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Flames engulfed every corner of the kingdom, like a blazing brazier that burns the skin and blind the eyes. Screams echoed throughout, people running for their lives while enemies chased and slashed with their heavy swords and spears. Arrows streaked through the air, claiming the lives of both the innocent and the guilty. Not a single soul was spared; even a sobbing child within the alleyways had their blood spilled. The once beautiful West Kingdom is now reduced to ashes, with its people slaughtered like livestock, its buildings destroyed, and its history about to be erased from the face of the earth.
Burning flesh and boiling blood, an eerie combination that made his heart churn. What has become of this place? When did it all go wrong? Mount Hua's Divine Dragon watched as the towers fell, as flames devoured everything he used to cherish. He knew he must do something, as the kingdom's guardian he's bound to do something. But his feet won't move, his body frozen in place, his eyes wavering at the horrific sight before him.
‘Please…look after my people…’
Those last words rang in his mind as the memory of his deceased lover replayed in his thoughts. He tried; he tried his hardest. He did everything he could to protect this place, to shield this kingdom from harm's way but it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Even the gods cannot change fate, how much more a mere guardian dragon like himself.
“Bo-ya, I'm sorry…” His voice quiet, almost inaudible amidst the crackling flames and falling debris. The kingdom went silent. No more cries, no more screams, just fire eating away what's left in sight and rubble crumbling down until none was left standing. “I'm sorry…” Yet those words cannot undo the gruesome outcome that befell upon this land, the land that he should've protected with his life, the land that his lover treasured so much despite the betrayal of its people. Perhaps that was the reason that hindered the dragon from stopping this massacre thinking that laying his life for these humans was not worth it. His lover, despite being their prince, these ungrateful humans abandoned him, accused him of treachery he never committed, and condemned him to sins he was innocent of. A fallen prince of a fallen kingdom, a fitting title for his beloved. A fallen prince that this dragon loved and adored, gone because of his unworthy subjects.
It's all over. Silence and ashes were all that remained in front of him, but his pinkish-red eyes were lifeless and emotionless as he stared at the empty realm. There was nothing left for him to protect. He tried to convince himself that these humans deserved it, but guilt consumed him from within. He pledged to look after the people, but here he was, standing atop the ruins of a once prosperous nation.
“You'll come back…” Chung Myung murmured under his breath as white mist engulfed his human form with his head tilting upwards, observing the stars that smeared the vast dark skies above. “I know you will. I'll wait for you. No matter how long it will take.”
From the dreary fog and smoke arose a dragon with white and teal scales shimmering under the moonlight. “In a time where you can live in peace, a time where you don't have to die a dog's death. I'll meet you there someday.” It flew up, bursting into the grey clouds, and disappearing into thin air, as if it never existed.
“And may you accept my apology for this sin I dared commit.”
Rain soon fell onto the ruined kingdom, extinguishing the remaining embers, washing away the blood and regret, covering the resentment with clear droplets of water and tears ― tears from a dragon's melting soul.
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We go with the sky.
Our hearts belong to flight.
Through the storm we find our way.
In the clouds we leave our past behind.
“I've been hearing that song since earlier. Is that some kind of a local folk song? ” Tang Bo asked, throwing a puzzling gaze towards his subordinate Baek Cheon. The latter nodded without taking his eyes off the guidebook he was reading. “Uh yeah. It's from a famous legend of this town.” A group of doctors led by Tang Bo ventured to Mount Hua, a divine place said to be home to rare medicinal herbs perfect for the oriental medicine study the group was pursuing. People say that the land was rich and fertile due to the dragon's blessing. According to legends, a guardian dragon once lived in these mountains, watching over a kingdom of the past. “The dragon fell in love with the human prince but the guy died. Thus the tears, in the form of rain, made the land fertile.” Baek Cheon finished.
“That's interesting.”
“Don't tell me you led us here without prior reading? ” Yun Jong, another member of the team, raised a questioning brow at their team leader.
