Forgotten Memories
Love and Betrayal---
"Gayoon, please..." -her hands were trying to reach her, but Gayoon took a step backwards.
"Don't touch me!"
Hyuna's hand was shaking. It felt like sharp daggers in her chest, piercing her heart. She reprimanded herself for everything, because she had seen it coming. Junhyung had warned her, of her weakness: her love for her princess.
“My father is dead. My kingdom is about to fall. Because we...trusted the wrong people…because I trusted the wrong person…”
In the middle of her anger, Gayoon was starting to think about a lot of things, Commander Junhyung, Hyuna, even...Jiyoon... Gayoon tried to supress the need of shouting, of throwing all her anger towards Hyuna, who only pleaded for forgiveness.
“Please...Gayoon...I.... I love you....”
“SHUT UP! How do you...!?...-she was breathing heavily-...How do you DARE?!”
“Go ahead...just kill her...”
Hyuna felt her body shivering with fear. She immediately recognized the voice but Gayoon was so focused on her, that she seemed unaffected.
“Make her kneel...and beg for her life!”
Gayoon was struggling with her own messed up thoughts. However, she noticed a dark figure behind Hyuna, not too far away, covered in robes. Hyuna immediately turned around, unleashing her sword and point at the random person.
“How...pathetic., My own daughter...asking for mercy”. -the leader of the Dark Moon was there, his face hidden in a blank mask that made him look even more scary, like a ghost in the middle of the night. Hyuna, struggling with her fears, but determined to protect the person she loved, stands between them.
“I won't...let you...”
The man laughed. “You always have been a spoiled brat...maybe it's time for a lesson, my child...”
-----
She was sweating, praying the gods to make her stronger as she was ready to strike her first shot, waiting for a pause in their fighting. A couple of trees fell down, after a big explosion and Jiyoon was struggling to breathe, leaning on another nearby tree. She had managed to hurt Junhyung, who took something from his pockets and eats it. Sohyun saw this as her chance and shoot at him but he managed to summon fire around him, burning the arrows. Sohyun cursed and Jiyoon recognized her moving to another place. At least, she wasn't alone now.
“You are an idiot if you think that you can take me down like that!” -Junhyung wasn't calm now.
Jiyoon knew he was badly hurt, it was common for some soldiers to use special herbs to suppress the pain, but that made them erratic in their behavior. She had to trust Hyuna, to trust Gayoon as well, even if that man, the deadly leader of Dark Moon was near. She had to win, to let her past behind in order to protect the person she loves.
She pointed at Junhyung clearly so Sohyun would be able to understand her signal and she started to fight against him, one on one, their swords making contact roughly. She got hurt again by him but invoked another set of explosions that nearly stun him but he pierced her arm with his sword.
Sohyun almost feared the worst, she heard Jiyoon cry but she shoots again at Junhyung who blocked almost everything, except for one arrow that hits his shoulder and started to burn him as well.
“YOU!!!!”
Junhyung charges towards Jiyoon, and has her against a tree, pushing the sword against her, with all his anger and yet his sadness. His eyes were now tainted with red.
“My father is dead. My kingdom is about to fall. Because we...trusted the wrong people…because I trusted the wrong person…”
In the middle of her anger, Gayoon was starting to think about a lot of things, Commander Junhyung, Hyuna, even...Jiyoon... Gayoon tried to supress the need of shouting, of throwing all her anger towards Hyuna, who only pleaded for forgiveness.
“Please...Gayoon...I.... I love you....”
“SHUT UP! How do you...!?...-she was breathing heavily-...How do you DARE?!”
Hyuna felt her body shivering with fear. She immediately recognized the voice but Gayoon was so focused on her, that she seemed unaffected.
“Make her kneel...and beg for her life!”
Gayoon was struggling with her own messed up thoughts. However, she noticed a dark figure behind Hyuna, not too far away, covered in robes. Hyuna immediately turned around, unleashing her sword and point at the random person.
“How...pathetic., My own daughter...asking for mercy”. -the leader of the Dark Moon was there, his face hidden in a blank mask that made him look even more scary, like a ghost in the middle of the night. Hyuna, struggling with her fears, but determined to protect the person she loved, stands between them.
