Three days had passed since Ryang's disappearance, and still there was no word from Nahmgyo. Joon and his soldiers were the only ones who dared venture outside Wicheong Palace, tirelessly searching for any sign of the missing men. They searched in small groups, careful to avoid encounters with the Dahnian forces, but their efforts yielded nothing. Back at the palace, the remaining members spent most of their time with Seong, keeping him company under Ung's worried instruction. But there was nothing to discuss, no plan to formulate, no action to take. They simply sat in silence, their helplessness hanging heavy in the air. Seong, too, remained silent.

  Before dawn broke, Joon left the stifling atmosphere of Wicheong Palace with four soldiers to resume the search. He preferred the exhaustion of the search to the oppressive silence of the palace. With no clues to guide them, they scoured the forest like hounds, relying on instinct and desperation. As the first light of dawn began to pierce through the darkness, one of the soldiers scouting ahead shouted,

  "Young Master!"

  The urgency in his voice was unmistakable. Joon rushed towards the soldier, his heart pounding. The soldier's gaze was fixed on the ground. Joon followed his line of sight, and his breath caught in his throat. Three human heads lay scattered amongst the undergrowth, picked clean by scavengers and crawling with insects. The skulls were bare, but patches of flesh still clung to them like grotesque decorations. Joon covered his nose with his sleeve and bent down, his stomach churning, to examine the remains. The neck bones were cleanly severed.

  "What kind of fucker..."

  Before he could finish his curse, a scream pierced the air. One of his soldiers collapsed, an arrow protruding from his neck. The others instantly surrounded Joon, their bows drawn, their eyes scanning the trees for the unseen attacker. They crouched low, their movements silent, their breaths held. The morning mist swallowed all sound, making it impossible to pinpoint the enemy's location. Joon rushed to the fallen soldier's side. The arrow had passed clean through his neck, and blood gushed from his gasping mouth. With steady hands, Joon applied pressure to the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. His eyes fell on a small piece of paper attached to the end of the arrow.

  "Look after him!" he ordered.

  He handed the task of tending to the dying soldier to another and snatched the paper, unfolding it with trembling hands. The message, scrawled in hurried strokes, sent a chill down his spine. He lowered his voice, his words rapid-fire.

  "I'll return to Wicheong immediately. Retrieve the bodies later, but bring the injured back first. Treat him quickly and keep him alive."

  Without another word, Joon clutched the message and sprinted towards Wicheong Palace, his heart pounding with a growing sense of dread.

  ──────────

  "This is utterly maddening. How many more days must we endure this?"

  Cheongro muttered, approaching Ung, who had stepped out into the hallway for some fresh air, hoping to clear his troubled mind. Ung, his face etched with displeasure, retorted,

  "'What exactly are you enduring, Second Emissary?"

  "I simply wish for a swift resolution," Cheongro replied smoothly. "Such a gloomy atmosphere hardly bodes well for the urgent matters ahead."

  "Mind your tongue," Ung warned. "The High Councilor's disappearance is already an urgent matter."

  "While it may be premature to discuss the future, High Commander," Cheongro continued, undeterred, "even if something were to befall the High Councilor, his sister remains. Surely, it's a greater concern that Wicheong is paralyzed over the disappearance of a single person?"

  "Do you truly believe this is merely about one person's absence?" Ung asked, his voice laced with disapproval. "With all due respect, the High Councilor is second only to the Guardian. If Cheon Hwan has harmed him, no one in Wicheong is safe. Do you not grasp this?"

  Despite Ung's lecture, Cheongro remained unfazed. "That applies to the High Councilor, High Commander, and even our esteemed High Emissary, does it not?" he countered with a sly smile.

  "What are you implying?" Ung demanded.

  Cheongro's reply was nonchalant. "When the Guardian raises his army, as he soon will, any one of us could perish. This is merely the beginning of a far greater endeavor."

  Although Ung disliked Cheongro's flippant attitude, his words held a grain of truth, leaving Ung to simply clear his throat in frustration. Cheongro continued, muttering as if to himself,

  "The Guardian seems remarkably troubled despite the daunting challenges that lie ahead..."

