Shun stood slowly as he stared askance at the strange man. With his guard fully raised, he prowled forward, arms ready to launch a counterattack just in case. "Tell us who you are first."

The man bowed his head and smiled. "I was sent by Minister Dae Wong. He told me to follow you here."

As his brows met in a frown, Shun asked the man why he was sent by the minister. He was actually confused with what the man said. He wondered why the minister had sent a man all the way to Myeongju just to follow them. "Why did the minister do that? W-we-were you really sent by the minister in the first place?"

"Yes, Shun. Your name is Shun, right? He told me that he was worried about you and your family's condition."

"If that is true, why did you not just show up and introduce yourself? You were acting like a spy all this time. With that, do you really expect us to believe you?" Shun shook his head.

"I was just following orders...." he paused and glanced at Chil Yook, who was crouching at the ground, avoiding the man's eyes—restless." He continued, "The minister specifically told me to follow you secretly until you arrive safely on your hometown, but the way I see it, it seems like you already have nowhere to go."

"Wh-why? Why did Minister Dae Wong do that? Who are we for him to do that?"

"Again, like what I just said, I was just following orders... Are you convinced already? Shall we go?"

Shun shook his head, "No... not yet. Why are you in a hurry? We still need to patch things up here. We cannot just leave this place." he looked back to his father and asked permission to go to their house. Chil Yook was hesitant at first, worried that their neighbors might lash their anger towards him. "Shun, go with Deok Cheol. Those people's emotions were at their peak. Be careful."

"I can take care of myself, Father. Deok Cheol should stay here with you. I do not trust this man," disagreed Shun, glowering at the man. He patted his best friend's shoulder, telling him to stay with this father as he would just go to their house and get their valuable things. "Stay with my father. This will not take long."

Shun came out from their hiding place and trudged up to their community. Seeing how some people cried for a life lost encumbered his heart. As he went closer to their neighbors, his steps became slower and heavier, his heart crushed into pieces. He felt like he was transported into a different universe; the people in front of him became strangers. Their smiles and positivity were gone with the wind, and they were replaced by fear, distraught... and lamentation.

One of their neighbors noticed him walking—a scared twelve-year-old boy, holding his little sister, running away, wailing in fear. It actually crushed Shun's heart more because that boy was one of his students during his free alphabet lessons to the kids. Unknowingly, a pearl of tears lingered on the corner of his eye, waiting to roll down. He swallowed as he continued walking. All eyes were on him, stabbing him with hot, fiery glares—full of remorse.

An old man stood and walked towards him, staggering. He immediately moved closer to man and held his arms to prevent him from falling, but the angry man pushed him. "You... do us all a favor. Get out of this community! An innocent man had to die because of you and your father."

"Forgive me. Please forgive me," tears rolled down his eyes, palms rubbing together in a sincere apology.

"Forgive? Say that to your father's close friend!" the old man pulled him and dragged him to the dead man. He pushed the young boy, and Shun stumbled. "There! Apologize to him!

Shun's chest felt heavier, his lungs constricting into empty sacs, rejecting air. He chased his breaths while staring at the lifeless body, throat slit. "Forgive me, Dae Mung-ahjussi. Forgive me and my father."

"Your words will not bring his life back. It will not erase the trauma that we have. Starting from today, all of us will live with fear in our hearts; that any minute, those men will come back and kill another one—or worse, all of us. So please, do us a favor, Shun. Leave this community!"

Wiping his tears, Shun stood and bowed in front of all their innocent neighbors. "Forgive me and my father for you have experienced all of these. I have no idea why they are looking for him, and I do not wish to explain our side more... We will just get our things, and we shall leave." he bowed his head again, turned around, and walked to their house.

Upon entering the house, the cradle of all his life and memories, all of his happy memories flashed back on this mind—the time when he was running around the house while his father was molding daggers and swords on the outside, the moment when he and his best friend first met, the moments when he and his father celebrated his annual birthday with smiles on their faces even though they just feasted on rice cakes and pork stews.

But now, he just had his worst birthday.

He went to each of their rooms and packed their clothes and other valuable materials. As he went to the kitchen, his tears could not help but run down his face. He fell on the floor as he still could not the process the fact that they needed to leave the entire place for their own safety—especially of his father's safety.

"Who are those men? What do they want from my father?" his hands rolled into a ball. His sadness turned into curiosity. Shun felt that they could not just run away from those people. He knew that anytime they would be back and more innocent lives might be at risk. He needed to know the reason. He stood, wiped his tears, and exited their house.

The people were nowhere to be found outside. The fallen leaves and the slow chilly whisper of the wind were the ones that welcomed him. The entire community had lost its soul. Surveying the houses, he noticed that all of them were locked with chains. All windows were closed, all slippers were hidden somewhere.

The silence was deafening.

