A LONE WOLF’S CRY

CHAPTER 2

‘WHERE AM I?’

[ Jae’s POV ]

Zephyr, was the only thing that came to mind, because the slight breeze felt so nice. As I lay down somewhere grassy with a hint of nature smell, is this what death is like?

My body is heavy and I can’t move an inch, but this feels quite nice. Maybe I can get used to this. I stayed like that for about five minutes or so before questioning everything that I’m feeling right now. Why can I still feel things? Why can I still smell? Does death really work like this? Am I in hell or in heaven? I tried opening my eyes, and as I did I see this garden full of different colored flowers. I was lying in red colored ones. Maybe it’s summer, it was quite sunny and kind of warm, I didn’t know if it came from the sun or maybe it was because of the flowers. They were quite comforting.

It was the red spider lily flowers, meaning death. So I really am dead. Suddenly a footstep approaches me, I wanted to move and I totally would if I could but my body just doesn’t listen to me. As the footsteps are getting closer, the only thing I could hear was my racing heartbeat, I don’t think I’m dead.

◌ NOTE THAT ALL CONVERSATIONS ARE KOREAN SINCE THEY ARE IN KOREA.

“Finally, the moon has made my wish come true,” the man exclaimed cheerfully. He faces me and cups my face as I see the excitement and happiness in his eyes. His complex weren’t of an American, he was an Asian, maybe.

Wait, did I just understand a foreign language?

No, this can’t be quite right, I totally heard him speak but it definitely wasn’t in English. But how can I understand him? I didn’t even study other languages than Tagalog. And wish? What wish came true? What is going on?

“Pick him up and take him to my carriage,” he demands, there were four men that could win a fight in WWE with that body. I couldn’t do anything, I can’t even complain. As one man carries me, he sternly tells the man to hold me “gently.”

Maybe he’s someone who holds power.

The carriage is nice, it smelled nice, and this man did too. He carefully placed my head onto his lap and slightly caressed my hair and my face, it was like he was holding the most precious thing in the world. I was tired, so I slept.

◌ ◌ ◌

“Oh you’re finally up, my angel,” a handsome face appears before me. I was feeling more refreshed and it was the perfect coziness that I felt. I was wearing a white-like robe and another robe with designs on top of it.

“Are you hungry? I have prepared lots of food only for you, tell me if you need anything else,” the handsome man told me. I don’t know if I’m dreaming or what. But I was definitely not dead.

I was concerned on whether I should speak or not, maybe he wouldn’t understand me, or maybe I can suddenly speak another language now. Nevertheless, I tried speaking up.

“Who are you?” a hoarse voice came out from my mouth.

And I was definitely speaking a language that I have never studied before.

“Oh my, what a great sound,” the man said as he smiled, “I am Hyeon, your forever partner in life. I shall be the one that protects you, and I shall love you for as long as I live.”

He uttered with a honey-like voice. It was like a lullaby, he can read an entire encyclopedia for me and I wouldn’t get tired of his voice.

“But I am a man, what do you mean I’m your partner?” My voice was still hoarse but I needed to know. What is this man talking about? Does he have some kind of illness or anything? I think he’s mentally not okay.

“I asked the moon for you. I have waited for years and years for you to come into my arms. Gender shall not be an obstacle, you are my fated partner,” he said.

“The moon? This is too much for me, what do you mean? And where are we right now?”

“The moon shall hear your prayers, and the Gods shall make it come true. If your patience and sincerity has been acknowledged, then they shall grant it,” he paused, “that was what someone told me when I was a kid, and we are in Korea right now. Are you not from here?”

I couldn’t believe it, this isn’t real. This isn’t supposed to be real. What I wanted was to rest, and die. I just wanted the pain to end but why is this happening?

A tear ended up escaping my eyes. It was a mix of frustration, anger, sadness, and disappointment, I was confused.

Hyeon was shocked, he immediately hugged me tight. It was warm, he felt like home.

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Maybe it was just because I was sad, but I felt so comforted by Hyeon’s hug. I wanted to stay like this forever.

“You shall be safe, and you shall be happy, as long as I am here no one can hurt you in any way possible. I shall not die for as long as you live, I shall serve you for the rest of my life. 사랑합니다,” he said ‘I love you’. I don’t think anyone has told me that before. I don’t think anyone has put this much effort on me before. But I can’t just trust him, I can’t trust him yet. What if he actually wants to kill me? Or maybe he doesn’t actually mean what he says. What if I wasn’t the one that he was wishing for? That’s why I can’t.

[ Hyeon’s POV ]

He’s finally in my arms. This man that I am looking at directly right now, is the one that I have wished for my entire life. I may not still know his name, but we can take this nice and slowly. We have the entire lifetime after all.

I can not believe my eyes, he is so pretty that I can take a bullet for him. As I touched his face, the friction I feel is amazing. All I want to do is love with in any way I can. I have to get him to trust me, this is what I have been waiting for, this is the fruit of my patience.

Once when I was traveling, I saw an old man struggling to carry his things with him. I was in my carriage and I could not just turn a blind eye. I was only ten years old back then, of course you want to help anyone in any way that you can. When we were close on his destination, he told me a story.

‘Once upon a time, a man was lonely. He had no one to talk to and no one to turn to. He had no things to play with, nor experiment with.

This man became desperate, every night he howls to the moon like a lone wolf, he prays and wishes for things. He didn’t want expensive ones, but only just a companion was enough. He would always cry at night as he screamed at the moon. It went on for years, some days his voice became hoarse, but he still didn’t let a day pass by without begging the Gods and the moon. He was very patient.

