Moon Child

Chapter 27 Invisible Scars

The winter sun peeked out of the skyline whilst its rays beamed through the wintery swirl of the sky to grace the heaven-blessed snow. Sheets of white decorated the buildings after temperatures plummeted after the storm last night.

The morning after the first snow was akin to The Waltz of the Snowflakes; mysterious, enchanting yet gorgeously sparkling in the sunlight.

At such an hour, the streets were quiet as households after households woke to start their day. Flying over people changing their tires or shoving snow was a beautiful rainbow butterfly fluttering along with the cold, gentle breeze.

Its wings appeared to be shivering as it flew over the still river, with its waters flowing under the thin sheet of ice. The streets, forming an intricate maze of junctions and pathways were frozen solid, glittering where the sunlight graced the surface.

It was as though God personally ensured that this winter morning would be filled with hope even if the world was frozen. Because every blanket of ice held a spark of light, making the city of Milan a winter wonderland that morning.

Rays of sunlight bounced off the iridescent wings of the rainbow butterfly, creating arches of mini rainbows on the ground where it flew. Now, it was effortlessly dodging the thin branches of the naked trees, standing as poised as a ballerina about to go on stage.

In a sense, the trees were a picture of grace and strength, for they remained rooted to the earth even past the seasonal changes. The sliver of brown was glorious, a perfect contrast to the butterfly.

Moments later, the butterfly flew right into an open window, desperate to shake off the cold in the warm, hospital room. Tired from its' journey, the butterfly landed on a sleeping man's cheek, its wings opening and closing slightly to shake off the little bits of frost.

The hospital room was quiet with only the sound of the heart monitor beating steadily in the corner. Its inhabitants were fast asleep, unknowingly holding onto each other's hand even in sleep.

It was a hopeful morning although neither Ye Jin nor Hyun Bin was aware of that yet.

In the place between imagination and reality, light giggles accompanied the dull thunks of the wooden swords as a girl and a boy fought valiantly to be the king of the forest.

The little girl's lips were drawn back in a wide grin as she dodged another attack from the boy before she tried a counter-attack.

"Gotcha!" Little Hyun Bin smiled victoriously when he had his friend pinned to a tree.

"Not fair! You're taller than me!" Ye Jin wriggled out of his hold while pouting cutely.

Amidst her pouts, little Hyun Bin was starting to feel bad about winning the game. Racing up to her, Hyun Bin took out a peace offering from his pocket and placed it in her hands. The chocolate bar might have melted under the sun but Ye Jin smiled the minute she saw her favourite snack.

"Peace?" Hyun Bin asked softly.

"Peace." Ye Jin grinned.

As the pair of friends continued to walk down the narrow path of the forest, the sun grew brighter until it was almost blinding to the sight. Yet, Ye Jin continued to walk, completely unaffected by the shining rays.

Squinting his eyes, Hyun Bin braved through the sunrays before he appeared in a familiar park; one which Ye Jin and he frequented on their morning dates.

And there she was, smiling radiantly at him as another pair of laughter drifted to where they were standing face to face. The purest bells of laughter sounded familiar to Hyun Bin although he couldn't quite place his finger on them. Yet, he thought it was the most beautiful mix of sounds he has ever heard in his life.