The Beginning of the Day
Song woke up, washed his face and teeth, dressed, and went about his normal daily routine.
Since it was Saturday and there was no school, he remembered that he needed to report to the opposition party on Mount Konkur today. As Mr. Ji-hoon sent him yesterday.
It was a calm, sunny day; the sounds of birds singing echoed throughout the city, and a light, calm breeze filled the air.
He opened his phone and looked at the time. It was 8:30 a.m.
He didn't wake up early like usual. Normally, he would wake up at ten or eleven in the morning on days that were not school days.
Song put down his phone and started making his breakfast: cereal with milk.
The kitchen window was open beside him, allowing a gentle breeze and calming winds to enter, bringing a sense of psychological comfort. The sounds of birds and the peacefulness of the beautiful day filled the atmosphere.
He calmly placed his breakfast on his desk and looked at the same photo of his family he had placed there. But instead of smiling, he felt hopeful and angry. Not just angry at losing what he had. Rather, what drove him to seek revenge was...
"I promise you... I will avenge you... With that party... we will destroy the Crimson Army together... and I will not disappoint you."
He looked at the picture as if they were smiling at him in response to his promise... then he slowly began to eat breakfast.
Suddenly, Song's phone vibrated... It was a message from Teacher Ji-hoon.
Song opened the message and started reading... with concentration... He started to feel a little nervous while reading the message.
"Hae-won, our appointment today is at twelve o'clock. Go to Hangang-yeol Subway Station... Take the subway to Town Zong... From there, go to the wholesale market... You'll find someone nicknamed Wukong... Tell him... the password: I oppose... and he'll send you to the location of the opposition party. See you there... Bye."
Song: It seems that the matter is getting more serious... I wonder if my decision was correct... or am I putting myself in danger... I feel very terrified.
Song sat down, turned on the TV, and began watching, or so it seemed. He was thinking deeply, his face calm and focused, as questions started to circulate in his mind, just as anyone might do in a new place. "What would happen if I took revenge? What if we were all weak in front of him? What if?" He looked at the TV again, where the false propaganda of the Crimson Army—used to deceive millions through the media and public—began to air.
Today, the heroes of the Crimson Army were able to eliminate a city belonging to a terrorist group, eliminate the group, and save the residents from its danger and terrorism. The TV announcer's cold, robotic voice.
This time, Song's tension eased slightly, along with his confusion, with clenched fists and a tightening jaw. He muttered to himself, "No, this is a farce, of course. People are being wiped out before our eyes. And this? If we don't confront what's happening, we'll stay trapped in this farce forever. We have to stop it. This is the best decision."
Song stood up and left his house, and anger burned in his chest from what he saw so much. Walking a little further toward the bus stop near his house, he headed toward it to take the bus that will go to the station.
The End... Begins now!
To Mount Konkur
Now the bus stopped in front of Hangang-yeol subway station, and Song calmly got off the bus quietly... hurrying a little towards the ticket window to book the ticket for Town Zong.
The crowd fills the place in front of the ticket window: many daily travelers, some of them going to distant universities and distant workplaces, some traveling for meetings and conferences, and some trying to reach the airport to travel to another country, escaping the clutches of the Crimson Bloody Army.
Song walked through the crowd, gasping for breath from the sheer volume of people. He remained in this state for half an hour, until he finally reached the ticket window.
After Song booked his tickets, he went directly to the station to board the train. And here's the surprise...
As Song approached the subway platform, the familiar sound of heavy boots echoed through the station's corridors. His heart sank when he saw what awaited him: a full military checkpoint had been set up at the entrance to the platforms.
Red and black uniformed soldiers stood in formation, their weapons gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Electronic scanners beeped continuously as passengers were forced through mandatory inspection lines. The casual chatter of travelers had been replaced by tense whispers and nervous glances.
"Documents! Move forward!" barked a soldier whose voice carried the mechanical amplification of his helmet's communication system.
Song felt his palms begin to sweat as he joined the slow-moving line. The ticket to Town Zong felt heavy in his pocket, as if it were evidence of his guilt. Around him, other passengers showed their papers with resigned compliance—this had become routine under Crimson Army rule.