“Ah erm…well, I was a bit busy.” Tang Bo exhaled a nervous laugh while trying to avoid his team's scrutinizing stares. “BUT it doesn't matter now does it? ” He gulped and grinned, trying to appease his team's doubts and uneasiness. Sure he didn't do some detailed reading but it doesn't mean he wasn't aware of the dangers and risks in this trip. Folktales were not his cup of tea; he'd rather read a heavy textbook about medicine, which he did; hence, he was able to discover this place and promptly planned an excursion for everyone. “We'll just have to follow the guide book, grab some herbs, and leave. Easy peasy.”
“Don't forget the permission from the locals,” Baek Cheon said with fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.
“And that one too.” Tang Bo added confidently, placing his hand on his hips.
It was nighttime when they reached the foot of Mount Hua. Fortunately, they found an inn and settled there before they climb the mountain tomorrow. After a quick dinner and some idle chat, they headed into their respective rooms. Some of them instantly fell asleep, some reviewed their papers, while Tang Bo took a puff of smoke outside. He sat on a wooden bench under a lone plum blossom tree near the inn. His head tilted backwards, admiring the full moon that illuminated the mountains with its tranquil glow while blowing bouts of smoke from his lips. For some reason, he felt familiarity with this place. Such as how the breeze blew and rustled the trees and how the winds whistled atop the mountain peaks, it was vaguely familiar as if he had walked this very path a long time ago. “Deja vu…” he muttered, taking a last puff from his cigarette before putting it out and tossing it into a bin beside the bench.
It was early the next day when the group proceeded to hike the mountain with their bags in tow. Their heavy luggage was left back in the inn, carrying only their necessities and guidebooks with them. “The old lady strictly said to follow the path,” Tang Bo said with eyes scanning the pages of his notebook while glancing occasionally at his surroundings. “But what path?” He tilted his head, brows furrowed in confusion and fingers scratching his cheek in uncertainty. There was no path. All he could see were trees and bushes with dried leaves crunching beneath his every step. “Guys, I think we're fucked.” He turned only to see that there was no one behind him. “Or it's just me who's fucked…” He let out a shaky laugh, his eyes frantically searching for life nearby but there was nothing, only sounds of leaves and branches, not even an animal's squeak or chirping crickets. “Shit.”
Stuffing his notebook back in his pockets, he began to retrace his steps yet after hours of going through the thick underbrush, he couldn't find the path mentioned by the old lady. It was midday, the sun reached its zenith, when Tang Bo finally gave up and sat under a huge tree. His rumbling stomach broke the silence and his aching knees lost all its strength. He patted his pockets and rummaged his small bag to find some snacks but all he found were pens, papers, and more pens. “Why do I have everyone's pens?! Fuck pens!” He exclaimed, throwing a handful of the pens to the ground with a frustrated groan coming from his lips. Feeling defeated, he leaned wearily on the tree trunk behind him. He let out a heavy sigh, worry began to well up in his chest thinking about the worst case scenario. Like all mountains, Mount Hua has its fair share of wild beasts and predators. It'd be nice if he can return unscathed, losing a limb or two doesn't sound so bad either. He sighed again.
Growl.
Luckily, it wasn't some hungry animal but Tang Bo's own stomach. Grunting, he forced himself to stand and search for something edible. Though he hasn't memorized the contents of Baek Cheon's Guide on How To Survive the Wilderness if You're An Idiot, he still has confidence that he'll be able to identify edible herbs and mushrooms from the poisonous ones. “Who needs that book with a stupid ass title anyway?” He grumbled and cursed knowing full well that Baek Cheon wrote it for him.
Half an hour passed and he finally found mushrooms he was familiar with. He swore he saw these from Baek Cheon's book so he knew he's going the right way. “Finally.” Drool trickled down his chin as he knelt and pulled the fungi off the ground. As he was about to shove it in his mouth, a voice stopped him which caused him to pause abruptly and raise his head.
