"Run, Ren! Run!" Mother shouted at me, but we didn't want to leave her.

I grabbed my sister's hand and held it tightly, frozen in place, watching together as our mother struggled to hold the door from bursting open. I wanted to help, but what were two frightened children to do?

"Choi Sooyoung! By order of the King, open this door!" It was General Kim Junsu of the King's main army demanding that we follow him quietly, but we knew better. We also knew that the door was weak, because we had built it with our own brittle little hands.

Why was the King doing this to us? He was revered and loved by all his people in the Kingdom of Baekje, so why this act of cruelty and injustice?

"GO!" mother shouted, the tears freely flowing down her face. I turned to look at my twin sister; long blonde hair with moonlight pale skin, it was like looking into a mirror, except her face was now smothered with tears. I couldn't cry, one of us had to be strong, but inside I was consumed by the fear manifested from my inability to protect them.

"We can't leave her, brother!" Minki shouted at me, pleading as she broke free from my hand, rushing towards mother.

"Minki!" I yelled, only to watch in horror for when she reached Mother's arms, a golden blade pierced their bodies through the door.

"NO!" I screeched at the top of my lungs.

Minki's scream echoed even louder into the silent night, probably reaching the ears of every villager cowering in their home. The Legendary Golden Sword of Kim Junsu, fabled that once drawn out of its sheath, all in its path, all who saw it would die by its golden blade, and there it was in front of my eyes.

The blade slowly left their bodies, the murderer taking a disgusting pleasure in killing his prey, filling himself with ecstasy as he felt their lives slowly fade away. I wanted to scream some more, but nothing came out. My mother looked at me one last time with sorrowful eyes silently signaling for me to go as she leaned her back against the door and left this world forever.

In Mother's arms, Minki still looked so beautiful, as if she was peacefully sleeping, but a sleep I knew she would never wake from. Her simple white dress was stained with blood that was dripping from her shoulder wound, leaving a trail all the way down until it dripped on the floor.

I ran.

I jumped out the window as the sound of the door breaking reached my ears, and I ran deep into the nearby woods, as far as my legs would carry me.

"Get the boy…" Junsu ordered as he placed his blood stained blade back in its sheath.

"Yes, sir!" his soldiers complied as two of them ran after me. I saw them behind me, and although their armor was heavy, my legs were also that of a child; I only covered so much ground with each stride.

My legs began to give as I tumbled from pebbles and rocks in my path, my poor hands suffering from breaking my falls as I struggled to stay on my feet.

"You! Boy! Stop!" The man shouted, but I didn't oblige his call.

God save me…

It became so dark, the moonlight hidden by the trees, and I had no idea which direction I was running anymore. I kept going and going, my heart beating faster and faster as my breath became shallow.

Suddenly, I didn't need to run anymore…

"Not that way!" The men shouted. I turned around only to feel the ground disappear beneath me. I felt the rocks fly from under my feet, hitting my face as it and I fell freely into the darkness. I felt the moonlight on my skin again, realizing as I opened my eyes that I was falling from a cliff, and I began wondering if this was the end for me.

Mother…Minki… Are you waiting for me?

The last ten years of my life began flashing in front of my eyes; my mother's smile, Minki's smile. Just the three of us living happily together in our tiny home, struggling day by day to survive, but at least we had each other.

I felt the air knocked out of my lungs as my body hit the water, so cold that it felt like a thousand needles piercing my skin. My body felt weak, broken, and so did my will to live; I'm coming Minki…

I closed my eyes, letting the water envelope me, waiting for the reaper to claim my soul.

"General Junsu!" The soldier greeted me respectfully.

"Where's the boy?" They didn't dare speak another word as they waited for the other to respond to my question.

"Useless!" I shouted, their faces deserving the hilt of my sword as I smashed it into one of them, but he was indeed a true soldier. I grinned at the fact he didn't flitch, not even a little, even apologizing for his failure; a true soldier of my army.

"My apologies, General! He fell off the cliff at the edge of the woods and into the sea."

"You did well after all… Burn the house down and blame it on bandits. Report back to me when you have completed your task."

"Yes, General Junsu!"

