Timeless

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own MLSHR.

AN: This drama has me seriously wishing that there would be a season 2. But, as the ratings were low in SK, I doubt there is going to be another season, so here's my version of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Enjoy!

Also, I think LJK needs to momentarily stop doing sageuks. I love him in them, but I think people are tired of seeing him in them. three of his latest dramas were sageuks, and only Arang did kinda okay with the ratings. Scholar who walks the night was an honest trainwreck, though. Cringed and skipped my way through that one. Do a modern chaebol or something! Fighting!

Wang So was the third son of rich businessman Wang Geon. He had a younger brother, and two elder brothers. His eldest brother, Mu, was from a woman that his father had met before he met the poisonous lady Yoo Seo Yoon, who was to Wang So's great dismay, his biological mother. He shared this bad luck with his second-eldest brother Yo, and his youngest brother, Jung.

His childhood wasn't special, marred by an absent father who worked overtime to raise his company, and a mother who doted on his elder brother Yo and coddled his younger brother Jung, but seemed to hate Wang So on principle. Thus, Wang So was raised by nannies who were as perplexed by the Madam's behaviour. He'd overheard the oldest of the nannies saying that if she didn't personally see the Madam give birth to So, she would've believed him to be a bastard. Because of his mother's behaviour, his brothers began to hate him. Yo and Jung that is. Mu was the only one who treated him with civility, though So always felt that it was out of pity than anything else.

So Wang So was a lonely child growing up. But he was extremely smart. He could read by age three, and could solve advanced calculus problems by age five. Of course, nobody in his home knew about it, as nobody bothered to talk to him. At age five, he learned another lesson.

He'd been sitting in the park, reading one of his books, when Yo walked over with his gaggle of friends. Long story short, Yo had made fun of him, and ripped his book, laughing all the while. When he'd tried to fight back, his 10-year-old brother had shoved his 5 year-old brother into a wall, causing the younger to lose consciousness and a large gash to appear on his temple. Instead of getting help, however, Yo had left his poor brother bleed.

Luckily for Wang So, one of his Yo's friends, who obviously felt guilty for behaving like a total psycho for no good reason, had alerted his father of his condition. As fate would have it, Wang Geon was actually at home that day. So when Wang So gathered his senses two days later, he was met with his father's concerned gaze. His mother was there, with her arms around Yo, who wouldn't look him in the eye. Madam Yoo's eyes had held a warning for him. Wang So had heeded that warning.

Because he'd learned something. And that was that you needed to be strong both mentally and physically. And five-year-old Wang So wasn't strong enough.

So he'd cried and asked his father to send him away from their home because the neighbouring kids always bullied him. He never mentioned Yo, or his mother's behaviour. Yoo Madam had smiled in approval.

Wang Geon had agreed readily enough. He wasn't as blind to his wife's blind hatred for So. He had an inkling to why she hated him, and he couldn't help but shake his head at his head at her antics.

Just because a fake shaman had predicted So to be unlucky for the Yoos, her wife had hated her own son.

Wang Geon hadn't been able to do something about it before, but since So was practically pleading to send him away from the poison known as his wife, he had the perfect opportunity.

Thus, Wang So was shipped off to live with his widowed paternal aunt in Busan. It had been the happiest day of his life.

His aunt was nice to him, as were his cousins, Baek Ah and Eun, though they were both younger than him. Eun was four, and he was always hyper and eager to play games of all sorts. Baek Ah was three, and spent most of the time playing with Eun, though he was somewhat interested in books. Or the cookie-jar next to them.

When So turned six, he was sent to school. A week after enrollment his teacher followed him home to talk with his aunt. His aunt had looked slightly alarmed, worried that Wang So'd caused trouble. But when the teacher excitedly told his aunt that Wang So could jump grades, and go straight into the 8th grade, his aunt had stared wide-eyed at the teacher for four full minutes, before squealing with joy and proclaimed how proud she was.

As a reward for his academical achievement, So had asked to be admitted to dojo. His aunt readily agreed. Wang So was satisfied.

But when his aunt was about to call his parents to tell them about his skipping of grades, So'd stopped her. When she'd asked why, So had smiled, and told her that it would be a surprise. She'd smiled and allowed him to have it.

Eun and Baek Ah were too young to understand then, but were happy that their cousin and mother was happy

As the three cousins grew up, their bond of brotherhood grew. Eun could always lift their mood with his antics and absurd games and childishness, and Baek Ah would always offer some advice if he was stuck on something, always sounding mature beyond his years. He would also play them songs, and dance when they were feeling down. And So would look after his brothers, no matter the situation.

