Red Jewel

- Chapter One : Part Two -

"Get up, brat!" A rough gratingly familiar voice sounded above him. A heavy calloused hand shaking him violently.

"Just five mer minutes..." A broken slurred mumble escaping a burning heap of flesh. In feverish incoherent courage, Kim Rok Soo swatted the offending hand away, turning into his bed.

He felt uncomfortably warm, as if his uncle had tossed him into the oven while he was asleep, he honestly wouldn't be surprised if that actually happened. But the piercing headache, and slight throbbing feeling as if his blood was being boiled, told him otherwise.

The violent tingles from even the most minuscule of movements told of another. A pained groan escaping his lips. No sooner than it left his lips, fingers harshly gripped his scalp, nails digging into skin, tugging painfully on his hair. He was yanked from the safety of his bed.

Bam! His bottom hit the floor ungracefully as a he hissed in pain. His wrists stinging after subconsciously trying to break his fall.

"Get your ass up." There was a level of menacing threats—no, promises—in that order. But Kim Rok Soo didn't care.

'What a wonderful way to wake up in the morning!' A scowl was lighting up Kim Rok Soo's flushed face as he glared spitefully at his bastard uncle. He'd only just woken up but he was already wishing he could go back to sleep.

Maybe this time, he'd never wake up. This time he'd sink into the abyss of complete sleep without finding himself dragged into the miserable endlessness that was as much of a prison to himself as it was to the only other occupant.

"Let go would y'a!" Kim Rok Soo snarled. Reddish-brown eyes glowing with malice as he glared at the bastard. Almost as if complying to his words the offending grip on his hair was released. Unfortunately, Kim Rok Soo knew better than to think he scared his uncle. He had felt the way the bastard had cringed upon touching his skin, as if he'd been burned.

His uncle's already ugly mug grew uglier as his lips curled into a disgusting sneer, "Get your worthless ass downstairs in three minutes. You got a job." Without another word, he unwisely turned his back on Kim Rok Soo and left.

Gritting his teeth at the retreating figure, Kim Rok Soo wished he had a rock of something to smack his uncle in the back.

Turning his attention to his body, he frowned. "Why is it so damn hot?"

He hadn't experienced unbearable heat like this since the day of his eleventh birthday. He'd been struck by an insanely high fever moments after he came to the disgusting realization of his nature.

After the first, he'd been struck with smaller more bearable fevers over the years, all occurring shortly after moments which he hyper-focused on something, generally a scheme. They'd become a common occurrence despite being anything but common.

In those moments, he'd remember everything. Every word said to him, every single touch, every single smell, every single emotion he felt. It'd all come overwhelming to the forefront of his mind without leaving him an ounce of control as he descended down a cruel memory lane.

After that, he'd be left panting, a sopping mess from his own sweat as it tried to counteract the heat, his head pounding unbearably. But each time his mind would feel a bit more organized and the exhaustion made the unwelcome emotions a bit more bearable. And most importantly he'd have just a bit more control.

But at this moment, that knowledge was making his mind run laps around itself. Rok Soo didn't dream.

(A blessing in disguise he'd discover later. If he dreamed, vivid dreams combined with his perfect recall, it was highly likely that he wouldn't be able to tell reality from the fiction produced by his mind.)

Instead of dreaming, sleeping had three potential outcomes; one, ending up in the prison; two, 'brain death'; and three, a cruel trip down memory lane. In his humble opinion, 'brain death' was the best and left him feeling well rested.

The worst was of course number three. Even in unconsciousness, Rok Soo was unable to escape his memory's override of his beloved sleep.

Those nights were the worst, often he woke with a fever, mind exhausted, feeling a little more numb. He lost count of how many times he was forced to relive his life in his sleep.

But each time he'd been aware during it all even when sleeping he was still conscious of the fact that he was sleeping at the moment of 'rebirth'. So he was suspicious.

Because this time he didn't remember remembering, he knew he had just 'relived' his life again, and he could also feel a distinct feeling of smugness (as though he'd just smacked someone in the back of the head). Yet he couldn't remember, nor why.

The last thing he remembered about last night that it'd been one of those Outcome One nights. Beyond that his memories were jumbled beyond his comprehension.

It bothered him to the extremes, not knowing was one of his least favorite things. He could do nothing about it now however as he heard a loud crash downstairs signaling his three minutes were up. He'd interrogate the red eyes the next chance he got.

Ignoring the hot and heavy feeling of his body, Rok Soo stumbled for the door wondering if he'd get lucky and score some water before whatever sick present his uncle had for him today.

•——————————•

Author Note:

Hey sorry this update took so long. I ended up having to go and rewrite the second part of the prologue for a bit more of world building.

This chapter actually has another part to it but I'll be posting that later.

Anyways I just started my senior year in high school so things are a bit crazy. I hope everyone enjoys this. And don't worry after the next part I'm posting, we will be seeing the familiar TCF world.

However I had a question for everyone where do you want the story of Kayle (KRS!Cale) to start?

1. When he's three years old and in the Henituse Territory. (If you choose this one there's going to be some mystery behind the first three years of Kayle's Life)

2. The period shortly after his birth. (If you choose this one, you'll get to see the period of time when Kayle still wasn't aware he was reborn in BoaH.)