XIII. Butterfly

“Just like the butterfly. I too will awaken in my own time.”~Deborah Chaskin.

Modern Day Seoul, South Korea.

Inside a coffeeshop                                                                                        

At the coffee shop, the rain still poured.

She sat by the window awaiting his answer.

She had asked him, “Who are you?”

Silence had followed.

She watched his eyes, measuring the sincerity of his responses.

He seemed relaxed and at ease.

As memories of the day when she had first traveled to Goryeo came back, details started to come back.

She had sat on that dock, drinking soju.

He had been there too. 

An image of him then, superimposed on him now. 

Her eyes stayed glued to his face.

Searching, trying to record the changes she saw in him now.

The homeless man she remembered had looked different from the man that stood in front of her now.

There where physical changes in him.

She remembered the side of his face had a scar. As a cosmetic consultant that had registered it when she met him first.

She could not see that scar now. 

Was it surgery? Cosmetics?

His teeth where different too. 

The homeless person she had met did not have perfect teeth.

Was he that same homeless person she had met before leaving for Goryeo?

Could he have transformed so quickly in two years?

A thought, suddenly hit her.

Could she have changed events in the future by travelling back to Goryeo?

When she left for Goryeo, this man was homeless.

Did her actions change his future?

Was this Ji-Mong?

And who exactly had Ji-Mong been?

He searched inside his wallet, and extended a card to her. 

“I’m Ji-Won.  I’m a historian.” He said with a smile.

My specialty is the study of Goryeo. The collection of paintings you saw displayed earlier at the gallery… I oversaw curating the exhibit.” he said with pride in his voice.

“Our company’s exhibit on Goryeo era cosmetics and paintings was sponsored by ISOI cosmetics. “

Hae Jin looked down at the card he gave her. She read, “Ji-Won Head of Research. Nabi Enterprises.”

A butterfly logo was printed next to his name.

As she read, he continued,” The collection is especially held in esteem by our CEO.”

“You seem very familiar. I seem to recall meeting you before my accident, at the dock. Have we met before?” She asked him.

He addressed her again, “Accident?”

“It was during an eclipse. I nearly drowned after jumping in to save a child who had fallen into the water. I was in a coma for a year. I have recently recovered my memories.”

As she watched him listening to her, she added, “After the accident, you could say things changed for me. In many ways the coma,... it was like traveling to a faraway place.  There are many things I am seeking answers to after that day.”

He shook his head, then said, “I’m sure your kind heart and your decision to jump in and help that day made a difference for those you helped.” then added, “You paid a large personal price for that decision.”

Hae Jin realized, whether this man was Ji-Mong or not, his indirect answering style had not changed. She felt like she was playing a cat and mouse game with him.

Looking straight at Ji-Won, Hae Jin answered, “I guess only time will tell if the sacrifice was worth it.”

“Time is an interesting way to measure cause and effect. Small actions can have big ripple effects.  Sometimes a butterfly’s wings can move in one place causing a hurricane somewhere else.” Ji-Won said. “Your small actions, can have big effects. This is also part of the philosophy of our company. The reason for the name Nabi and our butterfly logo.”

Have you worked long for ISOI as a cosmetic consultant, Ms. Hae Jin?”, he asked.

“I have worked for them for 5 years.” Hae Jin answered.

“Our CEO seemed very impressed with you, he asked me to ensure you where taken care of, after the gallery.”

Hae Jin sat in silence listening to his words.

She kept her face in check trying not to show her emotions.

Instead she focused on the meaning in her words.

“The gallery collection, you suggested I view….it was such an interesting choice of pictures. I can say after seeing it, that it was a new awakening for me. A massive surprise.”

As she spoke, she opened her purse, and slowly pulled out and held in her hand what she was looking for.

“At the exhibit, I was moved to tears.” she said.

 “It seems help arrived just in time.” She added. 

Ji-Won smiled at her with understanding and added, “Our CEO, is very fond of art and historically accurate portraits. He was there for the opening of the exhibit.”

