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3: Turn of the Tides

''He's cursed!'' one of the villagers exclaimed as he pointed his finger accusingly at the boy. ''This boy is cursed, untouched by the flames!''

Seonghwa's mouth fell agape as he saw how the townspeople's fear turned into resentment and disgust. They each became angry at the younger, who seemed to plead with them about something Seonghwa couldn't hear.

''Look at this Devil's child,'' another cried out, ''he's brought death with him and now he's coming to take us and our children!''

The younger dropped to his knees upon hearing the accusations and insults the people were throwing at him. Seonghwa did not know whether the boy could understand them all, but he knew that the boy feared the townspeople as much as they feared the boy. Above anything, he was sure that the boy did not even understand what was happening to him. He seemed fearful of himself and the way he never seemed to be harmed by the flames.

''I didn't do anything wrong!'' the child replied, as he cried out to the townspeople. ''Please, make it stop! I want my mother and father, please!''

Suddenly, a man moved out of the crowd. Seonghwa's eyes followed his figure as he walked up to the boy. Then he saw the glimmering of an iron sword that the man held tightly in his hand. Seonghwa gasped as he realized what the man was about to do. As if on command, he finally urged himself free out of his spot. His feet swiftly carried him towards the man and the boy as he sped up. The man raised the hand with the sword as he looked down at the boy. Seonghwa's throat tightened up, taken over by fear as he desperately moved to save the boy.

Reaching out with one hand, he cried out for the man to stop. To his surprise, he did not seem to hear him. Instead, the man swung the sword down towards the defenceless child, aiming to strike him with a fatal blow. Seonghwa's heart pounded in his chest as he leapt forward, intending to intercept the attack. But just as his hand reached out to push the child away, a searing pain shot through him. The flames surged forward, enveloping him in their embrace. Heat scorched his skin, blurring his vision and searing his lungs with each breath. Agony ripped through his body, leaving him writhing in torment on the ground.

Seonghwa's senses reeled. He could hear the boy's terrified cries, the villagers' shouts of condemnation, and the crackling of flames all around him. But above the chaos, a single voice whispered in his mind, urging him to endure. And then, as he wanted to stand up to protect the boy once more, a sudden silence enveloped him. A sudden chill went through his body as his shoulders began to feel heavy. The smoke in his lungs faded away as it became easier to breathe and when he looked up, he saw the looming figure of a large tree.

Seonghwa's mouth fell open once more, and he fell back in shock. The village, the burning house and the crying boy had disappeared. He didn't see how the man put his sword through the child nor did he get to save him. It all went away in the brink of a second. Instead, the night sky was replaced with the beautiful colours of white and blue as the sun stood high up in the clouds. Seonghwa felt his hands becoming cold, and as he looked down, he gasped to see the white snow underneath him. It felt numbing to his hands, though it did seem to have a calming effect.

He looked around to take in his surroundings but he saw nothing except barren lands of snow and ice. There was nothing more beyond the horizon and the only thing that he did see was the large tree that stood in front of him. A tree that seemed to carry a certain mystery itself, for he did not know why he was there. He did not know why he had appeared so abruptly in front of the wooden structure. And yet, it seemed to whisper his name. Seonghwa felt the soft blowing winds through his body, yet made no effort to cover himself. All because he felt a calling. The snow that rested on the branches of the tree seemed to move as he did. It was as if he was as much in control of the tree as it was of him. And he did not like it. Too little did he know about it, yet he had a feeling that it knew everything about him.