Authors notes: My bad: I kind of dropped my one liners challenge. I'm reintroducing some 1) Parents 2)Goryeo 3) Sacrifice. I know the story does not offer clear direction, but anything that comes to mind - goes.
This website gives an option to track views by country. I am absolutely fascinated and very humbled that my story might be of interest to people from many parts of the world. I want to apologize in advance to those of you, from countries that have a larger number of readership, I am not able to tell how many of you are new or veteran readers. Yet I want to welcome and thank everybody. These are just a few places where you come from: Mayanmar, Bulgaria, Poland, Finland, Czech Revar, Russia, Mexico, France, Peru.
Hello and don't forget to review.
Choi Young knocked and after waiting for a few seconds, entered. Jae Su was still in the same position as Eun Soo left him in, uncovered, revealing a site of the injury; torn bloody robe dropped on the floor beside the bed. Choi Young's mind automatically quickly evaluated the man's fighting condition. He was lean and strong, his torso showed a well sculptured pack of abs, iron chest and shoulders, upper body strength supported by the shapely muscles of his back, his arms were as toned as slender. It was a form of a man who lived on the move, who handled sword daily and who relied on his abilities to survive.
Jae Su was handsome and even fierce looking. The overall sense of power and agility was reinforced in the jaw line. The nose was well defined, dignified shape with a small tilt at the end to hint at his Asian origins. The look of a lone wolf warrior from the Asian steppes was completed by the sharp narrow cut eyes, which formed arrow points under the serious brows, and a mouth that did not know much about laughter or happiness, not even a hint of smile lines around it or at the corners of his eyes. His long raven hair was in disarray and loosely held by a simple bandana. A scar ran across his cheek; an old scar by the looks of it, a scar that probably had a story behind it, if it only could speak, silent, keeping the history only committed to memory, just like every scar on Choi Young's body.
Before him was his former comrade and currently possibly his most deadly opponent. Choi Young studied the face, which resembled a person he knew long ago. He did not think much of it when they met out in the field, but now, he could see a stamp of wanderings left on the familiar features and traceable touches of age, time and experience signifying a meaningful change. If they were to avoid combat, they might have a chance to get reacquainted with each other. Ultimately, Jae Su was the only person in this world who might be able to truly understand and relate to Choi Young.
"Jae Su," Choi Young gently touched his friend's shoulder. "I will find you something else to wear."
"No, it's fine." He did not seem to care much about nudity or exposing his body to the eyes of others. "Are you ashamed of my bare skin? Am I not fitting for this world?" The bitterness oozed from his whole being. Defeated, injured and at the mercy of his supposedly sworn enemy and old friend, under protection of a boy, whom he held hostage, and being taken care by the woman who belonged to Choi Young. How much worse and more humiliating it could possibly get?
"Forgive me, I just thought you might want to cover yourself. Here." The General handed him a white shirt, obviously from the closet of the house owner. "If you decide. It is clean. It might be a bit tight."
If Jae Su wanted to smile, now would be the time. If he wanted to take this opportunity to respond to a friendly gesture, this would be his clue. So Choi Young waited patiently.
"Do you want to ask?"
"I'm here since you came all the way to talk. In this condition. Obviously, it was important. However, would you allow the doctor to work with you?"
"The doctor? Your woman? She was quick with her hands. Is she really a doctor?"
"She is the best. I can vouch. She saved my life. Here." Choi Young unbuttoned his shirt and flung it open, demonstrating the scar. "Her work. If not for her – I would be fishing with my father in afterlife."
It was hard not to fall for the General's simple humor. The man chuckled, but immediately, his expression turned to grave. "You have to listen to me."
"I will, but first - let Eun Soo try something to help you heal faster. She was concerned. She said, you may need to be in a hospital. Will you go?"
The man ignored the words as if they were as useless as the chatter of the birds outside the window. He sat up, using the healthy side as a prop, and when Choi Young instinctively moved to assist him, a second's reluctance reflected in his eyes before he rejected the offer. He placed a shirt over his shoulder and sat on the bed, with his feet planted on the floor, his back slouched, and groaned.
"Listen to me, Choi Young," he said emphatically.
"I will, after you take care of self. If I'm to have a fight, I want it with an opponent of equal strength."
"No fight today. Just talk."
"Then an argument. It will be no fun to argue. If you want to punch me, how would that fly?"
