Mother Nature is both beautiful and cruel.

I shot out of bed, breathing heavily. I looked around and I realized I didn't recognize the place.

"Where am I?" I groaned, muttering to myself, not really expecting an answer. I felt a sharp pain in my side. Instinctively, my hand shot to the right side of my waist, only to be covered in... red. Is it paint? No... it smells too metallic for that. Blood... I'm bleeding. How? I don't remem—

“Gods above!” someone yelled. “Lie down before you undo the catgut any further!”

Confused, I looked over at the person speaking. They appeared beautiful but angry—or perhaps worried.

“Catgut?” I asked.

The next thing I knew, someone had injected me with a substance—sleep medication.

The last thing I heard was, “She saw you, Mit!” The person who injected me sounded furious.

I remember now—the screams, the cries, the bodies. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as I thought of my family. Are they dead? Are they together? I need answers! I don’t know how long I was unconscious before waking up in a cold sweat.

“When did I get up?” I realized I was sitting now instead of lying down. From the corner of my eye, I saw a figure flinch. I turned so quickly to face them that my head nearly tore off my shoulders.

“Are you alright, my rose?” they asked.

‘Rose?’

As they approached, they reached out, trying to lay me back down. I flinched and pulled away from their grasp.

“Who…” My words died on my tongue. This being wasn’t human at all. At first glance, you might think they were albino, but no—they were moon-white, almost milky in appearance. Nevertheless, they were beautiful.

"Vyrnathlor. You can call me Vyn, my rose," He said, his voice as soft as silk—if that were even possible.

“Vyn?” I try the name, testing how it feels on my tongue. It’s lovely and mesmerizing, yet intimidating as well.

“You have a question, don't you?” He asked. He was right—I had many. Some of them were: ‘Where am I? What are you? What happened? Who was that person I heard? And who is Mit?’

"Yes, I do," I mutter, almost too quietly to be heard. He raises an eyebrow, looking at me with a condescending smirk. I can't tell whether I'm attracted to him or want to slap him.

“Ask away, then, my darling mortal,” He said, as if mortality were a strange concept to him.

“Why do you say it like that?” I asked him.

"Say what, my rose?"

“Mortal? Why do you say it as if it’s a foreign concept?” I inquired. “And stop calling me ‘my rose.’ I’m not your anything,” I added, feeling increasingly annoyed.

I looked around, taking in my surroundings for the last time. “Are we underground?” I asked, as I inspected the rooms.

"We are. Regarding your earlier question, mortality is a foreign concept. I don't know what it is like." The way he spoke sent shivers down my spine. In fact, he was calm—too calm.

My eyes find their way back to him, and trapped in his gaze, I finally notice his scars, harsh, and unsettling. One runs through his right eye, and the other crosses his lip. His eyes, mismatched, yet mesmerizing, draw me closer. One was blue and the other white, almost like his skin.

“So you don't die?” I inquired, perplexed as to why the concept of being human would be so unfamiliar to him.

“No?,” he spoke as if I had just asked him if he's seen the sun before, despite the confused look on his face he changed the subject,“You are quite beautiful, my rose. As much as I love calling you that, may I know the name of my new flower?”

“Why would I give you my name? I don't even know you. For all I know you could be trying to kill me.” It came out more defensive than I thought

His face falls to a sneer, and it is obvious that he did not like the accusation. Without saying anything, he gets up and heads to the door.

“Where are you going? You still haven't answered my question.” I yell after him as he continues to walk. “Can you please answer! I need to know where I am! Please! At least just tell me we are still in Rome!!” he slams the door before I hear an audible ‘click’.....The bastard locked me in..

Fighting the burning sensation on my side, I get up and head to the door trying the door knob. “Asshole!” I scream through the door, “let me out! Please! I need to get out,” I bang my hand on the door,,,,nothing but silence answers my pleading.

I'm trapped in an unknown place with things that can't die?...nonono…let me go please…let me go!!

Please help me…

I’m looking….but for what?

“씨발, Are you ok?” Holding on to the edge of the rock, my pulse quickens as each chip falls, and I look at the little girl I managed to grab just before she fell. Tears adorn the corners of her eyes; she is terrified.

“I won't drop you! I promise!” I try to reassure her while tightening my grip. Shit, how do I explain to a child who is dangling off a cliff that she will not fall?

“Please,” Her voice shakes from terror. ‘Come on, Ji-ho, pull her up.’ My body aches all over; I took a nasty fall. I am not sure what exactly happened. I just know at some point that I started falling. I ended up landing on my back…hard. I am surprised that I did not break my spine. I did not have an opportunity to register my pain before I saw the girl in question falling.

“Don’t let go! Come on, keep holding on!” Slowly, I bring her up to my chest, letting her wrap her little limbs around me; I feel her tears seep through my shirt. I managed to evade any sharp rocks that could pierce her skin; my skin was not lucky one by one. Sharp edge by sharp edge, I get higher and higher.

I manage to calm my voice just enough, not scare her.

“Can you climb, 여동생?” All I get in turn is a shaky nod, as I bring her to the top of the edge. I watch as she moves her weight to her hands and pushes herself over the edge, just in time, as my grip is slowly failing me. I'm starting to slip.

“Shit,” my grip fails me as I start to fall, losing the edge in the process.

Not yet, come on… Come on!! ‘Sansin, mountain spirit, I ask of you to let me survive this; please, I need to stay with this child…’ I won't let her be alone here. I’ll keep her safe, I’ll keep her with me; just let me protect the innocent life of this child.’

“Granted”

“Yes!” I manage to get the hold of the ledge again and start pulling myself up. I keep climbing until I can see the little girl's face, and then I push myself up over the ledge. As I am almost all the way up, I feel her grab on my shirt, trying to help me up.

Once I finally got up, I did not even get the chance to thank her for helping when she instantly broke down. I hold her as I let her cry in my arms.

“Youre ok…i wont let you go”

“Promise?” Her voice is soft….trembling and shaking as she asks me to swear

Smiling softly, I answer her, my voice matching hers “Promise. I will always be here for you.”

I don’t know what she is going through or how she will get through this ... all I know is that I am not leaving her alone.

I am not leaving anyone, especially her, behind…

I feel eyes all on us as we explore the area. We managed to find more people here ... ..not many alive.I cover her eyes any time i see one up ahead but she's a child and they tend to be more perceptive than me.

“Hye-jin close your eyes for me ok?”

“But-”

“Please, 인형”

Her voice lowers almost inaudible as she agrees “.....ok” She closes her little eyes as we turn the corner. I lift her into my arms just as she buries her head in my chest.

The bittersweet smell of blood floods our senses. Despite knowing the smell I know she still doesn't like it.Her tears soak my chest. She hates the smell.

“It's ok” I try to reassure her as I step over bodies…Seoul…the worst possible place for a situation like this. So many people…tourists and born who all met the same fate. My chest tightens as I keep walking, tears run down my cheeks as I take in the people around me. Just a few minutes ago they were smiling and laughing.

I didn't notice Hye-jin lift her head until I felt her hand wipe my tears away.

“Dont cry…its not your fault” she mutters as she continues looking at me. Not like I would let her be witness to the carnage around us.

“I know it's not but it still hurts not out of fault but out of compassion, they did not deserve this, they were happy” My heart aches for the people who felt like they were at the peak of their life only for it to be stripped away in a matter of seconds. Finally clearing the place I set her down.

“Lets keep walking 여동생” I keep my voice steady as I grab her hand guiding her away from the place, mentally telling myself to come back and give them a proper burial when she is asleep.