The First Test

The sun was barely rising when Joon Ha woke to the sound of hushed voices outside the cottage. His instincts sharpened instantly. He had learned to recognize the tension in the air, the kind that preceded trouble.

Stepping outside, he saw Ha-Yoon standing near the old hermit, her arms crossed. Opposite them stood three villagers, their faces lined with worry.

“What's going on?” Joon Ha’s voice was firm, but calm.

Ha-Yoon turned to him, her eyes heavy with concern. “They need help.”

One of the villagers, a frail man with weathered hands, stepped forward hesitantly. “Our children… They’ve gone missing in the forest.”

Joon Ha stiffened. The forest was vast, unpredictable, and home to dangers beyond wild animals. He had seen how the mist thickened in the deeper areas, swallowing paths whole. Anyone unprepared could easily lose their way—or worse.

“How long have they been gone?” he asked.

“Since last night,” the villager’s voice trembled. “We searched, but… we found nothing.”

Ha-Yoon shot Joon Ha a knowing look. They didn’t need to say it aloud. He was the only one capable of going deep into the wilderness and bringing them back.

Joon Ha exhaled slowly, then nodded. “I’ll find them.”

The deeper he went into the forest, the heavier the air became. The trees loomed taller, the silence pressing against his senses. He had spent weeks running through these paths, training his body, testing his limits. But today was different.

Today, lives depended on him.

He moved swiftly, scanning the ground for footprints, broken twigs, any sign of movement. Hours passed, the sun climbing higher, the mist shifting like living shadows.

Then—a faint cry.

His heart pounded as he turned towards the sound. A small, shivering figure crouched beneath the twisted roots of an ancient tree. A boy, no older than ten.

Joon Ha rushed forward, kneeling beside him. “Are you hurt?”

The boy shook his head, his face streaked with dirt and fear. “M-my sister… she’s still out there.”

Joon Ha’s jaw tightened. “Where?”

The boy pointed further into the mist.

Deeper.

He moved fast, his mind calculating every possible threat. Then he saw her.

A young girl, standing near the edge of a rocky cliff, her eyes locked onto something unseen. Her body was unnaturally still.

Joon Ha’s instincts screamed at him. Something was wrong.

“Don’t move,” he said, his voice careful.

The girl didn’t react.

The air grew colder. A presence lingered. Not human. Not visible. But undeniable.

Joon Ha took a slow step forward. “Come to me.”

Her lips parted. A whisper—not her own.

"You do not belong here."

A sudden force slammed into Joon Ha’s chest. An unseen weight, heavy as stone, crushing the breath from his lungs.

But he had faced worse.

Digging his heels into the earth, he fought back the pressure, reaching for the girl’s wrist. The moment his fingers closed around her, the weight vanished.

She gasped, as if waking from a trance.

Joon Ha didn’t wait. He scooped her into his arms and ran.

By the time he emerged from the forest, the villagers were waiting. Tears, Relief, prayers of gratitude.

Ha-Yoon stood slightly apart, her eyes searching his. “You’re hurt,” she noted, eyes flicking to the bruises forming on his skin.

“I’ll survive,” he muttered.

But as the village rejoiced, his mind was elsewhere.

"You do not belong here."

Something had spoken to him in that forest. And whatever it was, it wasn’t done with him yet.

Shloka/श्लोक/절

धर्मेण पापमपनुद्य बलात्कर्मफलं शुभम्।

दृढं यस्य च बुद्धिर्भवत्ययमव्ययः॥

Dharmeṇa pāpamapanudya balātkarmaphalaṁ śubham।

Dṛḍhaṁ yasya ca buddhirbhavatyayamavyayaḥ॥

달메나 파팜아파누댜 발라트카르마팔람 슈밤।

드리담 야스야 차 붓디르바바티아얌아바야하॥

"By righteousness, one removes sin. Through effort, one attains good fortune. A firm mind is unshakable and eternal."

"의로움으로 죄를 씻어내고, 노력으로 선한 결과를 얻는다. 강인한 마음은 흔들리지 않는 영원한 것이다."

Like Rama venturing into the forests, Joon Ha has begun to face forces beyond the mortal realm. But unlike before, he is no longer just fighting for himself—he is fighting for those who trust him.

The test has begun. And the unseen forces are watching.

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