THE CURSED ONE - THE BOY WHO CHALLENGE DESTINY

Inside the Prison - 2

It’s approaching midday and the guards are sending some food to the prisoners. Hyung Jae is grateful that the food now arrives since his stomach already trembling. He looks at Bok and his cellmate, they eat heartily, even before Hyung Jae touching his meal their meals already moved to their stomach. Hyung Jae eats his food slowly, he started to look at the old prisoner next to him and that old man doesn’t touch his food yet.

“Hey old man, why don’t you eat your food?” Hyung Jae tried to talk to the old man, but no response from him.

“It’s no use, he only responds to someone when he wanted to.” Bok said.

Hyung Jae continues to eat his meals, suddenly the old man coming close to the cell bar and says something to him, “Please help him, please help him.”

“What?” Hyung Jae asked since the old man's voice was very low.

“The child… Monster, the monster will eat him.” The old man said.

 “Just ignore him,” Bok said, “Hey old man, move back!!!” Bok tried to threaten the old prisoner.

Hyung Jae keeps eating his meals, and the old man keeps mumbling about something that he doesn’t understand, “Apparently what Bok said was true.” Hyung Jae said it in his mind.

All the food has fully entered Hyung Jae's stomach, now he is laying on the floor. One of the guards coming to his cell, “Hey you, the commander wanted to talk with you now, stand up.” Said the guard.

Hyung Jae wakes up from the floor and stands up in front of the guard, the cell bar dividing them. The guard takes the key and opens the cell door, Hyung Jae comes out and walks in front of the guard with his hand-tied.

“Hey, Good luck,” Bok said and Hyung Jae nodded his head.

The guard takes Hyung Jae to the Commander’s room and the commander seems busy reading and doing something on his table. His commander's name is Eung Sa.

“This is him, Sir.” He said to his commander.

“You can leave now.” Eung Sa ordered the guard to leave.

“Yes, Sir.” The guard answered.

The guard went out and Hyung Jae now alone with Eung Sa.

“Last night I didn’t check your belongings, and this morning I saw two suspicious things in your kinds of stuff.” Eung Sa speaks as he takes out a sword and a necklace with a beautiful big gem in the middle, Eung Sa puts those items on the table.

“This sword isn’t an ordinary sword that anyone can have, this sword was well made, very durable and very sharp, someone would need a very high amount of gold coins to buy this sword, I don’t see you as a wealthy person, what’s your explanation? But remember, be careful when you pick your words, your answer will define your fate.” Eung Sa asked his first question firmly.

"Let me introduce myself first to you, Sir, so you can take my words seriously," Hyung Jae said, "I’m Hyung Jae from Blue Wind sect and I am a wanderer because that was what my soul suit most, a freedom.”

“If you are a Blue Wind sect member, where is your plaque?! Why I didn’t see it along with your other stuff?! I remind you once again, don’t create some silly story.” Eung Sa threatened Hyung Jae.

“My plaque was taken by Man Dook, I believe you know him. Yesterday I was applied as gungjeon gyeongbi and I had passed the test, I should follow a written test today before I’ve formally become gungjeon gyeongbi,” Hyung Jae said, “And about the sword, you have a good eye, Sir. Indeed that sword isn’t an ordinary sword, it is the infamous Seven Stars Sword and it was the legacy of Blue Wind high master. He entrusted his sword to me before I was leaving Blue Wind sect 7 years ago.” Hyung Jae explained.

“So you’re a great martial artist if Blue Wind high master entrusted his precious weapon to you?” Eung Sa asked this time with curiosity.

“No, I’m not that great, might be my master give it to me because of a sentimental reason.” Hyung Jae tries to humble.

“Your words will be proven later after I meet with Man Dook. How about this precious necklace? Is it your master’s legacy also? I believe this is not something that you can buy anywhere in this world. This is not an ordinary necklace the gem in the necklace was the precious one. I never saw any gem that able to strengthen its wearer body as much as this gem can do, I feel my physical and inner power increasing greatly. What gem is this? Is this yours?” Eung Sa asked again.

“Actually I don’t know what gem it is because it isn’t mine.” Hyung Jae answered.

“Are you now admitting if this is a stolen necklace? because we found it in your belongings.” Eung Sa asked.

“No, no… of course, no sir, I didn’t steal it, it belonged to a lady who wanted me to gave it to her son, I just bring it,” Hyung Jae answered, “It was a long story, sir.” Hyung Jae said.

“I have all the time you need. Don’t tell lies or I’ll send you to rot in that prison.” Eung Sa said firmly.

Hyung Jae doesn't have any choice, he must tell everything to Eung Sa or they won't let him go.

