Chapter 1 | Unfamiliar Face

"He was shadowy and dark, yet glowing and shiny like the stars in the sky"

A youth male, not younger than the age of 17, was sitting in a jail cell. It was musty, and nothing in there could possibly be clean. It was as humid as a hot rainy day. The dust clouds were so thick they looked like fog. This boy was fine though, as this place was now more familiar to him than any home he could have. Not that he had ever had one, nor ever wanted one. He didn't need one, now roaming around was all he knew, and he didn't think he could adjust to sticking to one place all the time. The boy was eventually called up to the office in the jail, probably to let him loose again. As the boy entered the room, which had a surprising contrast to the jail cell in terms of comfort, he noticed a face he had never seen before. He knew everyone in this region of Joseon, whether friend or foe, and no one ever wanted to come here. So seeing a new face didn't just surprise the boy, it alerted him of danger.

"What is it?" Said the boy with a scowl.

"Well, ordinarily I would let you go, and roam free, to commit whatever crime next, however today is different" Said the officer.

The boy knew it had something to do with the unfamiliar face, however he kept listening.

"Today, you have a special visitor. He claims to be your distant uncle, coming to pick you up. He also happens to be a higher up apparently, although I don't know what position specifically, either way you should respect him" Said the officer with a sigh of disbelief.

"Me? A visitor? Hard to believe, but I'll take anything I can get nowadays" Laughed the boy.

"Come with me, Yi" Said the unfamiliar face, as he stepped out of the room and outside the jail.

Yi, the boy, followed.

Fate was about to make another move.

They walked for what seemed like hours, tired out and dehydrated Yi exclaimed,

"Where are we going? It seems like you're leading me nowhere!"

"Perceptive…" The unfamiliar face responded.

Just as the unfamiliar face had spoken, he had also moved his arm in an unfamiliar way. No, it wasn't unfamiliar, it was unnatural. He wasn't just reaching to scratch an itch, or kill a mosquito, he was reaching for something.

At the last moment, Yi had realized it, the unfamiliar face was reaching for a sword! As soon as Yi realized it, he had no other option but to jump out of the way, as the unfamiliar face had already unsheathed and raised his sword. A swift downward strike from, the side? Unnatural was correct, but unfamiliar was too. Yi had never seen such movements, and he had been in his fair share of fights. Yi knew to be cautious, this unfamiliar face was not someone to take lightly. Yi had the feeling he wouldn't be able to beat him in a fight, unless he got very lucky.

Yi, no last name, no family except his dad who has long passed, was a boy born in the poor slums region of Joseon, and soon after he was brought into the world he accepted his harsh and cruel circumstances. All he could do was survive, survive another day, for what? Just to survive more? What was the point? Yi also soon threw away those thoughts, his father told him to live, to never throw away his life, as life is precious no matter how cruel. His father believed that he himself only had one purpose, which was to raise his son so that his son may have a purpose at something else, and escape this cruel reality. Yi grew up getting into fights, as that was the only thing in the slums. Everyone fought, and everyone had their own reasons for fighting, still, everyone fought. Yi always picked fights however, and always lost. He couldn't figure out why, so one day when he turned 7 he asked his father why, to which his father responded

"Hmph"

From that day on, life had changed for Yi. His father changed too, or was this the man his father truly was? His father changed the way that Yi would do chores, and gave all the chores and duties to Yi. Specific movements, and patterns. Yi couldn't make sense of it then, but he didn't mind since it kept him active and not in fights. He only ever picked fights because that was all he knew how to do, never because he wanted them. 8 years later, Yi's father died, and Yi had no more reason to do these chores, not to impress his father nor take care of him. Yi stepped out of his house, and the first thing he did was get into a fight. However this time he didn't pick it, he was in the midst of being mugged by 3 bandits. All of a sudden, one of the bandits tried to throw a right cross at him, but time seemed to slow down for Yi. Yi took the time to laugh at how slow the bandit was, and proceeded to do what came naturally. Yi didn't think, he felt. He didn't move, he just did. Yi made the slightest foot movement, and sent a whipping right poke into the bandit's throat. Instant knockout, as the bandit's lungs were now clogged. Goodbye Yi thought. Yi then proceeded to roundhouse the second bandit in the jaw with his right shin, and simultaneously crane hook the third bandit in the chin. With that, the fight was over. It only took Yi 6 seconds to end a match between him and 3 other people, and they made the first move too. Yi was in a state of pure confusion for 5 minutes, contemplating on how he was able to do that.

