Warnings: HISTORICAL INACCURACY-  Kings of Joseon Dynasty are mostly made up (you can search up the actual Kings if you want) 

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"Korean exam on the first week back. It's a writing test about History and Culture, and it's the Last exam of the year. Damn it! I haven't studied for that yet. Bio Exam on Cardiovascular system, including Dissection, in the second week back. Last exam of the year. Kind of gross, but ok. That's it. That's it! No more exams till college!" Your relieved voice echoed around the empty apartment. You closed the assignment reminder app, and set down your phone on your bed. You tried to get comfortable on your lumpy mattress, an impossible task. You opened the book in your hands, borrowed from the school's massive library. A DUMMY'S GUIDE TO KOREAN HISTORY AND CULTURE! The title screamed in bold red. You groaned as you noticed how thick the book was. But you were determined to do this, the Korean Language Diploma was literally dangling over your head! Just a few more weeks, and it would be yours if you passed the exam. You opened the book reluctantly.

The first fifty pages was about the history of Korean food. The next fifty about the evolution of Seoul. And finally, Korean monarchy and palaces. You sat up straighter. "Seoul, now a bustling metropolis with buildings and skyscrapers galore was once a kingdom known as Hanyang. The royal family lived in a humongous palace, the biggest of the five palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung palace. The peasants were condemned to the unclean streets. Hangings, beatings and public executions were a common sight, everyone forced to watch. Poverty was the main cause of crime..." You skipped to the next page to avoid the gruesome details. "Kings of Hanyang: King Kim Dan, King Kim Gyeong, King Kim Bang-won, King Kim Taeyeon.." The list went on and on, as the Joseon Dynasty had lasted for 518 years. "The longest ruler, however, is King Kim Namjoon, son of King Kim Taeyeon. King Namjoon ruled from 1507-1605. He lived till the ripe age of 116 years old, becoming a King at the mere age of 18. His throne was inherited by..."

"He was 116 years old? Isn't that like, almost impossible or something? That's pretty freaking old." You said aloud, then yawned and moved on to the next page. It was an artist's depiction of the Hanyang Kingdom. The contrast between the grey, dirty and narrow streets where the general population lived, versus the magnificent gold, green and red Gyeongbokgung palace was striking. Snow Capped mountains and tall, flourishing cherry blossom trees decorated the background of the painting. You closed your eyes, as you imagined the busy city of Seoul as a kingdom. Your grandmother would have loved the steep mountains, the snow, and the impressive palace. She would have even embraced the poverty stricken streets, and knowing her, would have come up with some Nobel Prize winning way to reduce the poverty there. You held the ruby pendant between your fingers, as your eyelids drooped, and you drifted off into a deep sleep.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"My ruby, open your eyes. You called, so I am here." A pale, wrinkled face came into view. The familiar smile that made you forget all your worries appeared. "Grandma, is that you?" You exclaimed happily, rushing towards her in an attempt to embrace her frail body in a bear hug. As you wrapped your arms around her, she vanished into thin air.

You bolted awake."Grandma?" There was no response. "Grandma? Are you here? Grandma? Grandma, Please answer me. I need you!" Still nothing. A solitary tear dripped down your cheek. Another stupid dream. A wave of sadness came over you, so painful that it made your heart ache. You tried to drown out your feelings by sleeping again, and reached for your blanket.

It wasn't there. And why was your bed suddenly so hard? You tried to stand up, only to slip and fall down on your butt. You shrieked in surprise. The floor was wet. You looked down, only to be met with the sight of a dirty stone road, covered in an unidentifiable substance that smelt disgusting. Your eyes widened, startled. This was not your house. You hurriedly looked around, and saw wood and straw houses which were falling apart. Wood and straw houses? This was not New York. This was... No. It couldn't be. You pinched yourself hard. This was most probably some weirdly realistic dream. You closed and opened your eyes again, but you were in the same place. 

A small, dirty face peered out of one of the broken houses, and then it was gone. You weren't hallucinating. You weren't in a coma. You could smell the stench of excreta in the streets, you could feel the cold autumn breeze against your cheek. And in the distance, you could see a large structure with curved roofs looking back at you. "Curved roofs, known as Hip roofs are used only for imperial palaces." You remembered from the book. Massive red pillars held up the palace. Jade coloured tiles decorated the sloping rooftops. Red and gold details on the magnificent royal residence shimmered slightly in the weak sunlight. It was absolutely ginormous. "Bigger than a small city. More than four million square feet." The book had said. Behind the palace, you could see snow capped mountains with the last inklings of green, making the view look like a picturesque postcard. This was Hanyang Kingdom. 

                   What the Hell?

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