Jung Taekwoon

Love was something I was no longer familiar with. Love was no longer a word in my dictionary. Love, quite literally, abandoned me. It cast me out, it let me fall, and it had absolutely forsaken me. Thousands and thousands of years ago, I knew what love was. I had felt its unconditional warmth, I had basked in its glory, but that was glaringly no more. It had been so long ago that I had completely forgotten what love was like. I didn't know how to love or be loved. All I knew was hate and darkness and violence and dirty, tainted things. My existence was a scar on earth, an ugly, jagged scar. In the heavens my existence was an absolute, sickening abomination. There was only one place I truly belonged.

Hell.

My home was in fire. My resting place was in grotesque darkness full of hate and anger and suffering. My everything was everyone's worst nightmare.

I was born of light, but now I lived of darkness.

The things people were most afraid of—death, failure, rejection, unpleasant things and situations—I represented every single one of them. I was the thing people feared. A demon of their nightmares, a monster under their beds, a dark figure in their closet. I was to be feared. I was fear. But being all of these things... It was not what I wanted. The thing I used to be, the dreams I used to have, the things I used to represent were so far gone, however, that I no longer even knew what it was that I did want because for the past several hundred years, I had to live by two extremely contradicting purposes.

One was a lifestyle of darkness..

"On behalf of the Father of Lies, and for the purpose of absolute destruction, domination, and power, Phoenix Ann Montgomery is to be sacrificed in the name of darkness."

The other, a glimpse of hope..

"In the year 1997, 357 years from now, a wondrous child will be born. Her life will not be in danger until she turns 18, however when this happens, she will be in grave danger. She is the ultimate deciding factor in this grand Play. You must protect her at all costs or Darkness and Evil will reign over Earth, and all shall suffer. You must protect the Key, Phoenix Ann Montgomery.”

…

375 years ago... 1640, Hanyang (Present-day Seoul), South Korea, Joseon Dynasty

The morning was crisp and bright, sunshine was pouring in, small pieces of dust innocently floating in the light. Birds were chirping and I could hear the voices of field workers in the distant and the noises of my servants cleaning and cooking. A cup of fresh tea was warming my hands. I took a small drink, feeling the warmth on my lips, tasting the rich herbs. A sense of calm washed over me as the tea heated up my body.

I turned my attention toward the open window as the wind blew in, carrying on it scents of the nearby rice, green tea, and jasmine fields. Most days I had a feeling of unknown anxiety, but today I was eerily relaxed. Taking in the scenery—the rising sun, the layers of tea on a hill, white jasmine dotting a dark green field, humans working side by side in harmony—I actually broke a small smile. My nature told me I should hate these things but I couldn't bring myself to despise the beauty of Earth.

What I did hate was myself, what I had become, what I was going to be for eternity. I was repulsed by my uncontrollable thoughts of death and burning and hatred. It was almost as if there were two different people living inside of me; the person I wanted to be... and the monster that I was.

But today I felt hopeful. I felt like change was coming... or that something was coming.

Slowly, but surely, the sun that had arose just above the green horizon was replaced with ominous clouds. The chipper blue sky turned overcast, and rain started falling on the heads of my workers. I stood from the floor and table I was lounging at and strode over to the window. Clouds as dark as the ones outside were forming in my mind. My stomach felt like it was shriveling into nothing. The sky was now nearly black and everything was still outside.

The door to my quarters slid open and my head whipped around so quickly I was surprised it didn't come off. The look in my eyes must have been frightening because my head servant quickly began backing out and apologizing. I took a calming breath and told her to return, taking a last glance outside at the now raging storm. Just before I closed the window, I very certainly smelled the distinct scent of sulfur and death. And I thought today was going to be a good day, free of uninvited... guests, I cryptically thought while smirking.

I turned toward the servant woman, who was about 40-years-old, yet still looked very youthful, despite having to work so hard her entire life. The only signs of age were her eyes. There were fine lines, like someone had took a paintbrush to her skin there, delicately and purposefully drawing rivers and streams around her eyes. She looked wise, but also haunted. I didn't ask much about her personal life, and she appreciated that.