One day, a flower appeared before him, it was a red rose. He was enlightened by this, and wanted to treat this rose well. He watered it, watched over it, and tells the rose the stories of his life and random things he would think of. But he grew tired of the rose, he watered it less and less and kept forgetting about it. A night came where sadness was covering the whole room. He sat next to his dying rose as he uttered, ‘if only you would answer me’. The rose suddenly shined and became a woman. The moon had heard his cry for help again. Then they lived as happy as they could within that lifetime.’

“Just like that man, you shall aspire to be like that too,” he paused for a bit while he took out what seemed to be a necklace, “and if ever the moon grants what you wish for, always keep this close to your treasure, this shall help that treasure safe from all madness of this world.”

“The moon shall hear your prayers, and the Gods shall make it come true. If your patience and sincerity has been acknowledged, then they shall grant it.”

The man smiled and patted me in the head before leaving. And that’s what I did, I tried to be like that man.

And now here it is. The most precious treasure that I can ever get a hold of. And I shall cherish this treasure, and keep it safe no matter what and no matter where. I shall save you from all the dangerous things this world may bring. You shall be reborn, as my new light, and as a new person. You shall be mine, and only mine.

◌ ◌ ◌

He was up again, I guess all these things coming at once must be tiring for him. I just watched him as he opens his eyes, and realize that that this was another world. That he shall be reborn.

“It’s a nice full moon,” he uttered. It was like he didn’t mean to say that out loud.

“It is because you are going to be reborn,” I said.

“Why?” he paused and looked at me in the eyes, “is is not okay if I’m just me? Do I really need to be reborn?”

“Of course not my sweet treasure, I am so sorry for offending you like that,” I held his head, “what I meant was you are to be someone a lot more powerful, someone to be feared of. Not like the life that you had lived before.”

I hugged him tight as to reassure him of my pure intentions.

“The past life I had? How would you even know that?” He sounded so confused. I don’t want him to get all confused again, I do not wish for him to make his head hurt again.

“Because of the dreams that I had about you. They were the hints that the moon had gave me before finally letting you into my arms,” I tried to sound as sweet as honey, I laid him on the bed again and wrapped him in blankets. He shall get as much sleep as the stress that he had gained this day.

“Good night my treasure, we shall talk again tomorrow and you shall ask anything in your will,” I kissed him on the forehead and he seemed quite shocked, “but for tonight, get as much rest as you can. And I will not dare leave your side, do not fret for I am only one call away.”

The reassurance made him calm, I knew it by his expressions. It was like we were really made to cross paths with each other, that we were meant to be.

He quickly fell asleep, maybe he was too tired. This is the only time that I am letting my treasure be this worried. He shall know no pain. The dreams that I had bout him were too painful, it was all suffering. Somehow for him, living everyday only meant pain. And I am not about to let him experience that twice.

I am confident that I can gain his trust and make him let out all of these pent up frustrations and sadness in him. But I will take it slowly, for I know that he is the fragile type. He is a thin glass, very sensitive. Once push of force and he will definitely break, but he doesn’t even show it. And I thank the moon everyday for letting me know this man more and more. I thank the Gods for letting me know how to handle this man first before giving him to me. Maybe even the Gods love him.

◌ ◌ ◌

As I was in deep sleep, I was suddenly woken up by a voice I heard outside my window. And I instinctively knew that it was the moon.

“The treasure that you are receiving right now, is truly adored by the Gods. Dare to hurt that man again and you shall know more pain and suffering. That man is respected by us, and every other creature that is with our bounds,” the voice said, “make him the happiest man on earth, and you shall live together happily too.”

And just like that, I was woken up again and it was morning. I don’t think I was dreaming, and the moon didn’t have to tell me all of that, because that was my intention from the start. I get up from my bed to greet my precious gift, I want to give him his first ever meal here in my household. But I suddenly heard a scream, it was a scream of one of my servants. And it was coming from my treasure’s room.

I rushed there to see what was going on. I am scared of what I may see, I am scared of what had happened. And all I saw was him, the broken vase in his room, and his bleeding wrists.

“Bring the most talented doctor over right now, or all of you are fired,” I shouted at my servants. They rushed off and the others were tending my man, they were wrapping him up with bandages when one servant came to talk to me.

“My Lord, we need to replace his dirtied clothes and wipe off the blood on his body. Would you let us do that?” She told me as she was hesitating to talk, she was scared of me. But I can’t let my emotions get the best of me now. I have to think rationally.

“No, let me do it. Get me a basin of warm water and some cloth to wipe the blood. Give me a fresh set of clothes too, please hurry,” I told my servants. They quickly did what I had told them to do.

I walked towards my dream, and my dream was dying. His pale skin looked much more pale, his reddish mouth weren’t red at all anymore, he looked so weak and I blame myself for that. I should have slept in the same room as him, I should have woken up a lot earlier to see hoe he was doing. But I know that self pity won’t do any of us good.

I caressed his face gently, and I kissed his forehead. My servants came with the things the I was asking for. I told them to close the door and leave. I undressed my love and carefully wiped off all the blood that stained his beautiful skin. He was too sacred for me. I was scared that I would break him. But nevertheless, I had to move fast so his body wouldn’t get cold, he was still breathing so that was a relief for me.

I wanted him to live for me, and for himself.