Chapter one - The Beginning

9^th June 1912

“Lee Chanhee! Get back here!”

He ran. The tall, lanky boy ran through the forest, his long, slender legs propelling him through the thick vegetation. He ignored the sharp twigs prodding his aching feet and the tree branches scratching his arms and ripping up his jacket. He needed to run, far away, and the destination didn't matter to him. He just needed to put more distance between him and his panting father.

“How dare you defy your own father? Stop running Chanhee!”

Chanhee ran even faster. His shaky legs were giving up on him but he willed himself to go further. He ran until his father's voice became fainter and fainter and eventually disappeared into the forest. He leaned against a tree, desperately trying to catch his breath and to collect his thoughts. His head of messy blonde hair was a stark contrast against the green leaves. No one, least of all his father, could decide who he was going to marry. Chanhee glowered resentfully at the sky as he recalled the day's events.

He found her cowering in a dark alley and smirked. He was Lee Chanhee, the son of the richest and most influential man in Korea and possibly the most sought after bachelor in the country. That girl, he thought her crazy to even try to run away from him. Unfortunately for him, that pretty girl just didn't like his flirtatious ways. But unfortunately for her, Chanhee always got his way no matter what. He grabbed her wrist and flung her petite figure against the wall. She trembled under his intense glare as he leaned closer towards her. His hard grip on both her arms made it impossible for her to struggle and she could only weakly watch him smirk and lean in closer towards her.

Chanhee laughed bitterly at the memory. He didn't even do anything to that girl, he just taunted her before she eventually passed out on her own. And yet, his father just had to overreact and force him into an arranged marriage to prevent him from “destroying the family's good reputation.” His father expected him to marry whichever wealthy damsel he preferred? Blasphemy, he thought. He defiantly objected to his father's actions and it led him to his current position now – lost in a forest. Chanhee laughed again at his pathetic situation, leaning against a tree with his clothes shredded badly from brushing through the foliage to get to his current position. He wouldn't even mind dying here, it was better for him than to be tied down in a marriage devoid of love at such a young age. What would have happened if he married his father's ideal woman for him? He would have found himself spending the rest of his days with a woman that would be nothing but a mere burden in his life. It was hard for any girl to melt Chanhee' ice cold heart, and everyone in Korea knew that.

“Lee Chanhee!”

His father's faint voice once again made its way to his ears. Chanhee silently cursed and began running once again, wishing that this would end already. After five minutes of forcing his wobbly legs further into the dense vegetation, his father's angry shouts finally faded away for good. Chanhee looked around, only to see an endless array of trees. He cursed under his breath, there was no way out for him now. He looked back to make sure that his father was nowhere in sight before forcing himself deeper into the forest, hoping to find a way out somehow.

10^th June 1912

Chanhee was exhausted. He spent the night wandering around the forest aimlessly, with no food or water. He was sure that he was going to collapse soon. He wearily looked at the sunlight peeking through the forest canopy, wondering if he would ever find civilisation again. He looked around his surroundings. Trees, trees, and more trees. He sighed. Maybe not. He hoped that he would make it out alive in one piece.

11^th June 1912

Chanhee was just about ready to give way. He was sure that if he didn't get any water or food soon, he would perish in the forest. His vision blurred, causing him to almost fall. When Chanhee regained his balance and vision, he spotted a small, run-down cottage just ahead. He could have sworn it wasn't there earlier, but right now he couldn't care less. He stumbled there, hoping that he would be able to find help.

After ten minutes of dragging himself further into the forest, Chanhee found himself face to face with a queer little cottage. He looked at the wooden door that was about to give way. Without even thinking twice, Chanhee barged into the cottage, not even knocking to check for any inhabitants in the humble house. He found a worn out sofa tucked neatly into a corner, which he promptly collapsed into, his trembling legs finally giving way to exhaustion. He dazedly looked around the cottage. Dust was collecting everywhere and cobwebs were strewn all over the furniture. Clearly, no one had been here for a long while. Chanhee's faltering vision then spotted a tray of food neatly laid out on a circular oak table in the middle of the room. At that point of time, he didn't care how the food came to be in an abandoned house. He was ravenous, and he didn't hesitate to wolf down the simple meal of baked chicken with an assortment of fruits. He also gulped down the glass of red liquid next to his plate, which he assumed to be red wine. Before leaving to go back to the sofa to rest, Chanhee noticed that the table had a variety of crown symbols engraved around it. He unconsciously traced one of the crowns, before feeling a sudden wave of sleepiness. He got up and walked towards the sofa and immediately fell into a deep slumber. The minute he fell asleep, the symbols on the table glowed, emitting a radiant golden light.

14^th June 1912

Chanhee woke up with a start. He found himself not sleeping on the sofa in the abandoned cottage but instead standing up in an enclosed crystal box. He almost fainted from shock right there and then. How in the world did he get in here?

“What the hell? Let me out!”

Chanhee started kicking his surroundings frantically, hoping to break through the crystal walls somehow. Much to his horror, the crystal walls showed no signs of caving, and instead emitted a brilliant light which blinded his tired eyes. He blinked slowly, trying to adjust to the bright light that was surrounding him. He saw his own reflection in the crystal walls and almost jumped out of his own skin. Staring back at him wasn't the dishevelled boy that was crashing his way through a forest a few days ago. He hesitated before reaching out to touch his reflection, reeling back in shock when he saw that the man in the mirror was indeed an exact replica of him. Standing there in the crystal wall was a man dressed elegantly in a black suit with his hair neatly coiffed into an elegant hairstyle. Chanhee was about to lose his sanity right there and then, and before he could rip his hair out and proceed with a mental breakdown, a soft, feminine voice interrupted his panicked train of thoughts.

“Lee Chanhee, you are condemned to stay in this mirror until you repent.”

Repent? Repent for what? For being an ? Well sure, Chanhee thought as he settled down in his crystal surroundings, might as well get used to repenting for whatever he had to repent for.

“Chanhee, you've officially gone mad. You're nuts.” A tiny voice echoed around in Chanhee' head.

If you can't already tell, Chanhee retorted, I've never felt sane ever since I stepped into this damn crystal box.

A few seconds passed before Chanhee facepalmed himself.

Did I just have a conversation with myself? Oh Chanhee, you are so screwed.