In the small room isolated from the rest of the commune, Kyuhyun sits quietly waiting for Doctor Shin to examine Sungmin's wounds. On the mattress, Sungmin lies unconsciously, his face covered in blood and sweat. It has been two weeks since Kyuhyun rescued him from the prison, but he has shown no sign of waking up anytime soon.

"So, Doctor Shin?"

Kyuhyun asks the doctor with concern in his eyes and voice.

The doctor slowly turns to him.

"It seems Lee doryeonnim has been beaten quite a bit. He has open wounds all over his body. But those are the easy wounds, and someone has been tending to those wounds at the prison, it might seem. My concern is his legs..."

"Can you heal them?"

The doctor looks at him, slightly shaking his head.

"All his leg bones are crushed. The pain from it alone can kill a person. For now, I can prescribe some painkillers, but healing them back to normal is beyond any medicine that I know."

"Are you saying...."

"After everything he's been through, waking up from his coma is a miracle enough. I'd be happy if he'd be able to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. Otherwise,..."

"Stop it right there," Kyuhyun raises a hand, "Sungmin is the strongest person I know. He will get through this."

Doctor Shin nods at him hesitantly.

"I agree with you, Master. But are you sure he can take on the news about his father and his friend? The physical pain is enough already, the mental agony from losing his family will be too much. And didn't you say Lee doryeonnim has a passion for martial arts? If he is unable to walk, then..."

"I know..."

Kyuhyun's voice starts shaking.

"We have to prepare for everything when he receives the news, cause the next time he wakes up, his whole world is gonna change upside down..."

Kyuhyun slowly looks out the window, a tear he has been trying hard to hold in quickly rolls down his cheek.

"Even if he is unable to walk, I will be his cane. If he is unable to fight, I will be his sword. For the rest of my life."

If Sungmin would let him.

Outside his window, another leaf quietly falls down to the cold and hard ground. 

The winter seems like it will last another lifetime.

Kyuhyun turns to wipe away the sweat on Sungmin's forehead. A tear suddenly slips out of Sungmin's eye, onto his hand.

"Master," Sol's voice turns his attention towards the door, "Lee yeonggam has come back with news."

Kyuhyun takes one last look at Sungmin, then pulls the blanket up to cover him.

As soon as Kyuhyun leaves, Sungmin opens his eyes. 

He remembers as clearly as day everything that happened since he was taken, even everything that happened in his dream.

Outside, Kyuhyun and Hyukjae are discussing something of importance, judging by their tone. Sungmin can only make out the words "Donghae" and "at the gates to the Palace" before he hears Hyukjae burst into tears and fall down to the ground. Then, after a while, their footsteps retrieve to the direction of the Headquarter.

Sungmin immediately tries to stand up, but falls to the ground after he feels an excruciating pain in his legs. In his dream, the same thing happens. His legs now seem to have no strength left, as if he no longer has any control over them.

Instead of walking, Sungmin crawls to the window of the room. He knows Kyuhyun would assign guards in front of his room, just like the last time he was here, so he climbs up the windowsill and crawls out of the room.

Next to the window, there is a big tree with large branches. Sungmin breaks off a long and large branch, and uses it as a cane to support himself. The Headquarter is to the west of the room. He takes one deep breath, and heads in the opposite direction. Kyuhyun once told him, that through the woods and the hills, there was a way to get to the foot of Bukhansan, but it was much farther, and much more dangerous than the way directly out the gate, so no one ever tried to take this route. 

"Quiet is good. No one will see me." Sungmin thinks to himself.

It takes him almost half a day to reach the foot of the mountain. On top of the pain in his legs, he is exhausted and dehydrated. His other wounds also have not healed properly. The path is covered in grass and dead branches, so he cannot go as quickly as he wishes. But the determination in his eyes does not subside. He has to go to the gates of the Palace. He has to know if Donghae is really there. He has to see it for himself.

Getting through the street of Hanyang without being recognised is another challenge, as his wanted posters have been put up on every corner, and he was shamed in public for four hours just a few weeks ago.

Sungmin attempts to ruffle up his hair and let it cover his face. With his cane and limp, people will think he is just another drunkard or cripple in the city. 

A few more steps, and he sees them.

Hanged on the gates to the Royal Palace.

His father and Donghae's bodies.

With the word 'traitor' carved into their heads.

The cane can no longer support his weight, and he feels himself falling to the ground. For a second, there is nothing he can do other than stare at their bodies and hope that his eyes have been mistaken.

But their bodies remain on top of the gates, no matter how many times he rubs his eyes and shakes his head.

Their bodies, as an example of the punishment for treason.

And as a trophy of victory for Choi Oongshik.

But his father, an honest and upright nobleman, a teacher, and a headmaster dedicated his whole life to helping the peasants.

Did he deserve to die like that? And to be displayed in public and known in history as a traitor.

And Donghae, his dear friend, a man with the warmest smile and the innocence of a five-year-old.

How could anyone believe he was capable of betraying the King, and his country and harming the very people he worked to protect?

Tears start to fall uncontrollably down his cheeks, but he does not bother to wipe them away. In a second, the quiet tears become soft sobbing, then full-on weeping. Around him, people start the gather to see what the ruckus is about.

"Hey, young man, what's wrong with you? Are you unwell?"

A lady approaches him and asks with a clear concern in her voice. 

But Sungmin strongly shoves her hand away, his tone becoming hostile.

"Get away from me! Don't touch me!"

He growls at the lady, prompting her to take a step back.

"Hey," he hears a middle-aged man whisper to the lady, "that's just another mad guy! We have a lot around here. Why do you even bother?"

As the crowd starts to scatter after his shouting, Sungmin suddenly feels something has gone missing inside of him. Perhaps, a piece of hope inside his heart.

Not far from him, the footsteps of the guards start approaching. 

But Sungmin does not move or attempt to escape. There is nothing that can happen that can make his reality worse than it already is.

Suddenly, from behind him, a figure dressed in dark clothes and a thick veil grabs him and shoves him onto his shoulder.

Sungmin keeps throwing punches and kicks to the man's back and stomach to get away from him, but his wounds have weakened him considerably. In his state, he cannot even injure a fly.

The man quickly shoves him onto a horse nearby, before he himself gets on it, and heads in the opposite direction of Bukhansan.