Hyungseob was panicking. Never in his life had he disobeyed his parent’s direct orders like this. The night seemed oppressive, the moon, stars, and even the ground itself seemed to chant “Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!”  Hyungseob hid in the shadows, far away from the comforting lights of the other tents. He imagined his parents, sick with worry over their favorite son, visiting their tent only to find their other son had abandoned his brother in his time of need. He imagined that they would curse him, of course he couldn’t be trusted, he cared nothing for any of them. Hyungseob supposed all this was true, he had never truly been one of them, it was only obvious that he would betray them some time or another.

The air was thick with anxiety as he ran, nearer and nearer to the mountains. He thought back to his brother, the way he had looked so frail. What if he had just imagined Woojin waking up? What if he had just abandoned his brother because of just another one of his day dreams. He thought back to when he was a child, and the people in the river. Obviously they weren’t real, no one could live under water, though it had certainly seemed that way at the time. What if this was just another one of his episodes?

This was enough to make him pause as he looked back to the camp. Hyungseob could almost make out his tent, knowing that if he went back now he would probably only be punished for a week or so. His gaze hardened, even if leaving the valley did nothing, even if he died trying, he at least had to make an attempt to find a cure. Maybe the old lady had been lying, maybe none of her stories were real, but he wouldn't know until he came to the mountain and got to the outside world. With this in mind he wrapped his cloak tighter around him, secured his bag on his shoulder and took off again, into the darkness.

After what seemed like hours of running he got closer to the mountain. The air was colder here, and the grass whipped across his face as he ran. Hyungseob's entire body ached, but he knew that if he stopped now he’d never start again. Finally he reached the mountainside. The steep cliffs offered no easy way up, and Hyungseob thought for a moment that he would have to backtrack all the way to the river and try again. But if someone got in there has to be a way out again.

There was hardly any light, even the stars seemed fainter near the mountain, so Hyungseob felt his way through the dark for an opening or passage through the nearly impenetrable wall of stone. Finally after hours of stumbling through the dark he came upon a tunnel through the lower side of the mountain that had been hidden by a boulder. Hyungseob took one last look at his village that seemed oh so small in the distance. The sky was beginning to turn gray, and he could just barely make out the curves of the river where he had spent his childhood, squinting further he imagined he saw the water people raising their heads just high enough to be able to shout “Go! Go! Go! We know only you can do this! Go!” Hyungseob decided to heed their imaginary words and ran through the tunnel.

It was longer than Hyungseob had thought looking in, at first the tunnel had only been big enough for him to be able to duck his head through but as he continued the roof seemed to stretch for miles above him. There was no light and Hyungseob couldn't make out the end of it. He imagined that he was in a huge cavern now, with perilous sharp drops on both sides of the path, plummeting down to icy black water where giant snakes watched him run past with amusement. “Run! Run! Run! Little boy! You’ll never make it out, for there is no exit! Join us now and perhaps we won't eat you when we grow hungry!”

Hyungseob kept on, his body ached and protested, his feet slapped hard against the stone of the tunnel. For a long time the only sound he heard was his own heavy footsteps reverberating off the walls of the cavern. In his head he began to chant “Keep going! Keep going! Keep going!” to the beat of his own ragged breathing. He wondered if he had been discovered yet. Surely people were waking up now, his parents included. Imagine their surprise when they walk into his tent to find his brother dying and no one by his side. Hyungseob choked out an anxious laugh, this was a fool’s errand, soon enough he was probably going to run into the end of the cave and have to turn back. He could maybe survive in the forest for a while but people would find him, and no doubt he would be brought back to the camp and killed. This wasn't like his usual disobedience, this was flat out treason. Without Woojin there to protect him he’d probably be publicly hung.