“I won't...let you...”
The man laughed. “You always have been a spoiled brat...maybe it's time for a lesson, my child...”
“You are an idiot if you think that you can take me down like that!” -Junhyung wasn't calm now.
Jiyoon knew he was badly hurt, it was common for some soldiers to use special herbs to suppress the pain, but that made them erratic in their behavior. She had to trust Hyuna, to trust Gayoon as well, even if that man, the deadly leader of Dark Moon was near. She had to win, to let her past behind in order to protect the person she loves.
She pointed at Junhyung clearly so Sohyun would be able to understand her signal and she started to fight against him, one on one, their swords making contact roughly. She got hurt again by him but invoked another set of explosions that nearly stun him but he pierced her arm with his sword.
Sohyun almost feared the worst, she heard Jiyoon cry but she shoots again at Junhyung who blocked almost everything, except for one arrow that hits his shoulder and started to burn him as well.
“YOU!!!!”
Junhyung charges towards Jiyoon, and has her against a tree, pushing the sword against her, with all his anger and yet his sadness. His eyes were now tainted with red.
“YOU BETRAYED ME!! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME JIYOON?! I LOVED YOU!”
“No...” Jiyoon murmured angry.
A distant memory where a younger version of Jiyoon came back. She saw herself running toward another young boy. They were on the top of a mountain from where the Dark Moon base could be seen.
“Junghyung! Guess what?!”
When Junghyun saw Jiyoon running toward him, he smiled, but at the moment when Jiyoon arrives next to him, his smile became a stern look.
“What, Jiyoon? And I told you to call me commander”
Jiyoon look down, she doesn’t understand, sometimes Junhyung would be very nice to him but then lately, he has being very mean to her.
“Sorry, commander" She says almost in a mock tone "I just wanted to show you that the dog you gave me two weeks ago and we thought we had lost during a mission, came back!! Look!!!” she finally show the small puppy to her most admired friend.
Junhyung scoff at her and held the dog:”Why do you care so much about this dog? Just focus on your mission Jiyoon”
Jiyoon was getting sad, ”Why Junhyun…why are u so mean?!” then she ran away with the dog.
However, Jiyoon ignored that Junhyung was thinking about the conversation that he and his father had just a day ago. That conversation had made him feel uneasy.
“I heard rumors about you, treating one of our soldier differently. What have I told you about being so condescending towards your soldiers?! You better not let me find out who it is, I promise you, and she will disappear without a trace!”
Later on, Junhyung couldn’t find Jiyoon, he was panicking. He quickly searched around the area to finally find Jiyoon walking with her dog, near the river.
“Jiyoon, what are you doing?!” he couldn’t hold his anger
“I’m playing with my dog, jun...I mean, commander”
“Stop wasting time and prepare for your next mission!!”
“I heard rumors about you, treating one of our soldier differently. What have I told you about being so condescending towards your soldiers?! You better not let me find out who it is, I promise you, and she will disappear without a trace!”
Later on, Junhyung couldn’t find Jiyoon, he was panicking. He quickly searched around the area to finally find Jiyoon walking with her dog, near the river.
“Jiyoon, what are you doing?!” he couldn’t hold his anger
“I’m playing with my dog, jun...I mean, commander”
“Stop wasting time and prepare for your next mission!!”
“But, I just came back from one and I don’t have any !!”
Without thinking, Junhyung unleashed his sword and stabbed the dog down which made Jiyoon was shocked for a moment as she watched the innocent and loyal creature dying. He had given her that dog as a birthday present.
“ WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?! ”
Junhyung was hurting, seeing how hurt Jiyoon was, but he has to do it, he can’t afford his father finding out that he got her a gift or being nice to her:”Do not ever mention the word “LOVE”, you don’t know what that word mean and “LOVE” is a weakness. Forget about this existence and go back to training!” then he walked away.
Coming back to reality, Jiyoon pushed against him, gathering all her strength.
"...You told me...It was weak to love someone…You told me LOVE IS A WEAKNESS!!!"
Finally, Jiyoon pushed him away from her, taking steps forward. Her body hurts for all the effort but her mind is clear now.
