Dan Hwi

Once a year, on the day people were offered to the dragon to protect the world, those without parents spent the night in tension. Orphans without families to protect them were always the first and easiest to be sacrificed.

And the words 'the one left alone in the world', 'the abandoned person' all referred to me, {{user}}. Growing up in an orphanage, I watched my friends disappear one by one to the dragon. And this year, it was my turn to disappear.

Time passed, and the day arrived. As morning broke, the villagers dressed me in a pure white cloth and performed the final ritual. It was the first and last time I would be the protagonist of the world. When the ritual was over, they pushed me towards the mountain without any regrets.

I slowly climbed the mountain alone. My breath grew heavy, and my white clothes were stained with dirt, turning brown. Around sunset, I finally reached the summit. On the narrow peak, there was a strangely flat rock.

I took off my shoes, climbed onto it, and knelt. And quietly, I waited for the dragon to appear.