I nodded at her instead of speaking, letting her know it was okay to speak. She nodded back and said in her raspy voice, “Lord Jung, breakfast is ready. Would you like to eat?”

I nodded again and quietly said, “Please bring the food in here. Thank you, Min Young.” She nodded and quickly scurried away. Dealings with me always intimidated her. Once I overheard her speaking with a fellow servant about me, saying that I felt different than other lords she had worked for. Putting my young age aside (at only 24-years-old I was the youngest lord in Hanyang) she thought I was nice enough, but that I had a very dark air about me, something scarier than just being rich and powerful. She couldn't have been more right.

A very loud clap of thunder brought my attention toward the window. The anxious feeling from before had now overtaken my body and I could barely breathe. I reached a shaking hand to the window crank and turned it until I could just barely see outside. The sky was jet black, with swirling green clouds and lightning strikes every second. There was no rain, but the wind was blowing debris across the fields and the horses were seeking nonexistent shelter. Their cries for help became drowned out due to the constant thunder and wind. The smell of sulfur and death was so strong I thought there was a corpse right next to me.

Instead of closing the window with the crank, I closed it with a flick of my wrist and sat back down on the floor in front of the dark cherry table I had been sitting at before. I knew what was coming. I knew who was coming. I just didn't know why. I had done nothing to warrant this visit. Perhaps that was the reason. Maybe my quietness had angered Him... I rested my head in my hands, black hair filling the spaces between my fingers, trying to slow my breathing.

The room was now so dark it could have been midnight, yet it was only about 8 AM. I lit a nearby lantern just as Min Young re-entered the room with my breakfast that I was now sure I wouldn't be able to eat.

“Thank you,” I muttered, not even looking at the food or the servant. My attention was on the window again. The lightning stopped. The thunder stopped. The wind stopped. I shot up from the table and began to open the window, but I stopped because my ears became full with a loud roaring. The room began to shake and grotesque and deep screams filled the air. I fell to my knees, succumbing to the fear that I had been feeling. Min Young rushed to my side asking if I was okay, but I could barely hear her.

He was calling my name. Low and gravelly and raspy and disgusting. It was growing louder with each painful second, my breathing became labored and I started to sweat. My palms and the soles of my feet felt as if someone was stabbing them with daggers. Black liquid which had long ago replaced my blood began to run out of my eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Min Young was still by my side, eyes full of fear and shock. I knew she needed to leave or something terrible would happen to her. I could feel Him getting closer and closer as my condition worsened. I was now shaking uncontrollably, but I brought my eyes up to Min Young and spat, “Go! Please... go now!”

She hesitated, but fear got the best of her and she ran out just in time. I was still slumped against the wall, struggling for breath because of the black liquid filling my lungs and throat. My body was drenched in sweat, and I was still badly shaking. Moments later, the sliding door reopened slowly and completely on its own. A blast of air flowed through the room. It smelled of death and was burning hot.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see His repulsive face.

“Taekwoon, you look terrible. Is everything okay?” My eyes popped open at that taunting, sarcastic voice. “Did you miss me?” he added, crossing the room to kneel in font of me and pat my cheek patronizingly.

Hongbin.

He was the one that got me into this mess. It was his fault I was like this. He and I used to be like brothers, but that was so long ago I could only remember whispers and sporadic breezes of those times.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I managed to say, attempting to scoot away from the person sneering in front of me.

“You'll find out soon enough, sweet Taekwoon,” he said in a sickeningly kind tone. Hongbin then stood up and began walking around my quarters, peeking at papers and documents hanging about, picking up trinkets and then carelessly tossing them back down, even sampling the breakfast Min Young brought for me. “I guess I should call you Lord Taekwoon? What a laughable concept,” he said as he turned back to face me. “This is quite some place you've got here. You're a rich and influential man. I wonder who made all this possible?” An evil grin began spreading across his face and he crossed the room in an instant and grabbed my clothes in his fist, shaking my weak body violently. I tried pushing him away, but my condition was far too poor for defense. Hongbin laughed maniacally and straddled me, proceeding to punch me in the face multiple times and slam my head back against the wall.

