A Tale of the Swan Lake [On Hold]

1.6

Continuous concerns of a father, a parental figure, transcends through the existence of time.

Although he may mask it with a smile so convincing you won't notice, there are invisible arrows shot onto his back. He is bleeding, but you can't see anything from the front. He doesn't allow you to. He doesn't want you to. He gives excuses that it's just merely back pain.

You offer to help, but he shrugs it off with a smile.

There are so many hidden obstacles weighing on his shoulders. Your father is always thinking about your future and how you're going to live independently. He is concerned with the smallest detail. He really believes in the idea of the butterfly effect.

You try your best to coax him that you can live independently. You trust yourself that you can make it past through the chapter when your father leaves the world, permanently.

You are aware that he might be concerned about your mentality. He always feels bad that you'll be left alone, suffering through the deaths of your family members. He is worried that you may snap alone in the kitchen, with no gentle words to soothe your broken soul.

Here you are now, sitting in the middle of the forest, with a swan that swears it is a human. You already assume that he's been cursed for an unknown reason, that you're soon to find out. It may be that you're interested in helping, or not. You don't know. You don't want to know.

The swan, claimed to be a graceful white creature that is akin to an angel, has devoured two pastries. You kept your strawberry tart inside your pouch bag. It'll be the only source of food to last you for the time being.

The swan has gone deeper into hiding, obscured in the shadows. You do not want to make a sound, afraid that it'll catch the attention of the hunters.

You observe the light fading out and you are praying that SeokJin comes out sooner.

"Hey, crazy swan, where are you?" you whisper.

You don't hear anything from the other side and you are not bothered to move.

You lean your head against the curved cave walls. You don't know why you're doing this.

What interested you in going back here in the first place?

A groan can be heard from the right side. The moans turn into erratic rasps and your heart drops when the swan squeaks. Your body flinches when you heard a crack and another gut-wrenching gasp come from deep within the darkness.

"SeokJin?" you whisper.

You haven't heard any of the hunters nearby. You don't want to risk the chance of getting caught. They, some hunters in particular, to which you know almost the majority of them are ruthless when they're desperate. They will assume that you've taken their bounty, even though the former is innocent.

"SeokJin—"

A brief quack instigates you to get up, but you are humbled down when a man's voice tells you to stay in your place.

You thought it was one of the hunters who found you. You thought you were doomed from the start and had no way out of this.

It takes SeokJin, the swan, a few seconds to change into the tattered clothes. You could hear his grunts as he struggles to put on his clothes. You look at the trees, afraid that you may see something that will scar you for life.

Nonetheless, the questions remain.

You hear dragged legs limping through the crisp brown leaves. He is groaning again as he drags himself out of the shadows and sits in front of you.