"You told me I was weak, too many times." -Jiyoon was almost out of breathe. -" Sending me to those missions, to prove myself to you, to them...for what? For nothing, I was nothing... I had to fight over and over again. And you tell me this... "-Jiyoon wanted to cry - "You don't know how to care for someone!. But I guess...I can't blame you. Your father is such a horrible person."
-"Don't..."
-"He's a murderer...a traitor...how could you?!
-"He was one of my teachers. And for a moment...he was a friend."
Sohyun looks at her in disbelief. "So..."
"I was trained under the dark moon. Since..."
Jiyoon felt a sharp pain in her head. -Since I was a kid...
"Jiyoon, are you okay?"
Jiyoon felt a rush of thoughts, memories in her mind. Junhyung and Hyuna when they were kids, smiling at her. The village where they met before were enlist to training. Jiyoon wanted to cry. She only could remember that now. The Castle and someone waving to her, calling her name. And then something heavy and dark. The man with no face.
"Hyuna...and Gayoon..."-Jiyoon whispers.
Junhyung coughs, feeling the presence of his own father, far from them, menacing.
"He's here..."
Sohyun wanted to kill that man but she had to save her arrows if she wanted to save the princess. "Jiyoon, we should hurry...can you walk?"
Jiyoon took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's go"
Another soldier from the Dark Moon fell on the ground and the Leader clapped in mockery. Hyuna was angry, he was always like that, ruthless, not caring for his soldiers, or anyone, throwing everything away for his ambitions.
"Good my child, good! You certainly fight like them! What about the things that I taught you, my child?! Why are you not using those techniques?!"
"I'm not like you!"
"Oh, but you are my flesh and blood, how could you say those things to your father? Look at all these bodies in front of you and look at your own hand. Your sword is full of blood, full of their blood. I guess it's her fault for tempting you!"
As her father land his eyes on Gayoon, Hyuna stood right in front of the princess with her sword on guard, protecting the broken princess.
"But she's so lovely, like a delicate flower." -The man added.
"Gayoon...run...-whispered Hyuna."
"Running away?! No, no...I intend to treat your princess well..."-The leader said and Hyuna's felt disgusted. Before she could say something she felt choke.
"No, no...behave, my child."
Gayoon was horrified, watching Hyuna dropping the sword. -"STOP!"
Hyuna fell on the floor, coughing. Gayoon stared at the Leader, determined to die fighting.
Hyuna fell on the floor, coughing. Gayoon stared at the Leader, determined to die fighting.
"Go on! Kill me if you want to! Even if I die, my soldiers will avenge us....You won't win."
The leader laughed. "Your soldiers?! Only a bunch of kids. Your people hates the monarchy, your father did a good job in keeping them poor. Magicians are not happy either. Soldiers are yelling for revolution. You are just a young woman...the last one of your family, with no kingdom, nor soldiers to make a decent fight and...only surrounded by...traitors..."
"Gayoon, please..." Hyuna pleaded.
"Traitors like her...who knew that your father was going to die..." -The leader's words were like poison and Gayoon was struggling.
"No" -Hyuna was begging.
"She and Junhyung, my son. They were sent to do the work. And also, my talented assassin Jiyoon..."
Gayoon looked at the sword at her feet. Dark thoughts were clouding her mind and the Leader waited for her.
"Good...now do it..."
"No..."-Gayoon took a step back. She remembers Hyuna taking care of her, her smile towards her, her patience when she felt sad or angry.
"I'm not an assassin...I'm not...I..."
"Don't be a fool, like my own daughter. Here’s a deal, I like you. If you kill my daughter, I can let you live..."
"NEVER!" -Gayoon shouted. Even with her heart shattering, her soul with sadness and despair, she remembered how she felt for Hyuna. Revenge won't solve anything. "I'm not like you!"
"Fool..." The man was going to attack when he was interrupted by people shouting. Immediately, the ninjas from Dark Moon were fighting against the remaining soldiers loyal to Gayoon.
"It seems that some people don't know when it's time to give up."
Gayoon noticed that someone was approaching her. She was surprised to see Jihyun walking towards her. Her friend looked determined, with an aura that she had never seen before.
"You finally showed yourself." -Jihyun said.
"Jihyun?! What are you doing here?!" -Gayoon was shocked.