When Song's turn came, the soldier's red visor reflected Song's own pale face at him.
"Identification," the soldier commanded, extending a gloved hand.
Song handed over his student ID with what he hoped appeared to be casual indifference. The soldier's scanner hummed as it processed the information.
"Song Hae-won. Jindo High School." The soldier's head tilted slightly. "You were at school yesterday during the incident?"
Song's throat felt dry, but he kept his voice steady. "No, sir. I was absent that day. Wasn't feeling well."
The soldier's visor remained fixed on Song's face for several long seconds. Behind that reflective surface, Song couldn't tell if suspicion was growing or if this was a routine interrogation.
"Purpose of travel?" the soldier continued.
"Visiting my uncle in Town Zong," Song replied, the lie coming more easily than expected.
Another pause. Another scan of Song's face. Around them, the station's activity seemed to slow as other passengers were processed through adjacent checkpoints.
Finally, the soldier returned Song's ID. "Move along."
Song took back his documents, nodding respectfully. "Thank you, sir."
As he walked toward the platform, Song could feel the soldier's gaze following him. Every step felt deliberate, controlled, and normal—even as his heart hammered against his ribs and his mind raced with questions about what would happen if they discovered his real destination.
The train pulled into the station with a rush of air and metal. Song boarded quietly, finding a seat by the window, and watched the checkpoint shrink into the distance as the subway pulled away toward Town Zong—and whatever waited for him at Mount Konkur.
On the Train
Song found a window seat in the middle car and tried to appear like any other passenger. The train was half-empty, unusual for a Saturday, but the constant military presence had made many people avoid unnecessary travel.
As the subway pulled away from the station, Song noticed two Crimson Army officers stationed near the doors at both ends of his car. They stood motionless, their red visors scanning the passengers with mechanical precision. One carried a handheld scanner that beeped occasionally, while the other kept his hand resting on his weapon.
Song stared out the window, watching the city blur past. Buildings grew shorter and more scattered as they moved away from the urban center. He tried to calm his breathing, focusing on the rhythmic clacking of the train wheels, but every time one of the officers moved, his heart rate spiked.
Forty minutes later, the automated voice announced: "Town Zong. Next stop, Town Zong."
Song gathered his small backpack and stood with the other departing passengers. As he passed the nearest officer, the red visor turned to follow him, but no words were spoken. Song stepped off the train and didn't look back until he heard it pull away behind him.
Finding Wukong
Town Zong's wholesale market sprawled across several city blocks, a maze of vendors, warehouses, and narrow alleys filled with the constant noise of commerce. The air smelled of spices, diesel fuel, and fresh produce. Song had never been here before, and the sheer size of the place was overwhelming.
He wandered through the main thoroughfare, past stalls selling everything from electronics to clothing to food supplies. How was he supposed to find someone nicknamed "Wukong" in this chaos?
After an hour of searching, Song approached a fruit vendor, an elderly woman arranging apples in neat rows.
"Excuse me," he said politely, "I'm looking for someone called Wukong. Do you know where I might find him?"
The woman looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Who's asking?"
Song hesitated, then leaned closer. "I oppose"
The woman's expression changed immediately. She glanced around, then pointed toward a narrow alley between two warehouse buildings. "Third door on the left. Knock twice, wait, then knock four times."
Meeting Wukong
The alley was dimly lit and smelled of garbage and stale water. Song found the third door - unmarked metal painted dark green. He followed the woman's instructions: two knocks, a pause, then four more.
The door opened to reveal a man in his thirties, stocky and muscular with intelligent eyes and several scars on his hands. Despite his serious expression, something about him seemed almost playful.
"Password?" the man asked.
"I oppose"
"You must be Hae-won." The man stepped aside. "I'm Wukong. Time to go."
The room behind the door was small and cluttered with mechanical parts and tools. Wukong led Song through to a back entrance where a modified van waited - its windows tinted black and its engine running quietly.
"Get in the back," Wukong said. "It's a two-hour drive to the mountain, and we need to avoid the main roads."
