A Chance towards Happiness

Prologue: The War 20 Years Later

War was such a terrible and sad thing to experience in the world, more so to the people who fought hard to achieve peace. No matter how much one wants it, nobody could predict how war ends. Just like what had happened to a certain world where Rowoon Kingdom existed. 

On top of the rubbles and corpses of his dead comrades, stood Choi Han with an expressionless face looking at his headless foe— the White Star. After 20 long years of fighting off against the White Star and his organization, he was finally able to defeat him. Instead of screaming for joy, Choi Han felt empty. He was supposed to feel happy that he finally defeated his wretched foe but he couldn't. 

What's the use of winning this war when all of my friends are dead and I am left all alone, he thought. He couldn't cry from the death of his friends nor he could celebrate in joy for his win. Looking around the Puzzle City, he could see the effects of war. Dead bodies all around him, destroyed buildings and temples. He looked at the red sky looming over the Kingdom and he closed his eyes and slowly brought his eyes to a certain place. There, he spotted a familiar red hair across a distance looking at him with wide eyes. 

He hated red hairs, as it reminded him the bastard who insulted the death of his second family, who accepted him, and he remembers the White Star from it. He slowly rushed towards the individual and the red-haired man took a step back.

"Why? How could a trash like you survive?" Choi Han asked as soon as he reached the redhead. But he didn't answer, instead the redhead's eyes were locked to a certain man. He couldn't take his eyes away from the White Star's dead body. No way was what he thought. Angered from being ignored, Choi Han grabbed the redhead's shoulder tightly to the point it might leave a mark. The redhead looks at Choi Han's eyes.

"Cale Henituse! Why are you the only one alive?!" Choi Han, again, asked in frustration. Cale tried to get away from his grip but he was too strong.

"The White Star isn't dead," Cale said, ignoring the question asked. Choi Han's hand loosened his grip to his shoulder and shook.

"No way... No way! You saw it! I killed the White Star!" Choi Han shouted. He was now angry beyond belief.

"Yes, his body is dead but he is still alive! I don't know how to explain it but he is alive!" He responded. Choi Han was sure he killed the White Star and yet, this trash was telling him that thing was still alive. He couldn't believe it. He laughed maniacally which made the redhead flinched.

"I guess, even wars could dull a certain pampered trash brain like you," he said in contempt. The redhead, once again, ignored Choi Han which made the latter more mad. Cale walked towards the body of White Star to confirm something and now he was sure. He is alive. His body might have died here, but I don't know why I am sure he is still alive. 

Cale was about to touch White Star's dead body when a hand grabbed him forcefully.

"What?!" he asked in surprised. Choi Han was looking at him as if he was about to kill him. Cale struggled to remove Choi Han's tightening grip on his wrist when he was suddenly flung forward and away from White Star's body.

He looked at Choi Han and he saw him unsheathing his sword from his scabbard and ready to kill him. Without any second thoughts, one of his hidden abilities sprouted and created a big mulberry tree. Surprised from what he saw, Choi Han looked back and forth towards the redhead and the tree. Cale guided the branch and trunk towards Choi Han and he wrapped him around it. Choi Han struggled and tried to cut all the branches but it was too fast, as a result he got wrapped by the tree like a spring roll, only his head could be seen.

"I know you are tired, so sleep for a while," Cale said as he approached Choi Han. When the latter was about to say something, a palm appeared in front of his face and smelled a relaxing scent from it making him drowsy and fell asleep. Cale then placed the sleeping Choi Han in the gaps of two big trunk of the mulberry tree. It stood tall in the middle of the war's aftermath. As soon as Cale thought Choi Han was safely settled in the tree, he approached it and sat on the roots and laid his back on the trunk below. Cale looked around and etched the memory of this hopeless nightmare. Once he got the picture clearly in his mind, he slowly closed his eyes.