You blink rapidly as you feel tears threatening to spring out of your eyes. Your head feels so light and keeps spinning as you try to sit up properly. ‘Don’t force yourself,’ says a male voice seriously. You can’t see his smile anymore. As he forces you back into a lying position, you can hear crumpling sounds; like the sound of dry, autumn leaves being crushed.

‘My name is Jongup,’ says the voice. ‘I found you lying as still as a rock on the streets. I thought you were dead. What’s your name?’ You shake your head, too nauseous to process any of his words. As you try to sit up again, he simply asks questions you can’t answer.

After a few minutes, you shakily stand up. You brush leaves off your back and try to take a step. At that moment, Jongup asks: ‘Why are you here?’ His words flow through your mind like a waterfall. Memories come crashing back into your mind, one by one. They came like spears, stabbing you with horrible remnants of the past. Your happy smiles, your crying face. Your good times, your bad times. Your best friend, your worst enemy. ‘Why am I here?’ you ask yourself.

You fall back onto your knees; your mind is so full you feel that if another drop of memory came, you would explode. ‘You’ve been saved by the phoenix haven’t you?’ Jongup asks sceptically, flashing one of the smiles he had when you had opened your eyes. He looks at you as if he would throw a tantrum if you said the wrong answer. Could you trust him? You have no promise between the golden, twinkling phoenix to never tell anyone but something is holding you back. You stare at him with blank eyes. ‘So, have you?’ he asks again, smiling.