Hyungseob stopped running for a second, and thought about Woojin waking up from the illness only to see Hyungseob's skeleton hanging in the middle of the camp. He’d probably be relieved, he wouldn't have to worry about Hyungseob anymore. By this point Hyungseob was verging on hysterical, tears were pricking at the corners of his eyes. He clutched his sides in an attempt to hold himself together, he was either going to die in this cave or be killed by his clan all because he stupidly thought he could be a hero. How stupid was he?! Maybe if he turned back right now he could make it back to his tent before his parents realized, but that would be impossible, people would see him and word would get out, either way he was going to be killed. I’m going to die! I'm really gonna die!

Hyungseob thought back to his last 24 hours. Had it really been such a short time ago that his brother had been healthy? It seemed like it had been weeks. Or maybe it had been, maybe Hyungseob had been in this cave for years, if he ran back to the mouth of the cavern he might turn into an old withered man, only to find out everyone he loved was dead. Hyungseob's breath hitched, when was the last time he had seen the light? Suddenly Hyungseob wanted nothing more than to daydream by the river in the afternoon like he had when he was a kid. He started breathing harder even though he had been stopped for a while. All he wanted to do was to see his brother again, even his parents, he would throw himself into their arms and tell him that he loved them.

Suddenly a wave of calm drifted over him, like he was still in his tent with his brother, except for this time Woojin was fine, and laughing with him like he always was. Wind cut through the stagnant air like a sign from the air itself telling him he was being ridiculous, and Hyungseob steeled himself. He was going to get out of this cave one way or another and it surely wasn't going to be the way he came in. Bracing his feet on either side of him, he took off, knowing his brother was still at his side.

He only ran for a little longer before he realized he could see his hands pumping on either side of him, and his feet were no longer just sounds. The tunnel was reaching an end. Spurred on by this realization Hyungseob picked up his pace. Soon he could see his breath making clouds in front of him, and slowly the mouth of the cave came into view. Hyungseob looked around, the walls of the tunnel were still only a few inches away from him, and he still had to duck so that his head wouldn't hit the ceiling. He decided not to question it and pressed on.

Finally he reached the end. He stood at the very mouth of the cave and looked around. The sun was rising over trees that Hyungseob had never seen and everything was covered in a thick white blanket. “Snow,” Hyungseob breathed out, mesmerized by the way the sunlight glinted off the soft peaks and dunes. Why had anyone been afraid of this?

Hyungseob ran out, and immediately came to three conclusions: one, snow was soft. Two, snow was cold. Three, running through soft cold snow was unpleasant. He started up again, though this time at a much slower, more careful pace. He looked around, amazed. Never in his life had he seen such a wonder land, the air was completely still, it seemed as though time had stopped for this area. Hyungseob smiled, whatever it was that everyone was so afraid of obviously wasn't out today. He continued at a brisk pace through the trees, humming softly.

He had been traveling for about an hour, and was taking a rest in a clearing when he heard something. At first he couldn't place it, but when it came again Hyungseob immediately knew, and he felt his blood freeze. That was the sound of a growling wolf.

He immediately jumped up from the rock he had been laying on. This growl wasn’t familiar or warm like the one’s he usually heard, this was dangerous and cold, not a warning, a threat. He paused and looked around for anything that could be hiding in the foliage, waiting for him to be vulnerable to pounce on him. In between two trees he finally spotted two glowing red eyes. Hyungseob backed up and the eyes walked forward, eventually the entire wolf came into view in the clearing. It was huge, bigger even than Woojin was, and powerfully built, deadly in every sense of the word. Muscle rippled under taunt skin, sharp teeth were visible, waiting for something to gnaw at. It was hungry, and he was an easy meal. Hyungseob tried to look for a way out but he was trapped, any way he went would be easily followed.

He considered his options, either stay where he was and die or shift and at least give a semblance of a fight. The decision was made easier for him when the large beast stalked forward and out from the trees two other large wolves followed the leader. These were not any ordinary wolves, and any relation to those in the valley was long forgotten, these wolves had lost their minds years ago if they ever had them.

