Pine and the aroma of sap warmed by the sun fill your nostrils as you struggle to catch your breath. Which idiot had the grand idea of hiking up a mountain at the apex of summer?

“Hey, keep up!” Himchan yells from up ahead.

Oh, that idiot.

“Listen here, Himchan,” Youngjae heaves through labored breaths, “Just because you turned 18 and are going to the army next week, doesn’t mean you get to drive us up the side of a mountain like animals!”

Himchan pauses and turns to look at the trio of struggling teens, a bemused look on his face, “Think of it as training. By the time you and Junhong are of age, the things you’ll be asked to do in the army will be a breeze.”

“That’s five years from now. I don’t give a damn about what’s going to happen in five years,” Junhong whines as he rests his hands on his knees.

“Then why am I here?” you question, patting Junhong on the back. “I don’t plan on enlisting when I’m of age.”

Himchan thoughtfully ponders your question for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, “Because these two only listen to you and you can’t stay cooped up inside all day.”

Not the most reasoned answer, but it does hold some truth. Himchan had come knocking on your door early in the morning, camping gear and the other two in tow, and hardly gave you time to finish your breakfast before dragging you outside. The entire morning was spent climbing, and now, as the four of you near your destination, the sun rests high overhead.

You pause to take a sip from your water bottle, lifting it up to your parched lips. Something thick and gray floats lazily down from the sky to perch atop the point of your nose. Screwing the lid back onto your bottle, you mindlessly swipe at the particle. A streak of charcoal smears across the back of your hand and you stare at it, not quite sure where it came from.

Himchan appears before you, “Don’t fall behind, we’re almost there.”

“Right,” you reply, following Himchan as he returns to the front of the group.

But as you continue, more dark flecks begin to skitter to the ground. You all pause, staring up at the sky.

“What is this?” Youngjae holds out his hand to catch the flakes on his palm.

“It can’t be snow, right?” Junhong asks as he rubs a speck between his thumb and forefinger. The flakes fall faster, the amount increasing rapidly.

“It’s definitely not snow,” you say, “It’s more like-”

“Ash,” Himchan finishes.

“Ash?” Youngjae says, his eyes widening, “Do you think there’s a fire nearby?” He looks to Himchan who has begun to spin in a slow circle as he tries to find the source of the ash.

“I don’t know,” Himchan eyes the sky, “but it would have to be pretty close for the ash to fall this heavily. Also, it’s almost as if it’s falling straight down, directly from the clouds.”

“What do we do?” you ask, fighting the panic that begins to rise in your chest.

“I think we should-”

“Look!” Junhong cuts him off, his finger pointing through a break in the trees to show your village off in the distance.

Fear seizes your heart like the first frost of winter. Drops of fire rain down from the heavens as natural as if it were rain, landing on the roofs of the homes and igniting them instantly. In seconds the entire village is aflame. Instinctively, you step forward.

“No!” Himchan grips your arm tightly and yanks you back.

“We have to help. Our families are down there,” your voice is eerily calm, but it does not disguise the tears in your eyes or the terror that floods your veins.

“It’s too dangerous,” Himchan growls, pulling you again as you try to release his grip.

“We have to save them!” you scream, panic ripping through your throat.

“The entire village is on fire,” Youngjae says meekly, “There’s no way…no way we could save anyone or make it out alive ourselves.”

Tears pour down your face in disbelief that no one is running back to help.

“Himchan, please,” you cry, looking up into his eyes. His expression is steeled, but fresh tears pool in the corner of his eyes.

A shout from Junhong makes you jump and immediately you see why. A small scattering of flames have caught on the dry bark of the trees, strands of flame dripping onto the underbrush of the forest floor.

Before you can move an ear splitting sound berates your eardrums. Everyone drops to their knees, covering their ears in a useless attempt to keep out the noise. You identify the sound as trumpets, but where is it coming from and why does it make the ground quiver? Just as you feel your head is about to split open, the trumpets cease and you stand up on wobbly legs. All is unnervingly quiet for a moment before more fire hurtles towards the ground.  

“Run!” Himchan yells, “The cave is up ahead. Don’t look back!” He pulls you in front of him and pushes you hard in between your shoulders, sending you almost face first to the ground. You reach out to brace yourself and pebbles scrape the soft flesh of your palms. Himchan pulls you up by the back of your shirt and urges you forward again.

