The meeting had been short and to the point. The floor plan was analysed and the one war-mage who had managed to infiltrate Cheonbukwan confirmed that the rooms, routes, and tunnels shown on the map did not exist.
"But then again," he had said, leaning over the table where the map lay undisturbed, "I do not have access to many areas."
Gaeun slept fitfully and accidentally shot fire at Fangs whose only mistake had been to act as an alarm call upon Haneul's behest. The owl rolled left-to-right on the ground, screeching and waking the entire building.
"She killed me," Fangs squawked like a deranged chicken, "She killed me. Oh, spirits! She cooked my wing! Now I will never fly again like that metal-armed hag." His wing was alright. The flames had missed by an inch.
Gaeun simply sat up on her bed and watched Fangs throw a tantrum. Then, her door slowly slid open and Haneul peeked in. It was terrifying to see an angry eye peep into the room through a curtain of dark hair. "Shut the fuck up," Haneul said, enunciating each word, "or I will personally defeather you and dump you in a vat of salt."
He immediately stilled. Once he was sure she had left, he hooted once and sulked. "I have no rights," he said, crossing his legs and shaking off the negative energy, "No rights at all, I tell you. She treats us like animals."
"You are animals."
"One of these days we're all going to unionise and no one will be able to save her from the consequences."
Gaeun stretched and rotated her shoulder until the joints cracked. "You can take it up with Haejung, I'm sure," she told the owl, referring to the Azure Bird anchored to Haneul. At Fangs' confused head twist, she explained, "Your cardinal deity? The bird?"
"Oh." He hooted again and, this time flapped his wings in dejection. "That's why they don't want to unionise."
Once the sun had risen, Gaeun delayed the meeting with Lord Park as much as she could to spend time with her brothers during breakfast. If anyone had any suspicions regarding where and how Gaeun had gotten the floor plans then they had remained silent.
In Songrim, Lord Park requested Master Heo to be present as well. The elder physician had muttered to himself while scrutinising the parchment and confirmed, along with the Magelord, that there indeed were no such rooms in Cheonbukwan as the paper indicated.
"Hidden, then," Lord Park surmised, "The way there is no trace of Songrim's secret chambers, they too must have tailored the doors to hide them in plain sight."
Master Heo stroked his beard and added his thoughts, "Jin Mu could have had them built after Jang Gang left. Remember how quickly he ended up earning the King and Queen's favour? The King may have quietly permitted him to have them built off-record."
"Or he had them built anyway," Gaeun said, "because he knew he would have the support. Perhaps someone else headed the idea."
"That is possible as well."
Master Thao rested her hands on the handle end of her warhammer, using it as support, and said, "We need a way to search the premises. My men cannot investigate without rousing suspicion."
"You have men inside Cheonbukwan?" Lord Park asked, narrowed eyes and mouth upturned in disbelief.
She seemed genuinely taken aback by his reaction, "What, and you don't?"
"Salamander can try to persuade the Crown Prince," Haneul chimed in before they could begin a parallel discussion over breaking the treaty and mutual trust. "He'd have easier access since Jin Mu is his teacher."
Yifan agreed heartily, "That is true. Crown Prince Go Won has always held affection for Gaeun. He would never say no to her."
"Why are you saying it like that?" Gaeun smacked his elbow and scowled. Lord Park was sensible enough to not comment though his eyes did narrow into slits. "I could ask," she said, lackadaisical. "I could make up some excuse about wanting to see Wook's constellation tab." Yifan couldn't help but let out a faint scoff that everyone ignored.
"We are investigating one of the members of the Unanimous Assembly," Lord Park said, "considering the ice stone. We require solid proof that Jin Mu is in possession of it although I fear even if we were to try to prove it, he will have Jinyuwon's support."
Master Thao shot Yifan a discrete look and he shook his head so slightly that Gaeun almost missed it. He hadn't returned to Jinyuwon in the past few weeks, having been preoccupied with the investigations and exercise drills and whatnot. Even if he had, Lady Jin had made sure that he wasn't privy to her schemes.
Once dismissed, Gaeun parted from her friends and made her way across Songrim grounds, taking a shortcut to the Crown Prince's personal palace. She happened to pass by a group of mages, their weapons swung on their shoulders as they laughed and chattered rambunctiously. One of them spotted her approaching and signalled his colleagues who immediately shut up. They couldn't, however, contain the glee in their eyes and the matching ear-to-ear smiles that they wore. The mage in the middle seemed to be carrying something that flashed bright under the late morning sun but Gaeun was too much in a hurry to care.