What just happened? How in the world did I do that? It was luck right? Before when I got into fights even one-on-one I could never beat anyone, and now I was able to beat 3 guys? What was I thinking!? Wait, I wasn't thinking anything was I, it all came so naturally to me. Like how a honeybee has it's natural instinct to collect pollen, or a wolf is born to hunt.

Yi then realized that all those weird chores and duties his father made him do for 8 years weren't just chores and duties, they were Yi's training. From that day on, Yi never lost a fight, until now.

Yi had just managed to dodge the unfamiliar face's cut, however he was sure he couldn't dodge the next one, if he didn't make the right decision right now he would die. Wait, why is this man attacking me anyways? It doesn't make any sense, I don't have a bounty, and I'm not nearly important enough to have someone want to assassinate me, maybe he has the wrong guy?

The moonlight glittered and sprinkled on the unfamiliar face's sword, and he stood there for a second. Yi got a chance to look at the unfamiliar face. He had short hair. Beautiful features, Yi couldn't help but be amazed since the only faces he's seen in the slums were worse than ugly. He was wearing a dark hanbok (traditional Korean clothes). His hanbok was shining like his sword in the moonlight, was that intentional? It was a midnight navy hanbok, close to black but not quite, like that of the night sky, with black shoes and a silver belt. The belt was shiny, glittering as much as the tip of his sword. He was shadowy and dark, yet glowing and shiny like the stars in the sky. His figure somehow seemed muscular, even though it was shrouded in the loose hanbok. His form was perfect, even in this resting position he was in. Yi was about to take a step, when the unfamiliar face interjects,

"Ah ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you"

"Then what would you do? There is nothing I can do here except attack, if I run I'm dead, at least if I attack I have a slim chance to get out alive" Responds Yi.

"I would hear this stranger out, after all you cannot possibly win against me, and you know that" The unfamiliar face winks and smirks.

"I have a proposal-"

"What would that be, and why should I care?"

"Watch your tongue, I said hear me out otherwise you die."

"Now then, this is my proposal. We have a fair duel, with swords of course. If I win, you come with me and listen to what I have to say. If you win, you get one thing you want from me. Anything at all. Intriguing?"

"Alright, I'll admit it is intriguing, we'll have to see if you uphold your end of the deal when I win"

"Hoho, confident. Don't worry, I am very honorable-"

The unfamiliar face is interrupted by the clanging of a sword he has just thrown to Yi.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Asks Yi.

"What do you think? FIGHT-" The unfamiliar responds, as he leaps forward to perform a side slash.

In the nick of time, Yi just manages to pick up his sword and block the attack, but only by a hair.

"WAIT! If I kill you, I can't get what I want! If you kill me, You won't get what you want either" Yi exclaims

"Well first of all, you won't kill me. You couldn't in 100 years. But I won't kill you either, I'll make sure to keep you alive" The unfamiliar face scoffs, as he raises his sword to perform another overhead slash.

Heh Yi thinks to himself. Yi knows exactly what the unfamiliar face is going to do next, and how fast too. Yi has a rare talent, once he has experienced a move on him once, he remembers everything about it. From the speed to the power, even if he wasn't hit by it.

Yi tries to thrust his sword into the unfamiliar face's ribs. Just as Yi is about to pierce through his ribs however, the unfamiliar face disappears.

"What-"

The unfamiliar face appears behind Yi, with his gleaming blade right at Yi's neck. Yi had never experienced this before. He has been this close to death, but there was a new emotion. Something that became as clear as the night sky above.

FEAR.

The fear was overwhelming, looming over Yi and he felt his fear as a threat more than the blade at his neck. This unfamiliar emotion soon became familiar. This unfamiliar face brought along unfamiliar movements, and unfamiliar emotions. Yi didn't like him one bit.

Just like that, the fight was over. It ended as fast as it started.

"Crap" Were the only words Yi could muster.

"'Crap'? Where is all that confidence now? Well I assume you'll come with me now. You are as honorable a man as you expected me to be, correct?"

"Fine," Yi responded.

"Good," The unfamiliar face smiled ear to ear

"Oh, and by the way, my name is Jung-Pal," Jung-Pal says, while sticking out his hand.

Yi was so distracted by his fear that he didn't even notice that Jung-Pal had withdrawn his sword, and sheathed it.

"Am I supposed to shake it?" Yi asks.

"What else?" Jung-Pal responds.

"Yi, just Yi" Yi says while taking Jung-Pal's hand.

"Alright, great. Now we can trust each other! Come with me." Exclaims Jung-Pal.

"Ugh" Exclaims Yi.

Jung-Pal starts walking without looking back, knowing Yi will follow, and eventually Yi starts to follow even though he is overwhelmed by stubbornness. The two walk off into the night, just as the moon did.