The Edge Of Darkness

Cold

Suggested listening: Jay B - 흔들의자 (Rocking Chair)

-It's time to go to bed, Eun-Jung. You studied and trained hard today, you have to be ready for tomorrow.

-I don't want to sleep... like this.

-And how do you want to sleep? Upside down on the ceiling like a bat?

Hwoarang tickled Eun-Jung, who laughed and giggled and shrieked.

-No, silly papa. I want you to sing me my favourite song while you hold me, and then you can put me in the bed.

-Ja Jang Uri? That one?

Eun-Jung snapped. -Not that one, never that one. It makes me sad and... afraid. Cold. I want the chair one papa. The one where you rock me to sleep. I love your voice when you sing, papa.

-That's because I love singing for you, gongju.- he booped her nose, and she laughed again. He then took her in his arms, put a blanket on her, and started singing while rocking her. By the end of the song, she was asleep, and he put her in the bed with her stuffed toys. He kissed her temple and told her goodnight in Korean, then almost had a heart attack by turning around and seeing Jin leaning on the door, a cup of tea in his hand.

-If you want to kill me, that's the right way, Jin.

He smiled, laughing. -I was here the whole time. Apparently, I'm a ninja. I'm jealous of this that you have with her. I sing like a dying frog.

-I bet that's not true, it's just you being 'watch me, I'm poor Jin Kazama' again. Or rather, you're too shy to sing. There are so many beautiful Japanese songs you could sing to her. And not much time to do that. Think about it. There is never much time with her, remember. It's the sad part.

-And it's my fault.

-Jin... for the last time. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't be here at all, but in an urn between our mothers. I'd rather have less time for each year than none.

-I know, I know, but... she won't have a proper childhood. She won't have the time to be a child. It's unfair to her. What memories will she have?

-The ones that count. Wait. Memories, you said. You remember how Ja Jang Uri used to be her favourite lullaby as a toddler?

-Yes, I've heard it a thousand times.

-Now she said... 'not that one, never that one. It makes me sad and... afraid. Cold'. The last time I sang that song to her...

-...was at the hospital, right before she was supposed to die. I heard you from outside the door.

-She can't possibly remember. She was five months old!

-Maybe her body does... or maybe the fact I administered the Devil Gene to her right after that had an impact on her memory, it triggered it.

-Tomorrow I'll ask her. It's too strange, Jin.

-But for the moment, why don't you rock me to sleep too? I want to sleep, but, you know...

-The rocking chair will be thrown on your head, Jin Kazama. Let's sleep.

//

The morning after, the two were woken up by a very grown-up Eun-Jung who was jumping on their bed.

-PAPAS! WAKE UP!

-Hwoarang, remind me how old she is today.

-I'm eight, papa.- she didn't stop jumping.

-Well, eight-year-olds... wait, how do you know? Stop jumping for a second.

-Because it tells me, papa. And I know everything a seven-year-old should know, like school things you didn't yet teach me. It fills the blanks. It wants me to be big enough, clever enough, cunning enough. It actually talks to me sometimes, but it's rare. It told me we will talk much more when I'm older. The rest of the times, I just know things through my blood. Your blood too, right papa?

Jin froze for a minute. He knew that... form of communication all too well. -Did it... did it tell you anything else?

-That we will have fun together. That I'm going to be very strong. But I have to wait.

Hwoarang inserted himself into the conversation. -It's because of that voice, that... being that you remember being... cold?

-I remember everything. I was dead, or almost. Then papa gave me his blood. It saved me because of it. It makes me remember everything, even stuff when I was very little. That's why I know you were very good papas. And you called him SuperPapa! He's my SuperPapa even today.

-Good, because he is. And when the time comes, he's going to help you contain the thing inside you. It's not a good thing. It's a...

-Devil. I know. I heard you talk about it. But I want to see it before I decide if I want to contain it or not, papa. I would be very strong.

-And very dangerous. You see the scars on my chest, gongju? Sadly, it was your papa who did that, because he didn't know how to control his Devil yet. You can hurt the people you love, too.

-I would never hurt my papas.

-You don't know that, hime. When the Devil comes, your mind goes away. Only the beast remains. There's no love, only hate and destruction. But I can help you.

Eun-Jung snorted. -We'll see. I want to see my Devil. Feel it.

-You won't be so eager when it eats you from the inside.

-If it's so terrible, why are you trying to get yours back with papa's blood?

-That is... different.

-Tell me how.

-You're eight...

-So, I'm stupid?

-You're not stupid, Eun-Jung. It's just complicated. With papa's blood, the Devil won't be able to come out, but I will have its power anyway. Long story short.

-So, I can do the same?

-Hey, guys, I'm not a blood bank.

-No, you can't. Because you'd have to remove it in the first place and it's extremely painful. I almost died trying.

-No, I don't want to do this, papa...

-Good girl. Now, since you graciously awakened us, how about some breakfast and some training all together afterwards? Hwoarang, what do you say?

-Sounds good. Eun-Jung, go wear your dobok. You can have breakfast in it and save time.

-Okay papa.

And so, their daughter was gone to wear her dobok.

-Jin... her Devil speaks to her. Is it normal?

-Not at that age. It must be an aggressive and impatient one. We must stay on the lookout for her. At a certain point... it will be war.