PART 1: THE CALL IN THE NIGHT
🏙️ Busan, a Night in October
Hae-won, a university student, hurried through a narrow alleyway at the foot of Jangsan Mountain. The dim streetlights barely pushed back the autumn night’s chill. She had just finished her part-time shift, her mind exhausted after a long day.
Then, a whisper brushed against her ear.
“Hae-won…”
It was like the wind slipping through cracks in the rocks, yet it carried the timbre of a woman’s voice—both familiar and foreign. She stopped, her heartbeat quickening. The brain, when fatigued, sometimes plays tricks, conjuring auditory hallucinations, she reassured herself.
But this alley was infamous for strange sounds. Some claimed it was due to the unique limestone formations of Jangsan Mountain, which could create eerie, whistling winds. Natural acoustics or auditory hallucinations—she wasn’t sure.
“Hae-won…”
This time, the voice was right behind her, breathy and ice-cold. A shiver ran down her spine. She knew that stress and lack of sleep could cause people to hear things that weren’t there. Perhaps it was Infrasound—she had read about it somewhere. Low-frequency sounds, undetectable by human ears, could induce unease, even hallucinations.
Quickening her pace, she tried to shake off the creeping dread.
⛰️ The Legend of Jangsan Beom
Jangsan Mountain, a majestic landmark of Busan, was not only known for its breathtaking beauty but also for its chilling folklore. The most infamous tale was that of Jangsan Beom (장산범)—the Jangsan Tiger.
People spoke of a creature that resembled a tiger but possessed an uncanny ability: it could mimic human voices to lure its prey. With pure white fur, glowing red eyes, and a growl that sent shivers down spines, it was a predator unlike any other.
Some believed Jangsan Beom was the restless spirit of those who had perished unjustly on the mountain, transformed into a beast seeking vengeance.
Like every child in Busan, Hae-won had grown up hearing these tales. Just folklore, she had always thought.
But were the stories truly just fiction?
PART 2: THE UNEXPLAINABLE
🐾 Footprints on the Trail
Days passed, and Hae-won tried to push the unsettling experience from her mind. But fate had other plans.
One Sunday morning, she and her friends went hiking on Jangsan. As they walked along a dirt path, Hae-won suddenly froze.
In the damp soil, a trail of massive footprints stretched before her.
They were too large to belong to a dog and too rounded to be from a stray cat. Could they be from an exotic animal, an escapee from a private zoo? She pondered, trying to rationalize the sight.
Yet, oddly, none of her friends saw the footprints at all.
🐺 The Night Calls
At night, when the city fell into slumber, eerie howls echoed from the mountain. They were long, sorrowful cries, unlike wolves or wild dogs—something deeper, something primal.
Perhaps it was a species she had never encountered before, she reasoned. Or perhaps it was merely the wind whispering through the mountain’s hidden caves, twisting into unnatural sounds.
📸 The Shadow in the Photograph
One of Hae-won’s friends, known for his forgetfulness, had snapped a photo of the mountain while they rested. Later, when they reviewed the picture, a faint white figure was visible among the trees.
A blurry shape, resembling a tiger crouching in the foliage.
Her friend shrugged it off. The brain often sees patterns where none exist—Pareidolia, a phenomenon where random images take familiar forms.
Yet, a strange unease lingered.
😱 Disappearances
Then came the disappearances.
Hikers. Campers. Travelers who had spent the night on Jangsan—vanishing without a trace.
The police launched investigations, but no clues surfaced. No bodies. No signs of struggle.
Whispers of Jangsan Beom, long buried in urban legends, resurfaced with chilling urgency.
Fear took hold of Busan. Was there a connection between the missing people and the legend? Or was it all just an eerie coincidence?
PART 3: REALITY OR ILLUSION?
🔦 The Search for Answers
Hae-won couldn’t ignore it any longer. A mix of fear, curiosity, and a strange, inexplicable pull led her to seek the truth.
She dug through ancient records, interviewed elderly locals, and unearthed a forgotten tale—a woman murdered unjustly on the mountain, her spirit reborn as a white tiger to exact revenge.
Could this be the origin of the legend? Or was it simply another story passed down through generations?
⚔️ The Night of Confrontation
One night, Hae-won returned to the alley where she had first heard the voice.
This time, she was prepared. A high-powered flashlight in her grip, and a heart bracing for the unknown.
The silence was thick, oppressive. Then, it came.
“Hae-won…”
The whisper was crystal clear now, impossibly close.
She swung the flashlight forward.
And there it was.
A towering white form, looming in the darkness. Its eyes glowed like molten embers, and its fur shimmered with an otherworldly luminescence.
The Jangsan Tiger.
❓ Questions Without Answers
In that moment, all logic crumbled. Science, rationality, hallucinations—none of it mattered.
She stood frozen, facing something beyond human comprehension.
Was it truly a vengeful spirit? A supernatural entity?
Or was it merely a trick of the mind, a fear-fed mirage?
The answer, perhaps, would never be known.
The legend of Jangsan Beom remains an unsolved mystery, an enigma entwined with folklore, psychology, and the unexplained.
And somewhere, high on Jangsan Mountain, on the darkest of nights, whispers still carry through the trees.
The chilling cries of the white tiger.
And the stories of those who never returned.
If your spine tingles or your legs suddenly feel weak, don’t worry too much. Jangsan is, after all, just a mountain in Busan.
This story is merely a reminder: Respect nature, and never underestimate the power of the wild.
But then again…
Are you certain you’re just imagining that voice calling your name? 😉
