IMMORTAL KING

GENERAL PARK - THE MAN WHO LIED

*EPISODE 6: "GENERAL PARK - THE MAN WHO LIED"*

_∼2100 words_

_3/12. The one who taught us to kill._

---

*1. THE FLASHBACK WE NEVER TOLD*

The peach tree. Night.

Tae-hyun presses his scar to Min-ho’s.

"You never asked," Min-ho says.

"Asked what?"

"Why Park took us in."

Tae-hyun goes still.

14 years. He never asked.

"Tell me."

"Park was there the night the palace fell," Min-ho says. "He was one of them. One of the 12."

The wind stops.

*2. THE TRUTH ABOUT 3/12*

*General Park. Commander of the City Guard.*

*Crime*: Led the raid that "sorted" the orphans 14 years ago.

Sold 40 kids to slavers. Kept 2 for himself.

_“For training,”_ he said.

He taught us the sword.

He taught us how to disappear.

He taught us how to kill.

And he lied to us for 14 years.

Tae-hyun’s hands shake. Not from sadness. From rage.

"He’s 3/12," Tae-hyun whispers.

Min-ho nods. "Always has been."

*3. THE MEETING*

They don’t ambush Park.

They ask to meet.

Old warehouse. Outside the city. Where he trained them.

Park is 60 now. Gray hair. One eye missing.

Still has the same scar across his chest.

He smiles when he sees them.

"My boys. You look like ghosts."

"Because we are," Tae-hyun says.

No sword drawn. No daggers.

Just three people and 14 years of lies between them.

*4. THE CONVERSATION*

"Why?" Min-ho asks. Voice flat.

"Why did you take us?"

Park sighs. Sits on a crate.

"Because I was tired. Tired of selling kids. Tired of the palace.

You two... you looked at me like I was human. Not a butcher."

"So you trained us to be killers?" Tae-hyun says.

"I trained you to survive," Park snaps. "The world doesn’t care about glass boys."

"Then why didn’t you tell us?"

"Because you would’ve killed me at age 10," Park says. "And you weren’t ready."

Silence.

*5. THE CHOICE*

Min-ho draws his sword. Slow.

Tae-hyun doesn’t stop him.

Park doesn’t reach for his.

"Do it then," he says. "You’ve been planning it for 14 years."

"I have," Min-ho says.

"But?"

"But you taught me how to hold a sword without shaking," Min-ho says. "You taught me how to catch him when he falls."

"So?"

"So this isn’t justice," Tae-hyun says. "This is mercy."

Min-ho lowers the sword.

Park stares. "You’re letting me live?"

"No," Tae-hyun says. "You’re going to confess."

*6. 3/12*

They don’t kill him.

They break him.

Forced him to write a letter. To the entire city.

_“I, General Park, sold 40 children. I lied for 14 years. I deserve death.”_

They nail it to the palace gates.

At dawn.

On the letter: _“3/12. For the 40.”_

And a peach.

Park disappears that night.

Some say he threw himself off a cliff.

Some say the Emperor’s men got to him first.

Either way: Name crossed off.

*7. AFTER*

Back at the peach tree.

Min-ho is quiet.

"You okay?" Tae-hyun asks.

"I trained to kill him for 14 years," Min-ho says. "And we didn’t."

"We killed the lie," Tae-hyun says. "That’s worse."

Min-ho looks at him.

Then laughs. A real laugh.

"You’re scary, you know that?"

"I learned from you."

They press scars together.

_“Blood oath?”_

_“Blood oath.”_

*END OF EPISODE 6*