One Year Ago

His voice continued echoing in her mind. Even now, standing under the clear blue skies, she still had a hard time believing it.

"You're not the one either." He muttered.

"I-I'm sorry?" She gripped her hands into a tighter fist to stop them from shaking erratically. "What do you mean?"

"Just go."

She thought she didn't hear right. "Wh-what?"

He sighed. "I said, you're free. To leave." He eunicated each word sharply.

She hugged herself tighter. "You're not going to ravage me or kill me alive?"

He chuckled. "I'm not that type of a person honestly. Now, return from whence you came. I'm certain you wouldn't want to keep your fiance waiting."

She glanced down at her attire again, almost forgetting that she was adorned in an exquisite wedding dress. "I'm not really engaged to anyone nor married. And...I can't go home."

She gnawed her berry tinted lips. She didn't have a home to go to, especially not with one where the majority were campaigning for her sacrificial death. What would her return say if numerous girls from the village continued to disappear? She was sent to appease this monster once and for all. Coming back would only mean that she had failed her duty and failure was not an acceptable option. She had to keep the pretense alive or the people of her village would not be at peace. 

But where do I go from here? How will I survive? What about my friends and family?

"I see." He shook her out of the millions of thoughts sprinting around in her head. "You'r circumstances appear to be similar to mine. Isolation seems to be everyone's companion these days. If you head towards the southern province right now, you'll make it before nightfall. Go to the palace and ask for Daesung. Tell him that I, Jiyong, sent you. He should be able to help you with your predicament." Without another word, he wrapped one of his locks around her waist and positioned her on the window ledge.

"Can you promise me not to take any more girls- wait, what are you doing?!" Panic laced her every word as she glanced at the daunting height below her dangling feet. 

"Your welcome." With that, Jiyong gave her a friendly push, plummeting her to the ground at an impending speed. Too frightened to even scream, she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the sudden onslaught of Earth in 5.4 seconds. The momentum abruptly halted. The wind whooshing through her brunette hair died out. She opened both of her eyes and gasped at how close her face was to the ground. Her nose was currently being tickled by a spade of grass. The thick lock of hair loosened around her