[CONTENTID1]Chapter 3: Parallel Lines[/CONTENTID1][CONTENTID2]

Under the intensifying heat, Hayi still wears the cloak given to her by the assassin. The vociferous sounds of the villagers can be heard from afar, entrancing the young lady and beckoning her to come forward.
 

Two days passed since the night she arrived in this parallel world -  or to be specific the past. It doesn’t take a genius to distinguish between a dream and reality, especially when one is stuck in a different era. Sounds absurd, right? Hayi couldn’t believe it herself because there’s no such thing as magic. With magic, she’s capable of transporting to historical events, but since this is reality, there’s no way it can happen – right? Unfortunately, these events stirred changes in Hayi’s rational thoughts. This is reality. There’s sorcery in this world, and Hayi was able to time-travel.
 

When she walks into the village, Hayi notices how eventful the citizens are. People are running on their feet, smeared with the earth, and their hands are loaded with tools. Hayi’s hand unconsciously grips the rough edges of her hood, and she pulls it closer to her face. Her tendrils, a lighter shade of brown like caramel, would afflict the villagers, alluring their attention and suspicions. Hayi would stand out among everyone, for they have silky, raven locks.
 

As she saunters down the muddy path, following the citizens, Hayi finds herself deep in the core of the village – the marketplace. Her eyes gaze at the marvelous scene before her. The market is crowded with villagers, and Hayi starts to slow down in her steps when a chicken suddenly comes across her path.
 

The chicken’s small, beady eyes narrow upon the sight of the young lady. Hayi’s hands grip the cloak tightly, slightly afraid of the tiny creature. Her stomach growls as she stares at the chicken, but the sound muffles under the voices of the villagers. Unconsciously, a dry tongue pokes out between Hayi’s cracked lips, and she them, her stomach growling even more. It’s been two days since she had a decent, cooked meal. While everyone resumed with their daily activities, Hayi hid in a storage house, away from the eyes of this world.
 

Sweat clings onto her forehead, secreting a layer in attempt to cool down her body. It’s so tempting to let loose the cloak and watch it fly with the breeze, but Hayi knows how a catastrophe that would be. It’s best to stay low and not stir any problems within the village.
 

“I’m sorry, sir!” Hayi lifts her head slowly, gazing at the little boy who is wearing a toothy grin. His face is smeared with the earth, his hands cover in dirt, while his legs have red scars. Add to this general observation, Hayi’s eyes fixate on his body, his shirt is tattered with holes, and it barely covers his belly button. Instantly, she reveres her eyes when she notices how his ribs probe against his delicate skin.
 

“I’m sorry again, Ma’am!” The boy blurts out, bowing his head. His eyes squeeze tight, and his lips are drawn into his mouth firmly. Hayi’s eyes flicker to his fist, which are clenched tightly by his side. Oh how desperately she wanted to grab those hands and smooth out the calluses.
 

“It’s okay…” The words barely come out as a whisper, but the little boy’s ears catches them.
 

“I didn’t know you were a lady at first sight,” the little boy speaks again and inches closer to Hayi. As he approaches her, his hands snatch the chicken and cradle it against his small chest.
 

“It’s okay…” Hayi repeats again, her voice croaks while staring at the poor boy. She her lips for a second time when the chicken is in her sight. “This is your chicken?” The little boy’s eyes flicker to the animal in his arm affectionately, and he nods his head with a toothy grin.
 

“Why are you wearing a cloak?” He inquires and points to the cloth around the young lady. Taken by his question, Hayi stumbles to find the right words. What could she say so the kid doesn’t suspect her even more? As of right now, she appears suspicious to the villagers with the cloak, but that is not her intentions. Hayi wants to appear less suspicious by hiding her attire and hair. In her era, the vogue is less self-conscience, thus people wear clothes that exposes too much skin. If Hayi remembers from her history class, villagers would shun those that reveal their ankles and label them as “.” She definitely wants to hide her attire from the people.
 

“Are you a criminal?” The boy whispers, his hand shielding one side of his face. A simple gesture yet it stirs a silent laugh from the young lady.
 

“That’s ludicrous. Rest assure, little fellow. I’m not a criminal,” Hayi replies earnestly. She watches as the kid’s face lights up, his eyes dazzle with admiration for peculiar reasons, and Hayi feels her heart slowly melting. Before it felt cold, hardened with emotions that she locked away, but the sight of the boy soothes the rough edges in her heart.
 

“What is your name?” The boy asks, clutching the chicken tighter against his chest. A squawk slips pass the chicken’s beak, but the two ignore the bird’s cry.
 

“Lee Hayi.” Upon her response, the boy’s smile widens and he flashes his teeth, yellow and rotten like an old apple’s core.
 

“My name is Kim Taehyung.”
 

Kim Taehyung. A boy, who appears to be no more than seven years old… A boy, whose hands are covered in calluses from handling tools… He’s starving, just like her. His eyes express the earlier abandonment he received from his parents, unconditional love, left to be taken by his aunt and uncle. They love him dearly and shower the boy with affection daily, building his strength to fight through the struggles of life.
 