I stared at the body of the women and her child that I had just slain mercilessly. They were lying lifeless on the floor in pools of blood. What a shame that I didn't know how beautiful her daughter was; such fair skin with long blonde locks. She would have made a fine tea girl in my quarters, but orders are orders.

Some call me a sick man, but what they didn't understand is that drawing a weapon without using it was weakness. My sword was forged with purpose beyond being a trophy; it was not for show. However the night was aging, leaving me no time left to enjoy my victory. I was certain that the queen was awaiting my report.

Dressed in black from head to toe, I snuck quietly around her majesty's chamber where the light of a burning candle could still be seen through the paper screens of the windows. Indeed she was waiting for me. Tossing a rock to the other side of her courtyard to create a distraction, I was able to pass the guards and climb in through her back window. Rushing over to the candle, I blew it out quickly, so that not even a shadow of me could be seen.

"Queen Uee…" I whispered, bowing before her and remaining on one knee, not daring to lift my head. She was sitting on her bed with her feet up dressed in a beautiful nightgown; fitting for a Queen of her statute. She looked my way with piercing eyes that frightened even me. Her stare was cold and heartless, yet something about it mesmerized me.

"You came." Her voice was calm and soft, but not unlike a snake before striking.

"You knew I would." I responded. Why else would she leave her window open?

"Tell me what I want to hear."

"It's been taken care of."

"You've done well for me." She praised casually.

She turned her head to hide it, but I could still see the grin in the corner of her lips. Her smile was just as cold as her stare, taking pleasure in word of her enemies suffering. Yet still, I craved her evil heart, the way she craved her husband's love; so much that she would send me to murder his runaway concubine. If the King knew of her treason, he would have her head, for he had been searching for his lost love for the last ten years.

Staring at her beautiful face, I wanted nothing more than to wrap my hand around her slender body, to make her mines, but I dared not.

"The reward you promised?" I asked hungrily hoping that she would give me something in return for my blind obedience.

"Your reward?" She grinned, letting out a chuckle that escalated into a laugh. If the devil had a laugh, it would sound like hers. "I won't inform the King of the crimes you and your battalion just committed on that poor family. How is that for your reward?" Her face quickly became cold again, as she turned her back to me, waiting for me to leave. I was not a soldier that had to be told twice, and when she turned around again, I was gone without a trace.

"Wake up, Ren. It's not yet your time. Wake up and seek… seek…" The angelic voice began to fade away as I opened my eyes; the sunlight was blinding and painful.

"Mother?" I whispered.

"Honey, I think he's awake!" the voice sounded like it belonged to a woman. Someone grabbed my hand to check my pulse, and I felt the warmth of a palm on my forehead.

"He's doing much better… Can you hear me? Do you have a name?" this was definitely a man's voice. The questions must be directed to me, but I couldn't answer right away. I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted by a young couple hovering over me.

"Ren… Choi Ren." I replied choking on my tears, thinking that my name was all I had left to remind me of my mother and my twin sister. I died that night with them, but now with eyes wide open, I was reborn with a thirst for the blood of the man who destroyed my family.

Is that what you want me to seek, Mother; vengeance?

I closed my eyes, trying to hang on to the memory of her voice for just a little longer. However, I would have never guessed that I would spend the next seven years of my life with this young loving couple who would love me like their own child. The fire of vengeance that burned within me never faded, but their love kept it at bay for I never had the heart to leave.

I'm seventeen years old now, and life since that day has been peaceful. My adoptive father, Lee Min Ho, is a renowned medicine man in our little village, and my adoptive mother, Lee Seohyun, is a nurse who is loved by all. I spend my days learning from them, and I've become quite good with the art of medicine. Even at my young age, I was confident in my abilities to treat people, but father would not let me just yet. However, I was satisfied with everything; the fresh start that I was able to have since the day Mother and Minki died, and the extended peacefulness that allowed me to live without worry.

Until now…

"There's been an accident! Help! Help! Is there a doctor?!" A man shouted as he burst through the door of the pharmacy.

"My father's at a house call right now…" I answered.

"Please! Are you a doctor?"

