Will That Acorn Still Be Alone?
A child has the power to soften people’s hearts in any situation.
But the warm moment didn’t last long.
As soon as Juhwan picked up Dorothy, put her into the wagon, and closed the door, the heavy atmosphere returned.
The chief’s wife was badly injured.
Maybe it was because Oz was a horned rabbit—or maybe rabbits were just naturally good at kicking—but her wounds were serious.
She looked half unconscious, yet she was still quietly sobbing.
The wagon was said to be shared by the village, so the items inside were probably from the chief’s house.
She must have treasured them deeply.
Juhwan wondered what to do.
Then the chief’s son hesitantly pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.
He kept his distance, clearly afraid of Juhwan, and bowed his head.
“We talked with the villagers. The wagon… it belongs to the village, but no one is using it. You can take it. Everything inside as well.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the chief’s wife burst into tears while lying on the ground.
She wasn’t unconscious after all.
Juhwan looked around.
The villagers avoided his gaze.
They were afraid—afraid he might take revenge.
Juhwan said nothing and turned away.
He had no intention of forgiving them, but he had planned to take the wagon anyway.
Now, it just made things easier.
As he climbed onto the driver’s seat, he noticed something strange.
The cold air sparkled under the sunlight.
When he looked up, he saw soft snowflakes falling gently.
It was the first snow he had seen since coming to this world.
Now that he thought about it, it was winter—but there hadn’t been much snow before.
He remembered hearing somewhere that if there wasn’t enough snow, drought could follow.
If that were true, then this world—with war and possible drought—was truly a harsh place to live.
“When people suffer… anyone can become a devil.”
Juhwan realized this over the past two days.
Maybe the villagers had simply become selfish in their struggle to survive.
“But…”
That was exactly why he needed to harden his heart even more.
In this world, anyone could sacrifice others for their own survival.
Gus and the villagers had shown him that clearly.
Dorothy’s small face flashed in his mind.
“This is the world she has to live in…”
Juhwan’s expression darkened as he flicked the reins.
The wagon slowly moved forward, leaving the village behind.
Lizzy and Dorothy stayed inside the wagon, in case any goblins remained.
But as they passed through the village, there were no healthy goblins left.
Most were dead or injured.
Some were still groaning after being struck by arrows.
Juhwan sighed softly.
He was glad he had kept Lizzy and Dorothy inside.
The village was a horrifying sight—
broken doors, scattered belongings, torn bodies, and blood covering even the smallest stones.
It was complete devastation.
Suddenly, Juhwan stopped the wagon.
Near a broken shed, there were piles of straw.
He immediately got down.
The wagon floor was cold and hard—this would help.
And more importantly, the horses needed food.
Juhwan opened the wagon door and handed the straw inside.
Lizzy quickly spread it across the floor.
She seemed happy.
“So she was cold after all…”
Juhwan felt guilty.
He tied the remaining straw tightly on top of the wagon roof.
Then—
He saw someone familiar.
Gus.
Gus was limping out from behind a nearby building, picking up arrows from the ground.
Not far from him, goblins lay dead.
Juhwan’s eyes hardened.
“The one who caused everything.”
The man who lured goblins to the cabin.
The man who tried to kill Lizzy and Dorothy.
“An enemy.”
There was no one else around.
No goblins. No people.
Juhwan jumped down from the wagon.
“Wait here.”
His voice was cold.
He didn’t wait for a response.
With an axe in hand, he ran toward Gus.
It happened in an instant.
Gus turned his head and saw him.
Juhwan leapt forward.
His body stretched midair as he swung the axe—
Gus barely dodged.
The axe sliced through empty air.
Juhwan immediately grabbed Gus’s tied-back hair and threw him to the ground.
Gus was old.
He was tired.
If he had been younger, Juhwan wouldn’t have stood a chance.
But now—
Juhwan stomped on his body and swung the axe down.
Gus tried to say something.
Juhwan didn’t listen.
