Mountain Rose

22. Life Goes On

"You look better than any other person always."

Eunji, Home

***

It's so warm in here, I thought to myself. How comfortable.

The steady pounding of drums created a thrum in the background, permeating my rest as the floor vibrated, and I woke up with a start, realizing I was not in the freezing courtyard anymore.

Where am I?

I sat up quickly, my head spinning as I blinked, staring at the smooth varnished floors under my body. Torches blazed all around at the brightly-lit hall I was in, and as I looked at my surroundings, I realized I was in the throne hall once more, except this time, it was no longer swallowed in the darkness, but was mesmerizing in its full glory.

The throne was imposing above the carpeted steps, and I realized that with the limited light I had previously, it was not just made of gold, but intertwined with tones of scarlet. Even the back of the throne was carved in a way that it looked like the remnants of the throne morphed into phoenixes taking flight.

Along with the tapestry of flying phoenixes gleaming behind the throne, it looked fit for a king, let alone a prince.

I sucked in a breath, immediately remembering where I had last seen Yoongi.

The memories of his death slammed against me like a nightmare, and I felt my breaths quicken as I remembered what had happened before I woke.

But however did I get here, in the throne room? There was no soul in sight.

And not just that, I thought as I looked down at myself, realizing I was no longer in my training gear, but in my familiar yellow hanbok and its matching skirts, with a dark red sash in the middle.

How...?

Even my ankles didn't seem to have sustained its injuries after my fall from the gates of the Red Courtyard, and I tested them as I got to my feet. I lifted my skirts, rotating my ankles.

It's like they were never hurt.

Fascinating. I could have sworn I couldn't walk.

The beat of the drum from outside - wherever it was coming from - got louder, and I glanced back at the throne again before hurrying towards the doors, throwing them open.

I gasped.

Instead of statues lined up over the stone courtyard of the most private part of the palace, there were people playing with sparklers, dancing, and laughing.

The sound of drums morphed into the sound of whistling fireworks that exploded in the sky, and I could smell the powder in the air as I grinned at the sparks of red and gold above.

This has to be a dream.

I stepped out to the balcony, my lips parting in surprise as I watched the crowd of people milling in the courtyard below me.

I'm definitely dreaming.

I must either be dreaming, or I have died and found some kind of in-between heaven because this seems too good to be true.

"Eunji-noona!" a boyish voice pierced the chaos of celebration, and I looked away from the fireworks to see a boy waving at me.

"Soonshim!" I cried with a grin, picking up my skirts to run down the staircase to my left, as he sprinted to me.