He walked downhill, straight to his father's hiding place. Chil Yook noticed his swollen eyes and nose so he hugged him. "Forgive me, son. You do not deserve to be treated that way."

"Father, I am fine. I want to know the reason why they are looking for you. Why did they have to kill an innocent man just to find you?"

"Son, please. Let us just leave. I am begging you, please? Let us just leave this place."

"Fa--" before Shun could had finished his statement, his father hugged him again. "Shun, please. Just follow what I say."

"Sure, Father. I will do as you say."

The man in green robe cleared his throat before speaking, "So, are you done? Shall we go?"

"Just in case we put our trust in you, where are going anyways?" asked Shun.

"Seorabeol. We will go back to the capital."

Chil Yook's eyes grew bigger as he shook his head. "No, we will not go to Seorabeol!"

Noticing his father's reaction, Shun butted in and asked the man, "Excuse me, ahjussi. You have not introduced your name yet, and then this? You are telling us to go back to Seorabeol?" he frowned.

The man smiled and replied, somehow re-introducing himself, "Alright. My name is Ah Moo, and I serve Minister Dae Wong. He told me to follow you and make sure that you will arrive safely in your hometown. Now, since that you cannot stay here, I guess you have nowhere to go. Where will you go? Where will you live? Just in case you choose to be with me, you have two to three days to see if I am worth your trust."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Shun did not respond for a few seconds, locking a stare at the man. His father, on the other hand, was just shaking his head. Then, the young boy responded, "Fine. We will go with you."

Chil Yook exclaimed, "Shun!"

"Father, we have no other choice. Do you know someone whom we could ask for help? Perhaps from other provinces? Any friends?"

The ill man's face folded in a grimace, gritting his teeth while thinking of another excuse to throw to his son. His mind was clouded with his son's obvious frustration in the situation. Observing Shun's reaction, no thoughts came across his mind. His mind was bleak as a cold desert.

"Father... father? Do you have any suggestions?"

Chil Yook was still speechless. He kept on digging and ransacking on every space of his brain, but no good idea surfaced out. Old excuses would just make him look pathetic and suspicious. He was furious about the situation—a dead end. No matter what he would do, the Heavens would always make a way for his borrowed son to return to the land where he should be.

"Alright. Since you do not know what to do, I suggest that we go with this man and ask for help from Minister Dae Wong."

"Are there no other ways, Shun?" asked Chil Yook in worry.

"Father, at times like this, we need to think rationally. I understand that Seorabeol has brought nightmares to you, but you also need to face the fact that we have nowhere to go. We cannot stay in this place anymore. You do not have any colleagues or friends from the other provinces.... Minister Dae Wong is offering help for us. I think this is Heaven's way to show us our path for survival."

Thunderstruck with his son's sermons, Chil Yook just bit his lips in response, sucking his teeth in disappointment. Frustration filled his entire head, feeling that he was just a burden—an incompetent fool who failed to protect his son.

"I am waiting for your approval, Father. Please say something," sighed Shun.

"Fine! Fine! Do whatever you want!" yelled Chil Yook.

Shun was stunned with his father's reaction. "Father, why are you acting like this? Please, I know this is hard for you but we need to get out of here soon. We need a place to stay. You are making this difficult for all of us!" the young boy sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I am sorry. Forgive me, my son. I was just... uh, I do not know already. Fine. Let us accept this man's invitation. Let us accept Minister Dae Wong's help."

"Thank you, Father. Thank you." Shun held his father's hands. Then, he turned around, talked to the man, and warned him. "You... I will be watching you. Do not dare think for a second that you could outsmart us. If I discover that you are fake, I will not hesitate to give you what you deserve."

"Rest assured that you will arrive safely at our destination. Shall we?" the man smiled.

Before Shun could reply, Deok Cheol butted in and expressed his will to stay at their community. He openly mentioned that he would wait for his parents in their house and ask permission to go with them in the capital.

"Deok Cheol, are you sure about this? Our neighbors might do something bad to you. You are already involved with us."

"Shun, I can handle myself. Besides, my parents are scheduled to return home this week. By that time, I could ask them to go with you. They have always wanted me to explore the world anyways so why not use that opportunity to help you."

"But still..."

"Shun..."

Unable to convince his best friend, Shun just held Deok Cheol's shoulders, saying his words of farewell. "I will miss you. I extend to you my utmost gratitude for helping us with everything. Always take care of yourself... and eat healthily!"

Deok Cheol cackled, "You fool! I will eat healthily!"

"You have done more than enough, my friend. I will never ever forget your kindness to me, especially to my father," beamed Shun.

The plump boy rubbed Shun's head and hugged him tightly. He started sobbing as he bid farewell to his best friend. "Take care of yourself, Shun. I will miss you. You are the only person who accepted me for who I am, and for that, I would be forever thankful."

"Come on, Deok Cheol. Your house is waiting for you."

