It seemed that Hwayoung had only just closed her eyes into a fitful sleep when the slap of cold water dousing her face shocked her into consciousness. Sputtering and gasping in shock, Hwayoung rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. The wound in her chest burned fiercely and a cold sweat prickled under her arms and in between her s despite the cold morning. The sun’s grey light shining into Hwayoung’s eyes made her squint.

              Jinki silhouette greeted her, and a wave of terror immediately washed over the girl lying on the ground. He leaned casually against the doorframe as though entirely unbothered by the fact that his betrothed was found in the woods after dark and now faced a public execution. Before Hwayoung’s eyes could even adjust to the light, Jinki nodded to someone out of her eyeshot and a sudden blow landed to her back.

              Hwayoung let out a shocked shriek of pain and curled inward on herself to protect her more vulnerable parts. Again, a blow came to the back of her neck and then her cheekbone. With each impact, Hwayoung let out a cry of pain. The unseen assailant continued his attack until Hwayoung did not have the energy or voice to cry out. was as dry as sand save for the metallic taste of blood that leaked from the corner of . Gasping for breath, Hwayoung’s body shuddered and twisted.    

              Jinki moved from where he stood in the doorway to hover above where Hwayoung stared at the tattered ceiling. He smiled coldly down at her and squatted down to place a cold hand on her cheek in a caress that make Hwayoung’s blood curdle.

              “It really is a shame,” Jinki sighed with a melodrama that disgusted Hwayoung. “You would have been a beautiful wife. It is a waste, really.”

              He stood again and looked down at her with the expression of one who had discovered a bug in their food. With a curled lip he gestured again to the unseen brutes towards the door. Hwayoung was hauled to her feet and shoved forward with enough force to send her stumbling. On shaky legs Hwayoung clutched her chest and began to slowly walk forward.

              The girl with the tangled hair and wild eyes could feel her body shaking from exertion as she was prodded and shoved forward to the center of the village. The morning was bright from the fallen snow piled upon the ground, and the wind was still. It allowed for every footfall from the small group was a death toll to Hwayoung. She knew what was waiting for her in the town square, and she held her chin as high as she was able. If she was going to be publicly humiliated, she was going to hold on to as much dignity as she could.

              If she did not feel the hard stares on her as she ascended the platform, from the silence of the crowd Hwayoung would have assumed no one was there. Her unsteady steps as she made her way up the platform echoed loudly through the empty space. Jinki stood next to her with his chest puffed out. Hwayoung scanned the crowd and prayed that she did not see her parents in the crowd but was disappointed when she saw her mother and father standing at the back of the crowd. In only a moment Hwayoung felt her heart shatter into a million pieces around her feet.

              Her mother’s face was a gray wash of tears as her body weight was supported by her father, who was looking upwards at the sky in silent question. Hwayoung wanted to call out to them, to say something that had not yet made its way on to her tongue, but the silence was like a gag. Hwayoung felt it forcing its way down and paralyzing her voice. When Hwayoung came into vision, her mother’s tears fell harder and the woman sunk onto her knees in silent agony.

              Knowing that she could not apologize, Hwayoung closed her eyes and hung her head in shame, all attempts at pride lost. All she could do was fight the tears that had already begun to make their way down her grubby cheeks. No sooner had Hwayoung come to stand still when she was shoved to the wooden floor. Her head hit the wooden slats hard and she saw spots float in front of her eyes. In a daze, Hwayoung confusedly attempted