Chapter 25 - The Curse.

In the evening, the physicians came again with some medicines and started checking Kim Eun Joeng's condition, the butler and won were also in the room and Gamja was still holding his hand looking at Eun Joeng, but the only thing going on in Gamja's head was, what the monk had said earlier, 

He had said that Gamja was a sinster, who had committed extreme sins, sins that were beyond forgiveness, sins that made him to be a monster reather then a human, sins that made God punish him to this extent, but Gamja could not recall doing a sin that extreme, yeah, he was a thief before, but they were just small robberies and sometimes he did pickpocketing, but he had never done something unforgivable all his life, so what was the monk talking about, Gamja thought as he looked at the physicians who had just finished examining Eun Joeng. 

"His condition, it's getting worse with every passing moment, we can't identify the cause, the blood has stopped and it's not causing the problems, but there is something, we don't know".. The physician said massaging his temple. 

"What should we do then?", the butler asked worried. 

"Hmm, don't worry, I will try to look for a cure for him as soon as possible, just".. The physician paused. 

"Just what?", the butler asked again. 

He should just be able to hold on till then.. The physician said. 

Gamja looked at Eun Joeng's sleeping face and caressed his hair gently, he wiped the tears from his face which were still there and, touched his cheek and gave a small peck on his forehead. 

"My Lord, wait for me, I will be back soon", Gamja said and gently let go of Eun Joeng's hand and looked at the butler and won. 

"Take care of him, I will be back soon", Gamja stated and immediately ran off to somewhere, before the other two could ask something. 

Gamja didn't stop, he ran, he ran all the way to the temple, till he was exhausted, as fast as he could and on reaching there, he saw that the monk from earlier today was sitting on the pavement tearing little pieces of bread to feeding the birds. Gamja saw him and immediately ran in front of him. 

"Please, help me", Gamja said even before the monk could see his face properly. 

The monk looked up at him and sighed. 

"I told you, he is going to die, and no one can save him". 

"No, no, please, don't say that, please help me, you are my last hope, please", Gamja said as he kneeled in front of the monk. 

"Don't waste your time, I said I can't help you". The monk exhaled heavily.

"Then please tell me, who can help me , please", Gamja pleaded. 

"Fine, in Hanchan there is a temple, my master resides there, he can help you", The monk answered. 

"Thank you very much, i will always remember your kindness and will repay you no matter what", Gamja thanked the monk by bowing to him.

"Repay me, hahahaha, only time will tell, only time will tell what you will do, no one can evade what is coming in the future or in the past, even if it's you, the Great", The monk said as he looked at Gamja.

"What do you mean ?", Gamja asked terrified.

I said only time will tell, as it does not wait for anyone, it would not even wait for you the great destruction of the realms", The monk said.

You should go out as soon as possible, time is coming, The monk said one last time before he got up from there and left to go inside.

Gamja looked at him for a moment and then came out of the temple and was about to go back to the manor but stopped. 

No ,the monk said I don't have much time, i can't waste it by going back, i will just walk to Hanchan from here,  Gamja thought and started walking out of the village to get to Hanchan. 

Hanchan was a village that was not very far from Hanjabong , so it only took Gamja a day and night to get there, after reaching there, Gamja asked a man for the directions and the man told him that the said temple was in the middle of the village, Gamja thanked the man and walked there. 

Gamja was now standing outside the temple, he looked at it and felt like there was something wrong, he could feel something trickling down his hands, but when he looked at them there was not anything, his hands were dry , he gulped as he tried to shake the uneasy feeling inside him , he was about to go inside when a thunder like voice hit his ears. 

"GET OUT".. The voice hit Gamja's ears like a thunder shakes the earth.

"Sir, please listen to me, I need your help" , Gamja said in a low voice.

"I SAID GET OUT".. The voice came again in the same rage as before. 

"Why are you doing this to me, why can't I come inside, a temple is for everyone, why are you not letting me in?", Gamja asked in a strong voice. 

"A Temple is for everyone, but not a sinster like you, your shadow will dirty the premises of the temple, you are a lowborn leech . The voice answered. 

"Why are you saying this, I am not a sinster, I have never comitted a sin, I might have made some mistakes in the past, but I never did something that makes me a sinster who can't even enter a temple". Gamja retorted back trying to hold his tears.

Gamja waited for the man to say something but no answer came after he had said that, the person inside the temple didn't come out nor did he let Gamja see his face, but Gamja kept waiting so the person inside the temple would let him in, Gamja kneeled down in front of the door of the temple and started waiting for the person. 

An hour passed by but no one came outside or talked to him, Gamja just kept kneeling there silently, he could not understand what was wrong with him but everytime he looked at the temple stairs he felt like a madman, bloodthirsty, he felt like he had come here before, so he kept his head low, he kept thinking about the words from the two monks, no matter how much he thought he could not understand why the monks behaved that way with him , they were kind to everyone and no one knew he was a beggar and they were even nice to beggars then why were they being like this.. Gamja could not understand. 

