ACT I

[CHAPTER I]

Jung Taekwoon

A place with no 'tomorrows'...

Jung Taekwoon didn't like 'tomorrows'. He didn't like being forced to sleep at night and having to wake up every morning under a sky that didn't seem any brighter than it did at night. His days were always the opposite of fun and enjoyable. Although Taekwoon is only seven, he knows very well about the things that happen around him; why he was hated by everyone in town and why no one dared to talk to him. It wasn't because Taekwoon was timid or quiet or even had intimidating sharp eyes, but because of his parents. He was a child forced to exist in this world from the despair and hatred his father had towards his mother and his two uncles from above. Taekwoon had heard stories about his parents since the day he had learned to walk outside of the mansion and the folks in town would gossip around Taekwoon thinking that the child wouldn't hear.

“It's that child again,” they would whisper to one another while stealing glances along with a disgusted face on them to look at the small and innocent child.

When Taekwoon's eyes meet theirs, they would scurry away and disappear. They avoided him like a plague and rejected his existence.

Why do I exist? He constantly questions himself that. But there was no one that could answer him.

Taekwoon's father, despite being entitled 'God of the Dead' or 'Ruler of the Underworld,' was perceived as a failure who lost against his two older brothers because he was too weak compared to them. The worst punishment for the one that lost was to be sealed in the world of the dead and forced to watch over them.

His father was strict, controlling, and very egocentric. Anyone who dared to cross his path would face punishment so cruel that they wish they were dead. Because of this, Taekwoon knows very well than to ever talk back to his father or let his father see him as 'weak.'

Weakness was against the rules in his family.

Taekwoon still remembers that one time when he came home after getting picked on by the other children in town when he was covered in scratches and bruises, as well as mud all over him. When his father saw Taekwoon in such state, Taekwoon really thought that he would receive the comfort or sympathy from his father for once. But instead of comfort, his father grabbed him by the arms forcefully and tied him above the sea of wailing banshees.

“This is the consequence of being weak and powerless,” his father warned him. “You have disgraced me and you will continue to hang up there until you stop those useless tears. Do you think that by crying, you’ll solve anything? Tears are useless and unnecessary in this family. You’re just like your mother. Useless!”

That was the last time Taekwoon ever­­ let his father see him cry. Tears were a sign of weakness, and weakness was not allowed; not in front of anyone and definitely not in front of this father.

*   *   *   *   *   *

As much as Taekwoon hated the mornings, he hated staying at home even more. He couldn't stand the pressure he felt just knowing that his father was nearby under the same roof. Instead, he would walk outside into town even though the adults avoided him and Taekwoon knew very well he w­asnot welcome.

Although the adults avoided him, the children in town did not. It wasn't because they were his friends, no, nothing like that at all. Instead, it was so that they could make fun of him, push him around and point fingers at Taekwoon for his misfortune.

Their words hurt of course, but more importantly, he wasn't avoided. He liked to be acknowledged by others, even if it meant getting pushed around. If not for them, Taekwoon would feel even lonelier. He hated the adults who would secretly whisper behind his back thinking Taekwoon was just a child who understood nothing. But Taekwoon understood everything. He may be quiet but he was very observant and sensitive about how others looked at him. Their cold stares were more painful than the words children threw at him.

Although he knew he wasn't welcome, he still walked towards the playground where the other children would gather in the afternoon. He took out his favorite book to read while he waited and sometimes scribbled doodles on the sand even though his drawings were ambiguous.

When will they get here, he thought while looking around impatiently. He was lonely. He wanted someone to talk to him and erase his loneliness.

The children don’t always appear at the playground though. There would be times when they don't show up at all but Taekwoon had hoped. Hoped for even one person to come and notice him.

The sky darkened and rain began to fall. Once it rains, Taekwoon's only chance of seeing any of the children would disappear. No one would come out when it rains because the rain in the Underworld felt like acid, corroding everything that it hits. It stung so much that even the residents would not dare to come out except for one desperate child. Taekwoon was disheartened and quickly found shelter underneath the slide. It was still too early to go home he thought to himself. He didn't want to go home. As he clutched his body while trying to warm himself up, he remembered something.

Something that his mother used to tell him.

*   *   *   *   *   *

As much as Taekwoon's mother hated his father and living amongst the darkness and the nightmares, she didn't give Taekwoon the cold shoulder his father would give him. Sure, she resented Taekwoon a bit but never hated her own child. She endured the ten months of pain for him and the early years of taking care of Taekwoon as an infant since there were no caretakers at home aside from her. Her husband refused to hire any outsiders into the mansion to care for his own son, so she had no choice but to stay behind and watch over Taekwoon.

Taekwoon was her own blood, a part of her. Taekwoon became her only comfort and it was the same for the young child.

Each time Taekwoon was scolded by his father, Taekwoon would silently retreat to his bedroom to cry. His mother would knock on his door and come to comfort her son by rubbing his back and waited until Taekwoon had fallen asleep.

“It's okay Taekwoon-ah, everything is going to be fine. I'll always be here for you,” she said.

Those were the only words Taekwoon wanted to hear.

