My Ultimate Ambition

They seemed to float upon the surface of the ground as they appeared from the darkness of the ink. Beam of bright light seemed to shine upon them from the darkened sky while starlight danced upon her face. Sensing unrest upon Yoona's face, the old lady laid her hands on her shoulders, bringing peace and keeping the hope alive.

"What's next, ajumma?" Yoona asked as she alertingly scrutinized their surrounding and to familiarize herself with the landscape.

The old lady ignored her momentarily as her sights found what she anxiously seeked. 

"Hwanghu, look! This is our confirmation of arriving at the right location!" Yoona gazed towards the direction she indicated. "We can only return through this channel."

Hidden high in the arid landscape was a sanctuary she had heard of and has even seen in the leather book. She indulged the empress to make haste as they lodge for the night. 

"We don't have such time, old woman! My emperor awaits me!"

She laughed boisterously as she picked up her step to reach the sanctuary. "Don't worry Hwanghu!" She said as her smile grew bigger. "One month here is a minute in the real world."

They arrived to an empty immaculately clean hall at the sanctuary. She explained to Yoona of fairies whose responsibilities was to keep that particular section clean and provide meal if asked. She also explained they were being watched by the fairies but they would remain invincible to them as they really were shy.

She took Yoona to the backyard part which heralded a lake of which legend spoke of a skittish goddess inhabiting the lake. She also made mention of her timid nature as those who wants to see her must approach gently and quietly, staying away from her view as she glistens brightly under the lake.

The next day, they went to check out the story in the flowers as the old lady read to her the previous night. As Yoona bent to examine the sea of flowers before her, their fragrant smell flooded her senses. Breathing in the deep grassy scent, she felt the floras in her vein as the scene instantly shifted. She could see the land as it once was a millennia ago, she could smell, touch and feel the ancient kingdom from it's core; the history of the land played out scene-by-scene right before her eyes till a vigorous uncommon and unnatural shake brought her back to reality.

"Don't wander too far, Hwanghu. You'll get drawn into it."

She smiled good-naturedly at the old lady for the first time as she happily led her to the house.

They bonded alot over meal, sharing room and stories the old lady generously offered. While it might seem they hadn't known each other for long, they had known themselves way more beyond superciality; making the old lady more impressed and welcoming towards her while Yoona became less skeptical and relaxed.

At a far uncommon place situated close to the only tree in sight, Yoona found some strange markings which look synonymous to the print on the leather book. Curiosity getting the best hold on her, she sauntered towards the markings for a brief verification, instead, as she approached, a tunnel opened up swallowing her whole and leaving her flushed up in it's snare.

She crawled her way through the underground tunnel, her eyes only partially opened and her skin protected by a thin layer of liquid, until she found a path leading back to their temporary abode where the sorceress explained it was a kind of safety measure put up to avoid transmission into another world.

For the past one month, Yoona and the lady had slept inside the sanctuary waiting for their opportunity to watch the magical maze open. The sorceress had heard whispers from her parents of it's existence and seasonal blossoming of it's flowers which graced only the vision of pure of hearts. As it opens once in a month, they had to patiently wait for the next month. The old lady's wait was filled with anticipation while Yoona's wait was embedded with suppressed impatience__and today was supposed to be the day the petals awoke.

"Hwanghu, it's gonna be tough and perilous as this cacti maze is popular with dark magic from which Kigals sourced their power. Remember, you must not touch anything as you could be trapped!"

Yoona smiled nonetheless at her worries as the precautionary measures put in place should protect her she thought. She took from the old lady a painting of a yellow cacti she was to destroy as it was the mother of all floras.

"I'm heading into it!" She zoomed off with the old lady in her tracks.

It was a treacherous endeavor, but curiosity had gotten the best over her. The old lady read of legends, myths and rumours surrounding the entrance of the cacti maze, making her wonder what could lie beyond the prickling plants. The old confessed she knew not of it's treachery as no one had ever set foot inside the maze and returned alive. But with a bit of her wit and a whole lot of courage, she might as well be the first. 

