Faith (The Next Story)

Chapter 8: The Kingdom of Goryeo Part II

The place was dark except for a flickering light coming from a candle on a huge table in the middle of the room. How huge the room really was no one can tell but in the darkness it seemed like there was no end to the amount of space filled with nothingness, not even a single sound.

Taizu walked briskly towards the man sitting on the chair behind the table which seemed to be the only fixture of the entire place. He went down on one knee as he got nearer.

"I have failed my mission, master. I will accept whatever punishment you shall meet."

There was a long time of silence before the man whose face was obscured by the darkness decided to speak. "I asked you to simply take care of one woman. You, my most trusted vizer who has never failed a mission, is telling me you have been unsuccessful? You failed at a task that you specifically asked to handle yourself? Is that what you are saying?"

Had it been any other vizer in Taizu's place they would have cowered in fear or be doing their best to assure the master that they would take care of it right away. But Taizu stood up instead and answered the question with one of his own.

"The general managed to cross the gate with the girl into the future and has managed to bring her back with him to the Goryeo period. How is that possible? You said so yourself that the business with the general is already taken cared off and that the girl is done with her mission here. If that was the case, then their entry to the portal would have been blocked. Has your all mighty eyes failed you now?"

Only Taizu would dare say such words to the master.

"It seems that I have treated you too much like a son that you have become quite arrogant." The master replied.

"Well then it's a good thing you don't have any children of your own." Taizu replied nonchallantly.

Had anyone been there to hear his words they would have been shocked and terrified. They would have expected the master to strike him down into ashes in an instant. But instead the master laughed.

And then he too stood. "There are no mistakes on my knowledge of the future. As it is now, the general should be able to fulfill his tasks without the woman and thus he has no need to go into the future and she to be in his time."

"But he was able to do so." Taizu said thoughtfully. "Could he be one of us then?" The idea had been playing in his mind since Choi Young had managed to cross into 2012. "Could he be a vizer as well?"

"Impossible." The answer from the master held no room for doubt. "It must be woman who has caused this paradox to happen."

At that Taizu actually laughed, although his laughter held no mirth in it. "Now that seems harder to believe. If the great general Choi Young with his super strength and lightning powers cannot be a vizer then it cannot be a simple plastic surgeon. She can barely even protect herself much less hold the powers of a vizer. My master's all powerful visions must be getting faulty."

"I need you to get rid of her." The order was given out as if the master had not even heard Taizu speak. "Go and make it a priority."

Taizu was surprised and confused. "But if she's a vizer shouldn't we win her over to our side instead. Wouldn't she be valuable..."

He wasn't able to finish his words as the master cut him off. "Eliminate her and redeem yourself to me." The order seemed set on steel. "Go now!"

Taizu walked out more confused than when he got in. But although he was close enough to the master to give voice to his thoughts he was still a soldier and an order was an order.

"Ageha." The moment Taizu left the room the master's voice rang into the darkness. A cloud of smoke appeared in front of him which formed into a figure of a man. It was the same messenger who constantly reported to Taizu.