“It's poisonous.” A man stood before him, wearing a black hanfu with plum blossoms embroidered around the hem. His hair was up, tied in a thin green silk scarf and his face, well-proportioned and attractive in appearance, with a sharp jawline and a hint of confidence and strength in his expression. But what caught Tang Bo's attention the most was the man's hypnotizing pink eyes and slit pupils that seemed to gaze at his very soul.
He didn't realize that his mouth was gaping wide while staring at the man before him; it was like an ethereal being had descended to warn him about the impending danger. Speaking of danger, he quickly dropped the mushroom and wiped his hands on his shirt. He scrambled to his feet, trying to regain his composure before returning his gaze back to the man. “I know it was poisonous.” An awkward chuckle escaped his lips. “I was just checking it out.” His pride as a doctor won't let him admit his stupidity.
Watching the doctor's awkward fidgeting, a small smile curved on the man's lips. “I see.” He said. “The doctor seems to have a unique way of checking things out.” Tang Bo flinched at the sarcasm but he didn't retort, instead he forced a smile and replied in a polite voice. “You can say that.” He didn't know who this man was but judging from the way he dressed and spoke, he seemed to be a hermit on this mountain. Albeit being their first meeting, Tang Bo felt comfortable with the man's presence to the point that he was able to ease his tensed shoulders and let go of his worries. It wasn't a wise move — meeting a strange man in the mountains alone is unsafe and can lead to adverse consequences but Tang Bo couldn't help it, as if the man himself was a friend that he met again after a long time.
The silence was deafening; no one dared to speak until Tang Bo's stomach growled the second time. He groaned, in both embarrassment and hunger, then covered his face with his hand, trying to hide his flustered cheeks. He wanted to defend himself but before he could, the man spoke. “I know the path down the mountain. I can take you there.” His voice was gentle and warm without a hint of malice. Hope glinted in Tang Bo's eyes. Tired and famished, he could barely think and walk straight. He has been wandering the woods for hours without a single clue of his current location. Sure it's dangerous and idiotic to take a random stranger's offer but it's better than meeting a wild tiger or boar. And he seems nice… if it wasn't for him, I would've been dead already from that darn mushroom…Tang Bo reassured himself.
Sensing his hesitation, the man handed Tang Bo a jade seal bearing the symbol of the inn where he and his team stayed last night. “I know the owner. I hope it will ease your worries.” Which it did, causing the doctor to heave a sigh of relief. With both parties in agreement, the man led Tang Bo through the woods to find the path where he strayed off. “So you live around here? Must be pretty lonely.” To alleviate the uncomfortable silence, the doctor kept asking the man questions. It was a long way down the mountain after all.
“I got used to it.” The man replied. Tang Bo would throw an occasional glance at him, quietly admiring the man's features and also, trying to recall something from his memory, knowing he had encountered this man before, but can't put his finger on it.
“My name's Tang Bo by the way. I'm sorry for the late introduction.” He said, shoving the sense of deja vu away and persuaded himself to focus on his current situation.
“I know…”
“Pardon?” Tang Bo looked at him perplexed.
“Nothing.” The man quickly replied with a sad smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tang Bo.”
Tang Bo caught a glimpse of the man's melancholy smile and lamenting eyes, which piqued his interest in his background. Living in the mountains must have been a decision he made after a bad experience, but the doctor didn't inquire. He did not want to pry and inflict further anguish to this man. “And what's your name?”
Unbeknownst to him, his mere existence tortured this man. Memories from the distant past remained vivid in his mind, as if it were only yesterday when his lover bid him farewell and the kingdom burned to ashes. Tang Bo was oblivious to this and was unable to share the weight that this man had endured for centuries.
However, it was in the past. What was essential was the present moment, when he could see that smiling face and hear that familiar voice and finally walk side by side with the one he had waited so long for.
“Chung Myung.” He said.
“My name is Chung Myung.”
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