Chapter 3

XX-XXX

Spring of 604 C.E.

◆

Soo-yeon felt the rush of water touching her skin, delicate yet cold kisses of a river devouring the backside of her body. Everything had been pitch black, and the sharp pain that mercilessly pounded on her head would not seem to go away.

"Hei-ran! Are you alright?" the voice of a woman invaded her ears. Loud footsteps could be heard moving closer, which made the thumping in Soo-yeon's head grow even more.

She felt calloused hands caressing her face, softly slapping her to make sure she had still been alive. "Quickly, you need to wake up!"

Soo-yeon opened her eyes slowly, repeatedly blinking as the sunlight seeped in. "What happened?" her fragile voice choked out, broken as though she had not used it for a long time.

In her view was a delicate young woman with braided long hair and doll-like eyes that expressed worry. She was dressed in a faded red hanbok that was much different compared to what Soo-yeon usually saw back home. The woman's pale skin felt cold to the touch and when she pulled Soo-yeon to sit up, the wind became a thousand times colder.

With a much better look at her, she seemed to be around Soo-yeon's own age. Her disheveled hair and ragged breathing made her seem as if she had been busy running. Sweat rolled down on her forehead, her brows furrowed as she examined each and every detail of Soo-yeon's face.

"Your head is bleeding!" The woman suddenly pointed at the side of Soo-yeon's head.

She proceeded to rip off a small part of her own robe, all the while looking around; trying to see if someone had followed them. Confused, Soo-yeon touched the side of her head and flinched when she felt the red liquid enveloping her fingers.

Blood.

"My head. Why is my head bleeding?!" Although Soo-yeon tried to stay calm, her worried expression ultimately betrayed her. The woman that she just met took her shaking hands and closed them into fists.

Surrounding her was a canopy of lush green trees and vibrant flowers that had been resting underneath the charming blue of the sky. Even the light of the bright sun had settled on the cracks of their skin. However, Soo-yeon had been too busy with her injuries to even notice.

"Stay still, I'll explain later. I warned you not to go too far." The woman rolled her eyes, treating and bandaging Soo-yeon's head. "To think you would still get scared even though we have been thieves all our lives." she laughed as she tied the piece of cloth to the wound.

"Thieves?" Soo-yeon's eyes looked up when she had heard the word. Her breathing seemed to stumble and words failed to form themselves past her lips.

"You look at me as though you've seen a ghost," the woman pondered with a questioning look in her eyes. "Don't worry, once this is finished, I'll treat you to the best noodles in the city! Now hurry, before they catch on."

Soo-yeon stared at her incredulously. Standing before her was indeed a crazy woman, she thought. Everything just seemed so confusing and surreal.

She pulled Soo-yeon up once more and took all belongings with her.

"I think you're mistaking me for someone else. Although I don't know where I am, I know for sure that I'm not the one you're looking for," Soo-yeon explained, taking a few steps back.

She proceeded to straighten her clothes, finally noticing the fact that she had also been wearing a pale worn-out orange hanbok.

This took her by surprise, clearly not remembering how she ended up wearing such a dress. Before she could fully register these doubts, a voice cut her off.

"Hei-ran, what has gotten into you? Come on already, we have no time for jokes." She pulled Soo-yeon's hand with her to the other direction and they began walking even further towards the depths of the bright green trees their way. "They will capture us at this rate, I have hidden the cart quite a few hundred steps away."

Soo-yeon pulled back, clutching her hand tightly to her chest. Her expression grew restless and stubborn.

"Listen, miss! I already told you, you're making a mistake. I don't even remember how I ended up around here."

The pain on her head worsened for a moment, words suddenly stopped pouring their way out of her lips. Soo-yeon felt as if she could not breathe at all.

"What? Do you even hear the words you speak?" The woman's brows had been furrowed. "Did that blow to your head hurt too much?" She proceeded to place both her hands on Soo-yeon's shoulders, trying to take a closer look. "I knew I should not have left you all by yourself."

Soo-yeon paused, a thought at the back of her mind told her that she had been missing something. Her hand clutched her bandaged head and she closed her eyes, breathing becoming hitched and uneven as she tried to think back.

"Why can't I remember anything?" she slowly exhaled, frustrated as to why her mind wouldn't cooperate.

"What is..." Soo-yeon's voice trailed off.

Then, realization had struck her blind, and she could feel her body turning rigid. "Yeon-jin," she whispered. "Where is he?" Her head snapped to the woman's direction.

"Who? Stop it with your games, seriously. Do you not remember? Choi Jae-hwa, your friend since — the moment we started talking?" Jae-hwa gestured to herself.

Soo-yeon's eyes then glanced down towards the ground. "We were on a train, and then suddenly, the train wouldn't stop," she murmured to herself, completely ignoring Jae-hwa's comment.

Her brows furrowed in confusion and the feelings of regret and guilt came crashing in. "Yeon-jin," she whispered. He had held her so dearly, what had happened after?

"Yeon-jin!" she suddenly yelled, her eyes searching as to where he could be. "Jin, where are you?!" Her heart had thumped loudly. It practically slammed against her chest and it seemed no other thoughts would stick to her head except for him.

Suddenly, a pair of hands covered her lips from talking any further, the scent of wood and wheat filling her senses. "Are you trying to get us killed?!" Jae-hwa asked sharply, her nervous eyes looking around. "Stop raising your voice! They will find us and take whatever we have." She proceeded to tackle Soo-yeon to the ground.

"I don't know what happened after you went into the forest, but we need to leave — now. Everything will be better once we visit Baekje and meet my brother."

"Get your hands off of me! I don't even —"

Before they could argue, the sounds of horses and the shouts of men covered both their ears. It felt as though the ground was shaking, even the birds had gone away to find a much quieter place.

"Oh? What do we have here?" A man's deep yet calming voice had floated through the air. They both glanced at its direction, finding a silhouette hidden among the trees. Once he stepped out into the light, Soo-yeon let out a gasp, and everything seemed to still.