and setting of the sun.

 

Since ‘it’ came out, it would devour everything.

 

So, it was only natural for her to be devoured too.

 

〈What is it?〉

 

Suddenly, the world changed.

 

Though still shrouded in darkness, there was something clear.

 

‘It’ drew closer and closer.

 

As the distance narrowed, Jin-ah realized she was plummeting towards it.

 

Kno-Direg mansion.

 

The mansion where Frida Troll slept, where the YouTubers died and were injured, where a gaping hole had been torn open.

 

She was hurtling towards it.

 

Plummeting at a terrifying speed, Jin-ah crashed into the basement.

 

With excruciating pain came a blur of vision.

 

As her head turned to the side, she saw a wall covered in writing.

 

Unable to move, she gazed at it as consciousness slipped away slowly.

 

Crunching_

 

Jin-ah heard a sound of chewing.

 

Not just any chewing…

 

It was the sound of sharp teeth tearing flesh, twisting organs, and shattering bones.

 

Crunching_ Crunching_

 

The sound grew nearer.

 

Then, right under her chin, Jin-ah summoned all her strength to look down.

 

There were thousands of teeth. Each sharp and filled with intense malice.

 

And beyond those teeth was darkness.

 

The same darkness she remembered from the mansion’s basement.

 

‘It’ opened its mouth wide, ready to consume her, and she felt herself being chewed up, torn apart.

 

Amidst fading consciousness, laughter echoed, accompanied by the final sound of bones breaking.

 

“Ugh!”

 

At that moment, Jin-ah snapped awake.

 

She found herself staring at a ceiling that felt unfamiliar and bland, momentarily unsure of her surroundings.

 

In that moment, various memories rushed through her mind: the morning phone call, the airplane, the wilderness, and the mansion.

 

Struggling to recall yesterday’s events, Jin-ah reached out for the glass of water on the table and took a sip.

 

Her head throbbed.

 

She realized she had consumed all sorts of alcohol starting with beer at the pub yesterday.

 

Perhaps due to drinking on an empty stomach, the hangover was severe.

 

As she lay back down, unable to shake off the headache, a wave of nausea engulfed her along with hunger.

 

“What kind of dream was that…?”

 

It was a disturbing nightmare.

 

Since she had fallen asleep without turning on the heater, the room was chilly, almost cold, and the spot where she had lain was damp with sweat.

 

Struggling once again to sit up, Jin-ah felt as if a giant metal ball were rolling around in her head, pounding against her skull.

 

Sighing heavily, she couldn’t shake the feeling that today was going to be filled with nothing but unpleasant events.

 

***

 

Jin-ah’s premonition proved to be correct.

 

As she packed up to check out, she realized her phone was nowhere to be seen.

 

Pressing her throbbing head, she tried to recollect.

 

‘When the pub closed and I came back to the hotel… Was my phone in my hand?’

 

At this point, she felt grateful that her bag and wallet were with her.

 

After checking out, she went to a nearby drugstore to buy Tylenol, then headed to the pub where she had been drinking the night before.

 

Fortunately, even though it was early, there was a staff member on duty.

 

“Did anyone find a lost phone yesterday? I think I left it behind after having a few drinks.”

 

The staff member chuckled and shook their head in a gesture that seemed to say: Even if you lost it, do you think it would still be here?

 

Feeling foolish for even asking, Jin-ah left the pub with a crestfallen expression.

 

There was no way her missing phone would still be there.

 

It sounded absurd in this country.

 

‘I’ll probably hear from the police about it. And there’s also the issue with the trust company and the interview.’

 

After some deliberation, she eventually went to a nearby store to buy a used phone and then got a new SIM card issued.

 

As soon as she stepped out of the store, as if waiting for her, the phone rang.

 

–It’s DeCaster. Can ye come tae the mansion by the day?

 

Hesitant to answer his question, Jin-ah replied:

 

“Um… Do I really have to go?”

 

–What dae ye mean?

 

“Considering the rescue was already done yesterday, and even if you investigate, I don’t think I can be of much help.”

 

It sounded absurd even to herself.

 

But she just didn’t want to go back to that mansion if she could help it.

 

But then, a voice of astonishment came from DeCaster.

 

–No, even sae, arenae ye the owner? There were mony things we didnae ask aboot yestreen, and maist importantly, it seems like we found Frida Troll’s body, sae there’s a lot tae discuss aboot that. Oh, and the trust company, whilk is in chairge o’ managin’ the place, will also be comin’ the day, sae it would be guid tae meet them.”