I was full of rage, but since He was so near, I had the power of a man on his deathbed. I was absolutely and frustratingly helpless. I was what my kind referred to as the Conflicted. I had not fully accepted what I was, thus an inner conflict developed, creating a war within me. Aside from extreme self-loathing and inescapable hatred, there were other side effects of being a Conflicted which were far worse. Ironically, He had complete control over you, even though you denied the part He had control over. If He so pleased, He could take over your body and mind and make you do despicable things. He could make you murder your closest friend or burn down your home. In an instant you could be torn from Earth and dragged to His fiery pits below. Whilst controlling you, He could make you submissive while He tortured you. The possibilities were endless. Not only that, but whenever He was near, things such as bleeding from every orifice, skin randomly combusting, even spontaneous decapitation, were known to happen. However, those occurred in only the most extreme Conflicted. I was not one of those poor souls. Lately, though, the darkness in me had began rearing its ugly head more and more recently and I knew that if I didn't accept it soon I would become like them and I would become Lost, a term we use for the seemingly immortal demons who disappear from the Earth, Heavens, and Hell. None of us know where they go... they're just.. lost.

Hongbin delivered one final punch to my nose. He was seething and his eyes had become completely black. If he didn't stop soon... We both knew what would happen. “You are ing weak and pathetic, Taekwoon. I hope you become Lost so the world can be free of something as useless as you,” he said, face inches from mine, fists clinching the collar of my robes. “He nearly gave all this wealth to you and you thank Him by cowering in the corner like a dog. You're disgusting.” He released me, throwing me back against the wall.

I was covered in my black blood and there wasn't an inch of myself that didn't hurt. I was just opening my mouth to speak when the room went black. The air began to stir menacingly. Moans and screams filled my ears, accompanied by loud banging. It was His footsteps. Closer and closer, louder and louder. I could see nothing, not because there was no light, but because He caused me to have temporary blindness. As He grew ever closer I lost every sense but that of hearing. All I could hear was His footsteps banging up the stairs, the screams of countless helpless victims, the ragged last breaths of innocents. A symphony suffering.

Everything stopped abruptly.

The world stopped turning.

Time stopped flowing.

“Jung Taekwoon...”

His voice sliced the air, it sliced into me, deep and gurgling, like He was perpetually drowning. It was repulsive to listen to.

“You have been very insolent, haven't you?” This time, it was the voice of an attractive man, soothing and smooth.

My breathing was erratic and too fast. If I were a human, I surely would be having a heart attack. The fear I was feeling was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was as if someone with hands of burning hot steel had reached into me and refused to let go.

Lightning flashed outside and I could see His figure across the room from me. Hongbin had disappeared. Coward, I thought. He towered close to the ceiling, then disappeared as the room grew dark. More lightning. He was closer now, eyes glinting in the brief illuminations. My quarters yet again grew dark. I felt like screaming. I wanted to run away, but there was nowhere I could hide from Him.

Lightning again.

He was right in front of me.

Eyes blood red and as black as a lake at night, they were set deep into his skull. Sharp and jagged teeth of varying lengths. He had no nose, no ears, and no lips. His horns were longer than a grown man's leg and they curled around in tangled masses upon his head. His skin was that of a decaying corpse, His head was black, while the rest of Him was blue or purple or a puss-yellow color. His fingers were each a foot long, with five inch black talons protruding from them which were sharper than a sword. An absence of feet was made up for by great hooves as large as my head. He reeked of death and just being near Him caused things to burn and decay. He was truly frightening to look upon.

A grin with the worst intent behind it spread across his disgusting face.

Please... I thought Save me. Anyone... Please help me.

His spindly fingers wrapped around my throat, burning into my skin and cutting off my air supply. He began laughing hysterically, black and red eyes boring into me as I lost consciousness. Just before I passed out, I heard a woman's voice, calling out for someone. She sounded frightened and worried, and as if she was also crying, but it was still the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

“Taekwoon! Taekwoon, please, where are you? Taekwoon, I'm so sorry... I love you..”

I'm right here, I thought, please... come and save me. Phoenix... I love you so much.