For the first time, Hayi feels compassion, her heart clenching upon the sigh of the boy, who is suffering through tremendous pain. How is that she can empathize with a strange, especially one from a different era? The boy never told her his story, just his name, yet it holds such significance – the ability to melt Hayi’s heart.

“Miss Hayi, where do you come from? I have never seen you before!”
 

“I’m from a faraway village.”
 

Suddenly, the boy’s rough hand snatches the hems of her cloak, the other hand still cradling the chicken, and he gives it a soft tug. Hayi is now pulled by the young boy, reluctantly following him into the noisy marketplace.
 

As she tails after Taehyung, Hayi’s eyes roam around the stands, her nose inhaling the delicious aroma when they pass a restaurant. Judging by the number of people walking in and out of the facility, Hayi knows that the restaurant has a good business. She must have made her hunger obvious because the young boy stares at her with wide-eyes.
 

“Miss Hayi, are you starving?” Coincidentally, her stomach growls loudly, which causes Taehyung’s face to brighten up. “I bought sweet potatoes before I ran into you. Although I spent my savings on these, do you want one?” He reaches into the pocket of his pants and shows four sweet potatoes, all warm and roasted.
 

Once again, temptation riles up in Hayi’s stomach, a pool of indulgence swims at the tip of tongue, waiting to lacerate the sweet potato. It’s so tempting to accept his offer, and Hayi is touched by his generosity towards a person like her. She is a stranger to his world – to him – but he doesn’t care and wants to lend his hands to her. Hayi couldn’t... No matter how much her stomach is growling, she couldn’t accept his offer. It’s gratuitous for Hayi anyway; even though she hasn’t eaten for two days – besides berries in the bushes – Taehyung is starving in front of her. Hayi’s eyes flickers to his ribs, which the shirt has failed to cover, and notices again how it probes against his delicate skin.
 

“It’s okay.” Taehyung pouts at her response, his cheeks puffing out before he inches closer to her. With one hand, the boy gently lifts Hayi’s hand and places a warm, sweet potato on it. His hand slips away from her when he takes a step back, a toothy grin plasters on his face.
 

“Why are you being generous to me?” Hayi asks while staring at the boy, her nose crinkling as her eyes brim with tears. She bites her lips to refrain herself from sobbing and frantically blinks back the tears. It’s been ages since Hayi last cried, and she will not cry now.
 

“You look lost.”
 

For once, Hayi feels her chest ready to explode as the river of emotion lies on the tip of her tongue. Her breathing becomes heavier, her chest heaving at this rate, and her mind clouds with thoughts. A thick layer of saltwater brims her eyes again, and her lips tremble softly. Images of her mother, tendrils that go pass her waist, her stern eyes and wrinkles giving her cold features appear in Hayi’s head. Her mother is a serious,  always dressed in business clothes, never laughing at jokes, resilient with her work, but Hayi misses her terribly.
 

“I am lost…” She whispers tremulously. “I want to go back home.”

Introduced as Hanbin’s partner, Song Minho – preferably likes to call himself Mino – has a unique, charismatic personality. Unlike Hanbin, the young man loves to be a jester, cracking up jokes while drinking soju (alcohol). The man takes pleasure when he slits the throat of his targets, watching their face twist in anguish – opposite of Hanbin. As opposed to Hanbin’s lean physique, Mino is more muscular, his pecs full and well-defined, wide lats and a slender torso. Adversaries would often mistake him for “B.I.,” the most feared assassin in the kingdom, because they expect the man to be loaded with muscles.

Unfortunately, appearances can be deceiving. Mino is physically larger than Hanbin, but his abilities do not compare to the latter. Hanbin, though he does have muscles, is more lean and shorter than his companion. He’s more agile, quick on his feet like a lightning bolt struck, and can annihilate any opponent bigger than him. Although many of their opponents expect Mino to be “B.I.,” their initial thoughts dissipate as soon as their eyes land on Hanbin. His aura seethes with an intimidating atmosphere, causing people’s heart to throb against their chest painfully. Eyes as dark as a raven’s feather glints amber, his opponent’s breath hitches in their throat, blood frozen while their feet are paralyzed to the floor.
 

Despite their differences, the two men are compatible, treating each other as if they are blood-related. It would be a lie to say that Mino never felt jealous of Hanbin’s remarkable abilities. Everyone in the organization recognizes Hanbin as the strongest member on the team, which he couldn’t disagree with. Mino has known Hanbin when he was little, thus he knows everything about him – his background, status, and family. He knows that Hanbin trained excessively everyday as a child, from day to night, breaking out a sweat and letting his muscles feel sore. Mino also remembers the day when Hanbin prevailed his training… It was the same day when he was recruited in the organization. Admiration for his best friend led him to follow his path and train excessively to be in the same organization.
 

