Hak's P.O.V
I wake up early in the morning to a loud crackling sound coming from just beyond the cottage's walls. I wander outside, irritated by the unnerving ruckus. To my surprise, I find Yona practicing her archery on an unsuspecting victim, a nearby tree. Luckily for the tree, she is still a pathetic shot. I snicker under my breath. I begin to walk towards Yona and push through the last few branches before I realize that she has an audience. Rin sits perched on a nearby fallen tree, intently watching Yona's every move. I chuckle to myself. Quietly, I sneak up behind Rin until I am standing just a few centimeters from her still back. "Well aren't you two off to a perky start this morning." I exaggeratedly bellow. Yona flails in surprise. Her bow clatters to the ground in a torrent of terror. I chuckle again at my wittiness. I look towards Rin who remains un-phased by my assault. "You knew I was there the entire time, damn spatial sense." She rolls her eyes and continues to ignore my chagrin. "You're boring." I jest and she continues to stare intently at Yona as she re-equips her bow and proceeds to practice.
An idea comes to my mind. What better way to get her attention then to impress her. "Unfortunately, Yona is a miserable shot and is 100 years too late to compete with my skill. If you wanted to observe true archery then you need to do is ask." I saunter towards Yona, gripping my large hands around the fragile wooden bow. I yank it from Yona's delicate grasp and she responds with a shrill 'hey'. I raise the bow until it pressed against my face, the target aligned perfectly in my sight. I increase the tension in my elbow and release the built up pressure. The arrow flies crisply through the air landing perfectly in the center of the target. "Perfect shot." I gloat.
"You're just showing off." Yona taunts as she sticks out her tongue in spite. But, her face contorts into surprise. At the same time, the rest of the group finds their way to our position, chatting casually. They, too, turn their gazes towards me in astonishment. Rin stomps towards me in irritation, ripping the bow from my hands. In a matter of seconds she has the bow raised and aimed towards the target. She releases and her arrow splits mine in half. Then, she side steps around me and rolls to the left behind the log she had once been sitting on. Again, she raises her bow and releases even faster than the first time. She splits both of our arrows directly in half, splinters flying wildly in the air. "Anyone can hit a target with enough practice. I wasn't watching to learn, Mundok taught me enough. I was observing Yona because she emanates an aura of strength, determination and fiery passion, which are rare and beautiful qualities. Much unlike the brutish gorilla, whose only qualities are violence and arrogance." She hands the bow back to Yona and returns to her seat on the log. The rest of the guys stand behind me and erupt into hysterical laughter, clutching their chests and falling to their knees.
"This girl's definitely one of a kind." Jae-ha squeals like a child.
"The great thunder beast was made a complete fool by a little girl." Kija taunts, tears pouring from his eyes.
"Shut up, stupid snake." I snap. A crimson blush floods my cheeks. I hide my face as I rush away. My heart is beating at an immeasurable rate. This girl gets more and more interesting each day.
Your P.O.V
The sun begins to dip gently below the horizon. The muted chirp of crickets dusts the landscape. We had all gathered for dinner and now we were all sitting under the cover of dusk chatting amongst ourselves. I look towards Shin-ah in wonder. A cloud of mystery surrounds him. My curiosity causes my mind to wander and I have drifted into the land of daydreams. A blur of questions clutters my mind. "You know it's rude to stare." Hak taunts crudely, bringing me out of my daze. I give him a light punch to the shoulder. I edge closer towards Shin-ah.
"What's the mask for?" I question, but receive no response. I edge slightly closer again.
"I want to see what your face looks like." I demand and Shin-ah edges away from me. I can feel Hak watching me with content at my failure and struggle.
"Can I take it off?" I lean in closer and Shin-ah turns his head in the opposite direction. Slightly annoyed this time, I sigh. I turn around and hug my knees to my chest and pout. But, once again I let my curiosity get the best of me. I reach my hand cautiously towards Shin-ah's face. I am just a fingertips distance away when he grabs my wrist in his firm grip.
"Don't." He whispers. I sit there unable to move, the shock consuming me. This is the first time I have ever heard him speak. His grip is strong but his skin is surprisingly soft. Even Hak is left dumbfounded and watches keenly. "I don't want to hurt you." I am released from my frozen state by his words. His assertions upset me and I cry out at him.