"I've waited to speak with you till this moment. Stop this nonsense and listen." The man's very soul sounded exhausted. His eyes were wary with time and things that haunted him in his sleep. He was not the same feisty teenager Choi Young remembered. The light went out in his eyes and only a glimmer of hope hinted as he met his friend's gaze. "It's a matter of life and death. You are my last hope. Maybe, everybody's."
Jae Su shivered as a gust of wind pushed the window open and invaded the room, brushing against his naked chest. Choi Young moved for the blanket and before the man could protest, wrapped it around his shoulders.
"My friend."
General's eyes lifted at that, not as surprised as relieved, "I'm here."
Jae Su stared up at him, and Choi Young understood, handing the man his sword. It was one of those moments when one's weapon was a source of strength, something that grounded a warrior and made sense of things that otherwise were too complicated. It helped to focus on a simple and clear choice, to recall the values taught by one's Master, to remind yourself who you are and where you come from. The weapon was an integral part of a man who felt otherwise incomplete to carry out his mission.
His head lifted and he brushed the long stubborn locks off his eyes. "My poor Omma, Mae Hee and the Master. You can save them all." He freed his arm from underneath the blanket and placed a heavy hand on Choi Young's shoulder.
Choi Young lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking. He comprehended every word and each word resonated with painful awareness inside his body. Each of those people was the lifeline that was cut and made his friend into the man he is today.
Choi Young was hurting, too. He also wanted for those dear to him to be alive. So he said, placing his palm over his friend's and pressing it with the strength of his heart, "Your pain – I understand. I also wish for them to be alive."
"Then save them."
Choi Young shot up, and Jae Su surprised, his arm dropped abruptly from the shoulder he was holding, looked up.
The general stood, staring down at his friend, whose dark eyes grabbed onto his stare, making Choi Young feel as if something ominous and irreversible were to come out of Jae Su's mouth, changing his life forever. But despite wanting to close his ears and run away, he stood there, eyes to eyes, waiting for the explanation as if it was his destiny to be in this room with this man and hear him out. It felt like it was and he had to respect that.
"You can move through time, you have the ability to control Hwata's gate. You can go back and change things, you can change history, Young-ah."
All the sounds around faded.
The wind hung quietly, landing on trees, the moon shook in the sky and stars one by one blinked at him, turning off their lights – it became uncanny dark.
He heard his heart beat very loudly in his ears and his KI pulsing steadily through his veins.
He was acutely aware of himself and his body.
He felt his breath form as air entered through his nostrils and trickled down to the lungs, expanding them and then pushed back out in a slow exhale through his slightly opened lips.
He felt how his eyelashes touched with an undetectable flutter, when he blinked, and how his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed.
His attention traveled to how his hand trembled lightly, suddenly heavy with the sword, and he frowned, looking down at it. It really did. It trembled, and his fingers fought with the hilt to avoid its escape from his grasp. He crushed his shaky hand with the left one, pressing so tightly around the hot comfort of the handle, that it hurt. And only then he was back.
"You are crazy. You lost your mind, you are just a pitiful, sad man, who lives in the past," Choi Young scoffed, but doubt shaded his almond eyes.
Jae Su looked troubled, but not quizzical. Such a reaction was expected.
"I have the power to change history, bring dead people back to live? I'm impressive." Choi Young laughed darkly. "So the deep human love I feel in each fiber of my being - is all a mirage, an illusion? Am I not flash and blood? Am I a supernatural being, who should not be concerned with holding onto simple happiness of being next to a woman and simply giving his all for her?" His voice hitting notes of fear. "So you are telling me to return through the Hwata's gate, leave Eun Soo behind, leave the one person who means everything to me, abandon her and try to change the past? Because it's as simple as that?" He paused to take a breath. "You have gone insane with grief and I'm sorry that you never let go, but you have to move on. We are not able to change what's meant to be, even if we had the ability to play with human fates like gods."
Jae Su continued waiting and staring at him passively.
"Answer me!" The KI sparkled in his eyes and electrical surge shook his body.
"I understand how you can be shocked. And I'm sorry that when you've finally found happiness, I have to ask you to leave it behind. I truly am," said sincerely Jae Su.
"Never! You hear me?" Choi Young yelled and raised his sword. "Never do I want to hear this from your lips again." And he turned, pulling the door so hard it almost flew off the handles and slammed it even harder, shaking the room.