When So was 15, he was accepted into the neurology department in medical school. He'd graduated top of his class from college, and was looking forwards to whatever the future brought him. He had left Busan then, with a promise from his aunt to not tell his parents. His aunt had smiled sadly, and nodded in understanding. Eun had cried. Baek Ah had smiled, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Kang Baek Ah had been his only confidante, and the two of them always felt closer to each other than with Eun. Sometimes Eun would get jealous, and ask his mother just who of them was their cousin, but would ultimately just laugh it off, knowing that So and Baek Ah were just like-minded people. Baek Ah had even skipped grades, though he was still only starting high school, thankfully. Eun wasn't sure what would've happened to the house if both Baek Ah and So hyung did their 'experiments'. Last time, So hyung had blown away the roof of his room. Eun shuddered as he remembered the look his mother had had then.

Another man that was sad to see Wang So was martial arts teacher, Master Park. The old man was sad to see his most talented student throw away his talent. Wang So wasn't just a master with his studies, but he'd had an innate talent for martial arts. Master Park thought that the boy fought like a trained soldier from Goryeo. When he'd said as much to Wang So, the lad had laughed and began to train traditional sword-fighting. He excelled at it,to no one's surprise.

One day, Master Park caught him practising some moves that only master's could pull off. He'd asked Wang So then, if he'd learned sword-fighting before, as no one, no matter how talented or smart could pull those moves unless they'd trained for years. Wang So'd only shrugged then. The lad had told the old Master that he just could do it. It felt familiar to him.

The Master could only shake his head at his student as the lad turned around one last time before he boarded his plane to Seoul, waving to his family.

25-year-old Doctor Wang So stared at his patient's x-rays.

"You have stage 4 brain-cancer. No surgical procedure is yet available for this type of illness. I suggest you prepare yourself...Abeoji." Wang Geon only laughed. A look of disbelief was on his face. The same look he'd had when he'd been told that he was to be treated by the most skilled doctor in his own hospital, and then been introduced to his own son who he hadn't seen for 20 years!

Wang Geon was ashamed to admit that somewhere amongst the company, the power-struggle between himself and his wife, and the one between his two elder sons, and the tension his youngest son brought him by getting into fights, he'd completely forgotten his third son. He sighed in defeat.

"When did you become a doctor? Aren't you too young still?" the estranged father asked. Wang So smiled, but it was an empty smile.

"I skipped eight grades. But that's neither here nor there." was his curt answer. Wang Geon frowned, but kept his disappointment for himself, letting a humorless smile appear on his face. He was surprised that his son was apparently a genius, though.

"Why haven't I heard about that from my sister? She told me when Baek Ah skipped three grades, and when he began interning here..." So straightened himself, jumping to the defense of his adopted mother.

"I stopped her. The Madam hated me anyway, and you were never there. The best thing you ever did for me was to send me away. I never wanted to come back, so I stopped Aunt from delivering any news about me that would make me stand out. Not before I could protect myself, anyway."

Wang Geon scrutinized the face of his third son, realizing just how much the child had suffered at his mother's hands, and just how helpless he must've felt as a child. The feeling of guilt, grief, and shame intensified as Wang Geon realized just how much he'd failed as a father. Suppressing his emotions, the tired man asked his son a question again.

"How much time do I have left?" the father asked, and the doctor answered promptly without any letting any emotions be known.

"2 months at most. As a doctor, I recommend you admit yourself to hospice. But knowing the situation of Mu and Yo hyung and the inheritance, I doubt that will happen. That means that you'll probably expire during this month. I'm honestly surprised that you've made it this far without collapsing."

Wang Geon hummed thoughtfully, not at all like a person who'd been delivered a death sentence. He looked slightly relieved, as if a big burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

"...I wonder if I should apologize." the old man said as he scrutinized his son's face again, memorizing the sharp angles, the straight nose and the slanted amber eyes that expressed an intelligence of a higher level. Wang So blinked slightly at the inquiry,before letting a genuine smile ghost over his features.

"Don't. I understand why things ended up this way. I never blamed you for not contacting me. It was me who went away, after all. I've never blamed the Madam either. She can't help herself, after all." Wang Geon was surprised to hear his son's answer. He let out a somewhat hesitant, wry smile.

"Somehow, that makes me feel worse." Wang So laughed at that, a nice laugh like Mu had, Wang Geon noticed, before he too joined his sons chuckles with his own.

