The Korean War. A conflict which was waged early in the 1950s and had been on pause since the division of the peninsula. Everyone believed that, someday, the border of the twin nations would be invalidated, be it by the pen, or by the sword. But no one was prepared for what was to come. I was once a mere tourist in Seoul, enjoying my weeklong stay and taking in what the country had to offer. But then, Ares triumphed.

Swiftly, what began as another border incident, became something more as cooler heads failed to contain and stop the disaster before it could happen.
The fires of war raged in Korea, and, as obligations led other nations into war, they engulfed most of the world as the number of neutral nations diminished.
Together with a lot of Korean citizens, I fled to Japan. We knew it was our only chance, for it was still early in the conflict. Mars had not yet reached Japan, as peace still reigned in the land of the rising sun. But it would not last. The war left us stranded in Japan, unable to do naught but attempt to contact the embassies and wait for them to send someone for us. But, as days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, by the time they were finally sending someone, the war reached the shores of Honshu.

The smell of smoke spread across the land like wildfire, as did the sounds of gunfire. Bombs and missiles scarred the land, and the stench of death scarred our souls.
After the city we were in was invaded, we were led to a military base. There, we lived for another few weeks. I remember the tales of other refugees, this time of people native to this land, tales of parents who buried their sons and daughters, of recently orphaned children, and even of a brave few who managed to survive being close to the fighting, before escaping. The soldiers were constantly on edge, and most would not suffer the words and remarks of civilians, much less those of a foreigner like me. Nevertheless, I could not stand doing nothing. I volunteered to help around the base. Cleaning and cooking, transporting food and relaying messages. I decided to do what I could to carry my own weight. This too would not last. At dawn it began. They were trying to evacuate everyone, but the room was limited. I decided to give my place to another and take my chances, not willing to live with myself if it meant I had to leave someone to die. So, taking my chances, after they left, I ran on foot. I remember an explosion, and then, nothing as the world around me turned black.

When I rose, everything had changed. The sky was blue and no longer red, the smell of smoke was gone, replaced by the scent of nature. Beneath me, grass instead of concrete. As I got up, and wandered aimlessly, I smiled genuinely for the first time in months. I was free.

I walked until I lost track of time, and the grass gave way to a field of sunflowers. I moved around carefully, not wanting to sully the beauty of this land. "Am I in heaven? Did I perish?" As I thought aloud, something peculiar happened. The nearby flowers turned towards me. At first, I thought it was my mind playing tricks, but no matter how many times I closed and opened my eyes, they remained turned towards me. I froze, unsettled by this development.

"Please excuse me, I mean no harm to you or your fellows." Inwardly, I could only think to myself how I left my sanity back in that base.
To my shock, my words were met and repaid by words, as I heard a voice behind me. "My, my, what do we have here? A polite human with proper respect for his betters? And an outsider no less! It would be a shame if something were to happen to a human like you, wouldn't it?"

I turned around to find a strange woman behind me. Her hair was green like the leaves of the trees, and yet, looked completely natural, hinting that she was different. Her eyes of red, seemed to pierce into my very soul, as if reading me like a book. Something about them ignited a very primal fear within me, but I did not want to let it show, as it would be rude. She carried a parasol with her and walked slowly but with confidence, her body language indicating that she was in no rush. Even through my unexplained fear, I could not help but recognize her beauty as she approached me and left me enthralled by a mere gaze.

"Greetings miss, could it be that this field belongs to you?" In my thoughts, I could not help but wonder what she meant by human and outsider.
She smiled. "Not at all. I guess, if anything, I would be its guardian. Lots of careless people would seek to harm the flowers in here, and I do not take very kindly to those that do." Though she smiled as she said that, I was filled with dread, feeling I should be very cautious.

"But you are not like that, are you? You walked in here, and not only made an effort to avoid harming them, but you even sought to be polite to them. It really would be a shame if harm were to come to you."

"You were watching me?"

"The flowers were."
'So they truly did turn to me.' This revelation made me unsettled, though I knew flowers were alive, I had never known them to be able to turn or to react to others in such a way.

"Truthfully, had it been otherwise, I'm afraid your life would be forfeit." She said it with a smile, but her tone invited no objection or doubt.

I smiled nervously. "That would be a shame. To be honest though, I have seen enough land scarred by the war. I'd rather preserve what beauty there is still around. Until now, for months, I have seen naught but red skies, filled with fire and smoke, green fields turned to grey, as well as the rubble of damaged and fallen buildings. This land is truly beautiful."

"It is. You seem like you have quite the tale to tell human. Do you know where you are?"

"I'm afraid not, and I must ask why you keep calling me human. Does that mean you are not human?" I had my suspicions, my instincts told me I was not dealing with a human, between her green hair, red eyes, and her piercing stare, I could tell something was off.

"You have guessed correctly. I am the Youkai of flowers, Kazami Yuuka."

"Youkai?"

"You truly must be new here. In any case, I'd recommend you head on with me, towards the Human Village. I intended on visiting the florist today. It'd be a shame if a human like you who is kind to the flowers got themselves killed before they could even understand their situation."

"I see, then I have no choice but to accept. My name is Joseph Newman. I'll be in your care Miss Kazami."

"How polite, think nothing of it. The flowers seem to have taken a liking to you, so worry not. I won't let much harm come to you."

I was not very reassured. "Much?"

She merely smiled at me and refused to comment, fueling my worry.

We walked on for a long time, the Youkai of Flowers seeming content to go at my pace. As we exited the field of flowers and walked along a road, I could see a mountain in the distance and hear the birds chirping as they soared overhead. After some walking, I could see fields of rice, and beyond them, a walled settlement.
Turning to Yuuka, I asked. "Could that settlement in the distance be the village you spoke off?"

Yuuka nodded. "It would appear you have functioning eyes, how delightful."

I brushed off her comment, quickly having grown used to her teasing. "Thank you for bringing me to this place. I would surely have been lost."

"You should not thank me so soon, especially with what awaits you." She spoke with that same smile that was stunning and mildly annoying all at once.

I frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"You will know in time. Try not to die too early." With those words, she had forsaken gravity and levitated towards the village, baffling me in the process.
Regaining my bearings, I walked towards the village, even if her comment filled me with dread.