“I must thank him for his kindness.” Hae Jin  said, as she extended the handkerchief she received from him. 

XII. Time

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” ~Buddha

Year 972 (23^rd year of King Gwangjong’s Reign.)

At Haeinsa Temple, inside the Abbots meeting room.

Gyeo and Leom stood inside the Abbots meeting room with documents in hand.

“Welcome back.” The Abbot greeted them both.

Both monks greeted the Abbot,“We are happy to return, Abbot.” Leom said.

“How was your stay at the palace?” The Abbot asked.

Leom and Gyeo approached the Abbots desk. Leom set down the book on his table.

“Our work is complete; The King has received a copy of the fully translated book.” Leom stated.

“He asked that the book be kept away from the palace in a safe place. Therefore, we have brought it back with us.”

Gyeo addressed the Abbot, “Here is our full report.”

The Abbot took a few minutes as he read Gyeo’s report.

Both monks waited patiently.

The Abbot stopped reading, looked up, and asked, “Ji-Mong?”

Gyeo, answered, “The King’s star diviner. On our arrival at the palace, he met us.  We remained as guests in his tower.  He proved instrumental in helping us decipher the more difficult parts of the book.”

Gyeo stopped for a moment before continuing. “He died a year later. He drowned at the Daminwon during an eclipse.”

The room was quiet for a minute as the Abbot remained in thought.

Leom then continued, “We believe the information in the book was as much of interest to Ji-Mong as to the King.”

“Go on.” The Abbot said.

“The book contains specific dates. 1,000 years into the future. It records the relationship between the eclipses, the Daminwon and a way to travel between incarnations. We believe Ji-Mong was searching for this information.” Leom said.

“What relationship would that be?” The Abbot asked.

Leom answered, “Certain events can trigger the door to open.  For example, the eclipse, when it reaches totality. It is a marker that shows the door has opened.”

The monk continued, “The Daminwon, and travelling thru water, we believe it changes the traveler. The nature of the trip. It helps them retain their memory after reincarnation.”

Then Leom said, “And something else….”

The Abbot’s eyes stayed on Leom.

“This, Ji-Mong did not learn of this before leaving. The way a person reincarnates affects the traveler….

The lady’s reincarnation as an adult. It interrupted the usual cycle.

The Heaven’s way of keeping balance. The natural order of being born from childhood to adulthood.”

Gyeo chimed in then, “Ji-Mong was searching for this information. He understood the door would open, but he wanted to understand the side effects affecting the traveler. He didn’t understand the relationship with the lady’s heart condition.”

“He was seeking confirmation from the lady’s writing.” Gyeo finished.

The Abbots face remained calm, as he nodded deep in thought.

In a calm voice the Abbot added, “The Heavens kept balance. They provided Lady Hae Soo with a heart in Goryeo strong enough to help King Gwangjong to become King.  What she gained in strength she lost in time.”

Silence filled the room again.

“He has returned, then?” The Abbot asked.

Both monks nodded.

“We believe after his second trip to Goryeo, Ji-Mong has returned to that future.” Gyeo said.

Both monks met the Abbot’s eyes then.

All three stood in silence again.

The Abbot’s gaze traveled to the window. 

He then slowly gathered the materials on his desk, and with a small satisfied smile said, “Well done Leom and Gyeo. Thank you for your work.”

“Please ensure the book is kept in a safe place.” The Abbot added.

Both monks nodded in agreement.

Then bowed to the Abbot before exiting.

Inside the Palace at the Daminwon

King Gwangjong stood watching the outside pool at the Daminwon.

Two ladies approached carrying tea to refill his cup. He turned seeing them approach and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. 

He stood alone by the pool in contemplation.

A memory of another time, came back to him. 

He had returned to the palace as a prince after being a hostage.

King Taejo had asked him to return for the rain ritual. Ji-Mong had suggested he bathe at the Daminwon pool. 

