There was a myth that the elder of each village told their younger generation whenever men went to war, they would say that the god of War and Destruction was the one who took away the men that went to war. He was said to be a King of one of the 10 realms of Hell, the world filled violence and bloodshed where he feasted on the desires of humans to kill and shed blood on their own kind. However he would spare the men of a village if they gave an offering, the most beautiful young innocent woman who had never been tainted and was not touched by other men, although it was an offering they would call often call her the sacrifice. Then he would bring them back home in exchange for the pure soul so that the god himself could feast on and demolish the poor soul as he tear apart each string of fate bounded to that person.

Nevertheless they were only myths and rumors that were made up to give women and children hope that their husband or father to come back home safely as long as they wished hard enough the goddess of life will protect from the hands of death and the god of war. However when humans get desperate, it is in their nature to do whatever they believe, even if it meant throwing themselves off the cliff they would do it, or even sacrificing their eldest daughter to the mythical world; and this what happened to Yein.

Here she was, sitting on the small dock that was on the edge of a small lake that was said to be the way to the other land where the guardians and gods lived. She saw her parents and gave them one good bye and bowed in front of her grandparents as she whispered a prayer for long life for them; she then hugged her frail mother, the woman who brought her into this world and wore a smile everyday and cried more than Yein when she was chosen as the offering, and once again she broke into tears seeing her beautiful oldest daughter in a white hanbok with red lip paint and soft powdered rosy cheeks she tucked a blonde strand behind her ear and smiled one last time as she place her forehead on hers.

“My beautiful child… please…. I wish I could save you and go in your place…-“

“My blessed mother, please do not wish such a cruel thing. If you were to go in my place, I would never forgive myself and if Yeun were to go, I would still go in her place. Please be happy when I leave, no more crying and mourning, I am not going to die when I leave and father will return for sure. Also remember to smile and think of the wonderful things in life and forget about me. Make sure Yeun eats a lot and she studies hard to become a wonderful wife and make sure her husband is a man of father’s standard. I believe father will return and everyone will be safe in this village.” She held her mother’s small hands.

“My Yeinnie…please… although this may sound rather ridiculous, will you take this before you go to remember us by?” Her mother took off a ruby red pendent with a fox embodied inside the stone. “This has been given to my great grandmother as protection against evil and I want you to have it.” She placed the pendant on her neck and smiled one last time as she held her daughter’s face in her tiny hands and hugged her long and tight. Yein breathed in her mother scent, one that is filled with her cooking and the hint Camilla flowers that grew near their house. Although they don’t have a scent, her mother smelled like them and closed her eyes tight as she hugged her mother one last time.

“Yein eonnie…” A small child the age of eight stood there holding her sister’s handkerchief that she always used. Yein smiled and let her mother go as she crouched down to her sister’s height, careful not to dirty the hanbok.

“Omo my beautiful Yeun, why are you almost in tears my angel?” She grabbed the handkerchief and wiped the younger’s tears. The little one sniffled and tried to hide the tears threatening to fall which made Yein smile as she held the tiny small hands that loved to braid her hair.

“Thank you Yeunnie for doing my hair today! Do you think eonnie looks pretty?”

“Yes, my sister Yein is the prettiest in the village!”

“Of course! Because Yeun did her hair and helped choose her hair accessories.” Yein placed with the cherry blossom pin which she unclipped and placed it into the younger’s hair and caressed her cheek.

“My my, what a beautiful woman you will grow up to be… Can you do me a favor before I leave for a short trip?” Yeun nodded like a good child and Yein patted her head praising her.

“When father comes back from the war, make sure you give him an extra long hug and extra long kiss on his cheek. When he asks where I am, you will say that I went over the hills to find some berries for us to eat. Also make sure you help our mother with the cooking and feed all the animals and make sure you do well at the school to become a good wife. “The little one nodded and Yein places the handkerchief in the palm of her hand before curling her the small fingers around it. “You have to promise me that you will always finish you meals and grow up to be prettier than your eonnie, but not too pretty so you won’t be chosen as a offe-, no a bride for the god okay?”

“I understand, I will eat all my vegetables and not even leave a grain of rice on my bowl!” Yein chuckled and hugged the small frame in front of her.