The Journey
The van's interior had been converted into a mobile command center. Screens showed satellite feeds of various locations, and communication equipment hummed softly. Song sat on a bench seat while Wukong drove through increasingly remote countryside.
"First time joining an opposition group?" Wukong asked without taking his eyes off the road.
"Yes," Song admitted.
"Nervous?"
"Terrified."
Wukong laughed. "That's normal. I was the same when I first got recruited three years ago. But you'll see - we're not just a bunch of angry kids throwing rocks. We're organized, we're smart, and we're growing stronger every day."
As they drove, Song watched the landscape change from suburban sprawl to forests and hills. The roads became narrower and more winding. Finally, they turned onto what seemed like a hunting trail, barely wide enough for the van.
Mount Konkur Base
After twenty minutes of bouncing along the rough trail, Wukong stopped the van near what appeared to be a sheer rock face. He got out and approached what looked like solid stone, pressing his hand against a specific spot.
A section of the rock face slid aside with barely a whisper, revealing a tunnel entrance lit by soft blue lights.
"Welcome to Mount Konkur," Wukong said, gesturing for Song to follow.
The tunnel led deep into the mountain, opening into a vast underground complex that took Song's breath away. The space was larger than his entire school, with multiple levels connected by metal walkways. Dozens of people moved purposefully through the area - some carrying equipment, others working at computer stations, still others engaged in what looked like combat training.
"This is incredible," Song whispered.
"The old Konota kingdom built this place as an emergency command center," Wukong explained. "They hollowed out half the mountain. The Crimson Army never found it because they didn't know it existed."
As they walked through the main corridor, Song saw advanced technology everywhere - holographic displays, weapons he didn't recognize, communication arrays that looked decades ahead of anything the public had access to.
The Welcome
In the central command room, two figures waited for them. Song recognized Mr. Ji-hoon immediately, but the other man was a stranger - tall, with silver hair and eyes that seemed to carry the weight of difficult decisions.
"Hae-won," Mr. Ji-hoon said, approaching with obvious relief. "I'm glad you made it safely."
"Song Hae-won," the silver-haired man said, extending his hand. "I'm Commander Bond. Welcome to the real resistance."
Song shook his hand, noting the firm grip and the way Bond studied his face intently.
"I've heard remarkable things about you," Bond continued. "About what happened at your school. About your... unique capabilities."
"I don't understand most of it myself," Song admitted.
Bond smiled, but it was a complex expression - part warmth, part sadness. "That's understandable. You've been living your entire life not knowing who you really are. But that changes today."
Mr. Ji-hoon stepped forward. "Song, there's something you need to know about Commander Bond. Something that will help you understand why this resistance exists, and why your role in it is so important."
Bond's expression grew more serious. "I am the son of General Leonardo Zordlio - the man you know as King Zord of the Crimson Army."
Song stared at him in shock. "You're his son?"
"I am," Bond said quietly. "And I've spent the last fifteen years of my life working to undo everything my father has done. You see, Song, you're not the only one who has lost family to the Crimson Army. Some of us had our families stolen by becoming the very thing we now fight against."
The revelation hit Song like a physical blow. The leader of the resistance was the son of his greatest enemy.
"I know it's a lot to process," Bond continued. "But I hope you'll come to understand that we fight not just for revenge, but for the chance to build something better than what came before. Your royal blood, your connection to Konota's ancient technology - these gifts aren't just weapons. They're the key to restoring what was lost."
Song looked around the vast underground complex, at the dozens of people working toward a common goal, at the advanced technology that spoke of a civilization's lost greatness.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
Bond smiled, and this time the warmth reached his eyes. "First, we help you understand what you're truly capable of. Then, we prepare you for what's coming. Because the Crimson Army knows you exist now, and they'll be coming for you with everything they have."
Song nodded slowly. The peaceful morning in his small apartment felt like a lifetime ago. Now, standing in the heart of a rebellion, surrounded by people who had lost as much as he had, he began to understand that his journey was just beginning.
The real fight for Konota's legacy - and his family's memory - started now.