She said a bit of prayer as she exhaled deeply. The old lady handed to her a bronze whistle with a little box tied with clothes. .

"Whistle to me when you're at the centre and open the box, the final instructions are right there."

Yoona's furrowed brows was an evidence to her surprise and worry. "You're not going in with me?" She asked with arched brows craving indulgence.

"I'll wait for you here as the maze can only take one person."

Resignedly, Yoona nodded her understanding as she swallowed down her lumps. "Wait for me then, I'll be right back!" Then, she paused, "How do I identify the centre?" She asked.

"The yellow cacti with a touch of pink sits beautifully surrounded by rocks. That's your best shot to lay down the box."

She nodded and navigated through the cacti maze, but discovered beautiful field of flowers as they made patches around the maze, almost enveloping them all. Rare herbs and flowers graced her vision and became a distraction as she tried examining their origin and best uses. Ultimately, she lost her way and was almost suċkėd into a dirge. A voice suddenly rang in her head; a desperate warning.

"They're all illusions from the cacti maze, Hwanghu. Don't permit this hallucinations play with your mind!"

Desperate to shake off the illusions, she peeked through the trees in hope of catching a glimpse of relief, but her view was blocked by a sprawling towering palace; her palace.

"Hwanghu! Hwanghu..." She could hear the faintest whisper of salvation but her strongwill seemed stronger than the voice as her feet wander into 'her palace.' Iron bars erupted from beneath trapping her right inside.

Trapped in a rundown tower at the centre of the magical maze for days, she found herself always sleeping and dreaming continuously. Lost in a dream of rains and falling petals, she was awoken by an incessant light tap on a small window unable to grant passage to her head. Pulling the window open, she found the vistor owl serving as her only connection to the outside world. Understanding she was a prisoner to the tower, he would often bring back flowers, rocks and fruits from it's adventure, a sweet yet sad reminder she might be trapped forever and perhaps never liberate her people from kigal's bondage.

One gloomy morning however, he came back with a brass key__her first glimmer of hope that she might finally escape, and she did escape from the tower and watched as it crumbled to the ground; her first victory in a while.

The next moment, she was frozen in fear as a tornado spun towards her and seized everything in her path; the next she was standing on a dirt road surrounded by sunflowers, the sky a shade of blue so striking she knew without a doubt she was in another illusion. The flowers around her seemed to whisper to her, calling her to travel down the path as her beloved waited at the end to embrace her. It was a fierce battle of illusions against her. Once bitten, twice shy she believed, hence she closed off her nose and mind, blocking of all triggers that would lead to it again. And it did work as the etheral look heralding the yellow cacti loomed right before her, it's appearance magical, almost as if it couldn't hurt a fly. Taking from the box it's content, she stumbled upon the instruction which left her stupefied. Her hands tremored in fright, exasperation, uncertainty and whatever bad feelings there in. She looked up the sky and felt the while world almost crumble before her. It was indeed a difficult moment and such tough decisions would leave her inhumane, for a long time.

With a heroic smile on her face, she raised up her golden dagger against the cacti and watched the rest of other cacti either in surrender.

...

"Why are they not out yet?" A handwritten note of apparent familiarity was handed over to the surbordinate.

"Master, I think they might be long swallowed by the illusions in there." The man replied agitated. While he cares so little of the empress' fate, he would not be happy if they lost their clan's sorceress and healer.

He watched the master's first ever display of subtle emotion as the clutched sword resting in his hands jerked back.

"Please, survive, Hwanghu" he heard him soliloquies and he felt the desperation, the concern and wondered what relationship those two shared. The master seemed to jerk forward as he swirled to gaze at him because of the blunder of almost breaking his silent code, wondering if he was heard. Nonetheless, the black mask hid his master's expression, masking the emotions hidden beneath hence, he couldn't make out why he was being gazed at. Finally, he swirled back to his previous position, standing still as he watched what could be a photographed image of warring men.

Somehow, something didn't sit quite right with him, something he would desperately try to unravel in the nearest future.

"Why did the master's voice sound a bit feminine?" He mused, then it hit him. Could "he" be a woman? The master of all master a woman?!