On the day Mino was recruited, he came face to face with Hanbin, someone he could no longer recognize anymore. The boy he knew before was passionate about sword mastery, was always ecstatic to wield his favorite weapon, and practiced with enthusiasm. Two years passed since he last saw Hanbin, and he changed so much over the course. It didn’t take time for Mino to figure out what had happened to him. Screams. Cries. Tears. Blood. Death. Over the years, Hanbin was tormented whenever he slaughtered his victims.
 

Turning onto his sides, Mino sighs tiredly as he stares at the ceiling. That night, when Captain Lee assigned them their missions, he had given Mino the toughest target because he knew that the boy was capable of a difficult task. Mino was excited to receive an important mission, but his execution did not satisfy him. The kill was not clean, and he had to chase down his victim several times.
 

Lethargically, Mino lifts himself off his bed, sitting on the edge of the soft matting. His hands smother his chiseled features, and he groans loudly. At this time, the glowing medallion has risen up in the sky, casting an unbearable heat across the land. It’s been two days since he received that mission, but he’s still exhausted from the load of work.
 

As he makes his way down the stairs, he can hear the loud chattering of the ladies in the kitchen. Plates clatter noisily, insinuating that they are cooking dishes for the organization. Mino can imagine the ladies mingling spices in dishes as he smells the enticing and aromatic scent, arousing his stomach. Unconsciously, he his lips and approaches the diner hall, where he sees the members sitting on the floor in a line.
 

“The weather is lovely, isn’t it?” Mino jokes, earning chuckles and glares from his teammates. He notices an empty seat besides Hanbin and marches over there, propping his on the soft cushion. Mino glances at his best friend, who is patiently waiting for food. Hanbin’s eyes flicker to him, and he gives a nod, acknowledging his presence before facing forward.
 

“This has to be the hottest day!” Tae-hyun, a member and friend of Mino, exclaims with aversion.
 

“Someone missed my sarcasm…” Mino smirks when Tae-hyun’s eyes flicker to his figure, sending a glare that pierces like a dagger. Obviously, he doesn’t appreciate his comment and whacks his hand across his arm.
 

“There’s no time for jokes, Mino! Do you realize that today is an important day?” Tae-hyun reprimands as he whisks his silky, jet black tendrils, cascading down his broad back.
 

“What’s today?” Mino asks with his eyes wide open, allured by the suspense.
 

“Captain Lee announced earlier that he will discuss about the missions!” Tae-hyun informs. “Apparently, the missions are dangerous…” Mino freezes in his position, and he turns to glance at Hanbin. Could this be why he’s making small gestures, not engaging in conversations? Although Hanbin appears to be aloof and callous, he’s capable of feeling emotions and does talk to the members. Mino frowns and thinks back to the night where Hanbin behaved strangely. Something definitely happened, and he could tell by Hanbin’s behavior that he doesn’t want to encounter another mission.
 

“What are you guys talking about?” Mino turns his head and jolts in his seat when he sees the familiar lady in front of him. Similar to Tae-hyun, her hair cascades over her shoulders, silky and the color of obsidian, unkempt but beautiful. The lady’s eyes are a shade of dark brown, gleaming playfully while the corners of lift up. She carries a tray in one hand and in the other a bowl of rice.
 

“If it isn’t Sandara…” Tae-hyun says with a snarl, which the lady returns back. She leans forward, her hair brushing Mino’s face before she places the bowl of rice onto his table. Then, she props the tray next to the bowl, the aroma hitting Mino’s face and arousing him to dig in. His hands trail towards the chopsticks, yanking them from its spot and maneuvering it around his fingers.
 

“Tae-hyun, should you speak this way towards your sunbae?” Sandara asks, folding her arms across her chest as she quirks an eyebrow at the young man. The latter gulps nervously, and he smiles timidly. Sandara rolls her eyes and turns her attention to Mino, who is eating his meal.
 

“I heard you did well on your last mission,” the older lady tells him with a grin. “Tablo – I mean Captain Lee – told me you had the toughest target of the night.” Mino settles his chopstick besides his tray and nods, affirming her statement.
 

“This lucky bastard got the honors of taking down Lee Changmin!” Tae-hyun reveals and slings an arm over Mino’s shoulder.
 

“Lee Changmin? Are you talking about the serial killer in the kingdom?” Sandara gasps, her hands caressing her face gently. Tae-hyun nods, his chin held high as he smiles brightly, flashing his pearly white teeth.
 

“I’m proud of you, Mino,” Sandara says while turning attention back to Mino. “You have definitely proven yourself. I hope you won’t disappoint me in the next mission.” Mino blinks several times, his eyes narrowing upon her warning.
 

“Are we partners for the next mission?” Sandara smirks, the corners of lifts up, her eyes twinkle playfully, verifying his question.
 

Suddenly, the room becomes silence, everyone freezes in their position, eyes directing to the entrance of diner hall. Captain Lee stands there, his posture straight and his chin held high, arms behind his back, manifesting a confident, yet powerful aura around him. One footstep into the diner hall causes everyone to stand on their feet, their body in a 90 degree angle to bow to the captain.
 

“Sit down, everyone,” his powerful command roars in the air. All of the members immediately sit down in their seat cushion, paying close att