"Take care, Shun."

As his friend walked away from them, Shun and Chil Yook decided to travel with the unknown man, risking their safety in a tightrope. Their entire life was hanging in a thread, but they had no choice because they had nowhere to go.

~~•~~

Back in the palace, Sae Joo was still contemplating upon the result of the prediction. Alone in his chambers, sitting at his table, the unknown ruler, who would bring Silla to its highest glory, lingered on his mind. He suddenly lost his growing confidence and courage. With just one prediction, his entire life was about to change—including his entire vision, motives, and decisions.

While staring at a blank space, a lady-in-waiting announced, "Your Highness, the King wants to talk you."

"Let him in," permitted the Prince.

The King strolled down the chambers and sat in front of his son. "Sae Joo, how are you feeling?"

"Not good, Sire... not good."

"Are you still thinking about that prediction?"

Sae Joo dipped his head low and sighed. "Yes, Your Majesty." he shook his head and continued, "Why did this happen to me? Why me, now that I am learning to open my heart in the nature of being a Prince? Suddenly, all of these became pointless because I am destined to destroy Silla."

The King noticed the pain in his son's eyes. He tried to comfort his depressed Prince, but he did not know what to say, for the Head Priestess's predictions remained to be one of the core pillars in selecting the rightful leaders. In the past eras, the predictions of the Head Priestess's had always become accurate—the predictions had always come to life. If the Head Priestess's declared bloodshed, there would be bloodshed.

"Sae Joo, no matter what that prediction tells us, always be the good person as you are. Do not let anybody sway you from being kind-hearted. Your heart will be your brightest light amidst the darkness. Remember that."

"Your Majesty, if I would be on the throne, many people would die... What if... what if I just renounce my position as a Crown Prince?"

Jae Joong frowned and leaned forward, "Sae Joo, what are you saying? No, you should not do that!"

"What is the point of ruling, if my era would be just an era full of hostilities and darkness? You said that I should use my good heart. Then, this is what I think is right. I am giving our people a way out—to save their lives. I think we should just find that person who would bring the kingdom to its highest glory and make him the King, instead of me."

"Forget about that person, Sae Joo. Focus on yourself. If you want to defy your destiny, be a better person each and every day. Learn all the things needed in order to be a good ruler, starting from the basic. In that way, even if the Heavens send the most devastating catastrophe, the people would still see you as the King who tried to save them with all his might. Do you understand?"

Sae Joo leaned forward and caressed his chin as he asked his father a question which made the King slam the table in anger. "Sire, who do you think that person is? I mean, that person could only be either a Seonggol or a first rank Jingol. Does the Prime Minister has another son?"

"Sae Joo! I told you, stop it! Stop thinking about that person. You just discredited what I just said," Jae Joong sighed out of frustration. He continued, "Start your training tomorrow, Jinshi. You shall work closely with Minister Dae Wong. I will instruct him the course of your training starting tomorrow. Do you understand?"

When the King's concern and advice finally seeped through his innermost side, Sae Joo's internal war and conflict with himself started receding bit by bit. He kept himself occupied for the whole day, doing all the things he liked before he starts the training for tomorrow. He attended his art classes, wrote poems, composed songs, and played instruments. The Crown Prince pampered himself with all the things he desired to do before diving into the real deal.

Time was indeed a thief when someone was doing what they wanted. The whole day finished too fast—slick as the snap of the fingers. The next day, when the sun's crown peeped on the blue sky, Sae Joo prepared himself and dressed casually—a white body-fit robe, maroon silk baggy pants, and a yellow headband.

Just like what the King had told him, he went to the Hwarang Training Area to meet with Dae Wong. When the tall gates had opened, he saw the fourteen hwarangs clans thronging before the dais where the minister was standing. Dae Wong called out each of the hwarang clans, and their respective hwarangdos stepped forward and waved their flags.

"Hwarangs, pay your respects for the Crown Prince!" he bowed his head, and the hwarangs split into two groups, clearing the Prince's way. Sae Joo walked his way to the dais, scanning the boys (some were even younger than him), bowing as he passed by.

"Your Highness, for this day, one of the basic things that you need to know in order to become a good leader is knowing your people."

"What do you mean, Lord Dae Wong?"

The young minister chortled, "Have you not wonder why the King instructed you to dress like that?"

Upon realizing the point of the minister, Sae Joo's eyes rolled in surprise, and his head shook in denial. "No."

"Yes!"

"Your Highness, for today, you are going to train with the hwarangs."

__________

NOTES:

Jinshi (진씨) - Silla's way of telling the time between 7:00 am to 9:00 am.

[https://em.wattpad.com/c5d5f1accc0c7892a5a11058c24799fa1378f41c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5766523242347378347a742d39513d3d2d3731363134373031362e3135393266306132323766363036303436333836333832313936332e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]