Youngjae and Junhong sprint ahead of you, nimbly dodging patches of flame. The entrance to the cave appears through the thicket of trees untouched by the fire. Gritty, hot smoke scorches the lining of your lungs with each breath, but you pull the collar of your shirt over the lower half of your face and will your muscles to propel you forward.

Youngjae and Junhong make it to the mouth of the cave first, but they stop to turn and look for you and Himchan.

“Keep going! Run as deep as you can!” Himchan shouts from your left side. The two boys take one last look at the burning forest before disappearing into the darkness. Soon, your feet meet the smooth surface of the cave floor, but you do not dare to look back. Himchan encloses his hand around yours and carefully leads you further into the complete blackness. Footsteps echo off the walls and join the sounds of panicked breathing and a thrumming heart in your ears. The footsteps multiply as you catch up to Youngjae and Junhong who are quickly losing steam.

“I think we’re in far enough,” Himchan pants and pulls you to a stop. All of you drop to the ground in relief, but the reality of what has transpired does not leave your thoughts.

“What are we going to do?” Youngjae asks with uncertainty.

A ruffling can be heard while Himchan rummages through his pack. He pulls out a small lantern and clicks it on, its light momentarily blinding you,

“We should stay in here until the morning. This cave used to lead to a mine, but the entrance is natural and sturdy.”

“What do you think happened to the village? Where did that fire come from?” Junhong asks, his hands shaking in his lap.

You furrow your brows in thought as the images of fire pouring down from the heavens replay in your mind. None of it makes sense; fire does not fall from the clouds as if it is just another natural weather phenomenon.

“I think,” Himchan pauses, gathering his words carefully, “We shouldn’t expect to find much of the village left when we return.” A solemn look falls over his face, the shadows cast by the lantern amplifying his sadness, “There’s no way anything could have survived so much fire. We got lucky that only a few scattered remnants of the flames made it to our height on the mountain.”

A heavy weight sinks your heart to your stomach. Everything you know, everyone you love, is not going to be there when you return home. The gravity of the thought is unbearably painful and you curl in on yourself, pulling your knees to your chest.

The cave is silent for an untracked time as tears flow down ash-smudged cheeks. At some point Himchan tries to get everyone to eat a little bit, but the thought of eating at such a moment makes your stomach revolt. No one sleeps that night; how can you with hearts so irrevocably torn?

Himchan checks his watch with a quiet sigh, “The sun is up now. Let’s go back.”

With weakened and defeated limbs you slowly push yourself up to stand. The lower half of your body tingles as normal circulation of your blood returns and you hesitate before taking an unsteady step. You help Himchan lift Youngjae and Junhong off their feet and give their arms gentle squeezes of affirmation.

The walk back to the mouth of the cave is hushed, each person deep in thought and resiliently holding on to a small shred of hope that at least some of the world you knew had survived. But that tiny glimmer of hope is quickly doused as you step outside, the devastation glaringly apparent even at first glance. From your high spot on the mountain, much of the forest below and the village are visible, or at least, what was left.

The lower half of the forest stands empty and charred; what was once lush and vibrantly green now lies in tones of gray and black. Trails of smoke pour carelessly from the trees and piles of ash on the ground, dancing in a muted remembrance of what was lost.

Your eyes move quickly in the direction of the village, praying that some of it remains, but what you see rips all vestiges of hope from your grasp. The village is nothing but a blackened circle on the earth- the only hint that anything had been there at all. A cry tears from your throat and is mimicked by the three friends around you. Junhong falls to a seated position on the ground, burying his face in his hands as sobs wrack his chest. Youngjae stands next to Junhong, his hand placed on his shoulder as fresh tears fall from his puffy, reddened eyes. Himchan stands with his hand covering his mouth, tears slipping over the back and dribbling onto his shirt. You, however, cannot find any more tears within, having spent them all the night before. An empty, hollow anguish fills you instead, permeating your bones and deadening your nerves. Everything is gone.

Without thought you walk forward, drawn by a force to see your ruined world. The others follow and the trek down blurs by, your mind too stunned to process anything else. As you walk the familiar road that leads to the only home you have ever