  With a sneer, Cheongro sauntered back into the meeting hall, and Ung followed.

  Inside, the atmosphere was stiflingly somber, mirroring Cheongro's earlier lament. Norahn sat to Seong's left, his gaze flickering between Seong and Yeong, who sat to his right. Seong was consumed by fear, Yeong remained still, and Norahn observed them both with a guarded expression. He struggled to contain the words surging within him, constantly aware of Sahngjon's watchful presence. Is this truly the right thing to do? What if my eyes flare up again before Seong, a punishment from Sahngjon? The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

  Suddenly, a frantic pounding on the door accompanied a desperate cry.

  "Guardian!"

  Before anyone could answer, Joon burst through the door, his clothes and hands stained with blood. Seong shot up from his seat, his blood running cold, his body frozen in fear. Before he could demand an explanation, Joon described the gruesome scene.

  "We found three severed heads in the forest. As we were recovering them, a poisoned arrow struck one of the soldiers. We couldn't find the attacker."

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "How badly is he injured?" Seong demanded.

  The soldier had been shot through the neck, but Joon spared him the details. "They should be treating him now. I came back as quickly as I could."

  "And you? Are you alright?"

  "I'm fine," Joon assured him.

  Though relieved that Joon was physically unscathed, Seong dreaded the contents of the message clutched in his hand. "Who sent it?" he asked.

  Joon, who had read the message on his way back, hesitated. The despair etched on his face confirmed Seong's worst fears. He gripped the edge of the table, bracing himself for the inevitable. Joon, with great effort, finally uttered the name that filled them all with dread.

  "...Cheon Hwan."

  His brother's mocking laughter echoed in Seong's ears. His hands, gripping the table, spasmed, the veins standing out in stark relief. Norahn, sensing the tension, took the letter from Joon. As he reached out to hand it to Seong, his sharp voice stopped him.

  "Read it," Seong commanded.

  "Guardian..." Norahn hesitated, taken aback by the unfamiliar coldness in Seong's eyes.

  "Read it," Seong repeated, his voice dangerously low, his face hardening with each passing moment.

  Norahn took a deep breath and began to read in a steady voice.

  "Your loyal subject, Myeonghyeon Ryang, son of Myeonghyeon Seung, is bound in Haewol Cave. His father died by the sword, so I will not raise a blade against the son. By the time you arrive, he will already be drowned by..."

  Norahn couldn't bring himself to continue.

  "Read it," Seong commanded again, his voice trembling with barely suppressed rage.

  Norahn swallowed hard and forced himself to continue.

  "...already be drowned by the tide... but I will grant you the mercy of retrieving his corpse, as your brother. Embrace his cold, waterlogged body, and blame yourself... again and again... for failing to save your ever-loyal subject."

  Unable to bear the words he was reading, Norahn squeezed his eyes shut. Haewol Cave. That was the place Sahngjon had shown him in the vision a few days ago. His hand trembled as he held the letter. Cheongro, who had tried to stop him, remained impassive, watching Norahn's distress.

  To be the eyes and ears of the Guardian of the Azure Scripture. That was the sole duty of Norahn’s life. If I had reported what I saw then, could the High Councilor have been saved? Or is Haewol Cave a death trap for both the High Councilor and the Guardian? No matter how he considered it, he couldn't sense Sahngjon's mercy towards them. The weight of his white robes felt unbearable, a heavy burden on his shoulders. Norahn forced his guilt-ridden eyes to meet Seong's. His body trembled with barely contained rage, his fury threatening to consume him.

  "Guardian, this is..." Norahn began, clutching the letter, desperate to calm Seong's anger. But Seong had already lost all reason, his mind consumed by the vivid image of Hwan's mocking smile. With a roar of fury, Seong drew his sword and slammed it down on the table. The table shattered into pieces before their eyes. The air thickened with tension, all sound swallowed by the jagged edges of the broken table. Seong gasped for breath, his eyes bloodshot. Blood poured from his nose, splattering onto the floor. Norahn rushed forward and pressed his sleeve against Seong's nose to stop the bleeding, staining his white robes crimson.

  "He wants me," Seong rasped. "I have to go. Nothing will end if I don't."