He had entered this same pool then.

That day, as he entered the pool, he had met Hae Soo.

Emerging from the pools depths, she had moved as fast as a water dragon, startling him into taking a step back.

From the start, all their encounters had been far from ordinary. 

He had first met her in the town street, as he galloped towards 8^th Prince’s home.

She had ended that encounter riding his horse, as he tried to keep her from falling into a creek.

Afterwards, she restrained his horse with her bare hands. A feat few soldiers would even attempt.

Their second meeting had ended with him physically restraining her from beating prince Eun.

No one else would have dared touch a prince, but she had pushed the young prince to the ground and sat on him.

Everything about Hae Soo had been different.

As the memories returned, he felt a sense of amusement now looking back at all of it.

He remembered the time a young Prince Jung had been attacked, and she had come to his rescue.

She had single-handed fended off a gang of criminals with just a stick.

Prince Jung, Prince Wook and himself had been too surprised to do anything but just watch her as she ended that encounter with a big smile and a hug for Prince Jung.

Only now did he understand enough to know why she was different.

Only now did he understand the courage it must have taken for her to keep this secret for so long.

He knew now, that whatever the place Hae Soo came from, or whatever her name, it was her heart he had fallen in love with above all else.

The heart that had allowed for Goryeo to have a King Gwangjong.

That heart had changed the King he became.

She had been as trapped by the constraints of the palace, as she was by time itself and his own history.

Ji-Mong had been a puppet master all along in this play that fate seemed to have set for them.

Pieces in the puzzle he had spent most of his reign searching for, now fit into a complete picture.

He knew enough now, to make sense of their life together.

Scenes of that life replayed in his mind.

He had analyzed every detail, so that he felt like he had lived several lifetimes with Hae Soo instead of just a portion of one.

Without her, things would have turned out very differently.

He spoke her name out loud slowly, trying to familiarize himself with the sound … “Hae   Jin.”

Time, the work of two persistent monks, and mounting evidence had all brought him to stand at this pool today.

The Daminwon had held its secrets for too long.

Ji-Mong had died at this pool during an eclipse.

King Mu had drowned here too.

Hae Soo had traveled to him in this pool, as well.

He moved to take a step down into the pool, but before he could reach it, waves suddenly stirred in the pool.

The ground shifted under his feet.

He struggled to keep his balance.

He heard ceramics shattering on the floor behind him.

Yelling inside the Daminwon followed as the ground continued shaking more violently.

The ground slid away under his feet as the waves from the pool increased in strength and splashed him.

The thought of that water dragon came to him again.

He almost expected it to come rising out of the pool.

Small rocks from the rock wall surrounding the pool, fell into the pool adding to the churning waves.

The columns shook, and he expected them to fall into the pool as well.

For a moment he couldn’t understand what was happening. 

Shouts inside the Daminwon echoed from its first and second floor.

“Earthquake!”

XI. Your Road.

“It’s your road…..and yours alone……others might walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you. No matter what path you choose really walk it.”   =Buddha

The horse’s legs had the strength to keep galloping. As Crown Prince Ju held tightly to the reins, he wrapped his legs around his teacher’s horse letting his legs help him control the horse.  

He had ridden him before and knew his teacher had picked this horse for speed.  He knew what the animal had in speed would mean he needed to also be careful not to overexert his stamina.

The King rode next to him also at a full gallop. His horse was a full half body length ahead of his own horse.  Out of the corner of his eye Prince Ju could admire the King’s speed and control of his horse.  The King looked like he was enjoying himself challenging his son as they rode out into an open field.

Prince Ju rode as low as he could be trying to catch up to the King.  Ahead of them a flag bearer stood waiting for them to cross the finish line.

As they approached at full speed, Prince Ju forgot all thoughts and just imagined himself melting into his horse, throwing everything he had learned about riding into trying to run as fast as he could to the finish line. 

His horse seemed to read his intent and gained a little on the King’s horse.  The finish line was just ahead.

