In This Life • Tale Of The Nine Tailed • Lee Rang

Chapter 12

"Remember, changing what was meant to be would only create unpredictable variables. And you will be on the suffering end of it."

Rang didn't really pay attention to ChiWoo's words back then, though it bothered him, like a file lost amongst all the other bits and pieces in a messy cabinet. He never understood what it meant, and now he has some sort of idea.

Lee Yeon was the unpredictable variable. And he paid the price for it...Not that he minds.

"Why the hell does it have to be this place", Rang muttered in displeasure, sighing as he made his way into the empty habitation.

He was back at that village again, the one where he exterminated the whole population, and the one where Lee Yeon had ran his sword across Rang's flesh and left him to die...

"Why did you kill us?", a bloodied child came out of nowhere, startling the Gumiho. His innocent gaze staring straight through Rang's soul.

"What did we do wrong?", another elderly woman appeared, grabbing onto Rang's arm. Her throat was slashed by a single, clean cut across.

"Let go!", Rang shook her hands off, still shocked about what was happening.

"Tell us, why?", more people came forward, the mangled state of their body and the smell of blood and flesh made his stomach churn.

The Gumiho stumbled backwards as the crowd closed up on him. Repeating those questions again and again in different voices, it made his head ache and his breathing became increasingly unsteady from the build up of anxiety. What the hell is this? He knows it's a dream, but sometimes it's too real that you forget about that fact and let the feelings take over you, impairing your logical reasonings.

Wherever he looked, empty eyes were staring back, asking for reason to their unjust death. A sense of guilt rushed through Rang, though at the same time, he was conquered by anger of the same intensity.

Soon there was tens and hundreds before him; young and old, man and woman. Blood seeped out of the wounds that killed them, executed by Rang himself. The sight is an eyesore. He doesn't even remember the faces of the people he killed, how could he? Village after village, Lee Rang stormed through them with only the will to avenge, showing no mercy with his sword.

"What did you do wrong?!", Rang huffed in disbelief, outraged by their ignorance, "Pardoning those who set fire to the mountains, killing creatures that don't have a voice...just for your selfish desires!"    

"What did you do wrong?!", He repeated again with teary eyes, loss for words due to the volume of fury and rage, "Then let me ask, what did I do wrong?! What did those animals do wrong?!"

"Child", a female voice echoed from behind him

The air went still. And a deafening silence followed. With a heavy heart, Lee Rang turned around to face the source of that familiar voice.

He looked at her in confusion, Eomma?

His birth mother stared at him with bloodshot eyes, "It wouldn't have happened if you didn't exist."

"What?"

"It's all a mistake!", the woman screamed, "I should have killed myself when I was still pregnant. That's my greatest regret. I should have known, no matter how much of a monster you are, you wouldn't survive without a host!"

Rang's insides twisted in disgust and hurt, she's speaking as if he were some parasite. How can this heartless woman never fail to attack him with such aggressive tone?

"Everyday was like hell. I wished for death over admitting that you're mine."

"You're right.", Rang chuckled softly, "Why didn't you kill yourself...My life wasn't the best anyway"