Hyungseob hated shifting, he was never good at it and it never seemed to increase his chances of winning any fight, but he wasn’t hoping to win this fight, he was hoping to outrun it, and if there was anything his wolf form was good at it was running. He in a chestful of air and felt his body begin to change. The process of shifting was never easy for Hyungseob, he had to focus very hard on each part of his body changing or else he might be left looking like a half wolf half human monstrosity, which wouldn’t help him at all. This was an arduous process in the best of times, not to mention when he was probably seconds away from being eaten alive by wolves.

Finally, after hours it seemed, he was in his wolf form. It was always slightly disorienting the first few minutes after changing, but Hyungseob doubted he had even a few seconds, let alone minutes before they charged at him, so he picked a direction that his blurry eyes told him probably didn’t have a rabid wolf in, and ran. If there was one thing Hyungseob was, that was fast. His lithe form easily weaved through the trees, but he was too late. The pack may have been eluded for a few seconds, but they were quickly gaining on his tail.

Even with his enhanced speed, he was no match for these wolves, so Hyungseob decided to change tactics. He saw a large rock jutting out from the ground and used it as leverage to jump into one of the large trees. He stumbled though, and was only able to catch the lowest branch. The wolves circled the tree, jumping up and nearly nipping at his paws. The next branch was too high up for him to get to, and if he jumped down they would surely be on him in a second. Hyungseob looked around for a way out, but there was none. The wolves seemed to realize this too, because they laid down around the tree, knowing that soon Hyungseob would have to come out.

Hyungseob looked up into the tree, maybe if he shifted back he could jump and reach the next highest branch. That meant though that if he failed he would surely be eaten by the wolves. Well I’ve evaded death so far, dying here wouldn’t be too shameful. With that he shifted back into his human form and jumped. Hyungseob miscalculated the distance though, and his fingertips barely scratched the bottom of the limb. He landed back on the first branch with a Crack! As the wood splintered and fell away beneath him. Hyungseob had the presence of mind to begin to shift before he hit the ground, but immediately the wolves were ready for him. He could barely see, and his sense of smell told him nothing about what was happening, so as soon as his paws touched the ground he took off, not really knowing where he was going.

He barely evaded halfway formed trees and boulders, everything was too bright and too dark at the same time. The wolves were ominous forms in his peripheral, gaining too quickly, too quickly. Everything seemed like it was going in slow motion, his body was too heavy, his breathing laboured. Hyungseob had never been someone who could shift and go, it took him a long time before either form felt completely natural. Never in his life had he had to shift so many times in such a short period, and he could feel it. He was sluggish and barely had control over almost all his senses. He couldn’t even see the wolf who finally pounced on him.

Immediately searing red pain shot through his left leg. Teeth met bone and bone met air. Hyungseob’s vision clouded over as he felt himself be dragged through the snow. He tried not to gag as he heard a sound that could only be described as a twig breaking, though his even addled senses knew that wasn't the case. A breath caught in his throat as he tried and failed to escape the death grip that the wolf had on his leg. The others soon surrounded him, he imagined them tearing his corpse limb from limb. His vision blurred further with tears and exhaustion.

Something woke up deep inside Hyungseob, indignant and wrathful. Hot white rage pumped through his veins, and fury took over his mind. Kill them! Hyungseob could feel his hackles raising. Kill them! Kill them! Kill them! His mind seemed to sharpen, every sensation sent bursts of color into his brain. He was aware of too much, and too little at the same time. It was getting harder to think, so Hyungseob stopped. He gave complete control to the side of his brain that wanted to decorate the trees with the entrails of the beasts who DARE touch him. Kill them! Kill them! Kill them! So Hyungseob did, and the forest had never looked so pretty in red.

Hyungseob remembered stumbling after that, every footstep was a promise to himself to keep going, deeper and deeper into the forest. He didn’t notice when the ground disappeared, and if the nearing water looked less like a death sentence and more like a soft feathery bed? Well, he could hardly be blamed.