To her surprise, she spotted Go Won's retinue surrounding the red-roofed pavilion overlooking one of the training courtyards. The prince himself was lounging at a tea table, beaming as if every single wish of his had been fulfilled that day.
His guards bowed and moved aside when Gaeun strode up to the wooden stairs. Go Won stood up to welcome her and she paused, finding his merry mood a little strange. He gestured at his eunuch companion to leave them.
"Twenty paces away from the pavilion and turn your backs," he ordered the guards before clasping his hands behind his back and addressing Gaeun. "You're a little late, I'm afraid," he gave her a close-lipped smile and she thought that she had made the right choice by giving him the moniker Steam Bun. "You missed the show."
Gaeun scanned the now-empty fields and asked, "What show?"
"Your husband lost again. This is his—hmm...fourth loss in a row. Given his performance so far in the duels, his win against me seems like a fluke."
"I don't...I don't understand," she frowned. "What duels? Wook didn't tell me anything about this."
He raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Is that not why you are here?" He asked, "I assumed Jang Wook might have called you here to show off. He is really desperate to win the bet."
"What bet?" Gaeun's stomach churned. She understood the reason behind the guilt and shame on Wook's face at once. Again, the voice in her head taunted, again. He screwed up again.
Go Won reached for his sleeve and held out the green jade rings in his palm, the gold dragon and snowflake on them gleaming in mockery at her. Gaeun didn't react. Everything about her went still as she lowered her gaze. She felt a cold emptiness where she expected Jooyong to say something. There was an odd numbness, a sense of futility that washed over her.
It's better if you hear it from me. I'll find you tomorrow.
"This is Imperial jade, is it not?" The Crown Prince asked, still not sensing Gaeun's stolidity. "Jang Wook's maid wagered these rings and said that if he doesn't win a single duel out of the ten he must fight, then I shall get to keep these rings. They're beautiful. Excellently crafted. However..." He tilted his palm a little, "the dragon sigil is yours so these must not be ordinary rings. Are they important, Your Grace?"
She had absolutely no reason to spend a moment thinking over the answer. She knew if she said yes, if she had told him the meaning behind these rings, he'd turn them over to her without another word. Mu Deok's wager would end here. Wook wouldn't have to fight. But there was a flash of spite down her chest. A swirl of betrayal choked her.
"No," she said, "It was a cherished present, that's all."
Go Won arched his brow and sent her a dubious look. He wasn't convinced. Yet, he carefully pocketed the rings again. "If you weren't here to watch the fight, then was there something you wished to speak about?"
"Swear to me, first, that you will not bring it up with anybody other than me. Not even your teacher," she said. At his visible reluctance, she explained, "Swear to me, Won. It is important to me that you do. If you cannot promise me secrecy then I shall leave and we will pretend this conversation never happened."
Carefully, he asked, "What is this about?"
"I cannot say until you give me your word." After a beat, he gave in. Gaeun bowed her head in gratitude, "Thank you. I wanted to...speak..."
Go Won wiggled his little finger in front of her impatiently. "What is it?" He asked, confused, "Isn't this what people do? The seal of secrecy? You stick needles in my eyes if I break my word?"
The corners of her mouth quirked upwards and Gaeun couldn't help the small smile at the warmth. "Yes," she said, hooking her little finger around his and pressing their thumbs together, "That's what happens."
He didn't buy her excuse of wanting to see Wook's constellation tablet. The Crown Prince had rolled his eyes and demanded the real reason, making Gaeun choose her words with great caution. "We're looking for the perpetrator behind the recent attacks and suspect that he has hidden himself in Cheonbukwan, since mages in Songrim went through thorough background checks recently. This is, by no means, an accusation on your teacher," she assured, "However, he cannot know as we believe the perpetrator may have Jin Mu under a hex or a trace. I promise no harm will come to the establishment. I will quietly investigate and leave."
"Ryu Minshik," he said, finally realizing, "You have been searching for him." At her silence, he glanced at his entourage standing with their backs to him. After contemplating it briefly, he nodded, "Alright, I will come with you. I shall find out when my teacher will be absent from Cheonbukwan and send word to you."
