Awaiting The Dawn

22: Reckless Dedication

A vision.

A long, fast-paced and distorted vision. With words spoken quickly and emotions drowning in anguish and denial.

The moment Hisa woke up, she scrambled out of bed, grazing her shoulder against the stone walls as she rushed out the corridor.

She ran around looking for Thunder. Not even a second after she found him, it happened.

The earthquake.

Stones collapsed the tunnel entrance where Yoon, the princess, and Kija were.

"This...can't be..." Thunder stared at the rubble in disbelief, then almost immediately began frantically digging with his bare hands. "Princess! Yoon! White snake!"

His attempt would be fruitless. That path would never be cleared fast enough to save the people inside.

There was just too much for him to remove.

Hands raw and bleeding, Hak stopped digging and pounded the stone in hopeless frustration. "Please...King Il. Don't take her away..."

His voice was so quiet, she barely heard it. It contained the fear that the princess may have—the possibility was too horrible.

Hisa didn't step in until he resumed his clawing at the debris.

"Don't worry." She heaved him away from the rock. "They're safe."

He looked at her with the most desperate, vulnerable expression she'd ever seen on his typically smug face, like he wanted so badly to believe her.

Something about that look felt like a cold basin of water poured over Hisa's head. With a rapid realization, her own fearful indecision—her unresolved guilt—unknotted themselves and consequently hardened Hisa's weak resolve.

Her mind felt clear, heartbeat loud in her ears as she looked at the thunder beast. "Save your strength and wait here."

"And what, twiddle my thumbs?" Thunder glared, frustration and worry plain on his face. "No way."

He turned back to the rocks.

Hisa pulled him away, using all her force to fight his resistance.

The thunder beast was powerful enough to destroy a group of bandits in a matter of minutes, but he was injured and in a poor state of mind. She could stop him. "The prophecy cannot be fulfilled if her highness dies now. She's still alive."

Everyone was still alive.

"You don't know that! I should have never let her go without me! If something happens to the princess..." He couldn't finish the sentence.

If something really did happen to her or Yoon or anyone else, Hisa would never be able to make up for it.

She thought she had finally gotten over such feelings. Finally, after three months. But the ugly, illogical blame deep inside her heart never disappeared.

"I do know!! You're the one who doesn't see it, not me!" She took a sharp breath, her own suppressed emotions spilling out. "Don't worry and calm down."

Hisa didn't know if she was telling that to herself or Thunder.

She wasn't calm. Her mind wasn't as clear as she wanted it to be. She was barely keeping her composure.

All Hisa could think of was the vision, what was happening on the other side. It made her throat feel heavy in simmering guilt. Guilty towards Princess Yona, Kija, the villagers, and Yoon.

Yoon.

She wasn't able to protect him from the cave-in. Hisa promised she would protect him and she failed.