Hwarang and The Jewel.

Chapter 2

I don't know how long I was out, but the next time I opened my eyes the room was dark.

I sat up slowly, my head was aching but thankfully not as painful as the last time I was awake.

An Ji wasn't in the room, so I took the opportunity to snoop around. Carefully standing, I walked towards the door and slid it open a tiny amount. I couldn't see any street lights, so this house must be out of the city.

Closing the door silently I walked around the room. The walls looked rough, and no charging port in sight.

A sick feeling started swirling in my stomach. How did I get here? It must have taken hours to be this far away in a hut with no electricity.

Sitting down on the mattress again I scooted back so my back was against the wall. It was too dark outside for me to see anything, and my door had remained unlocked. For whatever reason, I decided to trust this An Ji guy.

However, I wasn't stupid enough to think that he was the only person here.

•●•

The sun hadn't come up fully, but it was enough for me to gather my courage and open the door again.

Outside was a small courtyard, it looked distinctly oriental, like something out of  the samurai movies Mom loved to watch. The fleeting thought of my Mom made my eyes tear up.

Was she worried? Is she looking for me?

Too lost in my thoughts I didn't notice someone was walking towards me until I heard their footsteps crunch on the gravel. My head whipped towards the sound and landed on a young man on the other side of the courtyard. He was also dressed in some sort of ceremonial oriental outfit.

He looked just as shocked to see me as I did to see him. Embarrassed, I slammed the sliding door closed and retreated to the safety of my mattress.

I stayed on the mattress with the cover pulled over my head until the pins and needles in my legs got unbearable.

Huffing I tore the blanket off me and got back up again. Before I could make my way towards the door again it was suddenly opened, and An Ji strode inside.

"What's going on? Where am I?" I said, he didn't reply, but quickly moved around items in the room. It looked like he was making space, but I didn't have time to ponder why when the door was again flung open, and a girl burst in hurriedly talking to An Ji.

"Hey! An Ji!" That got the attention of both of them. "Can you please tell me, what is going on? Where am I?" My voice cracked at the end in my state of worry.
The girl looked like she wanted to say something to me but An Ji said something to her sternly, and with one last glance at me she left, shutting the door behind her.

An Ji turned back to me with contemplation in his eyes. What he saw must have made up whatever decision he was making, because a moment later he was pulling me from the bed and leading me out into the courtyard.

Shocked and scared, I tried to pull my arm from his hand but he was surprisingly strong.

"Stop! Please, what are you doing?! Let me go!" I had started crying, but An Ji held me firmly.

Another hand grabbed my other arm, I turned to see it was the young man I had seen earlier this morning. They both stood in the middle of the courtyard.