The Day Doom Knocked on Our Doors

Chapter 18: World Order

There are a lot of famous lovers in history, that some of them even make it to books. And one would notice that the most famous stories almost always end up in tragedy. Why, you ask? It's because there is beauty in disappearing. Strange, yet true. This is probably why there's that saying, "You only know you love someone when they're gone."

Such tragedies happened to Cheoljong and Yang Sun-i, Gongmin and Noguk, and Hodong and the princess of Nakrang.The stories of these people are the ones we write on books, or hold in our memories for a long time.

They are both inspiring and disappointing. It's like watching your favorite tv drama character get killed off at a pivotal moment in the series that you lament about it. So much so, that you even post it on social media, rant about it with your friends, or worse, you opt from watching it altogether.

But what exactly, makes the stories of these lovers in history, worthy of being passed down to generations? What sets their journeys apart from other journeys? What kind of beauty in disappearing did they possess?

The fact is, the beauty of their disappearances doesn't rely on their passing. None of their ends was a motivation for any occasion. It was how we percieved their journeys that sequel them to their everlasting evanescence.

We glorify their odysseys as if they were our own. Or wishing any of it was our own. They knew exactly what they had, and they didn't need anyone to be gone to know their importance. And that, that gave rise to their lives having continuity even when it ended.

Their passing, although devastating, is beautiful because the love they all shared were true. They were inspiring in that sense. At the same time, to the people who hear their stories, it is quite disheartening. Because we naturally root for happy endings. But that doesn't how life works. Nor death for that matter.

There is an order that every single thing in the world follows. Be it something that was written, or something that humans were innately made aware of. There is a world order.

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Every little thing humans know and will know is a part of a greater scheme and follows a system. A flower can only bloom once you plant a seed. Yet you can also only grow seed coming from a plant that bloomed. There is a role for every single organism in the planet. All those are predetermined.

Yet, once in a while, we will encounter something that just doesn't go with the world order. Like that one red flower that bloomed in a pot of white ones. Or that one sunny morning when it rains. We call them miracles. These are the moments when one stops and thinks, there must be someone out there doing these things.

The one person who thinks that is right. Among humans are deities and spiritual beings who also play certain roles. And one known example of that, at least for Seo In Guk and Park Bo Young, is Myul Mang.

This immortal is assigned to duties of destruction. Every tiny bit of it. That afternoon you stubbed your toe, or that one time you failed your exam, maybe you left house early one day but still arrived at work late. All those are parts of Myul Mang's role to keep the balance in the world.

Every breath the immortal takes, results to ruin. Myul Mang doesn't even have to mean it for it to happen. Although, there are tasks that need to be taken care of hands-on. Like going to a specific place at a definite time of the day for destruction to happen.

There are also other spiritual, if not celestial, beings assigned a certain responsibility to safeguard the world order. Like the tree spirit which guards one of the oldest trees in the world, Methuselah. The tree is some 4800 years old now. But its guardian is not the best tree spirit yet. There's still a tree that's beyond 5000 years old that's still alive.

The oldest living animal in the world, Jonathan, is actually a very young sea spirit. He safeguards a better part of the seas. He isn't the boss. Someone still holds a higher position than he does.

But, unlike these spirits and other deities, Myul Mang doesn't have breaks. While the tree spirits play with all the animals and insects they can find in the forest, and Jonathan can swim with all the fish in the sea and take pictures with a British diplomat, Myul Mang works every second of the day. Or at least the effect of the immortal's existence make it look like the immortal is working 24/7.

And every task finishes at the exact time they are supposed to. So it was no wonder that tonight is no different. You see, there is a world order. A system.

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The system allows opportunities for humans to meet someone. A soulmate as what humans call it. These people are the ones predetermined to cross our paths to teach us lessons. Some of them leave once the lesson has been learned, and others, stay.

Soulmates come in different forms. They can be a family member, a friend, or even a lover. Humans usually look for the lover. For Cheoljong, there's Yang Sun-i. There's also Noguk for Gongmin. Prince Hodong's twin flame was the princess of Nakrang. And for Seo In Guk, there's Park Bo Young.

The meetings were predestined. The red string attaches themselves to you and your soul's twin the moment you're born. You will meet at least one in your lifetime. And while others rejoice in the knowing, others regret it. Who wants to meet their soulmates then eventually lose them? What if they have not met? Would the end still be bitter?

Seo In Guk thought meeting Park Bo Young was the best thing that happened to him. He does not regret getting to know her the way he did even if they were made aware how it ends. Decidedly, he even wants Park Bo Young to be the last person he sees in this lifetime. So he determinedly took the steps to get to her.

She was by the banister, waiting for the director's cue. She smiled when she saw him. He returned it.

When the director gave the cue, Bo Young leaned on the banister. As she did, it shook from her weight, light as she may be, and inexplicably broke. It swung forward with her weight, sending her off balance and making her grab what she could for dear life.

In Guk, who glued his eyes on her, reacted the fastest. He caught her hand just in time. The railings that make the banister however, couldn't hold the both of them. The next thing that happened was so horrific, it took the rest of the other people on the set a second to process it.

The staff downstairs were panic-stricken. They heard a thud followed by screams. A few of them stood rooted on their spot, others rushed to where the mortifying sound came from.

"Th- there's, there's blood. There's a lot...of blood." Says a lady staff who got to the two bodies first. And although afraid of what she may learn, she dropped to her knees and leaned to Bo Young's unconscious form first.

Taking a deep breath and checking once more, she visibly shook and cried. Others have arrived at where she kneeled next to the two actors while most of them are still unmoving due to shock. "P-please...please." She directed towards a male staff closest to her. One can only guess what she meant by it.

They have yet to check Seo In Guk but from where the others stood in watch, the faces of the staff near the two actors are already grim. "Seo In Guk-shi!" The male staff said, trying to wake the bloodied actor. He too, is already crying.

The director can only put his hands on his head as soon as they reached the ground. He already called an ambulance but there was no way anyone would feel calm just yet. Swallowing hard, he looked at the staff in the eyes, asking without articulating.

The male staff shook his head in answer.

"Myul Mang."