  Norahn was speechless. Seong pushed his hand away and glared at him.

  "Prepare the horses," he commanded.

  Joon immediately intervened. "Guardian, this is clearly a trap. Why else would he send such a message?"

  "My brother calls, and I must answer."

  Ung shared Joon's concern. "Guardian, even if we leave for Haewol Cave now, the tide will be high by the time we arrive. There's no way to save him. This is a trap, just as Joon said. You must let go of Ryang."

  Seong looked at Ung with a twisted smile. "He is your nephew. He learned archery at your knee."

  "I haven't forgotten."

  "Then how can you say such a thing?!"

  "It's better to give up on him than to lose you as well!" Ung shouted, his wrinkled eyes red with tears.

  Seong was speechless for a moment, but despite Ung's desperate plea, his resolve remained firm. "I still have to go."

  Norahn pleaded, "Guardian, please listen to him."

  "Step aside."

  Desperate, Norahn turned to Yeong, who had remained silent throughout the commotion. Yeong was an island of calm amidst the chaos, her expression unchanging.

  "Guardian Crimson," Norahn implored, "please stop him!"

  Yeong looked at Norahn, her piercing gaze filled with silent reproach, causing Norahn to flinch and turn away. Yeong addressed Seong, not Norahn.

  "You said you could do anything."

  Seong simply stared at Yeong with burning intensity. Yeong continued, "If you see a path before you, you must take it."

  Norahn, his voice rising in desperation, continued his pleas. "Why are you encouraging the Guardian's recklessness? Are you determined to push him to his death?"

  Yeong's cold gaze fell upon Norahn once more, but this time, Norahn didn't back down. He nearly screamed, "Guardian, it's too late! Even if you go now, you can't save him! Why are you walking into a trap?"

  Seong shouted back, "Ryang is already in that trap because of me! While I'm arguing with you, right now, at this very moment, the seawater is rising above his head!"

  Norahn knelt before Seong, his head bowed low. "I cannot lose you too. Are you truly alone? Will you abandon us all to Cheon Hwan? If something happens to you, no one will be able to disobey him, even if he walks into Wicheong and demands our allegiance! This is madness!"

  "Madness?" Seong echoed.

  Norahn lifted his head and said. "You cannot leave, Guardian. Kill me here before you go."

  "Norahn!"

  "You cannot go."

  Seong's jaw clenched, and then he shouted at the soldiers and Emissaries surrounding them, "What are you waiting for?! Drag him out of here if you don't want to see bloodshed!"

  The soldiers and Emissaries hesitated, but Cheongro, who had sensed Seong's unstable state, quickly took charge and directed the Emissaries. As they dragged Norahn away, he cried out, "Guardian! Please!"

  With Norahn removed, Ung stepped forward to block Seong's path. "Guardian, Ryang is already dead. I killed Hwan in my heart long ago. If something happens to you, I won't be able to face your father and mother in the afterlife. I must stop you."

  "Master," Seong replied, his voice heavy with sorrow, "Even if I cannot save Ryang, I cannot leave him alone there. If I remain here and do nothing, I won't be able to face my uncle either."

  "Seung died to protect you."

  "No. He died to protect Ryang and Seon. If I die, it will be to protect them as well."

  Seong gently pushed Ung aside and walked towards the door. Before leaving, he turned to look at Yeong, who remained calm and composed. In Yeong's dark eyes, Seong found a glimmer of hope, a memory from not long ago: the tears that had evaporated from Yeong's fingertips.

  "Help me," Seong pleaded, his eyes filled with desperation.

  Yeong blinked slowly, her silence serving as an answer. She then followed Seong without a word, leaving behind the stunned onlookers. Ung's voice rose in panic.

  "What are you all doing?! Follow him!"

  His command spurred the hesitant crowd into action. Amidst the chaos, Joon rushed to Norahn, who was slumped against the wall, and helped him up.

  "Get up! We can't let them go alone!"

  Norahn, his mind reeling, nodded weakly and leaned on Joon for support. With Seong and Yeong on horseback, they galloped towards the northwest of Birahng, their desperate journey leaving a trail of blood and tears in its wake.