Then the King bore down on his own horse as both animals rode side by side.

They crossed the finish line, as the flag bearer raised his flag.

The soldiers at the finish line cheered. 

Prince Ju sat on his horse after the race looking at the King.

His Father’s wide smile left him feeling unguarded for a moment and then he realized he too was smiling. 

The King had won the race.

Prince Ju let his horse walk slowly, trying to cool him down. Then allowed him to approach a creek and drink.

The King stood close by, letting his own horse drink.

“Persistence and endurance carry their own reward.”   The King’s words took him by surprise.

Prince Ju turned to see his Father focusing on the creek and his own horse. The King’s back did not let him see his face.

For a moment he felt frustration, all this time he had wanted his father to acknowledge him. Now he stood next to him and words failed him.

“It takes courage to go up against a wild pig by yourself. What went wrong?” The King casually added.

Prince Ju stood quiet for a moment letting the King’s words sink in.

“I didn’t expect the pig to turn away so quickly from the arrows path. I wasn’t prepared to shoot a second arrow at him.” He answered.

After another silence the King spoke again, “It was good timing to have your teacher arrive when he did. Had things not worked out this way, who would be mourning your choice today?”

At the King’s words, the first face that filled Prince Ju’s mind was his Mother, Queen Daemok.

The realization filled him with sadness as he thought of his Mother alone in the palace.

Prince Ju understood the sacrifices his Mother had made to help him become the Crown Prince.

 After a pause, the King continued, “Courage is not always enough….

A King travels his own road alone; always.

His every choice can both help and hurt those around him.”

The King’s horse had stopped drinking.

As he turned away from the creek, Prince Ju could now see his face.

“King Taejo, favored Crown Prince Mu during his reign. 

My oldest brother managed to survive being the target of the King’s advisers who continuously asked for his removal as Crown Prince.

They attempted to poison him, and sent assassins to kill him before he became King.

He persisted, but was unable to endure.

His reign lasted three years.”

The King’s eyes looked sad as he remembered.

“Sometimes, endurance can be the true measure of a King’s success.

This applies to you as well, Ju.

A father’s acknowledgement, isn’t always a blessing.”

Prince Ju walked next to the King as they both slowly led their horses back to where the soldiers were.

Then the King added, “Travelling this road alone as Crown Prince, has afforded you the freedom to remain by your Mother’s side.

An enduring Kingdom as Goryeo’s next King will be your biggest challenge.”

 In a lighter tone the King added, “You have received good training from your teacher, you kept your head when that pig turned against you.”

Prince Ju stopped walking for a moment and said to the King, “I was scared.”

Prince Ju’s words made the King smile again. 

Before reaching the soldiers camp, the smell of roasting meat reached them first.

The King’s last words before reaching the camp were soft and for his ears only.

“The path ahead of you is being cleared. You will need to be strong enough to walk it alone.”

As Prince Ju’s thoughts returned to the present,

The King’s words still echoed in his mind.

He shot his last arrow.

Then walked to the target himself to retrieve them.

As he approached the target he stopped for a moment in front of Goryeo’s  royal flag, the wind made it sway.

He held three arrows that had not reached the bulls-eye in his hand,

and slowly walked back preparing to shoot again.

X. Courage

Year 971 (21^st year of King Gwangjong’s Reign)

What is Courage? Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” ~ Anonymous

Inside the Archery Grounds at the Royal Palace.

The soldier joyfully announced, “It’s another bulls-eye your highness!” The arrow had embedded itself at the center of the target.

Crown Prince Wang Ju stood preparing to shoot a third arrow.  Archery was something he had mastered easily from a young age.

Martial arts and swordsmanship had also been skills that he had mastered.  However, it was archery where his skills truly shined.

He had practiced endlessly, when he was young, hoping that if he excelled, his Father, King Gwangjong would recognize his skills and that this would help him gain his acceptance.

Persistence was his strong suit.

