Doctor Demon

*A Few Days Ago*

Junho was studying Siwan with an intense gaze. The latter had called him up that morning and requested to meet in secret so Junho invited him to his house after midnight when everyone was asleep.

They were sitting in the lounge on the ground floor. Siwan was a little nervous in front of Jina's grandfather but kept his cool.

"Why are you here, Kang Siwan?" Junho calmly asked him.

"I...I have a request to make."

Siwan fidgeted in his seat, unsure of how to make this request. Ever since he was discharged from the hospital, he had been debating his decision. It was a silly idea and at first, laughable to him. But after the encounter with a demon, he was sure that the idea was no longer a joke. It was now a grim reality.

"What's the request?" Junho frowned. Siwan took a deep breath and faced the old man.

"Teach me how to exorcise demons," Siwan finally said.

They stared at each other for a while. Junho was not surprised that Siwan made such a request but he was not so sure that the doctor could go through with his decision. After all, Siwan was not wholly comfortable around the matter of demons and ghosts. Bomi disliked Siwant because of his lack of faith while Siwan seemed to harbor similar ill feelings towards the shaman. Junho understood Siwan's dilemma but was not keen on taking up this request. It was too risky to allow an inexperienced person to help him on dangerous missions.

"It's not an easy task," Junho pointed out. "An exorcism is not something to be taken lightly. The possessed person acts crazy and suffers immense pain. It is not a pretty sight and a doctor like you might not be able to stand it."

"I know," Siwan admitted. "I might not be able to see a person suffer like that but I have to learn. I...I have a reason why I want to do this."

Junho did not interrupt him but let the young doctor continue.

"When that Sungki possessed me, I was half conscious," he admitted. "I remember what happened that night and I saw the horrors the demon had unleashed on everyone."

The old man leaned forward, frowning but interested. Siwan remembered everything? It was not unusual for a possessed person to have moments of clarity when a ghost or demon controls them but very rarely people remembered their ordeal. Siwan's case was now very interesting.

"I was trying to fight back," Siwan went on. "I tried to control the demon and stop him but I was constantly failing to do so. Which is why I want to learn how to exorcise demons so that I can be prepared."

"But there's another reason as well, isn't there?" Junho questioned him. Siwan stiffly nodded.

"I also want to see if the demon inside Hobin can be removed," he finally admitted. "I know my brother is suffering a lot and I want to help him. If the demon can be removed, then I want to be the one to do it. I know there has to be a way!"

Junho sighed and thought for a while. He was not sure of Siwan's capabilities but he knew that the brothers shared an unbreakable bond. Siwan would do anything for Hobin and vice versa, which fueled their desires to protect each other.

"Please, Mr. Hwang," Siwan begged. "Can you please let me assist you?"

"Fine," Junho conceded. "But I must warn you, it's not going to be an easy journey. Are you sure you'll be able to handle seeing those people in pain?"

Siwan gulped. He was not sure he could handle that but he had to take a shot. There was no other way to help the people around him.

"Yes," he said. "I...I can."

Junho saw the hesitation in his eyes but did not refuse him. "Then I will teach you how to exorcise demons," he said, extending his hand. Siwan slowly shook the old man's hand, hoping that he would not regret his decision.

'¦

*In the Present*

Siwan stared at the girl...no, creature on the bed. It was a revolting sight indeed.

The girl's hair had been plucked in several places, leaving bald patches all over her head. Her eyes were glaring at them, her red pupils indicating that she had now slept for days. She scratched her face and body in so many places that several of her wounds were bleeding. The girl was in her mid teens but she looked as if she had aged rapidly in days.

She growled at them like an animal, snarling under her breath.

"Look what happened to my poor granddaughter!" Mrs. Jun sobbed. "Look what that thing did to him!"

Junho was staring back at the demon who was trying to set free but the binds stopped her. Siwan, on the other hand, frowned a little.

"How do you know she has been possessed?" he questioned the old woman. "Did you have her checked by a doctor? She might be suffering from dementia or something else as well."

