A deep, wistful sigh escaped his lips as he froze there, looking over the cliff and its beauty. The splintering glow of the sun slowly hurt him, but he kept his eyes closed and turned back, taking a deep breath and slowly, hesitantly breathing out. Then another deep breath before…

“I SHIN HWANUK IS READY TO HEAR YOUR DEMANDS. READY TO PAY HIS PRICE AND ACCEPT HIS PUNISHMENT.”  he shouted.

A tear rolled down his left, pale, veiny cheek as he paused to collect every ounce of composure he had left. It was unfair, a side of him screamed. It was wrong, what a price he had to pay for a sin he was too young to recognize. Too selfish to understand. The world was indeed cruel, taking everything he had even when he had lost it all. Taking his last, dying love for humanity right when it was resurrected by the calm kindness of a woman. 

Taking his life when he had finally found a reason to survive. 

“JUST BRING HER HERE BEFORE ME AND I WILL LET THIS VENGEANCE SETTLE. A LIFE FOR A LIFE. ISN’T THAT THE TERM FOR YOUR HATEFUL HEARTS, ISN’T IT ME WHO NEEDS TO DIE?!!” he cried. 

“JUST DON’T SHUT ANOTHER SOUL INTO YOUR MENDED DARKNESS.” his voice were strained, a glimpse of a possible future flashing across his mind that had terrified him to death. Because what he saw was a girl, bright orange hair and pink innocent lips, enduring a darkness he once lived. 

It was his lover, it was Hawol.

He could feel his heart being torn apart by his own words. The subtle, seemingly kind gleam of sunlight grew onto his skin, blistering them painfully and yet he could feel a pain indescribable from the depth of his chest. And it was overwhelming. But he stood his ground, facing the awakening sun and the growing shadow of the villagers. He could recognize Hawol’s tired voice, begging, pleading for a life that was not hers. To let the only heart she knew she cared of to keep beating, to keep fighting. No, please no, she begged. 

But they dragged her along, they pulled on her wearied body and injured limbs as if she was nothing more than a piece of wet, dirty rag. And when they arrived, the first thing Hwanuk did was to find her eyes, look into them and made sure that she was alright. He smiled when they made eye contact and despite the fact that Hawol was drenched in tears, in remorse, he saw her glistening beauty under the faint light of the sun and she had put his heart to ease.  He was right all along, she was it. His beautiful redemption. His forgiveness from the world which had hated him, the last blessing he could ever receive. 

He was scared before but when he met Hawol he had never been as certain as he did then. He found kindness in the most mesmeric, breath-taking way. He found kindness through his first love. 

“No Hwanuk, please. Why.