 His mother, Queen Daemok had frequently praised him for his determination. 

Queen Daemok and his Father had spent most of their life as monarchs in a silent war with each other.

The Queen hoped to continue to empower the noble families and build alliances to strengthen their position.

The King had done everything within his power to weaken the clans and noble families and to wrestle power from them.

The King had inherited a kingdom under the power of the clans. 

He had freed slaves in a move that had managed to weaken the clans and strengthen the King’s power. 

Slaves became citizens of Goryeo, paying tribute and taxes.

The King’s purges had removed many nobles from the court, also strengthening the King’s position.

It had been a calculated move to remove inherited positions.

Creating new openings through merit and testing, rather than family ties.

The King’s reform had attempted to remove entitlement and replace it with talent and competence.

Prince Ju's movements flowed as he continued preparing another arrow, it  became a form of meditation.

“Kings are rarely understood.” Prince Ju whispered his thoughts as he prepared another arrow.

King Taejo would be proud of his son King Gwangjong and his work strengthening the kingdom he had founded.

Many at court and among the noble families would say that the opposite was now true of the Crown Prince’s position at court.

His Father did not acknowledge him publicly.

Some whispered that he suspected and mistrusted his own son.

They believed the King’s son might not become King or even perhaps survive the King’s wrath if it ever turned against him.

In the matter of gaining a stronger position for her son, Queen Daemok had spent years trying to have the King openly recognize her son and help him get an official position of trust with his Father. 

All her efforts in this regard had failed.

He had once overheard the ladies-in-waiting to his mother speaking about the King and how he ignored his own son.

They had thought the King did not consider him worthy to be the Crown Prince and suspected the Prince would be poisoned or killed before becoming King.

He calmly took another arrow from his quiver, quietly aiming.  He let the arrow fly once again.

“Another bulls-eye your Majesty!” the flag bearer announced.

The Crown Prince’s eyes traveled to the target and the center.

He remembered one time when he was an 11-year-old.

He had been trying to prove to his Father, that he was indeed worthy to be Crown Prince.

He had set out during the afternoon alone to hunt a wild pig that had been spotted around the palace grounds. 

Surely, he thought the tale of his bravery would reach his Father’s ears.

He had packed his arrows and bow and had spent most of the morning tracking the pig, trying to find any trace of the animal.

He knew it had been sighted the day before, during the late evening, inside the palace grounds.

He hid underneath a bush, waiting the way his teacher had taught him.

Even, as the light started to fade he continued to wait.

The sound of every living thing around the grounds kept him at the ready.

He heard snorting nearby. 

It was unmistakable.

He realized the animal was fast approaching his hiding spot and he nearly lost his courage.

After a moment’s hesitation, he had readied his bow.

Suddenly, the animal burst out of the brush.

He tried to steady himself and aim the arrow.

He let his instincts guide him then, as he always did when practicing.

He loosed the arrow.

It traveled straight towards the animal. Abruptly, the animal moved out of the arrow’s path.

He had barely registered his failure, before he saw that the animal had spotted him.

The fury in its eyes was enough to make him scramble, as fast as he could, towards a tree.

The wild pig ran towards him.

He had reached the base of the tree, but he knew the animal would reach him before he could climb up.

He turned and stood frozen.

His back against the tree as the animal charged him. His instincts took over again as he barely managed to move out of the way.  

The pig rammed straight into the trunk, so close to him he could feel the heat from its body.

The animal was stunned.

He moved to run away again, trying to position himself where he could shoot again.

Then a spear hit the animal across it’s middle, and it collapsed on its side.

He stood there staring at the dying animal with his legs shaking.

He saw his teacher approach him, with a calm knowing look on his face.

As his teacher moved closer to him, he slowly turned.

Behind his teacher rode his Father, King Gwangjong on his horse.  Next to him, the other soldiers who had also come to hunt the animal.

 

IX. Encounters

“Everything you encounter is your life.”