"I did," the old woman claimed. "But none of the doctors could help me!"

Mrs. Jun was desperate to save her granddaughter. Siwan turned to Junho, his mind full of questions.

"Mr. Hwang, how do you differentiate between a mentally disturbed person and a possessed person?" he asked. "They act almost the same, right?"

"There's a simple test," Junho said calmly. "If you have doubts, carry out a sulphur test."

"Sulphur test?"

Junho nodded. "All demons smell like sulphur. The stronger the scent of sulphur in the air, the more chances that a demon is nearby."

He put his bag down and took out a small box which had several strips of paper in it. Siwan instantly recognized the hydrogen peroxide strips. Junho took one paper out and held it in front of the girl. She grinned and looked at the old man.

"Ya think that ya can get rid of me?" She hissed. "I'm too powerful for ya, old man! Motherfucker! I'll never let this girl go...her soul is mine to take! I'll take her with me-"

She let out a slew of curses which shocked Siwan. The girl was saying crude words which he did not even hear in his entire life. Her grandmother was sobbing behind him.

"She was a good kid!" she insisted. "I never heard her curse even once and now'¦"

The old woman broke into fresh tears, unable to stand the torture of the demon who was making their lives a living hell. Junho sprayed some liquid on the strip and waited. Within a few seconds, the paper turned brown.

"Sulphur," Siwan muttered. "And it's strong too!"

"This is the first step," Junho said. "The second test is'¦"

He took out a salt bottle. "Is this going to work?" Siwan asked. "It didn't work on me when I was possessed."

"It's a method of guessing which level this demon belongs to," Junho replied. "If there is any demon, that is."

He sprinkled salt on the girl who screamed. Blisters formed on her skin which hissed upon coming to contact with the salt.

"AHHHH! STOP THAT YOU BASTARD-" She yelled. "STOP!"

"This one is a low level demon," Junho concluded. "Probably lower than a Vurthramis class demon."

Siwna nodded. Junho had already taught him about the different classes of demons and the things which affect them. He watched as Junho took control of the process. The demon was hissing and glaring at the old man with spite.

"You think that I'm an ordinary demon?" the girl snarled. "Vurthramis? Don't make me laugh! Just because they're higher in rank doesn't mean we're any less! We are-"

"C-Class," Junho yawned. "Big deal! It just means you're a foot soldier and nothing else. Even the other demons look down on you lot."

"FUCKER!" the demon cursed at him. "YOU FUCKING HUMAN-"

"You were a human too once," Junho taunted her. "Tell me, were you as pathetic and low level as you are now? I mean, all demons were desperate humans who sold their souls and damned themselves to Hell. Were you this stupid when you were alive?"

Siwan noticed that the demon's nostrils were flaring and it was becoming angrier by the second but Junho kept on taunting it. If he had not seen Hobin use this tactic on difficult patients, Siwan would have thought the old man was mad and heartless. But it was a necessary tactic to make someone talk.

What bothered Siwan were the self-inflicted wounds on the girl's body. The demon was thrashing and hurting itself, ultimately affecting the poor girl's body as well. Her wounds were opening again, bleeding through the cuts. The ropes tying her cut deep into her wrist, causing blood to ooze out.

"I bet you were even more pathetic as a human!" Junho gritted. "You can't even be a Vurthramis lord! You're trying to move up the levels-"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The demon yelled.

"-but you failed because you're useless!" Junho said loudly, glaring at the demon. "You're a useless and pathetic loser who can never reach high. You couldn't rise high in life nor can you rise high in death. How dumb are you?"

"YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?" The demon shrieked. "I AM THEBUS! THE MOST LOYAL SOLDIER OF THE TRUE PRINCE! I-"

"Just gave your name away," Junho pointed out in a calm manner. The demon was suddenly scared and mortified at the shocking turn of events.

"And now," Junho said, turning to Siwan.. "We start the exorcism."