The day passed like that, but no one came out of the temple, it was almost time for sunset, Gamja looked up and it felt like the stairs of the temple were washed with blood, there was blood on his hands, his heart was hurting and he felt like he was slowly descending into madness, he could see the headless body lying in front of him, a burnt figure, calling for him and far away somewhere, someone was cursing him to die, there was a smile on his face as he picked up the head of the body and kicked it off the temple stairs, flunging it into the vast sea of dead bodies, he looked at his hands and cried, mourning for someone,that he didn't know.

"Young man, you should get up", a voice made Gamja come out of his reverie, he looked around shocked but could only find a monk in front of him, patting his head. 

"No, i am going to stay like this, I can't, I can't give up, I have to meet your master, only he can save my beloved, please", Gamja pleaded as his heart was beating like it was going to burst, his head kept hurting, but he didn't know what was happening to him.

But.. The monk wanted to say something but stopped when he looked at Gamja's face, his face that was ashen like no life was left in him, the look in his eyes which pleaded to be saved and the pain in his voice like he was begging. 

"Ok, please wait here, I will request my master on your behalf but please don't come inside the temple", the monk said and patted Gamja's shoulder and went inside the temple. 

After another 5-6 hours later, an old monk came out of the temple, the monk looked at Gamja and frowned. 

"Why did you come here?". The monk asked. 

"I.. I came to ask for help, please , he is dying , the physicians said they can't do anything, about it, please help me". Gamja pleaded while joining both his hands. 

I.. The monk was about to say something but Gamja interrupted him. 

"I know, I know I am sinster, though I don't think I have ever commited an unforgivable sin, but the person I am here for, is an innocent and kind soul, he has never done anything that will harm others, please have mercy on him and help me, please", Gamja begged. 

"He is a kind soul, that's right, but he is an innocent one, that's quite laughable, and you are the one saying, he is kind, is even more hilarious, don't you know who he is and what he did?", The monk asked frowning.

"But since you are saying he is good, i will believe you and help him, okay, i am not you, come with me", The monk spoke up again as he walked out of the temple, followed by Gamja to a very old and dilapidated Hut, it looked like no one has set foot in there for hundreds of years, Gamja looked around for a moment and then stood in front of the monk, who seemed like he was regretting letting Gamja in.

Gamja bowed his head lightly and sat in front of the monk. 

"Speak", the monk ordered. 

"A few days ago, a diamond was found in Hanjabong as he is the government officer, we took the diamond back to the manor until the officials from imperial city arrive to take it, things were okay at first, but after a few days he started having nightmares, ge told me about them and said there was a woman and two children who wanted to kill him and asked to throw the box away and.. two days ago I don't know what happened but he went out in the middle of the night, when I saw him in front of the pond he collapsed and he was bleeding I don't know what happened, he has not woken up since then and the physicians say they don't know what's wrong with him, he is dying", Gamja explained everything that had happened. 

The monk closed his eyes and repeated everything that Gamja had said.. After a few moments he opened his eyes and looked at Gamja with an incomprehensible expression.

"He's been cursed".. The monk said with a worried face. 

"What, but how, why would anyone curse him?", Gamja asked surprised. 

"So, what do we do, can you break the curse?", Gamja asked again as he saw that the monk has been silent for a while.

"I can't, we don't know anything about the curse, we don't know who gave the curse, why was the curse given or the intention behind this curse, we have to know everything before we curing him" .. The monk said. 

"What are we going to do now?, how do we know all these things?", Gamja asked again. 

"Hmm, I know a way but it's too hard" . The monk let out a sigh as he looked straight into Gamja's eyes.

What do we need to do?, please tell me, I can do anything".. Gamja said. 

"It's not that easy, the thing I am talking about can kill you and if something goes wrong your soul will perish in hell and can never be reincarnated again". The monk said looking out of the window.

"It's okay, I can do anything as long as he lives , so please tell me what to d"o. 

"I will have to call your soul out of your body and after a ritual, your soul will travel to the time and world where the curse was given" .. The monk explained. 

"Can I stop the person from giving him a curse?" .. Gamja queried desperately.

"You can't, you can just see what caused this calamity, but not stop it. It will go against the laws of nature and might make everyone perish so don't try to change anything", the monk warned but Gamja had an ominous feeling.

"Okay, I won't, I will do everything you would tell me to". Gamja answered even though he knew something was up with the monk but he still stayed silent.

"Okay, then we would do the ritual once the moon sores in the sky". The monk said and got up. 

"Clean yourself up and put on new clothes". The monk said and left. 

Okay, Thank you, Gamja said, bowing down . 

At around midnight, the monk came again, Gamja opened the door for him, he had already taken a bath and changed into new clothes, but the odd thing was that the clothes were made out of Shroud.

The monk looked at him and told him to lie down, in the middle of the but, the moon shone on his whole body, The monk sat in a meditation state and steadied his breath, his put his hand on Gamja's head and he fell asleep.

Remember not to do anything, you can't save him even if you want, the monk said the last instructions as he fell into a coma.

.....