"You would never hurt your family." He lets go of my wrist and looks down at the ground out of regret.
"Anyone who looks into my eyes will turn to stone." His expression is serious, but I can't help but stifle a laugh.
"Well, what a coincidence!" I exult. "I'm completely blind so your powers will have no affect." Shin-ah looks towards me with a look of wonder. Hak places his hand on my shoulder to let me know he believes this is a bad idea, but I simply shrug off his worry. I reach my hand out towards Shin-ah again. I am not forceful, I ask for his permission. "Please?" At first he hesitates but then takes my hand reluctantly. I reach up and untie the covering over my eyes. At the same time, Shin-ah lifts off his mask, revealing his crystal blue eyes. I look deep inside of him and a grey image erupts around me. I can feel the memories moving like real life in front of me. I feel memories of fear, sorrow, regret and self-hatred. I see a child left to live in solitude. The death of his only friend. The murder of countless individuals and the torture of a repressive village. I return to the world around me and I smile warmly at Shin-ah. He stares at me with anxiety and worry. "Your entire life you have been told that your powers are a curse and have been taught to fear yourself. Your heart is filled with self-hatred but Shin-ah you must know that it is without cause or reason. I have seen your heart for myself and I can see the unmatched kindness and altruism that rushes through your veins. I want you to know that you are wanted, that your powers are cherished and respected here, not feared." Tears begin to wet Shin-ah's cheeks. In a burst of emotion he leaps towards me and embraces me in a hug. "You are not alone in this world. You are not the only one who is blind." I comfort him, gently rubbing circles around his back. "It is hard to believe you are in control when you are always told you aren't, but I assure you that you are in control of your powers. You have never harmed anyone you have cared about in the past and you will not hurt your family now so please don't hide from us. Just know that you will never have to hide when you're with me." I coax and we sit there for a bit. I can feel Hak fuming behind me. He is an idiot if he thinks he can hide his jealousy from me.
We are interrupted by Ik-su who comes running from the cottage, coughing and spitting out of exhaustion. Suddenly, he trips over a rogue tree root, falling flat on his face. I rush over to him in worry and distress. I am frantic as I look over his injuries. Everyone erupts into hysterical laughter for the second time today and I look towards them in disgust. "Don't worry Rin, it happens on a daily basis." Yun chuckles and points to the space beside me. I turn to see that Ik-su is standing with a guilty smirk on his face. "Now tell us what all the commotion was about." Yun prods him for information.
"Well, I have been doing some research into some old Kouka history and folktale books. I think I know who is controlling the King." Ik-su speaks and the air grows heavy around us. A dead silence falls as we wait for Ik-su to continue. "It is the Black Dragon warrior. Originally 5 dragon warriors were sent to Earth by the gods to protect Hiryuu on his mission to restore humanity. But, unfortunately one rebelled against the cause. He did not desire the reunification of humanity but the destruction of it. The Black Dragon warrior is most likely responsible because he holds the power to possess humans whose hearts are filled with vengeance. If this is the case, he will most likely be using King Soo-won's position to perpetuate a war between the clans of Kouka and the surrounding Kingdoms. This is what he tried to do all those years ago."
Hak's P.O.V
Silence. Silence fills the air. We are unable to move due to our disbelief. But, a confident voice breaks the silence. A tone of voice I have never heard before, a tone devoid of emotion. I could feel my heart sink in my chest. I looked to Rin as she spoke. "I've figured out what our first move is." My eyes widen as I take in the unwavering look of determination and focus plastered across her face. She is captivated. I am afraid yet comforted at the same time. I can feel the fire in her words as she pronounces every syllable. "Soo-won believes he has the upper hand. He thinks you are running away with your tails between your legs. He also doesn't expect you to make a move considering you have gained a major asset, me. He'll expect you to use me as a bargaining chip to gain your freedom back. That is where our advantage begins. He doesn't know that I have changed sides. Advantage #1. He doesn't realize that I know as much as I know, which I have in turn bestowed upon you. Advantage #2. He doesn't know where we are. Advantage #3. The only way we will be able to exorcize the demon that has possessed him is if we get close to him. In accordance with that, if what Ik-su claims about the war is true, we will have to prevent the destruction of the entire Kingdom of Kouka by capturing his battle plans. This leaves us one option; we must infiltrate Hiryuu castle. We leave at daylight."