However, his mother wasn't always there for him. His mother only comes home when her time was up. She was forced to go back to the Underworld despite how much she hated it. Taekwoon knew that and how he wished his mother would bring him wherever she went but Taekwoon did not have the power or access to the Heavens. As a child born in the land of the dead, there was no way for him to reach the skies. He was rejected by the Gods above ever since his birth.

Though Taekwoon seldom saw his mother, each time he did, she would tell him stories about the Heavens and how different it was from Hell. It was a place above the sky, far higher than all existence and a place that meets the sun. It had something called 'light,' in which Taekwoon have never seen and could only imagine. It was brighter than his bed lamp, as his mother would describe it. The Heavens were calm and majestic; those that lived above would enjoy scrumptious feasts and endless festivities. It was loud but musically pleasing, something that the world beneath did not have. It contained a variety of colors that Taekwoon could only envision and creatures that made you want to caress them rather than run away from.

Oh, how he wished he could go there, even just once.

Aside from the Heavens, there was also another world his mother told him about. A world even more mysterious than living above the clouds or below the surface. It was a world that existed in-between the Heavens and Hell. The world of 'mortals,' or humans as his mother would call them. These humans looked just like Taekwoon or his mother or even his father, but they were also very different. These humans were a creation of the Gods and did not possess any powers like their creators. They were weak and fragile, easy to catch diseases and fought hard for survival even though their lifespan was already short enough. His mother never understood why they existed or why these humans were so persistent in surviving, despite knowing that they would eventually die and make their way to the afterlife. Once they die, their souls would be sent to either the Heavens or Hell to pay for their sins during the time they were alive.

They were weak compared to the Gods but also possessed 'powers' of their own, wealth of their own, and the rules they decided amongst themselves. They didn't need guidance from the Gods; they don't even know that they were being observed from those above every day. The Gods would study them, take notes, and even put them in trials to test their fate. More mischievous Gods would even descend from the Heavens to blend themselves amongst the mortals to study them even more but these humans would never know. They can’t know about it. What was most interesting, however, weren't just that these beings existed, but the possibility that a mortal version of their immortal selves existed as well.

These mortals were a creation of the Gods, their fate and lives twirled around God's every decision and every movement. They were created from the Gods who cloned their powers and sent them into the world beneath. That meant, they had certain characteristics or possibilities that resembled their 'godly' version.

Humans and Gods connected in a strange and unexplainable way, even the creators themselves did not know the answer to it.

Taekwoon's mother told him that there's always a possibility to find their 'mortal' selves in the human world. They could be breathing, sleeping, eating and living just like those above and below but it was forbidden for the two to meet.

No, they should never meet. Even though the Gods above who had access to the human world was forbidden to find their other selves because that would disrupt the laws of the universe and create chaos between the worlds. The Gods also feared that if the mortals were to know of the Gods’ existence or how they were created in the first place, they would eventually find ways to achieve the same powers.

Humans may be weak, but their intelligence was no lesser than the Gods.

If Taekwoon's mortal self-existed, is it a boy or a girl? How do they look like? Sound like? Or feel like? It was a dangerous thought, but Taekwoon could only imagine. Hoping that his other self had lived a happier life than he did or be there for him when he feels lonely.

Just like how he feels right now as he waited for the rain to stop.

*   *   *   *   *   *

The next day looked a lot clearer, or at least as clear as the smoky sky could possibly get. He hoped that 'today,' he would finally meet the other kids. He secretly misses them. Just as soon as Taekwoon walked out of the house, he sensed that something was following him.

It was 'Hyuk,' the guard dog in training that Taekwoon's father sent him, to stay by Taekwoon's side. It was only a puppy, no larger than Taekwoon. Hyuk is a small black and dark brown puppy with light orange eyes and though he was still very weak, he tried to put up a strong front to prove himself worthy to be the next great hellhound of the Underworld. Taekwoon didn't like the idea of being followed or watched by Hyuk at first because it felt like his father was following him, or that Hyuk would report to his father in case Taekwoon made a mistake. Taekwoon ignored the puppy's existence at first, but eventually, he gave in when the Hyuk looked so fragile, just like Taekwoon.

The adults saw Taekwoon and scattered away immediately as usual but he ignored them. He had only one goal in mind and that was to see the others playing around.

They were all there, running around loudly, playing games, swinging underneath the tree and having fun. Taekwoon let out a sigh of relief. I won't be alone today, he thought. But as soon as he stepped onto the playground, the children became silent and wary.

“You're here again?” one boy grunted.

Taekwoon remained silent.

“How many times have we said, you're NOT welcome here. Go away already! Loser!” another shouted.

“Yeah! Go away!” The others joined in one by one.

Taekwoon didn't reply and walked towards the bench he would always sit to observe the others while they played. The children glared at him and retreated back to their activities. He took his book out and secretly pretended to read while looking over the pages at the other kids. It didn't matter whether or not he was welcomed by the others, it didn't even matter if they bullied him or laughed at him, the very least they don’t tell lies like their parents.

And the most important thing was that they saw him, they saw him as ' Jung Taekwoon,' and didn't ignore him. The adults lie, but they didn't. So what if they laughed at him, pointed fingers at him and called him a loser? None of that matters and Taekwoon was already used to it. As much as he wished the others would let him join the fun, he knew that was impossible.

