01
There once lived guardians in this village.
The Guardian of Water, the Guardian of the Forest, and the Guardian of Fire—
these three were the most revered.
Clean water was essential for life,
so the villagers drank with gratitude each time.
The deep, lush forest provided them with shelter, food, and clean air,
so the Forest Guardian was thanked in every breath they took.
The Fire Guardian, unlike the others, dwelled far from the village.
A single mistake could destroy the water and burn the forest to ash.
When mist filled the woods, when the water turned murky,
or when flames raged too high,
the villagers knew the guardians were displeased.
So whenever strange omens appeared,
they would kneel and pray with trembling hearts:
“Please forgive us.”
But no one had ever actually seen a guardian.
Only rumors described their forms—
shaped like humans, but divine in nature.
The Forest Guardian wore pure white garments, like an angel.
The Water Guardian dressed in deep blues, flowing like the rivers.
The Fire Guardian was cloaked in crimson, glowing like embers.
They could even transform into animals, people said.
But beyond all that, one truth remained:
no one knew what would happen if you crossed into a guardian’s domain.
Would you be punished? Or blessed?
One man once dared to enter… and never returned.
No one has stepped beyond the sacred boundaries since.
Now let me tell you what happened in one house in that village.
Would you like to hear?
The sun had set, and a crescent moon hung in the night sky.
But in one home, piercing screams shattered the quiet—
a woman was in labor.
Hours passed, and finally,
a newborn’s cry echoed through the village.
The mother’s face was drenched in a mix of tears and sweat,
her chest rising and falling rapidly
as tears fell like drops of rain.
“...I want to see my baby…”
With trembling lids, the mother fought to keep her eyes open.
She wanted to see her child,
but the father’s expression was grim,
as if this child was not what he had wanted.
Sensing something was wrong,
the mother asked anxiously,
“Is something the matter?”
The father replied coldly,
“No. It’s fine.”
“Th… That’s a relief…
What should we name the baby?”
Despite her exhaustion, the mother smiled faintly.
She looked at the sky.
“It’s a crescent moon tonight…
Maybe… Choseung. Just for now, as a nickname.”
Chosung.
It sounded soft and lovely.
The mother reached out with trembling arms, wanting to hold her child—
but the father didn’t place the baby in her arms.
Instead, he stood up abruptly.
“Why… what’s wrong?” the mother asked.
Then he shouted.
“This isn’t what I wanted!
I wanted a son!”
“A girl? I didn’t want a useless daughter!”
He stormed out, baby in his arms.
The mother didn’t even have to look.
She knew what he was going to do.
She screamed with all the strength she had left.
But her body didn’t move.
“No… Chosung…”
Chosung…
Calling her child’s name one last time,
the mother collapsed.
The man who called himself a father
carried the baby into the sacred woods—
the place where the guardians were said to dwell.
You can already imagine what happened, can’t you?
He didn’t dare step across the line himself,
but he extended his arms over the boundary
and left the baby there.
Then, he muttered one last thing:
“Her name… is Choseung.”
And with that,
he ran far away.
The newborn cried loudly in the cold darkness.
Her body was growing cold.
There were no blankets, no fire,
no warmth.
She was dying.
But then—
“Choseung, huh…”
“Noisy little newborn…”
The Guardian of the Forest had appeared.
That’s it.
Why are you staring?
What, you want more?
There’s nothing else to tell.
You’re curious?
Well, so am I.
What will the guardian do with the child?
Will he let her die?
Or will he save her?
You think he’ll save her, obviously?
Hmm, maybe.
But I’m the writer.
Even if she dies, I can keep the story going.
So…
you’ll just have to imagine the rest.