"Young master, I hesitate to remind you of this, but once we are reunited with our clan, you must think about your duties as the chief's successor," he said.
Jaewon's face contorted with despair before it closed up.
"That will never happen, Seung," Jaewon said, his voice as cold as the wind that buffeted them.
He walked away, not responding even as Seung called to him in remorse. Kira thought to chase him down, but she didn't know what to say. How could anyone help alleviate his torment? Jaewon's guilt over the death of his younger brother was a heavy burden on his soul. Her heart was tight as she wished there was something she could do to ease his pain.
What he sought was atonement, but Kira feared it was impossible.
14
Seven days later, they found themselves in the middle of a heavy snowstorm. The horses were struggling, and they had to stop frequently to clear the snow and ice out of their hooves. They had to find shelter before the blizzard conditions worsened.
Villages had been few and far between. Ever since crossing the Yalu River, they'd found nothing but deserted farms and abandoned houses, with no signs of people.
Jeong was leading them to Hushan village where they would find a reputable inn to stay for the night. Yet when they reached the village, it was completely empty. Snow-covered streets remained unmarked by any human or animal passage. Kira's gut told her something bad had happened here, but she could detect no signs of any demon activity.
Major Pak had his men search all the buildings. As much as Kira wanted to get Taejo and Brother Woojin into a shelter, she was worried about the mystery behind the abandoned village. Kira rode slowly, checking each passing building for demons. She could detect nothing, but for some reason, that didn't relieve her.
She knew they needed shelter soon. Both Taejo and Brother Woojin were shivering nonstop, heavy snow covering every inch of them.
Kira circled the town center before leading them to a large building that was clearly the village inn. She entered the building first. It only took a few minutes for Kira to determine that it was safe, at least from demons. Only then did she bring the others inside. Seung hurried over to the central fireplace and started a fire.
"I'm going to look around, see if there are any clues," Kwan said. He went upstairs to search all the rooms.
"What happened to everyone?" Taejo asked.
Kira surveyed the room and took in the signs of hurried abandonment. Bowls of food sat on tables with overturned cups that had spilled onto the floor. She stepped outside and entered the adjacent structure that housed the kitchen. Several pots of food still hung over cold hearths. Opening up a trapdoor, Kira found an underground storeroom that was half-filled with vegetables, rice, eggs, and even some meat. Everything was frozen. She found a large brass kettle that was filled with ice and carried it into the main building.
Going inside, she placed the kettle on the now roaring fire and told Seung about the food situation. His gentle, round face lit up and he raced off to see what he could scrounge up for their meal.
Kwan walked down from the second floor. "Well, whatever happened, it appears people were in such a hurry that they left behind all their belongings." In his hands he held several strings of money coins and a pile of jade and gold jewelry.
"What are you doing?" Kira asked. "You can't take those."
Kwan glowered at her. "Why not? They won't be coming back for them."
"How do you know that? What if they do return? You're stealing," she said.
"Kira, don't be stupid," he retorted. "They're all dead. I don't know what happened, but that much I know. All these people were driven into the snowstorm and they're all dead."
"Still, it's not right. I thought you said we had enough money!"
"I'm being practical. The way this trip is going, we will need all the money we can get our hands on," he said. "You're going to have to let your morals slide right now, little sister."
Major Pak entered with their soldiers and the guide. "We've got a five-man rotation on guard duty right now. That'll give everyone a chance to stay out of the cold," he said. "But it looks like the village has been deserted for several days."
He turned to Kira with a questioning eyebrow.
"I need to check the rest of the village to be sure, but I don't think there are any demons here," she said. "This whole place feels like it's been completely abandoned for over a week."
"Odd," he replied. "What could have driven this entire village into the storm?"
"And where did they go?" Kira asked.
Puzzled by the mystery, she walked the length of the room before noticing Taejo's bundled up form. He sat next to the monk who was dozing by the roaring fire Seung had started. His faithful dog sat at his feet softly whining in sympathy. Taejo's face was filled with a deep melancholy that wrenched at Kira's heart.
"What's the matter?" she asked, crouching before him.
"This place scares me. I want to go home," he whispered. "I'm tired of traveling so much. I just want to stay in one place and feel safe."
She stroked his head. "I wish the same. But nothing is safe anymore. The world has become a frightening place."
"It's always been that way for you, you were always able to see them," he said. "And no one ever believed you. But now they know. They all know."
He sat gazing into the fire. "I wish I didn't."
"Better to know and be prepared, rather than ignorant and dead. I never agreed with your father's decree to keep the common people from understanding the extent of the danger. They should have been more prepared," Kira said.
Taejo's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "I miss him. I miss my father and mother. Why did they have to die? Why did uncle have to die?"
There were no words of comfort she could give him. She had no idea what she could say to ever make this pain better. She opened her arms and embraced him, letting him cry with wild abandon. She felt the pull of her own despair wishing to be set free. Swallowing down her own sorrow and homesickness, Kira concentrated all her energy in comforting her young cousin until finally he fell asleep. She lay him down gently before the fire and covered him with her own coat.
Turning around she found herself face to face with Jaewon.
"Will he be all right?" he asked, concern etched in his handsome face.
"He's exhausted and heart sore, like all of us," she said.
Jaewon let out a weary breath. "Life is so much more difficult than we thought it would be when we were young," he said.
"Life was always difficult for me," Kira responded. "It just keeps getting worse."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and then reached for Kira. Before he could speak, the tavern door flung open and Jeong stomped inside.
Jeong paced in an awkward circle, snow cascading off him with every step, an alarmed expression on his face.
"I don't understand. I was just here a month ago," he mumbled to himself. "Where could they be? Where would they have gone?"
"Jeong, did you have family here?" Kira asked.
He nodded. "My sister and her family. I went to her house, but it's empty. They didn't even take the family valuables and heirlooms! They would never have left them behind unless it was an emergency!"
Jeong, who was usually so arrogant, was shaken up. "What happened here? What's going on?"
No one spoke. The only people who could answer his question were probably long-dead in the snowstorm.
The blizzard worsened. The wind was so fierce that it blew the snow sideways and the temperature had dropped to a dangerous level. There was no way they could travel in the storm. They holed up in the tavern, taking over the abandoned rooms and stabling their horses. Fortunately, they were able to scavenge for all they needed.
Jaewon found a baduk board and, upon Brother Woojin's urging, began to teach Taejo how to play. Kira was glad that Taejo had something to occupy him. Boredom was the worst thing for a person who was depressed. She was almost tempted to play herself, but she could not get rid of her chronic headache. At times, it was debilitating and all she could hear was the Demon Lord's voice taunting her.
Come to me, my lovely.
You are so unhappy, aren't you?
Come to me and I will rid you of all your sorrows.
At night, instead of visions, she would hear the Demon Lord whispering to her constantly. Sleep was impossible. And she moved around during the day in a daze of pain.
Outside, as she patrolled the deserted village, she heard the Demon Lord's treacherous voice over the howling of the wind. It urged her into the blizzard. Lights shimmered in the distance. Her feet began to move toward it, away from the safety of the building. The voice stopped but the light beckoned her, promising warmth and safety. It promised her endless sleep. Lulled by a false sense of security, Kira walked in a trance.
Only after walking quite a distance did Kira's senses react. A burning in her chest stopped her in her tracks. She shook her head and reversed. Even through the blinding snow, she was able to see a yellow light seeping through the crevice of a window in the tavern. Slowly she forced herself to navigate the heavy drift, against the driving winds, and entered the building.