“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive characters are seared with scars.”

                                -Khalil Gibran

“Ji Yeon!” screamed a little girl.

Ji Yeon froze in her spot as her eyes widened in horror. “Emi!” she exclaimed. She gasped as the menacing figure hovering over her friend turned its eyes to her. Blood dripped down the corner of its lips as it bore its teeth at her.

“Ji Yeon, it hurts!” cried Emi.

Her body shook as she watched the monster busy itself once again with the little girl beneath it. Ji Yeon reached for her sword as anger pulsed through her veins. “Get away from her,” she growled, drawing her sword.

The clean metal glinted against the sunlight as she steadied it in her hands. “And what if I don’t?” asked the monster as he turned to her.

Ji Yeon let out a scream as she charged at the monster, raising the blade above her head. Just as the blade made contact with the vile creature, the scene dissolved and left her in the dark.

“Ji Yeon,” whispered a little voice.

Ji Yeon stared into the blackness in front of her.

“Ji Yeon, why didn’t you save me?” asked the girl’s voice. “You promised me that you’d save me.” A little girl materialized before her. She clutched a teddy bear in one hand.

“Emi,” breathed Ji Yeon. “I’m so sorry.”

“You promised you’d save me,” Emi repeated.

“I know. I’m sorry. I tried. Believe me, I tried,” Ji Yeon replied.

“You didn’t try hard enough,” Emi said coldly.

Ji Yeon fell to her knees as she cried, “I tried! I was too late! It was too late to save you!”

Ji Yeon bolted upright in her bed. Her hair was matted to her forehead. She ignored the cold sweat that stuck to her skin as she traced the S-shaped scar on her shoulder. As her breathing evened, she pushed away her comforter and walked to the bathroom.

Her reflection stared at her mockingly. The faint scars and shadows served as a constant reminder for her sleepless nights. Ji Yeon scowled as she the faucet. The water cooled her burning skin as she let it run over her fingers.

The same dream had haunted her since the day she lost her friend. The only thing that changed was her appearance. Each time she visited the dream, she was another day older. A new scar adorned her pale flesh. Another weapon appeared to be strapped to her belt.

She let out a heavy sigh as she turned away from the mirror. Deciding that sleep would continue to evade her, Ji Yeon made her way to her desk tucked away in a corner. Mountains of requests littered the rich oak bureau. Her eye fell on the top file labeled, “Urgent.”

Annoyance washed over her as she plopped down on her chair and flicked the lamp switch on. Every request was stamped with the same red letters. Grabbing the file from the top, she lazily scanned the request.

“Urgent: Unknown presence haunting family home.” Ji Yeon scoffed at the request. She was a hunter, not a necromancer. She made a mental note to pass it on to one of her friends in the business. Throwing it to the side, she picked up another one.

“Urgent: Livestock found dead, blood drained from body.” She straightened her posture as she read the details in the file. It wanted her blood, but the wounds were far from a simple need for it. The creature had torn into her savagely, as if it wanted more than just her flesh. Ji Yeon glanced at the origin of the request. "District 5, Head Sorcerer.”