“Also promise me that you will always look after and protect mother and father okay? You have to be the older sister now. And remember, eonnie is just going over the mountains to find some berries for us to eat. I’m just taking a different route and you are not allowed to follow me no matter what, understand?” She whispered and Yeun nodded in her shoulder. She hugged her a bit tighter and she saw her mother in tears as she watched both her daughter say good bye to one another.

Slowly she let her sister go as she walked towards the boat and greeted the elders in which they said words of safety and prayers of protections with a sorrowful gratitude. She stepped onto the unsteady boat and sat down with a white vale over her head as she gave her family and the village one last smile before the pushed the boat off into the mist where the mythical world was. She saw her little sister run towards her screaming and crying while her mother held her back at the edge of the dock crying as well.

“Don’t go eonnie!!!! I promise I will be a good girl and I won’t play pranks anymore!!! I promise!!! PLEASE COME BACK!!!!! EONNIE!!!”

“Yeun!”

“DON’T GO!”

***

When Yein opened her eyes she almost had forgotten why she was here and she felt like she was in a dream, and it wasn’t until she properly opened her eyes that she saw the world that the elders would talk about appear before her. A land that was floating above the clouds where water falls from the sky and the land below her feet was the greenest pastures she had ever seen and where the wind carried petals of flowers and a sweet scent, where the sun was smiled yet its presences was never seen. She blinked a couple of times before she looked around and saw that she was in a world where she did not belong. She didn’t remember how she came to this beautiful small world, it was as if this part of the world was hidden from the rest of the world and the only way to find it is to not seek it but let it seek you.

“My child!!!”

Yein turned around to see a young woman on a deer run towards her as the woman smiled gracefully and when she was close to Yein she jumped off without a fear and landed with bare feet onto the green pasture. She wasn’t much older than Yein, possibly a year older but her face was bright and she was dressed in a white dress that stopped under her kneecaps and revealed her shoulders and back but fitted into her perfectly. When she finally made her way to Yein she engulfed her into a warm embrace that Yein did not expect.

“You are even more beautiful than I imagined.”

When she pulled away from the hug, Yein saw that she was clearly more beautiful than herself, as she had rosy fluffy cheeks and big eyes and when she smiled it reminded her of her mother’s smile; and she felt a tear fall from the corner of her eye.

“Oh no! Don’t cry my dear child…” The woman wiped Yein’s tears with her thumb and smiled. “Why are you here in such a dangerous place? You will be eaten by a goblin if you stay out here…”

“W-who are you….”

“I am Samshin, the goddess of childbirth, but you may call me Sujeong.” She introduced herself and Yein eyes widen. She had heard about Samshin the goddess as her mother and her prayed to her during Yeun’s birth so that her mother would have a safe and delivery and Yeun would be welcomed to this world.

“I remember when I made you… you were so lovely … I felt so happy when I helped bring you into this world because you were truly a lovely and strong willed child with a beautiful soul , and I knew you would grow up to be a beautiful woman.” Sujeong caressed her cheek and Yein felt nostalgic. It was strange it was if she was her mother or sister that she never had met.

“What brings you to this world where you do not belong?”

“I am here as an offering to the god of War and Dest-“

“What are you doing with a human, Sujeong?”

Yein turned around when she heard a deep low voice come from the other side of the green pastures where she saw two men on horses that were flying in the air. One man was dressed in a black robe that revealed more of chest that was necessary in which his hair was pitch black and his smile was warm yet Yein could see an alternative in his moves. He landed first and jumped off his horse as walked towards Sujeong and gave her a bright rectangular smile and hugged her. The second male was a man in a blood soaked red robe which didn’t reveal as much cleavage as the other man but his muscle could be easily seen through the cloth, his hair was a brown chestnut color and was a lot fluffy and wavier than the other mans. Yet when he jumped off his horse, Yein felt her heart sink, this man was the god of War and destruction. His eyes were a dark ruby and never left her own brown ones and when he stopped in front of her and leaned down to her height; she could feel his breathe on her cheek and the smirk that she was waiting for appeared and he tiled his head as he moved his hand to touch her cheek but was stopped when she pushed behind someone.

