From that day on, my life changed completely.
I became a sacrifice alongside that child — the one with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.
"We beseech thee! We beseech thee! We offer the child with the demonic brain — take away our misfortune!" Shinmyung's voice rang out over and over again.
I watched the people surrounding me and felt my stomach turn. I wanted to throw up, but I held it down. I couldn't afford the consequences.
After each ritual, they gave us food. I watched the boy eat like he hadn't seen a meal in days. Then he choked, reached for his cup, and knocked it over. Without thinking, I stood up and handed him mine.
After a moment, he managed to swallow.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Eat slower next time."
The boy nodded slowly and went back to eating. I picked up my own plate and sat down beside him.
"Hey. I'm Baki Hanma. What's your name?"
"Shongji Yughk!" he said, mouth stuffed full.
"So you're Shongji Yughk?"
He swallowed and looked up at me. "My name is Seongji Yuk. Not Shongji Yughk."
I looked at his face. There was a heaviness in his eyes, deep enough that I couldn't look away. Maybe it was because we were in the same situation, but something stirred inside me that I couldn't quite name.
"We're both stuck in the same place, aren't we? So let's be friends." I grinned and stuck out my hand.
Seongji looked at it for a moment, then grabbed it. His hand was rough, and the grip was stronger than I expected.
"Alright, friends!" he said.
The wind swept the hair away from his face. It was the first time I'd gotten a clear look at him — and honestly, his face was prettier than most girls I'd seen. I tried to hold it in, but I couldn't.
Seongji knew immediately why I was laughing. He pulled his hair back over his face, but the corner of his mouth had turned up just slightly.
---
It had been a few months since we were trapped in Cheonliang.
The only reason I hadn't lost my mind was Seongji Yuk. He was the only friend I had in this place.
That day I was packing when Seongji called out from behind me.
"Baki, are we really doing this? What if we get caught again?"
I scratched my dark red hair and smiled a little. "If we don't try, the chance of escaping is zero. If we do try, there's at least some chance. Right?"
Seongji was quiet for a moment. Then he started packing his own things.
Tonight, we were making our escape.
I had memorized the layout of the entire village. Cheonliang was surrounded by mountains on all sides with only one way in. If we were going to get out, the mountain path was the only option.
It didn't take long. Neither of us had much to bring — a few clothes and the bare essentials.
The villagers kept watch over us during the day, but it was the middle of the night now. The chances of running into a regular patrol were lower.
I took hold of Seongji's arm and we slipped out of the house. We were both dressed in black. The mountains ringed the village on every side except the entrance, so we headed toward the base of the slopes.
---
We were close to the edge of the village. Seongji's breathing behind me was getting heavier.
"Stay close," I whispered, pressing my back against a wooden fence as we moved.
We had made it past the third house when I heard footsteps.
I yanked Seongji into the shadow of a storage shed nearby. Two villagers walked past with torches. Their voices drifted through the dark.
"...those two little bastards actually ran..."
"...tch. They won't get far..."
They'd already noticed we were gone. I held my breath. Beside me, I could feel Seongji go completely rigid. The torchlight swung over and lit up the ground just a few inches from our feet. I pressed myself harder into the wall.
The footsteps moved on. I waited until they were completely gone before I let out a slow breath.
"That was close," Seongji whispered.
"We're not caught yet. Let's go."
We kept moving, more carefully now. The houses thinned out as we got closer to the edge of the village.
Then a dog barked.
Then a second. Then a third. Lights started coming on in the houses nearby.
"Run!" I hissed, grabbing Seongji's hand.
We bolted toward the mountain, dropping any pretense of being quiet. Shouting broke out behind us. My lungs were burning and my legs were driving as hard as they could. Seongji's longer legs actually worked in his favor on the rough ground, and he kept up without trouble.
"There! I see them!" someone shouted from behind.
We didn't look back. The slope got steeper and I started using my hands, grabbing roots and rocks to pull myself up. The shouting fell further behind, but I knew we weren't clear yet.
We finally hauled ourselves up onto a flat stretch of ground and I stopped to catch my breath, both sides of my ribcage aching. Seongji dropped down beside me, breathing hard.
"Did we... lose them?" he managed between gasps.
Before I could answer, a figure stepped out from behind a large boulder ahead of us.
From the way he was dressed, he was a mountain guard. He had a long staff in his hand and his face was completely blank.
"Where do you two think you're going?"
I moved in front of Seongji. "We're leaving. We're not going back to that village."
The guard's eyes swept over us — the extra fingers, the dark red hair, and the look in our eyes. Something registered on his face.
"You're the sacrifices. The cursed children." His grip tightened on the staff. "You can't leave. The village balance depends on you."
"Balance?" The word almost made me laugh. "You treat us like livestock and call it balance?"
"It is what it is." He started walking toward us. "Come back quietly, kids. I won't make it hard on you."
"We're not going back," I said. "Not ever."
The guard sighed. He raised his staff and settled into a stance.
Seongji grabbed my arm from behind. "Let's go, Baki."
The guard took another step forward. "Just the two of you?"
I looked at him. I looked at the mountain path behind him. Then I looked back at Seongji.
"Dying on the way out beats spending another day in that place."
The guard's expression hardened. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
He came at us hard, staff sweeping across in a wide arc.