“Nothing matters except this—he tried to kill my family.”
There was no forgiveness.
Thud.
The axe cut through Gus’s neck.
Blood splattered.
Juhwan breathed heavily.
He remembered Gus’s expression from earlier.
Calm… almost as if he expected this.
“Maybe he knew I would come.”
Maybe he had even shown himself on purpose.
But it didn’t matter.
“This isn’t about him. This is about me.”
Gus tried to kill Lizzy and Dorothy.
That alone was enough.
Juhwan turned back to the wagon.
Lizzy’s face appeared through the gap.
She had been waiting.
“What happened?”
She looked worried.
She didn’t know the truth about Gus.
To her, Gus had been kind.
Juhwan smiled slightly.
“There was a goblin.”
“Still?”
“But I killed it. It’s fine.”
Lizzy relaxed.
She checked if he was hurt and gave a small, relieved smile.
Juhwan glanced at the blood on his body.
“Good thing goblin blood is red…”
Soon, they reached the village wall.
It was still burning.
The horses became restless.
Juhwan followed the wall for a while—
Then found a section that had partially collapsed.
The fire was weaker there.
He stopped the wagon and picked up a long wooden stick.
The heat was intense—even from a distance.
Covering his face with his clothes, he pushed at the weakened wall.
It crumbled.
The flames were still there—but weaker.
“This is the spot.”
“Lizzy, sit here.”
He handed her the reins.
If anything happened, she had to drive the wagon.
Juhwan stepped forward.
He placed his hand on the ground near the fire.
He imagined burning away the flames completely.
“Burn it all away…”
Suddenly—
The flames surged upward—
Then exploded outward.
And vanished.
A path opened.
Lizzy gasped behind him.
“My God…”
The fire was gone.
Even more than he intended.
Dorothy’s voice came from inside:
“The fire disappeared… I thought Dad would make a big fire…”
Juhwan smiled faintly.
Kids like flashy things.
But then—
He staggered.
He had used too much power.
“Juhwan!”
Lizzy rushed to him.
They both fell—
But Juhwan pulled her onto himself to protect her.
He hit the ground hard.
“That was close…”
Lizzy panicked, checking him everywhere.
“Are you okay?!”
“I’m fine…”
But his vision turned yellow.
“Maybe… I need more rest than I thought.”
Dorothy’s POV
Dad fell.
Mom too.
Dorothy jumped up.
“This is bad, Oz!”
She tried to push the wagon door open.
It was heavy.
“Oz!”
Oz ran and kicked the door.
Bang!
It didn’t open.
Dorothy tried again.
Still nothing.
She started panicking.
Then—
Click.
The door opened.
Lizzy stood there.
“Dorothy, are you okay?”
“…Uu…”
Tears suddenly came out.
Just for a moment—she had been scared.
“Waaah…”
Lizzy hugged her.
“I’m sorry. I locked the door so you wouldn’t fall out.”
“I wasn’t scared!”
She quickly denied it.
She wasn’t scared.
She was just worried.
Because Mom and Dad needed her.
They went to Juhwan.
He was already sitting up—but his face looked pale.
“Dad, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He stood up slowly.
A little unsteady.
Lizzy scolded him for not resting.
Dorothy clenched her fists.
“Mom can get angry too…”
But Juhwan just smiled.
They decided to sit together at the front.
Dorothy didn’t want to be alone.
“I don’t want to be alone! I don’t want to be an acorn!”
Lizzy corrected her gently.
“Not acorn… it’s ‘alone.’”
“….”
Juhwan laughed.
Lizzy laughed too.
Dorothy ended up laughing as well.
They all sat together.
Juhwan, Lizzy, Dorothy—
And Oz and Toto.
Five of them.
Still—
Dorothy thought:
“An acorn feels lonelier than being alone…”
An acorn falls by itself in the mountains.
That must feel very lonely.
“I’m not lonely anymore…”
But that acorn—
“Is it still alone?”