Dating : The New Arrival

The residents of the small village of Joseon were still mourning the death of Kim Tan, the oldest villager, when something so utterly unforgettable happened . The villagers saw it as a bad omen and a meeting of the elders was quickly convened to resolve the matter.

“The gods must be angry. They need to be appeased,” said one. “Things have not been the same since the new arrival came to our village.”

“Yes, that is very true. This matter needs to be reported to the King,” suggested another.

They all spoke at once, still shocked by what had happened. Indeed, who could forget how everyone had stood, watching helplessly, as two men fought. They knew that these fights always ended in death, yet none dared to intervene. Swords flashed in the bright sun. One of the men collapsed onto the ground, clutching his stomach. A bloodcurdling scream tore through the silence as blood seeped from his wound onto the soil. It was that deafening wail that changed everything. The late Kim Tan’s grandson, Lee Jun, was also standing with the crowd at a safe distance. Several people gave various accounts of what actually happened next; each one differing from the others.

An elder put his hand up, drawing the attention of the villagers. A deathly silence fell on the meeting as all eyes turned to face him.

“There is a stranger in our village who claims to be the grandson of the late Kim Tan.”

No one spoke, so the elder continued, “I believe he is the one who has brought bad spirits into our village and incurred the wrath of the gods. We all know what we must do.”

They all nodded in agreement. This was a serious matter indeed. The undeniable truth was that although the wounded man had sustained a fatal injury, he had not died.

Some claimed that his scream had summoned supernatural help. Others claimed that he was a witch because he survived the fight and got up with no sign of injury. Unaware of the commotion he would cause, Lee Jun had teleported to the injured man’s side, laid his hands on him and healed him. From that day on the villagers wanted nothing to do with him.

The night following the village meeting, men carrying fire torches went to his hut. They dragged him out of bed, then led him to a stake where they tied him up and beat him. Everyone was convinced he was a wizard whose punishment had to be death by burning.

As he lay there, he thought about his life. His own people had wanted to kill him because of his unusual gifts. However, they had chosen to abandon him in this village instead. Now, his newfound compatriots also wanted him dead.

A poke on his side woke him from his reverie. The villagers were now chanting death songs as they danced. They simultaneously set the stake alight with their torches. His mind drifted. It was time to embrace his fate. He was not like them―and he would never be.

When the stake went up in flames the chanting got louder and louder. A thick cloud of smoke enveloped the gathering, causing their eyes to water. When it cleared, the stake had been burned down to ashes. The wizard was dead. In celebration the men drank beer all night.

The next morning a man claiming to be the late Kim Tan’s grandson arrived in the village. He looked eerily familiar.