Prologue: The Beginning

To be born with such an ill-fated life was something that Prince Jong Dae had never thought would be gifted to him as he was born into the cruel world that his father was ruling. He was the prince of a beautiful kingdom but he was also going to be the cause the downfall of the strongest kingdom. His father, King Taejo couldn't afford to lose everything and decided to kill his own son with his two hands. On the night Jong Dae was born, the king took the baby away from the weeping queen and made haste towards the sacred alter, where he placed the small sleeping baby inside a decorative box and covered it with a lid. Beside him, one of his best general, Han Mu Seon, knelt down and presented him a long sword with a blade that shined so bright in the moonlight that it could blind a man from a mile away. King Taejo grabbed the sword and let the tip of the blade drop to the ground.

"Your majesty, please rethink your decision!" One of the ministers shouted from the sideline. "How can you kill your own son as soon as he is born?!" 

"His prophecy is to bring down the kingdom that my family had worked so hard on to build, down to hell," King Taejo said, not looking back at the man. "I cannot let any misfortune rain upon the royal family."

"Your majesty!" The minister shouted out again. "Please, I beg of you!"

"QUIET!" The king shouted, his voice echoing through the night.

King Taejo gritted his teeth and gripped the sword so hard to the point where his hands went numb and he couldn't feel them anymore. Angry tears brimmed in his eyes as he stared down at the box in front of him. Why did it have to be his newborn son out of all the people in the damn world?! Why, why why?! He wanted to demand an answer from god, from the Oracle, from the world but he knew that it wouldn't change anything. The sword in his hand shook violently as he looked up at the cruel night sky.

"I'm sorry, my son. Please do not forgive me for doing this to you."

King Taejo lifted the sword above the box and and angled the blinding blade right in the middle. With single swift move, he pierced the sword into the box with all his strength and everyone around him held their breaths. Soon after the king stabbed the sword into the box, from underneath the table, droplets of  blood fell onto the ground and gathered into a small puddle. Quiet whimpers of sadness came from the sidelines from all of the ministers who watched the sorrowful scene. King Taejo let his hands drop from the sword's handle and down to his side. He stared at the box with heavy tears b at the edge of his eyes.

He finally did it...he finally killed his own son. 

King Taejo stumbled backwards a few steps expecting to fall but General Mu Seon caught him just in time. The general could see the despair and agony on the king's face and helped him back up onto his feet. Gritting his teeth, King Taejo wiped his eyes and exhaled a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It was finally over and now all that there's left to do is wait for God's punishment on him. He turned around and began walking away from the box and towards his chamber, not having the courage to look back at the box. General Mu Seon gave the box one last crestfallen look before turning around and following his king.

.  .  .  .  .

In the shadows of the palace, Prince Hae Myung watched as his father made his way sadly back towards his chambers. He could tell that his father regretted doing everything in that moment. Hae Myung hid behind one of the palace pillars in the back and watched until all the ministers left after his father. He recalled what his father told him this morning:

"My son, I have a favor to ask of you" King Taejo told him. 

"Yes, father," Hae Myung answered. "What is it?" 

"Later on tonight....I will kill your newborn brother."

Hae Myung stared at his father in disbelief at his sudden words. He heard those words from the Oracle but from his father?! Anger spread through his body and he clentched his hands into tight fists. 

"What?! Why must you listen to the Oracle's words, fat