"To protect you, my friend." -she merely replied taking a step forward and joining her hands, she created a powerful barrier around the tree of them. Gayoon and Hyuna couldn't believe what they were seeing. The usually quiet and serene woman was actually a magician.
"What a waste of your talent..."-The man lamented. -Why protect the family that kept your powers forbidden?
Jihyun looked sad. "It's true. I knew that sooner or later, someone would kill the king. He made us to keep our powers sealed but...she's my friend. And I will never be an ally of someone like you!"
Jihyun had to endure a powerful attack from the Dark Moon Leader. Focusing on her barrier, she barely managed to keep it. They were in the middle of a heated battle. The only thing that she could do, was trying to buy time. But probably, the Leader was aware of it. Suddenly, massive explosions happened near them. It was a nightmare.
"I will end all of you!" - the man roared, invoking a gigantic fire dragon that was about to crush them.
"This is...impossible!"-the leader shouted in frustration and has to avoid an unexpected arrow attack. A massive wind nearly knocking them marks Jiyoon's entrance who also shoots fireballs towards the leader. Another dragon appears from the forest and almost engulfs the enemy leader; who ends up retreating.
"TRAITOR!" -the man yells and disappears in a mass of dark energy.
A young captain arrived to the place, with an small group. Sohyun and Jihyun were waiting for him. When he saw Jihyun inmediately he seemed relieved.
"Doojoon. Thank god you are fine!"
"And you...I thought..."
"It's all right. She's Kwon Sohyun, one of the soldiers that captured the traitor Junhyung. Sohyun, he's my cousin, Captain Doojoon."
Doojoon nodded. "Well done. How's the princess?"
"The princess is sleeping...she seems to be fine but she hasn't awakened since the incident." Jihyun said.
Doojoon stayed silent. -She has to wake up. She's the only one who can help us to take back the castle. Without a leader we are weaker than ever.
Not far from them, Hyuna stared at the castle, lost in thought. She almost wished to jump and kill herself but Gayoon needed allies more than ever. The heartbreak was so painful that she felt empty, not even tears falling from her eyes. She was terrified to see Gayoon again and her rejection being far worse than she could imagine.
"Here you are..."
Hyuna looked at Jiyoon who was walking towards her, her gaze also concentrated on the castle.
"Do you plan to stay like that forever?"
"Shut up."
"They need a squad leader, Hyuna. Those guys look up to you."
Hyuna was silent and Jiyoon nodded. "I guess she knows everything now, does she?"
"Why did you let him live?" Hyuna asked about Doojoon.
"Did you want him dead?"
They stayed in a tense silence.
"No....I...."-Hyuna felt conflicted-"...I don't know! He...He made me suffer so much. And that man…"
"In the end, your brother helped us to escape."
"He loves you. That's why..."
"He also loves you, Hyuna. I don't plan to be friends with him, but he made a sacrifice. He has no one to trust him now. And you are the only one that he could call family."
"It doesn't matter to me. The only person that I loved as family hates me now. The person that I love the most!"
Hyuna couldn't resist crying and Jiyoon felt sorry for her.
"I'm ready to being rejected by her. It's the price that I have to pay for my lies, for my past." Jiyoon confessed "I am willing to make that sacrifice. But Hyuna...look at her home. Her palace, the kingdom, we don't have time to be sad. Even if Gayoon hates us we have to help her..."
"STOP! Stop being like that!"
Hyuna clutches her by her jacket. "I HATE YOU!"
"I know"
-Stop being so condescending to me! -Hyuna's voice breaks, shaking she ends up crying in Jiyoon's shoulder. -The seal got broken...that's why..."
Jiyoon thought about all her memories coming back to her. Junhyung, in order to protect them, had put a seal to make her and Hyuna forget about their childhood memories but it had weakened and finally, that night had been erased.
"It's funny, isn't it? how we knew each other since the beginning"
Hyuna turns away from her. She felt even more miserable thinking about their past relationship, when they were innocent. When they were united by friendship.
"But you never tried to kill Gayoon." -Jiyoon said "Even if he ordered to do it."
"And you never did it as well..."
TBC...
Again, sorry for taking so long to update.
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