At The Mount Sinia

Three thousand years ago, there was a kingdom in the southeast, situated at the summit of Mount Sinia. During the bloom of the moon, the lightless night sky witnessed a Queen giving birth to a prince.

The cold breeze hummed, the leaves swaying as they rustled. The luminescent glow of the moon called upon souls to wander, bless, and welcome. That night, everyone present didn't know what was happening outside, and they were merely called to support the Queen with all hands available to serve. Completely unaware of the full moon shimmering its light on the outskirts of the Palace.

After the servants and attendants arrived at the chamber, nothing amiss had bumped into them, except the howling of the wolves ringing through their ears.

The King followed after, rising in the middle of the night to call the physicians and doctors. Sweat beaded his forehead while he gazed at the closed curtains concealing the window. The night grew darker and darker, hitting three at the clock before reverberating loudly throughout the halls of the Palace. After the seemingly endless whimpering and assurance, the Queen gave birth to a boy.

The King stared blankly at the little clothed baby, the maid handing him over to him. Yet he stood in silence, emotions finally surging through that he couldn't repress any longer, his tears poured soundlessly, and reached out to embrace his son.

He smiled pricelessly as he gazed at the sleeping soul wrapped in his arms. The wolves howling outside stopped and it grew silent. Her wife had long been asleep due to exhaustion.

The maids cleaned up the chamber and silently heaved a sigh in relief when the King had come to the bedside to exchange with his wife. From then moving forward, a Father and a Mother along with their newborn son rejoiced in happy tears, not knowing that the huge crescent moon, hanging peacefully above them, is now gone.

The royal family slept soundly with a blooming serenity and happiness, their anxious hearts mellowing in the distance of the silent room.

The night had seemed sucked out of color, darkness tucking the land in a cold embrace. When the hazy clouds followed one another, the moon hiding behind the mists, revealed itself.

Crimson as vivid as blood, tinted the full moon that was glooming up above. The red light turned the sea into a pool of blood, the land into a surface of death.

Little did they know, the royal family from three thousand years ago found the first call of an extraordinary creature that was too seldom to born in this world.

A creature that was formed with a smooth delicate corporeal body, small and weak, dull and pale. A creature that was born, speaking in a tiny voice, eyes rounding as a crescent, called out to the face looking at him.

"Papa..."

The first Phantom had been born in this world.

Rong Wang rested both his hands on his lap before speaking.

"Now, the tale started at the royal family's story and end it at then-" So Eun gasped loudly, creases between his eyebrows appearing. It wasn't long before the elder was interrupted by him.

"What? What do you mean? I thought it wasn't that infuriating to the point of hundreds of people banded together just to search it?"

"Calm down, let me finish." He coaxed him to sit back and So Eun did nothing but obey.

"It isn't finished yet. The night after the birthday of the prince, the nation that was ruled by that kingdom celebrated and held a banquet for them."

Aristocrats and nobles from the various Kingdoms were invited and sent on behalf of the Royal Families to attend the Royal Banquet, sending the best wishes and blessings to the newborn prince.

Expectedly, when the Palace held a royal banquet in celebration, the townspeople also hung up lanterns, owners of a shop temporarily positioned their booths on the main road of the city and extravagant dishes were displayed at a feast. Outside the Palace was also as boisterous as it was inside.

In the joyous and spirited place crowded with lights, laughter, and people, the nation of The Kingdom cheered a lively felicitation to the Royal Family. The celebration was held throughout the day, and as the sun was chased out by the moon, the festival still goes on.

When the dark arrived, the vibrant starlights from the villages were even more breathtaking to behold if they were to gaze from the peak of the mountain. And so the people were energized to relish in the merry spirit.

But at the end of the day, even the light of a candle will eventually die and be devoured by darkness.

Hitting midnight at the clock. The Queen helped his drunk husband into their bedroom, where the sleeping child was always beside the divan. The banquet hadn't finished yet, and she excused herself to tuck his husband that passed out in their room, and check on her son.

However, after kissing her husband goodnight, a faint hushed whispered in her ears, she suddenly turned around, her eyes widening, and the chills on her back came along after the strange voice.

So she didn't move, merely scanning the fancy bedroom that she'd grown familiar with. The beating of her heart at the top of her ears grew louder because that voice appeared to be murmuring something, so close.

When she whipped around, the pants suddenly disappeared into thin air. The room once again, dissolved into silence.

The Queen sighed in relief, hands resting on her chest, but before she rests it aside, a small voice came out of the elegant crib that belonged to the royal prince.

"Mama..."

The Queen wandered her eyes and ended at the crib. Hearing her own surprised gasp, she mindlessly walked towards it and check at his son.

What awaited her was no other than her baby, small fingers wet with drool as the baby chewed on his thumb. That tiny crescent eyes landed on his mother and stopped.

The mother went soft on the spot, watching his child staring at him with utmost curiosity. She couldn't help to draw out her hand to the crib.

But before her fingers touched the boy's white-paled skin, the smile on her face went still. The hand hanging mid-air also stopped.

Realization dawned on her at that moment, his son was born just a day prior, how can he already speak without difficulty?