Milo:

  I couldn’t stop thinking about the antidote.

  The second I heard General Haruto demand it, something clicked. The antidote… If this was about Orla—no, the “Fairy”—then maybe I could do something. I remembered the tiny bottle Jin-hoon had given Orla back in the forest. He’d been cryptic, but his words were burned into my brain.

  “You’ll know when the time comes.”

  I hadn’t understood it then. But now? Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the moment he’d meant.

  My thoughts raced as I hid outside the apothecary, waiting in the shadows. When General Haruto finally stepped out, his expression was grim, his katana still unsheathed. His soldiers flanked him, their steps heavy and sharp. This was my chance.

  Before I could second-guess myself, I stepped into their path.

  “General Haruto!” My voice came out more desperate than I wanted, but I didn’t care. I needed his attention.

  Haruto stopped, dark eyes locking onto me. His soldiers didn’t hesitate—they grabbed my arms, slammed me to the ground before I could even blink. My face hit the dirt, my hands wrenched behind me, pain shooting through my wrists.

  “Know your place,” one of them growled. “You’ll address him as your General.”

  Haruto’s boots stopped in front of me, and I felt the cold steel of his katana press against the back of my neck. One wrong move, and I’d be dead.

  “Who are you?” the General asked, his voice sharp, unreadable. He pressed the blade harder against my skin. “And why are you spying?”

  “I’m not—“ I gasped, struggling. “I swear I’m not spying.”

  General Haruto crouched down, his sword steady. “Then tell me—why are you here?”

  I looked up slowly, forcing myself to meet his gaze. This was it. If I didn’t get this right, I was dead. “It’s about the antidote,” I blurted. “I think I can help.”

  His katana wavered for a fraction of a second. His eyes narrowed. “Help?” he echoed, his tone skeptical. “How?”

  I swallowed, ignoring the blade at my throat. “I know the Fairy,” I said, steadying my voice. “If this is about her, I know something that could help.”

  The General’s expression flickered—just for a second. The soldiers holding me exchanged glances, unsure. Haruto straightened, lowering his katana slightly, but the threat still lingered.

  “What do you know?” he asked.

  The soldiers let go of me, but I moved to my knees, trying to steady my breathing. My head was spinning, but I had to keep my cool. I had to make him believe me.

  “It’s the bottle,” I said, swallowing hard. “Orla—uh, the Fairy—she had it. It was in her satchel when she arrived. We need to find it.”

  Haruto’s eyes darkened. His grip tightened on his katana, and for a second, I thought he was about to end me. But then, to my surprise, he chuckled—low, cold, condescending.

  “You expect me to believe that?” His voice was laced with disbelief as he lowered the blade a fraction more. “A mysterious bottle that just happens to be the answer? Do you take me for a fool?”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  My pulse spiked. He wasn’t buying it. I had to make him.

  “I’m serious!” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “She had it when we left the forest. Some Buddhist healer gave it to her. I saw it. If we find her satchel, we’ll find that small clay bottle. It might be the antidote you need.”

  Haruto’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Did you say Buddhist healer?”

  “Yes! We came across him outside Seongjin-ri.”

  Haruto’s expression shifted, his grip on his sword loosening. “Jin-hoon… By the gods, he’s still alive.”

  I blinked. “You know Jin-hoon?”

  Haruto studied me, silent. Then, after a long pause, he grunted and waved a hand at his soldiers, signaling them to ease up.

  “If you’ve met the cultist, then I believe you,” he said, his tone still guarded. “But I’m curious—why do you care so much? Why get involved?” His voice was low, measured. “Who is she to you?”

  I hesitated. Who was she to me? Orla wasn’t just some stranger anymore. I didn’t fully understand it, but she mattered. After everything we’d been through, she was the only one who saw this world for what it was—a twisted joke, a nightmare we were both trying to survive. The idea of something happening to her… I couldn’t let myself go there.

  “I just… I don’t want her to die,” I admitted. “If something happens to her, and I didn’t try to stop it… I don’t think I could live with that.”

  Something in Haruto’s eyes flickered for just a second. Not much, but enough to give me hope. Maybe he wasn’t as cold as he seemed.

  He studied me, then finally pulled his katana away from my throat. The blade slid into its sheath with a sharp click. His soldiers backed off, but they were still watching me like hawks, ready to take me down if I tried anything.

  “You’re desperate,” Haruto said. “And desperate men are dangerous.”

  I let out a breath, not daring to move yet. I still had a shot at this, and I wasn’t about to screw it up.

  “I’m not here to start anything,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “I just want to help. If that bottle is what you need, then let’s find it. Orla had it when she got here—it has to be somewhere.”

  Haruto grunted in agreement. “You get one chance. But if all of this is a lie…” He patted the hilt of his katana. “You won’t even feel the blade before it’s too late.”

  I swallowed hard. Yeah, I believed him.

  I nodded. “We need to find her satchel. It has to be in her room. The bottle was inside.”

  Haruto studied me like he was deciding whether to trust me or not. After another long pause, he nodded.

  “Follow me.”

  He turned and started walking. I scrambled to my feet and followed. His soldiers stayed close behind, their footsteps heavy, but all I could focus on was finding that antidote. If it was still in Orla’s room, this was our shot.

  We moved fast through the palace courtyard. Haruto’s strides were long, forcing me to keep up. The soldiers trailing us only added to the tension. The pressure was real—if we didn’t find the bottle, I was dead weight.

  Haruto suddenly slowed, his head turning slightly.

  “General Haruto!” A sharp voice rang out. Haruto stopped instantly, bowing low. I followed his lead, dropping into a bow behind him.

  The king.

  Even before I looked up, I felt his presence. Tall. Commanding. Every inch the ruler they made him out to be. His robes were deep red, embroidered with gold, draped perfectly over his shoulders. When I risked a glance at his face, his eyes were sharp, calculating, full of suspicion. He scanned between Haruto and me, sizing us up.

  “General,” the king said, his voice cold. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  Haruto bowed lower. “On urgent business, Your Majesty.”

  He didn’t mention the antidote. Didn’t mention the bottle. He was keeping that close to the chest, and I could feel the tension between them, something unspoken hanging in the air.

  The king’s eyes flicked to me again, lingering just a second too long. Shit. Was he suspicious? He had to be trying to piece together why I was with Haruto. The air felt tight, like it could snap at any second.

  “Very well,” the king finally said. “Make it quick. I need you back in the military hall. There are strategies to discuss.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” Haruto said, bowing again.

  Strategies? Was there a war brewing? I’d heard whispers of an uprising from the servants, but was it actually happening?

  The king didn’t say anything else. Just studied us for another second, then turned on his heel. His entourage followed, silent. But even as he walked away, I felt his eyes on us, like he knew something wasn’t right.

  Haruto straightened and started walking again, his expression unreadable. I didn’t hesitate, falling into step beside him, my thoughts racing.

  The king must have known something was off.

  But we didn’t have time to worry about that. We needed to find that antidote. Fast.

  ?Sky Mincharo