"Thank you," Gaeun said, bowing her head once again, "You have no idea how easier this makes things."
"Gaeun." She froze. He had rarely called her by her given name. "I will ask you again about the rings. I will return them—"
"I don't want them," she cut him off. Then, apologetically, she said, "I don't want them by your hand." A tingling feeling travelled from the back of her ears and down to the ridge of her spine. Was this disappointment? Or regret or sorrow or rage? Gaeun couldn't tell. She felt it too much for it to be apathy.
Go Won observed her for a moment. "I understand," he said, "I will treat these as the winnings of this bet."
With one last look at the ends of her sleeve, Gaeun left with the prince's pitying gaze still stuck on the back of her skull.
♕♕
Seeing Wook outside one of the empty class halls made her nauseous. His sword was missing—possibly in his room. The ends of his Songrim robes were sullied. He paced up and down behind the hall, under the shadows of the curved roof, and Gaeun noticed a slight limp. Despite everything, he still worried her. How bad was the wound. Did it hurt a lot. They were both unable to tolerate pain unless their pride was involved.
Wook stopped his pacing when he heard her arrive. He wasn't expecting to see her. "I spoke to Haneul and she said you were away because of work," he clasped his hands together nervously, a gesture Gaeun noticed he had perhaps picked up from her. "What are you doing here?"
"I got done with whatever I was supposed to do. I thought I'd come see you since you wanted to talk." She motioned at his leg, "Are you alright? Did you fall?"
He consciously dusted his trousers. "Yeah, I..." He pressed his lips together before slowly answering, "I was sparring—well, more of a fight, really—and I landed on my side."
"Sit," she walked past him and sat down on the wooden stairs, second from the top, and gestured at the space beside her. "Why haven't you gone to Sejukwon to get it checked?"
"I wanted to see you first."
When he sat down, Gaeun wordlessly took his hand in both of hers. The base of his palm was covered in scratches and dried blood from when he tried to soften his fall. Careful not to touch the wounds, she said, "I'm not well-versed in white magic or else I could have healed this for you."
"I have something to tell you," Wook blurted, afraid and eager to get it over with. She nodded, urging him to go on, while her gaze remained fixated on his palm and she stroked and kneaded the flat ends of his fingers. "The night we argued, I left our rings on my bedside out of anger and recklessly told Mu Deok to do whatever she wished with them." His words grew desperate and frantic. "She took them to the Crown Prince and used them to bet that I won't be able to win a single fight out of the ten I will be challenged to. Those were the fights I told you about—Gaeun, I didn't know until I came back from home and...and I've been trying to..."
He trailed off when it dawned on him that the air around them was still cold. No lantern, no flower bush, no pell or pillar had exploded into flames. Gaeun was still transfixed on the stone tiles beneath their feet. "You knew," Wook concluded quietly.
"I just met with Go Won," she said, softer than he had expected her to be, "He told me."
"Gaeun, I'm sorry," he turned to face her, hand still entwined in hers, "I shouldn't have let Mu Deok—"
"Yes, you shouldn't have."
Wook closed his eyes and looked away. Gaeun found it somewhat funny. In any other case, she would have felt hurt and humiliated. She would have perhaps cried and yelled at him, or finally washed her hands off of him. But she was so tired. There were so many things going on all at once.
She stretched her legs and asked plainly, "Have I done something to offend you?"
He swerved his head to look at her. "No, of course not."
"Are you mad at me for something I said to you?"
"I'm not. Gaeun, you haven't—"
"Have I forced you to be with me?" She continued, unconcerned by the alarm he wore. "Do you feel obligated because I've spent time at your house and because I told you I love you?"
He opened his mouth, maybe to snap at her and raise his voice, but he took a deep breath and looked like there was no one he resented more than himself. "You haven't forced me into anything," he said, steady and calm, "I love you and I have never been more sure of anything in my life."
A breathy laugh escaped her. "Then why do you keep doing this to me?" When she finally raised her head, she predicted that he'd turn his gaze away and refuse to meet her eyes out of shame. But Wook looked right at her. "Why do you keep finding new ways to punish me? Aren't you sick of having the same conversation over and over and over again? You apologise. I give you a warning. You are nice to me for a few days and then the cycle repeats." The way she spoke, it might as well have been a casual conversation. Flat. Unemotive.