"I…" I was hesitant to say anything, but suddenly two other men walked in, carrying a man who was severely bleeding.

"Please! You must save him!"

"What happened!?" I was in shock.

"We were mugged!"

There was so much blood everywhere on his body. His shirt was covered in it, and it dripped from his head, down his neck, and from his badly cut up body. The memories came crashing back like a violent tsunami; Mother, Minki… My hands were trembling.

"Can you help him!? Please! He can't die!" The men were more concerned about his safety despite the wounds on their own bodies. With hands still shaking, I began cutting his shirt off; there were knife cuts everywhere. Nothing seemed too serious except for the puncture wound underneath his right ribs, and the blunt trauma to his head.

"Most likely he will die from blood loss." I replied while checking his pulse; it was weak but it was there. My mind began to wander again as I felt the weak beating pulse underneath my fingertips, thinking about Mother and Minki's last breath. I could only image what they must have felt as their pulses began beating slower and slower… until finally stopping.

"Young Miss! Please! Do something!" The man's voice snapped me back into reality.

"I'm a boy." I replied, unaffected by his question. It wasn't foreign to me, and very often I was mistaken as my Father's Daughter due to my long hair.

"Help me carry him to the bed!" We lifted him to the extra bed for patients, and I began trying to stop the bleeding. His head wound seemed minor; it was barely bleeding so I decided to leave it for last. I placed several cloths over the puncture wound, but the white cloths quickly turned red. I could feel the warmth of the blood as it reached my hands, sending a feeling of nausea through me, but I pressed harder in refusal to give into my weakness.

After what seemed like several hours, he looked as if he was going to be alright. The bleeding had stopped, not completely, but his breathing and pulse were normal again. I had lathered his wounds with medicinal herbs that I had crushed up into a paste.

I took a good look at his face for the first time; my very first patient. His hair was a magnificent light brown like the bark of a Willow, and his face was strong, and handsome, yet sweet like a sleeping puppy. His body was badly cut up, but his physique was amazing. His arms were built to wield weapons, and his body sculpted for battle.

While redressing his wounds, I thought about Mother and Minki again.

Mother… you took care of us this way. I had cleaned his wounds, bathed him, bandaged him, and fed him the way mother did for Minki and me when we hurt ourselves playing in the woods.

"There must have been a lot of them…" I spoke softly to the three men who were staring at me, still confused about my gender. They had suffered from deep knife cuts, but nothing serious.

"We were ambushed by some skilled thieves on our way back home." One answered.

"What is his name?" I asked curiously, but no one answered. I looked over to see them looking back and forth at each other. They didn't want to reveal his identity to me… He must be someone of importance.

"Will he be alright?" One of them asked.

"As far as I can tell he will be. Though, I don't know about his head wound, and father won't be back for a few days. He'll have to stay till then." I began to worry that he might not wake up at all.

"We have to get him back home." One man said to the others.

"He isn't fit to travel in this condition." I detested.

"Then please… give us a place to stay for a few days."

"There's an inn further into town, just a little walk from here." I suggested.

"We cannot leave his side. Even if that means we have to sleep outside your door." The man's voice was firm and nonnegotiable.

I looked around the pharmacy, but there wasn't really anywhere to sleep in such a small place. Suddenly, loud knocks came at the door, and something inside me knew that finding a place to sleep would be the least of my worries tonight.

"Open this door!" the hostile voice was mighty and merciless.

My heart began beating heavily, and my body began trembling again as more memories came rushing back to me: Mother helplessly at our front door trying to give us time to flee and Minki's hand in mine.

Everyone looked at me for answers, but I had none. It was already late at night, and the pharmacy door was barred with a large piece of wood; who could it be…?

"Who is it?" I shouted back, trying to sound as if I had been sleeping.

"We know he's in there!" he replied.

"Who?" I asked, trying to buy some time to think. By his response, I knew he wasn't alone. How many people he had with him, I didn't know. He laughed arrogantly at my question.

The three men placed their hands on their swords, ready to draw, waiting for whatever it was that was going to come through that door so I grabbed my father's sword hidden inside one of the medicine cabinets. That day that Mother and Minki died I was a coward, but this time… I wasn't going to run.