For that small sliver of time, all was well.

Wang Geon died three weeks later, having refused hospice. The funeral was attended by the richest people in South-Korea, and some international moguls saw the occasion fit for their presence as well. There were a lot of politicians as well, the ones known to do something for the people, anyway. None of them were the cause of a surprise to the reporters, as Wang Geon had been the head of the largest conglomerate in Asia, Ryeo Group. What was surprising was the presence of Wang Geon's third son, Wang So.

Wang So was an unknown to the people, unlike his brothers Mu and Yo, and to an extent, even Jung. While Mu was known to be a fair businessman carrying on his father's traditions, and Yo known for his cutthroat methods of deals, and Jung as a troublemaker, nothing was known about the So. In fact, the only reason the media knew that the handsome young man was Wang So was his presence with the immediate family. Many reporters also noticed the look of distaste and shock on the Madam's face as well.

By the next day, the media had dug up everything they could about Wang So; a genius brain-surgeon who had made some marks in the martial arts world as a teenager. Apparently the lad had grown up with his Aunt, for reasons unknown, and was practically cut off from the Wang family until recently.

This limited information only led the media to be more curious, but as Wang So didn't reply to requests of interviews, as did his cousins and Aunt, they couldn't find out more about him.

Many of the board members at Ryeo Group were going through a similar process. They were all gathered in the company HQs for the reading of Wang Geon's will. A large number of them were just curious as to how the power balance shifted with a new player. Nobody was willing to underestimate Wang So, as he had the same blood running through his veins that Yo and Jung had. Yo had repeatedly proved himself to be a cold, cunning and dangerous, and while Jung was known to be a troublemaker, the lad could still hold his own against any critique that came his way.

Madam Yoo was worried, as was Yo. They knew that So held no affection for them, as any normal human being would. Mu was slightly amused by watching the Madam and Yo squirm. Mu, unlike the rest of his family had kept contact with So. The three of them, So, Baek Ah, and Mu often met over a drink. Mu was aware that So had no plans of interfering in company business quite yet, though he couldn't be sure of the future, as even Baek Ah found So to be unpredictable. And while Mu was aware of just how dangerous So could be to him, he believed that his younger brother wouldn't want to.

At least, he hoped so.

Wang So himself was slightly surprised to have been called to the board meeting. He was also slightly annoyed, as he had several surgeries scheduled. Granted, he was cranky from lack of sleep and previous surgeries. Still, he'd cleaned up and put on one of his expensive suits, turning heads but barely noticing them as he walked into the meeting room. He took an empty seat beside Mu, who smiled in amusement when he noticed the annoyance on his face.

The lawyer cleared his throat, calling all attention to himself.

"The reading of the late company president Wang Geon's official Will will begin now. Firstly, he has named Mr. Wang Mu his official heir, giving him 45% of the shares." The lawyer paused as various muttering ran through the crowd. Wang Yo clenched his jaw.

"Secondly, the second largest amount of shares go to Doctor Wang So, with 35%. That includes the Ryeo Hospital, where Doctor Wang So has been working for the past 7 years." The Madam let out a shocked gasp, and Yo glared daggers at So. More mutterings ran through the crowd. Some were shocked to hear that the lad had been an official doctor for so long for someone so young.

"Thirdly, Mr. Wang Yo is left with 15% and, fourthly, Mr. Wang Jung is left with 5%. As for Madam Yoo, he left an apartment building in Gangnam in your name. That is all." With that, the lawyer left. Madam Yoo finally seemed to snap out of her shock.

"How can this be! He didn't even know you!" the woman screamed at her second son. Wang So looked at the woman who had birthed him with thinly veiled disgust.

"Madam, control yourself. What my father decided os of no doing of my own. We barely knew each other, as you kindly pointed out." Madam Yoo lost it, and tried to slap So. He deftly avoided it, and looked at the woman with annoyance.

"Do not worry, I have no intentions of meddling with this circus. Hyung." he called for Mu, who nodded for him to continue.

"Good luck. I will be taking my leave then, I have actual lives depending on me. Oh, and before I forget." Wang So fished out something from his doctor's bag and handed it to Mu, who went wide-eyed as soon as he read it.

"It's my power of attorney. Mu-hyung will control the shares under my name. I am leaving for the army soon. And I will probably not get back into the hospital after that. You can only dig through brains and intestines so much." He bowed to the room, leaving a dazed audience behind.

