The Moonlit Path

Chapter 2: Take Away My Happiness

- 9 years later -

„Jeongguk! Where are you?! Dammit!" Jeongguk grinned as he slowly opened his eyes. He always enjoyed annoying his older sister. Just like now. While she looked for him everywhere, the young teenager lazily laid in his favorite spot under a big old tree, surrounded and hidden away from any eyesight by high bushes. He loved his secret hideout. It was near a bright blue lake with crystal clear water; the sun shined directly on it, warming it nicely for a quick nap in the afternoon; and, the best aspect in Jeongguk's opinion, no one besides him knew about the whereabouts of this place. Not even his older sister, which is why she was going crazy over finding him at the moment.

With a heavy sigh, the 16-year-old boy lifted himself up and dusted off his clothes before slowly making his way over to the cave he and his sister lived in. If it were up to him, he would have slept a bit longer. But he didn't want to argue with his sister later on, (which has already happened once. He was actually keen enough to ignore his sister's calls and just stay in his secret spot. When he returned home a few hours later, he was met with a furious Omega wolf, prohibiting him from getting inside. He had to stay out all night; he didn't even get food or a warm blanket. After that night, he promised himself—and his sister—to never ignore her again). He trudged through the forest, looking in every direction to see various kinds of animals lazing around, just like he did a few minutes ago. It was a nice spring day—not too hot but warm enough to go out in a thin jacket. The sky was a perfect blue, with a few clouds accompanying it. All of those things were things Jeongguk deeply loved about nature: calmness, quietness, beauty, and coziness. Ever since his parents were killed, he and his sister have stayed hidden in the cave they found nine years ago. Since that night, they have found a home in it. They comforted each other when needed and promised to protect each other no matter what.

They only returned once to their old home—an awful experience in Jeongguk's memory. It was almost a year after they were chased away from their home, which meant that their parents's dead bodies were rotting away in their molding house. The sight and smell will forever be embedded in Jeongguk, that he was sure of. After they had buried their parents, they went back to their cave, crying into each other's arms. And again, Jeongguk felt the strong instinct to do whatever it might take to protect his big sister for as long as he could breathe. Until now, everything was going according to plan. They never saw any rogues near their cave; they never met any intruders; they simply lived a somewhat normal and peaceful life. And Jeongguk wished for nothing else. If everything just stayed as it was now, he wouldn't ask for anything else. He just wanted peace; he wanted to live with his older sister for as long as possible without worrying about anything else. The only thing missing was his presentation. But this, too, should come in about two years of time. So, what exactly should he worry about anyway? Everything was fine, right?

Wrong. A strong slap to the back of his head pulled Jeongguk out of his thoughts: „Ow! Why would you do that?!" A scowling Hyujin looked at him, ready to hit him again: „Why?! Are you for real?! I was looking for you everywhere! Where the heck were you?!"

„I was taking a nap; nothing to worry about." Now Hyujin looked rather dumbfounded: „You were taking a nap? Are you kidding me?! I thought something had happened to you!" „Something happened to me? What should have happened to me? Damn, stop worrying so much." With a big sigh, Hyujin turned around to go back into the cave, then she stopped: „You know, I always worry about you. And you know just as well as me, something could happen all the time." Then she left, leaving Jeongguk face-palming himself. He looked after his older sister. She took care of him ever since their parents were killed and never asked for any help. She was the big sister, so it was only logical that she had to take care of everything, provide food and comfort, and protect them. And one could see the boulder of responsibilities she had to carry. She didn't smile as much as she used to, she didn't make jokes as before, she didn't really sleep, and she only ate when forced. Jeongguk hated how her life turned out to be. He wanted to help her but didn't know how to, except for taking on the responsibility of hunting. It was a long way until Hyujin finally gave in and allowed him to go hunting on his own, but she finally gave in when she was too sick and too weak to provide any kind of food. It was only a small responsibility, but at least he could help her in any way.

When Jeongguk entered the cave, his sister had just finished setting the table and quietly waved him over to have lunch. He flopped down on his chair, and they began to eat. They didn't talk, and they didn't look at each other. Jeongguk hated fighting with her—even more so when he was at fault, which was the case at the moment. So he decided to speak up. „Noona... I'm sorry for worrying and upsetting you. I didn't mean to. I just thought—I don't even know. It didn't cross my mind that there could be any rog—dangers lurking in the forest since I haven't encountered any until now. I promise I will always tell you where I'm going starting from now on." Hyujin looked at him and then shook her head: „I know you didn't mean any harm. And I also know that you're not a baby anymore. You can protect yourself just fine. But I couldn't stand it if something happened to you. I just worry all the time. You're my little brother, and I want to protect you. I am sure that this will never change." „I want to protect you, too. We have to help each other. You are not alone in this, okay?"

Smiling, chatting, and laughing with each other, they cleaned the table and then headed straight to bed. But the night should be nothing more than a nightmare. The first thing Jeongguk noticed was the rotten smell of death and blood, followed by a loud crash and ferocious growls. They were here again, and they have found them. The rogues have come to take what little happiness the sibling had left. Jeongguk quickly jumped out of his warm bed and, without thinking, ran over to where his sister's room was. But when her bed came into view, it was empty. His sister was gone. That's when he heard an all-too-familiar whimper. His sister was fighting to protect their home and to protect him. But it was to no avail. The rogues were higher in number and in brutality. His sister stood no chance. He had to do something, but he didn't have time to actually think of any plans. So without wasting any more time, he transformed and ran to fight side by side with Hyunjin. But when he arrived at the scene, his blood turned cold. One of the rogues had caught his sister at her throat, and just before he bid down, Jeongguk could hear Hyujin's last words in his mind: Run. Please live. That's when her breathing stopped. Jeongguk was overcome by immense pain and rage. He wanted to fight to get revenge on his sister's death, for his family. But he knew he would die without any success, so he did the only thing possible. He ran. Out of their cave, leaving behind his sister, his home, and his place of comfort. The rogues were right behind him, chasing him as if their lives depended on killing him. However, thanks to his sister, he was much faster than they were. He knew these woods like the back of his hand because his sister had shown him. They practiced every day to run and hide. And now Jeongguk was thankful for that. He was thankful his sister did everything she could to protect him while he was lazing around every day, while he annoyed her every day—even though he wanted to do the same thing. Even though he was the one who wanted to protect her. He failed. And now all of his family is gone. All he could do was run for his life. And he did. He ran.