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on her”

“Sujeong, why are you so protective of this human?” The man with the black robe leaned against a tree and Sujeong held onto Yein tighter as she glared at him.

“I cannot allow you to take away my child.”

“Who said I was gonna take her away from you?” The man in front of her smirked.

“My dear child…please try to return back to the human world.” Sujeong turned around and whispered quietly to Yein, yet her eyes could not leave the man with ruby eyes as he looked at her with interest.

“Why are you here human child?” The man asked and Yein touched the hand on her wrist as she softly removed it from herself.

“I am here to propose a deal to the god of War and Destruction.” She spoke with confidence and without hesitation. Both men appeared very interested when she spoke as if they had not expected for such a fragile creature to be so brave to talk to gods as if they were nothing.

“What business do you have with me lovely human.” He appeared besides her and Sujeong flinched as she tried to push Yein away but was stopped by the other man.

“I am the god you seek, the one that destroys where he walks and brings bloodshed where he stands, I am Jungkook, the god of war and the king of the realm of violence.” The man named Jungkook leaned in towards her face as he was impressed how she did not even flinch at the proximity between one another. “What is that you want from a foul god such as myself?”

“I want you to save my people, the ones that went to war and ensure their safety for the rest of my life.” She spoke without fear despite her heart racing.

“What do I get from saving those men at war?” Jungkook trailed his slender finger down her rosy cheek as he looked at her with a gaze that made her shy all of a sudden, as she swallowed the salvia in .

“You will have my soul for eternity. Whether you tear my soul apart or keep me as a prisoner or torture me, I will remain by your side for whatever your will is.”

Jungkook smiled as he cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes, there was no trace of fear or betrayal behind her eyes; and Jungkook almost felt sympathetic for the young beauty in front of him as he could not even feel a flame of hatred towards her people or even desire for revenge. She bored him yet she sparked interest in him, normally when he looked at the offerings that the villages gave to him, they always had a flame of hatred and revenge and a scent of fear and sadness. Yet the young human in front of him showed not even a dark or blue emotion towards her situation.

“I always asked for the villagers to bring their most beautiful flower yet this village gave me a cherry bud that has yet to bloom. I wonder if I should really save them…”He spoke slowly that lured women to his biding however the one in front of him did not waver and frowned.

“If you have to take my life in exchange for the other lives, then do it.” She surprised him once again, “I am here to save my people not to run away-”

“You’re willing to sacrifice your own life for the people who used you to save their own tails? Wouldn’t you feel a sense of betrayal or even sadness? After all you were used-“

“It was my decision as well as the elders of my village. I can afford to be sacrificed and used as long as it brings back home one soul to his home, and bring happiness and reassurance to his family.” She clenched her fist as she thought of her father that was out fighting in the war. Jungkook smirked as he rubbed the pad of his thumbs against her cheek waiting for her to flinch but instead she silently let out one tear fall.

“What a beautiful soul you made Sujeong…” Jungkook praised and Sujeong tugged against the other man who smiled. “She’s so strong willed and so lovely, I can tell why you wouldn’t want a god of destruction or death touching her. She makes even the most gruesome gods feel happiness and content, which means she will truly be a delicious soul to devour.”

“Jungkook, don’t you dare! I will curse you if you even dare touch a string of her soul!” swore the god of all children which Jungkook had ignored all her threats.

“Dear human, would you like to know how a god tears apart a human soul?” Jungkook leaned so close that Yein closed her eyes as she felt his breath near her neck as he let out a low chuckle, “They draw all it’s life force from its lips.”

Yein eyes widen and she bit her lip as she knew what was coming next and only hoped it wouldn’t hurt as much as dying by a blade on the battle field and the next thing she heard was the goddess of children scream and she felt something soft touch her lips before she opened her eyes to realize that god in front of her was kissing her now. She tried to push him away but of course he was a lot stronger than her and when he finally let go of her she felt breathless.

“You are no longer a human, but you are the bride of the god of War and Destruction and forever your soul is attached to mine.” He said after he his lips and smirked which made Yein blush.

What exactly had she gotten herself into?

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