4. Quasar - Kim Jiwon

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Beneath layers of rising buntings and between the dancing of the merry townsfolk, the ballads of the bards all seem to coalesce around a woman whose smile alone could make flowers blossom. The cascade of her hair, the fragrance of her skin, the melody of her laughter—Kim Jiwon was known by the townspeople as the fair Lady of the Lake.

Because she’s unreal.

The birds sang for her as they fluttered around her every step. The children flocked to her eager to receive any bit of her warmth. The women kept their husbands and lovers within arm’s reach whenever she was around, fearing they would be drawn towards her like sailors to a siren’s call.

Everyone loved Kim Jiwon. And Jiwon loved the attention. But that all changed the moment a rampaging circus animal came charging towards her.

“Look out!” was the last thing she heard before a hand grabbed her by the collar of her dress and pulled Jiwon towards what she could only describe as a firm and sturdy chest.

Glancing up at her savior, who kept her close to his person until the beast was cornered by the troupe, she could only ascertain the relative shape of him: caramel hair that bounced like tufts of clouds, sharp jawline that was carved like the fine edge of a cliff, Adam’s apple so pronounced it was ripe for the taking.

“It’s not every day you see a displacer beast on the loose like that,” the well-dressed man quipped, pulling away from Jiwon to give her some room to breathe. But he held her by the wrists securely still. “I’ll send word to my father to warn him against having … exotic creatures in crowded places like this next time, but are you alright?”

Jiwon’s lip quivered. “Y-Yes, I am. Thank you. I-I-I …”

The man’s smile was one that could rival even Jiwon’s. But it wasn’t his smile that set her heart aflutter—no, it was the way he wiped her temples and tucked locks of her hair behind her ear. “I’m just glad … you’re … alright …?”

Drip.

Jiwon felt it without even touching it. But as soon as something trickled down her cheek, she cupped the side of her face. With a gentle brush of her finger, the mask she had on shifted ever-so-slightly, causing a black tarry ooze to seep out from it.

The man took a step back, and Jiwon scrambled to realign the mask against her face. “You … what was—?”

“Nothing! Nothing … I-I … thank you for the help.”

Before he could reach out to her and ask for her name, Jiwon threw the hood of her cloak back on tightly and disappeared into the crowd. She pushed through the thoroughfare until the cobbled road met the loamy dirt, and she didn’t dare stop until she was finally trudging up the long and winding path to her little cabin by the mountain lake.

Jiwon scanned her surroundings twice before entering, and as soon as she was inside, she kicked the door shut and screamed into the heavy oak. “Y-You said it would. You said this would fix things.”

Silence. And then, a calm commanding voice echoed within the recesses of Jiwon’s own mind.

OH, LITTLE JIWON, IS SOMETHING THE MATTER? IS MY GIFT TO YOU NOT ENOUGH?

Jiwon held her breath. She knew it was luring her. Whatever it was. “I-It’s enough, I guess … just … just had a little slip.”

As she confessed this, more dark goo trickled down her face, splattering against the floor. Jiwon darted to the mirror in her bedroom and forced herself to look at her reflection. There, she took the mask off, and in an instant, the beautiful visage she had donned flickered away with the mask.

Beneath it was the true scarred, burnt, and wart-filled appearance of hers she’s resented all her life.

YOU LIE, LITTLE JIWON. I CAN SENSE YOUR DISSATISFACTION. IT TASTES … BITTER.

She clenched her fist around the mask, trembling at the eery tone of its voice.

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT WAS JUST A TASTE OF MY POWER?

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT I CAN GIVE YOU MORE.

“More …? What more could I ever need from you? Freeing you from that mirror at the bottom of the lake was plenty enough …” she recounted, remembering the curiosity that warped into regret shortly after on that cursed night. “What do you want from me …?”

THE SAME AS ALWAYS. YOU MAKE A PATTERN, YOU GET A FRACTION OF MY POWER.

She glanced at the pattern she had carved out hastily that same night, the very pattern that was etched into her wooden floor using nothing but a butter knife. It still glowed purple and crimson to this day. “Fine … I-I guess another wouldn’t hurt.”

The voice in her head let out a satisfied chuckle.

VERY WELL THEN. YOU KNOW THE DRILL.

The next day, Jiwon wanted to test out whether her unseen patron was telling the truth. But she woke up feeling the same, looking the same, still needing the mask. Nothing felt different. Was she really granted some sort of additional power, or was she deceived once more?

Her worries were answered as soon as she stepped into town.

“The Lady of the Lake … you came back. And so soon too,” a scrawny disheveled fellow in a worn and tattered tunic approached Jiwon. There was a crimson glow in his eyes. “Did you come for the festival? It’s rare seeing you more than once a week here—n-not that it’s a problem!”

Jiwon just smiled and ducked past him, navigating the increasingly busying streets. But he continued to follow her. “Are you looking for something, my lady? Food stalls are over there, a-and some of the game booths are past the central plaza—.”

“Thank you, but I’m just … looking for an acquaintance,” she firmly stated, hoping that was enough to turn him down. But the man continued, “Who are you looking for? Maybe I … maybe I might be able to help you find them?”

But the final nail in the coffin for this man came down swiftly.

Smiling and waving at the gathering crowd around him, the well-dressed man Jiwon had seen the other day posed and greeted civilians next to a prized mare, stroking its chin endearingly. When he caught her eye, he excused himself from the others and slowly made his way to Jiwon.

“You’ve returned. Dare I hope you stay for good this time?” he said with a smirk that didn’t seem like it was meant for townsfolk. “I’ve been thrown every which way since the festival started, but I … you were on my mind these past few days.”

Jiwon glanced away to try and hide her crumpling face, but when she smoothened herself out, she returned to smile up at him. “You flatter me. You seem quite busy. I hope I’m not disturbing your—.”

“No no, not at all,” he insisted, extending his hand out towards her. “In fact, I have a bit of time on my hands now. Come, walk around with me. I have much to show you.”

As Jiwon placed her small palm over his smooth broader one, she watched as his eyes flickered with the same crimson glow that overtook the scrawny man from earlier. But much to Jiwon’s dismay, the light in his eyes petered out after mere seconds. “Is everything ok?”

She pursed her lips in anticipation. “Do you … love me?”

Bewilderment scattered across his face. “Do I love you? Haha, why that’s a … that’s quite the loaded question, I-I mean …”

Realizing what she had asked, Jiwon pushed his hand away. At the same time, tears began streaking down from her eyes. “Your eyes, they’re … they’re … bleeding?”

Jiwon widened those very eyes in fear as she patted the bridge of her nose, nearly screaming in horror as she saw the blots of blood on her fingertips.

Throwing her cloak over her, Jiwon sprinted away, blinking rapidly to try and dry herself. “Wh-What’s going on? You said you’d share me your power—you … you lied to me!”

DID I? DIDN’T THAT BEGGAR FROM EARLIER SEEM INTERESTED IN YOU?

Bumping into shoulders and elbows, Jiwon apologized each time before continuing as she ran. “You know what I mean. I-It didn’t work … on him.”

The voice rumbled mockingly in her head.