Mountain Abbot

🌿 An Old Tale Passed Down in Gwiwachon

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The mountain has its master, and every human carries their own burden of the heart.

⛰️ Mountain Abbot

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Legend has it that since ancient times, a being known as the Mountain Abbot has dwelled deep within the mountains.

Some call him a god,

some call him the master of the mountain,

while others laugh it off as nothing more than an old legend.

🌸 The God Who Takes Away Sorrow

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According to the villagers,

the Mountain Abbot takes away human sorrow, regret, and memories one wishes to forget.

Yet, they also say that nothing comes without a price.

Exactly what one must offer up, and what one ends up losing,

is something even those who have returned from the mountain never spoke of.

🍃 Do Not Look Back

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In Gwiwachon, there is a warning that has been passed down even to children since long ago.

"When coming down the mountain, never look back."

Even if someone calls your name.

Even if you hear familiar footsteps.

Even if the person you miss dearly appears before your eyes.

They say you must only walk forward until the very end.

Tales also tell that those who broke this promise never returned from the mountain.

🕊️ Yet...

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What is strange is that

whenever the oldest elders in the village speak of the Mountain Abbot,

they wear an expression of longing rather than fear.

As if reminiscing about someone precious

who crossed their path for just a fleeting moment long ago.

And so, another saying lingers in Gwiwachon.

...In this world, what you hear with your ears is never quite the same as what you see with your own eyes.

The stories you grew up hearing were also just one of those many legends.