THE ASHES OF LOVE

PROLOG

The first thing the teenage girl realized was that she was in a state between life and death. The horrifying incident that unfolded so swiftly before her eyes flung her out of the car and dragged her several meters away onto the cold, icy asphalt. Blood poured profusely from her temple, creating a deep crimson hue around her. Her long brown locks were also soaked in her own blood.

There were several bruises on her right cheek and pointed chin. Even her fresh blood was still clinging to the corner of her small lips, which were no longer red but had turned purple. Her breathing rhythm stuttered, trying to suppress the pain that was beginning to manifest in her chest due to the impact of a hard object. A tear in her right upper arm and the displaced joint of her left hand added to the intense agony she felt. It seemed nearly impossible for anyone to survive such a horrifying accident.

There were so many shards of glass embedded in her right leg, her upper right thigh was torn, and there was a large wound on her left leg where her shinbone was slightly exposed. Furthermore, her abdominal area was injured due to a long piece of metal that had penetrated quite deeply. This caused all the nerves in her body to slowly go numb. She couldn't move, not even an inch.

The girl's gaze drifted further ahead. Was this her moment to depart? On the first night when snow was falling—while everyone was joyously celebrating their first snowfall—did she have to end up in such a gruesome state?

Faintly, she could hear someone calling her name, followed by the sound of painful moans not far from her position. The girl attempted to turn her head toward the source of the sound. As her vision blurred further, it took a while before she could clearly see the severely damaged condition of the car she had been in.

The container truck had crushed the BMW 640i coupe into an unrecognizable shape. The body of a man, in a condition no less grim than hers, appeared trapped under the truck's tire that had rolled over the car's windshield. His face was shattered, and part of his arm was severed. The girl could sense something from within her abdomen, attempting to emerge.

She remembered now. He was the driver. She, her mother, and her younger sibling were on their way to Harvest Moon Village—her mother's private land—to escape from a group of unknown men dressed in black who were pursuing them. But suddenly, at an intersection, a container truck appeared right in front of their car, forcing the driver to swerve to the right. The car's tires screeched loudly. The wet and slippery road made it impossible to control the car, causing it to spin like a top. The next thing that happened was the car's left side colliding heavily with the truck's body, causing the right side door of the car to open, and the girl was thrown out. Eventually, half of their car went under the container, crushing it to pieces.

Sreekkk....

A blood-covered white hand emerged from behind the car door. Merely by spotting the silver bracelet adorned with an emerald gem in its center, the girl recognized that it was her mother's hand.

"... mom ..." the girl attempted to make a sound, but only a whisper came out. "... mom ..." even though she was confronted with pain multiplied a thousandfold, the girl tried to move—closer to her mother. However, she struggled due to the intense pain in her abdomen. She had to let it go.

With a mixture of fear and trembling, her right hand reached for the iron rod embedded in her abdomen. Just one strong tug. She could do it.

The girl closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, gripping it tightly, and...

“Aaaaarrgghhh!!!”

With a single jerk—accompanied by an excruciating cry of pain—the girl managed to pull the iron rod out of her abdomen. If only she hadn't closed the wound and pressed it with her hand immediately, she might have seen the contents of her abdomen come out with it.

“... mom ...” she called with a hoarse and feeble voice. Her face contorted in pain as she attempted to turn her body into a prone position and slowly move closer to her mother's body.

The girl's abdomen grew increasingly agonizing and torturous as she forced herself to move. Dragging her body like that, the friction against her wound only worsened it, causing more blood to flow. Despite trying not to pay attention, the acrid scent of blood triggered a unique turmoil in her nose. She could no longer bear the pain coursing through her shivering body. Her fingers were just a few inches away—almost reaching for her mother's hand—yet she couldn't crawl any further.

“... mom ...” the girl cried out as she fell, the pain in her abdomen striking again. Tears broke from the girl. She had reached her limit. After moving so far, all she could do was gaze at her unconscious mother, unable to observe her condition any longer. The lower part of her body was trapped between the passenger seats. Several glass shards were embedded in her mother's face. Blood flowed profusely from her head. And her right shoulder was torn.

The girl shook her head in disbelief. How could this have happened to them?

"Hey, someone survived here!"

Suddenly, other sounds became audible—overlapping and deafening in the ears of the girl pressed against the cold, dark street. Hysterical screams, desperate cries for help, the wailing of ambulance and patrol car sirens echoing back and forth, and the voice of a man attempting to bring her back to consciousness.

"Hey, dear ... can you hear me?"

The girl's consciousness waned. Due to excessive blood loss, her vision grew hazier until all she could perceive was the silhouette of the man's figure.

Her ears rang loudly. And her body grew colder. As if she were trapped inside an ice block at the North Pole.

"Emergency! This child is experiencing hypovolemic shock. Quickly bring the stretcher over here!"

Swiftly, as directed by the man, several medical personnel arrived with a stretcher and gently moved the girl's body onto it.

"What about the other victims?"

"It seems impossible to save them. Parts of their bodies are shattered."

No. That couldn't be. The girl thought to herself. As her body was lifted, her brown irises still caught signs of life from her mother. They had to save her mother.

"Try to stop this child's bleeding. In the meantime, I'll see if there's anything salvageable."

Please save my mother. My sibling. Please save them.

Behind the oxygen mask, the girl's tiny lips moved soundlessly. She prayed silently, hoping that God would save her mother and sibling.

"Everyone, move away!"

"The car is going to explode!"

The girl's eyes blinked. Her body tensed. She saw a small spark of fire emerging from the car's engine.

Everyone present in the vicinity, including the police and medical personnel, hurriedly moved away. And within seconds, the small fire reached the gasoline tank of the car.

No. This couldn't happen. Her mother and sibling were still there.

Quickly, save them. I beg you ...

"Take cover!"

BLAAARRRR !!!

TBC