Moments into his reading and Hyuk falling asleep while curled up next to him, a ball suddenly flew right next to him. It was about to start again.

“Dammit, it should've hit,” one boy snapped his fingers.

Taekwoon gave him a glare but ignored him.

“What? It's your fault for being in the way.”

That woke Hyuk up from his slumber and alarmed him. He growled at the boy, ready to defend his master. Taekwoon stopped him, patted him on the head to tell him he was okay.

“I'm fine,” Taekwoon said quietly to Hyuk.

Taekwoon was trying to ignore the boy's remark and went back to reading until the other boys started to gather around Taekwoon. Taekwoon became slightly frightened. Just a few days ago, they grabbed and shoved him so hard that he fell over the bench, leaving several bruises that haven't gone away yet.

“Just look at him, what a loser!” A kid started laughing at Taekwoon.

“Just like his dad!” Another joins in.

Then, one of the boys snatched Taekwoon's book out of his hands and threw it on the floor. Before Taekwoon could react, he was already surrounded. They started shoving Taekwoon back and forth like before but Taekwoon didn't fight back. He didn't like violence, he didn't want to walk the same path as his father did even though he knew he had the power to do so. The kids may not fear Taekwoon but they would definitely fear his father and the wrath he could bring to the town. The pushing and poking continued and Taekwoon slipped onto the hard gravel ground, causing Taekwoon to scrape his palms as he landed. It hurts, it was painful and Taekwoon was fighting back his tears. I can't cry, not here not now, he told himself.

“Please stop,” Taekwoon finally said, although his voice was hardly audible.

“What? You have something to say? Say it!”

“He can't even speak properly! Haha, what a loser!”

“Stop...” Taekwoon continued pleading as he clenched his fist, both nervously and angrily.

No, don't, he told himself while holding back the urge.

The boys looked at him, laughing at him, and continued to surround him like vultures.

Then, one of the boys proposed something to Taekwoon.

“Stop huh? Sure, we can stop.” He said.

Taekwoon looked up.

“I know, let's pay a game then. If you win, we will stop bothering you. Heck, we can even let you play with us,” the boy continued.

“A game?”

“That's right, a game. It's simple, anyone can do it. You just have to prove to us that you're not a loser.”

“H-how?” Taekwoon asked the boy, slightly anxious about the proposal. “What's the game?”

“You know the forest on the other side of town right? You just need to enter that forest, make your way to the deepest part and come back with something as a proof. Simple right?"

Simple? It was far from being simple. The forest was known to be inhabited and everyone knew to go anywhere but near it. It was a forest where once you entered, there would be no escape. It was said to engulf anyone who dares to disturb its peace.

The Forest of Nightmares.

Taekwoon looked at the boy dumbfounded, hoping that he had heard wrong.

“Well? Are going to accept it or be the coward that you already are?” The boy looked at Taekwoon.

“I...” Taekwoon paused and took a moment to think. It was a good opportunity for Taekwoon after all, as long as he can stop the others from teasing him, anything would do. They even told him they would play with him.

“What do I bring back?” Taekwoon said hesitantly, unsure of whether or not to accept the challenge.

“Anything, but we have to approve of it of course.”

“Anything?”

“Anything.” The boy declared.

Taekwoon thought to himself, maybe just a rock or branch might work. He may even be able to go to another forest, a less scary one, and lie his way out of it.

“Okay,” Taekwoon said.

“Oh! But we're going to watch you enter, so don't even think about cheating us!”

Well, there goes the plan, Taekwoon thought to himself a minute later.

“Meet us here tomorrow afternoon if you're going to do it if not, you can always chicken out on us but don't even think about letting us see you again!”

And then, the crowd dispersed.

*   *   *   *   *   *

That night, Taekwoon couldn't stop thinking and worrying about what to do. He accepted a challenge without thinking about the consequences. What if he doesn't make it back alive after entering? What if something comes out and eats him? But he can't just say no or else the others will call him a loser forever. Taekwoon didn't know what to do.

“What do I do?” Taekwoon asked Hyuk. Hyuk tilted his head.

*   *   *   *   *   *

The next morning arrived and Taekwoon barely got any sleep, if any at all. He dragged himself slowly off the bed and woke Hyuk up. As he was getting dressed, his worried thoughts continued to hover above him. He worried so much that he didn't even have the appetite to eat his breakfast and just left it untouched.

Taekwoon sighed and tried to persuade himself, it's going to be okay, everything will be okay, just like how his mother would tell him. At least he tried to brainwash himself into thinking so. Maybe enough wishful thinking would change the situation he was about to face.

He saw the others already gathered at the playground waiting for Taekwoon. Taekwoon looked at them from afar, maybe it's not too late to back out now, he thought to himself. Just as he was about to step back, one of the kids saw him.

“Hey! It's the loser! So you didn't chicken out after all.” He pointed at Taekwoon and all the attention was on him.

Taekwoon had no choice now but to walk over to them and accept his fate.

“Well then, let's go,” and Taekwoon followed behind.