“I won't lie to you, Sir,” Hyung Jae answered, “My reason to come to this city was to find a boy and that necklace was his mother's last legacy. It was started around 6 or 7 months ago when I was a mercenary who joins the teams from Jeoul City to eradicate a horde of robbers in Gaja Mountain who often robbed merchants or travelers who went through the Gaja Mountain path. I was late to register that time, the main force already went to Gaja mountain and I was one day late from their departure, so I run as fast as I can to catch them up. After 1 day of travel, in Wangdu forest when I take a shortcut inside the forest I saw a woman who was fighting 5 masked men and she was injured, the woman was skilled enough but her 5 attackers also not less skilled than her. I didn’t like what I saw, I feel that was injustice so I helped her to fight all the attackers and we manage to take them down. Later she killed those wounded masked men, all of them. She was heavily injured and I guessed she would not live for long, anytime could be her last moment. I had tried to bring her to the nearest village but it was too far, and she died in the way. A moment before her death, she gave me this necklace and asked me to find her beloved son. She said that this necklace can help to prolong her son’s life, and the next thing she said was before those attackers caught them, they met a travelers chariot and she was secretly hiding her sleeping son in the back of their chariot without them noticing. Those were her last words before she died in my arms and I buried her body near the Wangdu forest. I don't know who she was fight with or the one who chased him because she didn’t have any chance to explain it to me as well, but as a warrior, I would never ignore a mother last wish, so I tried to track the trace of the travelers around Wangdu forest but I couldn’t find them around. I run out of time because I had to join the eradication team immediately, I need the money from the mission for some urgent reason so I went to Gaja Mountain to help my teammates. A few days later our mission had succeeded, and on my way back, I started to track that traveler trace again. With limited information, I had asked so many peoples who had traveled inside Wangdu forest around that time, from town after town and months after months but still not get any clear information about the boy nor the traveler. The last information I got in Hawin City, around that time a few travelers from Emperor City went through the Wangdu forest.” Hyung Jae continued, “That’s why I come to this city to find the traveler and asked about the boy's presence to give this back to him.”

“What a crazy story, right now I can’t judge whether you are right or wrong. I’ll meet with Man Dook and tells him about this, I want to know his opinions about you first," Eung Sa said, "Why did you want to join the gungjeon gyeongbi?”

“Because I think it will become easier for me to find the traveler and the boy if I become a guard, I can easily ask anyone around the city without them being suspicious to me, also I can get free foods and shelter. I had lived a hard life during my mission to find the boy, I can’t join any mercenary mission and runs out the money.” Hyung Jae answered again.

“How about last night's incident? You were the only person who my men saw and found on the explosion site last night?” Eung Sa asked.

“I have told so many times to you or your men that I was the one who was chasing the thief, it has happened after I had finished my duty on Full Moon Longs, the food house in the middle of the city,” Hyung Jae said,” After I went out from the food house, I walked alone and saw a shadow jumping from one rooftop to another rooftop, I suspected if it was a thief so I run to chase him down. My suspicion was correct, that man was wearing a black suit with a mask and he started to attack me. I can avoid his attack until he throws his secret smoke bomb that explodes in front of me. Not long after that smoke bomb explodes, your men were arrived and captured me.”

“What kind of duty that you did in the food house in the middle of the night?” Eung Sa asked.

“Err… It’s quite shameful actually.” Hyung Jae hesitated to answer the question.

“Just answer the question?! Remember, your fate depends on your answer.” Eung Sa said firmly.

“Actually I was washing and cleaning dishes at the food house, I couldn’t afford to pay the food bill and the owner wanted me to do all the cleaning before I leave.” Hyung Jae throws his embarrassment away and answered the question.

“I see… I’ll need some time to check the truth about your story, until that time you must stay in this prison. If everything you said was true, you may leave as soon as possible Mr. Hyung Jae, but if later I found you lied to me, then no one can help you to escape from my punishment.” Eung Sa explained. Hyung Jae understands his situation and then Eung Sa asks his guard to send Hyung Jae back to the cell.

When Hyung Jae arrived in the cell, he sits down in the corner of the cell. Bok, who is very curious about the interrogation immediately asks, “How was the interrogation, does everything going well?”

“Yep, it seems everything will be ok. I've told the real story to Eung Sa, I don’t know what will happen. I give the rest to my own fate.” Hyung Jae answered.

“I hate if they punished the wrong guy, it’s just unfair,” Bok said.

Hyung Jae answers, “Sometimes fate just isn’t fair to us, but we have to stand strong to face the unfairness.”

Bok feels these words hit the deepest part of his heart.