                                                      
                                                = Kosho Uchiyama

Modern Day Seoul South Korea

Hae Jin stood outside the coffee shop folding her umbrella.  The rain had come suddenly.

She tried to enter the building to keep her shoes and herself from getting any wetter.  She stopped once inside the shop, looking around trying to spot the person she was meeting.

He sat at the back of the shop in a table next to a window and saw her enter the building. Rising from his seat, he walked to where she stood frozen for a minute inside the door, feeling chilled.

“You look cold. We should get you something warm to drink first.” He said as he approached her with a smile. Taking her umbrella and letting her walk to the counter to place an order.

“I’m sorry for making you wait. My bus was late. Probably due to the rain.” She said in an apologetic voice.

“No need to apologize. I enjoy watching the rain.” He gestured towards the table where his drink waited.

They sat next to the window.  Hae Jin sipped her tea trying to gather her thoughts. She was at a loss as to where to start.  None of this felt real yet.

Seeing the exhibit in the gallery, and the images of her life in Goryeo had brought back all her memories and feelings of the past. 

She had thought time travelling was hard.

It was nothing compared to having 10 years of memories rush at you at once. 

Especially when those memories involved tragedies and mistakes made in those 10 years and so many of those memories had copious quantities of regret.

She had arrived in Goryeo trying to learn how to live like Hae Soo and keep everyone from learning about Hae Jin.

Now, she was back to being Hae Jin, but after the gallery she now found Hae Soo’s memories and life super imposed and trying to fit into Hae Jin’s modern life.

Those drawings were intimate portraits of moments she shared with the princes.

She could think of only one person who could find out about those moments in detail. She recognized his drawing style. The answer led to Prince Baek-Ah.

The memories regained at the gallery  had shifted  her reality violently again.

She no longer just had concerns about getting back to work and reestablishing relationships with friends and family. Living a life every modern person experienced.

She had lived a life as Hae Jin before Goryeo, broken by love and friendships.

Her second life had started in Goryeo as Hae Soo.

She had learned about love that was strong enough to withstand betrayal and attack on all fronts. The word friendship had acquired new meanings.

She had started her third life as Hae Jin, after a year in a coma. Returning to work, starting a life after drowning.

Today, she began a fourth life.  She was now Hae Jin and carried Hae Soo’s experiences and memories. She was a time traveler. 

It seemed the unexpected encounters in her life were starting again.  These encounters defied logic, and the laws of Physics.

She should not be having these encounters. Meeting them again and again…but here she was.

How deeply her life had just changed would be determined from this meeting.

She stopped gazing into her tea cup and looked outside the window.

The rain left drops clinging to the large window, sliding off slowly as they hit the glass.

Leaving traces of their path as they slid into their inevitable fall, pulled by gravity. She used her finger to trace their path.

She felt just as fractured and fragile as those drops clinging to the glass.

She only had one certainty now.

She would not be swept away by circumstances, just waiting for each day to unfold for her the way she had done in Goryeo.

King Taejo had advised her to close her eyes when things became too much to bear. Do nothing. Be a witness.

She couldn't be just a witness anymore, always afraid of changing history.

She would not follow that path again.

She would not think so much about consequences anymore. 

She understood now, that forces were at work that where beyond her control anymore or full understanding.

This was the modern world. Her world. 

She had the home court advantage this time.

This time she would be an active participant not just an observer.

He sat watching the wheels turning in her head.  

Determination filled her eyes. 

Sensing her discomfort, he spoke first. “This has come upon you suddenly. You must still be trying to make sense of it.”

She looked at him trying to read his thoughts. Not satisfied with what she read there. 

Questions flooded her mind one on top of the other. She couldn’t stop them from filling her head and didn’t know where to begin.

Why am I travelling back here?

And you?

Why are you here?

Is anyone else travelling too?

Why is this happening?

Breaking the silence, looking at her, he said, “What is it you are trying to ask me?”

Finally, with mounting frustration, she asked, “Who are you?”