 

The trust company.

 

At those words, Jin-ah felt as if she had suddenly sobered up.

 

***

 

Jin-ah drove along the same road as yesterday, heading towards the mansion.

 

She could have left earlier, but she waited for the sun to rise before setting out, so by the time she arrived at the mansion, it was well past lunchtime.

 

On the way, she stopped at a gas station and bought a sandwich there, but she couldn’t eat it properly and ended up throwing it away.

 

The bread was tough, the vegetables were all soaked in sauce and dripping out, and above all, she found cheap, finely ground ham inside.

 

In that moment, Jin-ah threw it away without any hesitation, still resenting her picky mouth even in this situation.

 

***

 

When Jin-ah arrived, sergeant DeCaster approached her.

 

“You’re here.”

 

Behind DeCaster, two police cars were visible.

 

Unlike yesterday, when several police cars and ambulances filled the area, today only a few police officers seemed to be present.

 

“Hello. Have the people from the trust company arrived by any chance?”

 

In her haste, she immediately inquired whether they had come.

 

Ever since DeCaster mentioned the trust company, realistic worries had flooded Jin-ah’s mind.

 

The trust company had warned against anyone entering the mansion.

 

They made it clear that selling it to developers or anyone else was out of the question.

 

‘I didn’t authorize any of this.’

 

While Jin-ah felt she was not to blame, her mouth felt parched with anxiety.

 

“They’ll be arrivin’ soon. But more importantly, yesterday we confirmed that Frida Troll’s body was missin’, didn’t we?”

 

“Yes… we did.”

 

DeCaster seemed certain that she had died and been left here, judging by the state of the room.

 

The problem was that the remains, like the bones, were gone, vanished as if they had never been there.

 

Since a corpse couldn’t just get up and leave on its own, it was evident that someone had moved it.

 

The problem was, who and why?

 

“There’s nae way the body was foond ootside the mansion. It wis discovered on the path up the hill. Ain o’ us decided tae tak’ a look and foond it.””

 

“So, did my grandmother passed away outside the mansion?”

 

“It’s unlikely. Whit wis foond wis only a wee portion o’ the body.”

 

DeCaster then showed a photo on his phone.

 

It was a skeletal hand with some flesh still attached.

 

Upon seeing it, Jin-ah immediately turned away, covering her mouth.

 

After a few dry heaves, Jin-ah managed to drink some water and settle her stomach.

 

“You don’t need to show me more. So… what about the other parts?”

 

“There micht be mair aboot here… Nae signs o’ draggin’, an’ consid’rin’ the broken windae, it’s likely that a buzzard or something similar carried aff pairts o’ the body. Gien that there’s nae evidence o’ draggin’, Ah suspect it wis a bird.”

 

While it seemed plausible, Jin-ah couldn’t think of any other explanation at the moment.

 

At that moment, DeCaster chuckled and said:

 

“Or mebbe it wis a Kushi¹.”

 

“A Kushi?”

 

“You dinnae ken whit a Kushi is? Ah, mebbe it’s a tale kent only tae the Scots.”

 

DeCaster gestured with his head, saying that since the officers were searching the area, they might find more parts of the body.

 

Just then, a black sedan pulled into the mansion.

 

As it stopped, someone Jin-ah recognized stepped out.

 

It was the lawyer who had come to inform her about the inheritance.

 

As the lawyer approached Jin-ah, his somehow familiar face greeted her with a hint of relief.

 

Pausing in his steps, he reached into his bag and pulled out a document.

 

He handed it to Jin-ah and spoke in a dry, matter-of-fact tone.

 

“Jean-Antoine Troll, you have been disqualified from inheriting the estate. The previously disbursed £400,000 will undergo a recovery process, and the monthly payment of £2,000 will also be immediately discontinued.”

 

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¹: In Scotland, the term “Kushi” doesn’t have a widely recognized meaning or usage in the Scots language or dialect. It’s possible that “Kushi” could be a specific slang term used in certain communities or contexts within Scotland, but without more context, it’s difficult to provide a precise definition.

 

——

 

T.N: This marks the end of the first arc~ 「 Do not enter」. Starting from the next chapter, we will begin a new arc titled 「Keep quiet 」~

What are your thoughts on the story so far? And what are your expectations for the upcoming events? 👀