Mu shook his head at his brother. Wang So would never stop surprising him. Yo wasn't sure how to react to his younger brother. He'd thought that So would bear a grudge, but the lad had been totally indifferent, except for mild disgust aimed at their mother. To be perfectly honest, it wasn't different from what Yo felt the Madam. But he didn't want to be abandoned by her like So had. He was his mother, and he was willing to do anything to make her happy.

Two years later, Madam Yoo and Mu died in a car crash.

Yo was injured but survived. So had visited him then, still in uniform and an unreadable look on his face. Apparently Mu had given all of shares to So. And he was here to give Yo the power of attorney over them. When Yo had asked why, So didn't answer for a long time. When he did, it was surprising.

"Because this company took everything away from me. My family, my childhood, my brother, my father, my mother's love. I hate it."

Wang So was almost 50 when he retired a decorated general from the army, and entered the political arena. He'd entered the army and excelled at everything, to the surprise of absolutely no one, and joined the Special Forces. What was surprising was the fact that he had decided to stay in the army for as long as he did. He was a talented surgeon with a bright future ahead of him, and he could be the most powerful businessman on the continent if he chose to.

Yet, he'd stayed in the army and weathered wars and missions that almost took his life several times. Any hope his family, mainly Baek Ah, may have had of him returning to being a surgeon shattered when Wang So was captured in a rescue mission, and tortured by having every finger in his right hand broken. Luckily he'd completed the mission successfully, but even several surgeries couldn't fix the motor skills he'd had. After that, Wang So had focused more on tactical work than practical, and risen to be the Chief of Army Staff by the time he was 40.

Jung had joined the Special Forces 10 years after Wang So. The troublemaker had finally found his calling when he'd joined the military. The young man had heard several stories about the genius from his seniors. Wang So's skills and tactical maneuverings were practically legendary.

At first, Wang So was indifferent towards him, but they grew closer, as one would with someone they shared life-and-death experiences with. Under Wang So's watch, Jung grew to be one of the most deadly agents of the Special Forces. Though he couldn't ever defeat his older brother.

There was a reason Wang So had done this. A reason no one, not even Baek Ah knew. Because no matter what he achieved, Wang So always felt that something was missing. Like something was torn away from him, and he was merely compensating that hole of loneliness, grief and guilt by doing these great things. Yet, if he were to look to back at his life, nothing quite satisfied him. Wang So was known as one of the most reckless agents that had ever served their country. Many of his companions found it hard to believe that he had survived 25 years of constant combat, though it had died down somewhat when So had turned 40.

So when he left virtually the most powerful position in the country to campaign for a seat as an assemblyman at age 50, still unmarried and restless, Baek Ah finally asked him why. Why was he constantly putting himself through these hardships, and then changing his mind when he reached the top. So had been silent for a long time before he finally answered that he didn't know. He didn't know what drove him to be the best, and then throw away his rank on a whim. All he knew was the feeling of emptiness when he reached the top.

Baek Ah never breached the subject again. He silently watched as So successfully campaigned, withstanding every accusation and remark thrown his way. He watched as So entered the Blue House, at age 65. He watched as So reigned like a benevolent king, well liked by the people, but hated by most politicians. Wang So led a 'purge' against these corrupt officials.

When he exited the Blue House, he was still popular, and had the law allowed it, he would probably have won the Presidential vote again. But he was also the target of assassination attempts, as he was still the most powerful figure in South Korea.

Baek Ah watched as Wang So told his opponents to relax, as they wouldn't need to dispose of him. He was already dying of brain cancer.

The same cancer that he'd saved hundreds from, and the same cancer that had claimed his father's life.

Thankfully the assassinations attempts died down after that.

Finally, Baek Ah watched as Wang So visited one exhibition on Gwangjong.

He watched the shock on his brother's face as he saw that the Emperor had looked exactly like him.

He also watched when his brother noticed the crying girl in front of Gwangjong's portrait.

Baek Ah watched as he collapsed, the weight of 52 years of memories falling in place.

He was beside him when he So woke up, and cried for the first time in his life.

He watched as his brother cried for his Hae Su.

He listened as his brother told him a story. A story of a prince and a lady of noble birth who turned into a court lady.

He watched as So took his last breath, hours after he'd discovered the love that had made it impossible to move on, even a millennium later.

He watched as Wang So was laid to grave in the presence of thousands of people, who were all crying or recounting something that the late man had done for them.

And only Baek Ah cried for the fate that his brother had endured.

Wang So 1945-2016

AN: That's it for this time!