Washed Away (the Guilt but a Mark remained)
When Tony came to himself he was distantly aware that he hurt. But desperately clinging to a dream just ensures that it pops like a bubble. And when his bubble bursts he breathes out, slowly. And tries to master his many aches so that he can open his eyes and figure out where he is.
Slowly blinking open his eyes he can see wood, high above. A ceiling? Heâs in a building then. The questions remains how he got from the beach to this bed. Or bedding. Heâs lying on something soft thatâs nearly as low as the ground.
His arms feel tight as if restrained, but they move easily. His chest by comparison aches as if on fire. He moves to drag the blanket down, to look at the wound thatâs causing this pain but a tiny hand stops him. Sheâs a small child, not a baby, but in Tonyâs eyes she might as well be. He doesnât dare wrench his hand away so not to hurt her.
Tony watches her force his arm back down, then pet the lying arm as if pleased by his obedience. Heâs far too confused and in pain to be offended by that. Or endeared. Sheâs a cute kid.
Moo-Ryung was outside of his home. Blade singing through the air as he went through the usual motions of sword fighting. The style itself part of the land he originated from. It was almost like a dance. Of course, it was to keep his skills polished and to pass time. Waiting for the man they found to awaken. In which, his daughter would fetch him as soon as that happened.Â
Inside of the small home, Seo-Woo had been preparing rice porridge, tea and a bowl of fruit. Normally, there would have been some vegetables and some meat. But their income has been lacking lately, so luxury has been put on hold. Neither were complaining since that was how they lived before arriving to where they now reside. Serving the last of the porridge into a third bowl, the young girl prepared the low table and covered the bowls to keep in the heat for a longer period of time.
When she turned to check on the man, she noticed that he was awake now and quietly approached. Placing a hand on his arm, she smiled at him and gently forced his arm back down. No sense in making his injuries any worse. âAre you still in pain?" She asked, brown eyes looking for any signs in his expressions. Her hand idly patted his arm. âShall I fetch my father?" Â
The room did not start to make sense any time soon. Why was he even here? This isnât where heâs supposed to be after all. And the child petting his arm is just making everything worse. He wants to ask âWhyâ but his voice scratches the word until itâs barely recognizeable. Coughing makes him ache all the way down to his toes. But still he tries to get up, he canât lie here.
That demon has the heart. He let him have it. He let him-
âI need to get back.â He tells her once he finds his voice, even if he can barely see straight. Heâs either sick or tired. But heâs not dead, at least. Would that have been better, if he had left his life? Made his failures less?
He gasps, the panic a solid thing crushing him down. He canât let himself drown on dry land now. He needs to get it back. Before that man uses it against them all. Against the sea. He can never forgive himself for forging it and not locking it up tigher. No. He should have destroyed it. He should have.
Seo-Woo moved away for a brief moment to get the man something to drink. "Please, do not move. I shall be back shortly" Dusting off the bottom of her hanbok, the young girl set to pour the herbal tea into a bowl. Drinking from a cup would prove problematic, especially if it was just her. Finished with the pouring, she made her way back to the injured man.Â
Oh...She had to call for her father first. Setting the bowl down, Seo-Woo ran to the nearest window. Climbing on top of crates, she peeked out to her father. "Appa! He's awake"Â
"-Thank you. I shall be in shortly-" Came his reply, followed by the sound of a sword being sheathed.Â
His daughter climbed back down and picked up the bowl of tea. Making her way back to the injured man, she caught his words and frowned slightly. "To where?" She questioned before kneeling next to him. Something was off and she could tell. Setting the bowl down a second time, she leaned over to gently hug him.Â
Moo-Ryung entered his home, pausing at the door to remove his shoes and placed his sword against the wall on the inside. No one ever came to his home in a threatening manner. They knew what will happen should they come to harm him or his daughter. Dark eyes observed the scene before him as he moved closer and crouched. He made note of the tea. "It will take some time for you to fully heal. You can stay with us"Â
Picking up the bowl, he asked his daughter to move away. "Are you able to sit up? You must be thirsty"

















