Kyuhyun ran.

He sprinted while he hastily shoved leaves and branches out of his way, tripping on pebbles and twigs in his path.

His cotton shirt was torn in places from the scratching of the sharp-edged branches, and his feet were muddied and red from running on the cold and damp earth.

Despite the conditions, Kyuhyun kept running through the forest floor, determined to reach the end of it. The air was chilly, marking the beginning of autumn, and the atmosphere had a sombre feeling to it. The sun was supposedly high - it was, in fact no later than midday - but the rays of light were shadowed by the enormous trees that towered over the running boy. His vision was blurred from the tears streaming down his face, and lips swollen red from the constant nipping and biting. His ankles were in no better condition, ready to buckle and go limp with another torturous step.

-

A moment of silence enveloped him as he stumbled out of the endless continuation of trees, into the open and into the blinding sun.

Kyuhyun stopped in his tracks. His eyes darting at the scene unfolding before him. He was standing on a shallow cliff, looking down upon the port where hundreds of merchant ships docked, thousands of stalls and market women scurrying about, minding their own businesses. Kyuhyun had never come to this part of the country before but he felt a calming sense of familiarity just by watching the scene.

However, the initial silence did not remain long as a low rustle heard behind him.

Kyuhyun inhaled sharply. Men.

Eyes shifting, he saw that the only continuation of the path he'd been running, was the open-ended shallow cliff before him. Grabbing a sturdy-looking branch, he tapped the dirt beneath him, checking to see if it would hold his weight, and steadily slid down the cliff.

How did they catch up so easily? Kyuhyun pondered, stepping on another dent on the cliff.

He cursed as his foot slipped. But