The Mountain With Melted Snow Caps | Ateez San

Part I

She shone so bright that people were afraid of going blind in her presence. After all, too much of anything can be harmful.

When Park Haeun was born, her fiery red locks had astonished the entire village when the news spread around. What was even more surprising was when winter had never come that year. It was perceived as just a coincidence at first. Yet, after several years, the intensive heat started to cause backlash, creating fires among the trees and burning down many tiny wooden houses. Her parents sent her away to live up in the mountains, fearing that the villagers would come and hunt her down after they found out she was the reason for all the chaos. They would leave their child on her own, thinking that if she was able to survive, they'd be happy, but if she were to die, the problems she caused would also cease to exist. But, she was just a child. In the back of their minds, they knew she would die, thus fixing the seasonal issue. The guilt they felt was intense, so they lit up a flame to their surviving house, forcing them to become ashes. They didn't feel that they deserved to live after wreaking such havoc with the upbringing of their cursed child who they wanted to adore. She was a miracle to them after they had been trying to give birth for years, but she was just a disaster wearing a disguise.

The six-year-old girl didn't know why her parents left her all alone in a small hut, secluded away in the mountains. They promised they would come back, so she waited and waited. She tried to sleep the time away, but every time her eyes closed it seemed like her body would jerk back up, only for her to be covered in sweat. When this happened, her mom would usually be there to place an ice pack on her forehead to cool her down. She was all alone now. She tried covering up all the areas where the sun peaked through with the clothes her parents left for her.

"Maybe the night will be colder," she thought to herself.

And somehow, it was. After years of an eternal heat, everyone in the village was shocked that the temperature had dropped that night. Haeun was finally able to sleep peacefully.

When the sun finally rose again in the morning, the mountains shielded the bright light casting over the hut. It slowly grew in size, making sure that the illumination would never bother the little girl ever again.

The village was panicked once again. Although they were thankful that they were able to cool down for the time being, they all noticed the mountain growing in size. They feared it would cast a shadow so large that they would live in darkness forever. Or worse, they would have to evacuate before they were crushed by the landform. They didn't know why any of this was happening to them. They couldn't connect the pieces that perhaps Haeun would be the cause. Who would think such a young girl would have anything to do with the downfall of their homeland?

When they found the ashes of Haeun's parents, they didn't think twice about it. House fires were so common these days, they assumed the whole family had burned to death too. The question they were all thinking though, was "how did only one house catch on fire without harming any of the neighbors?" They decided to let it go as every circumstance recently didn't make sense either.

Haeun finally woke up after the first real slumber she has ever had, with the mountains essentially towering over her home now. She wondered again why her parents hadn't returned, but she knew she should keep her word and stay where she is, fearing that if she left she would get lost. She opened up the bag where all her belongings were stuffed in, hoping there would be food and water. Fortunately, there was a decent supply, but she knew it would be better to rationalize it. She grew up that way, knowing that things were meant to be shared even if you don't have much. She would save some food and water for when her family returned.

After boredom had finally reached its peak, she decided it would be okay to explore her surroundings just a little bit. However, when she walked outside, there was nothing to be seen besides the big mountain beside her.

"Why is it so big now?" she questioned.

She went up to the big rock, trying to see if she could climb to the top. She was making progress until the sweat her body consistently built up made her hands slip. She closed her eyes, preparing to plummet to the ground. Suddenly, a little platform grew out of the mountain, allowing her to stand comfortably on the side. She looked over at her village now, wondering why she couldn't be down there with all her friends.

But, the biggest question she had was, "why did I look so different compared to them?"