Gaeun took her hand back, subtly digging her nail over her fourth finger where the red thread tied her to Wook. "Do you know," she inhaled and leaned back, staring up at the clouds from the space between the two adjacent roofs, "that ring is the only present you've ever given me."
She brought up a hand to dust the sand and dirt off his side. "My brothers are leaving soon," she moved to re-tie the strings around his sleeves, fixing them over his forearm. "You will have dinner with us tomorrow night and see them off with me the next morning."
He didn't argue.
"You will need to place your seal acknowledging that you permit me to contest against my brother. I would rather you not but I do not believe the Dowager would allow me to sabotage her grand plans. I do not plan on winning unless you do fancy seeing yourself—"
"Gaeun," Wook placed a hand over hers as she straightened the tuck of his sleeve, "I will win and take back the rings."
"Yes, Young Master Jang."
It wasn't meant to come out this condescending. But she couldn't help the venom in her taunt. Wook flinched and Gaeun felt a sliver of regret at the hurt on his face. She tried to convince herself that he deserved it, that he should suffer every cut, every bruise her words could inflict upon him. At the same time, Gaeun could never bring herself to consciously hurt Wook.
She couldn't leave him and yet she couldn't fight tooth and nail to get what she wanted from him. She could be queen. She could be the Queen. She could lose him and gain so much power.
Briefly, she wondered if this was what her mother's life had been like.
Wook lifted his eyes when she cupped his face, her thumb brushing over his cheek. "It's almost lunchtime," Gaeun said, "Don't skip it like you did last night. Eat well. Go to Sejukwon afterwards and get checked for sprains or fractures. You've worked hard to come this far."
How laughable yet dreadful it was to love someone so much that she was willing to let go of her dignity just to be with him. But where else could she possibly go? Gaeun had no one but Wook. A gilded cage and a shiny crown could never compare to the few moments where he made her feel loved.
"I'm sorry," he apologised again, gingerly toying with the ends of her braid, "You deserve better."
"I do," she replied without a moment's hesitation, "But I chose you and now I have to live with it."
♕♕
The hamlet of Saebi lay outside of the fortress, to the south of Daeho. It was an artisan village of sculptors and potters nestled over emerald meadows and wildflowers that never seemed to wilt, about half a day of travel on horseback. Gaeun and Yifan got there quicker, plain clothed and inconspicuous, to investigate a series of disappearances that had been brushed aside by the nearby town's investigative bureaus such that Songrim hadn't received news of it.
They found an inn just before sunset, a two-storeyed wooden building squeezed between a tea house and an apothecary. Gaeun lingered near the wide doors while Yifan dealt with the owner.
"We're in luck, sweetheart! They have a room to spare for the night." Yifan hated the roles they had to play when they worked undercover. In the beginning, they had tried to pass themselves off as siblings but each time it was pointed out that they looked nothing alike. Lady and guard made people too suspicious too quickly. Dressing Gaeun as a man didn't work either because she didn't have the voice for it and Yifan was so broad-shouldered for a hanbok that not even slipping two oranges in the jeogori he wore could pass him off as a woman.
"Oh, that's a relief, honey." Despite the sweet smile on her face, Gaeun hated using 'honey' as a term of endearment. She had never liked the way it tasted in her mouth. "I can't wait to rest my feet."
The innkeeper led them up the staircase that was so narrow that only one could pass at a time. Yifan let Gaeun climb up first and followed behind her with their 'luggage' —a large rucksack mostly containing spare clothes, the filth that Gaeun called 'literature', and a bag of berries she had impulsively picked while travelling.
When they returned downstairs to sit in the tavern in the back of the inn, the innkeeper's wife came over to their table, asking a plethora of questions. Gaeun and Yifan had answered every possible question a curious barmaid could ask them in the years they had pretended to be husband-wife for a mission.
The trick was to slip in a little bit of truth in the lies.
How long have you been married? Not long! It feels like a dream still. How long have you known each other? Practically our entire lives. Did you propose? Our parents arranged the match.
However, when the woman pestered them about children, Gaeun faltered. Yifan answered with a polite soon and the innkeeper's wife finally left them with their now-cold dinner. Gaeun warmed up their bowls of congee discreetly and rubbed her temples.
"You met Jang Wook this morning?" Yifan asked conversationally, digging into his food before frowning, "Dammit, this has chestnuts in it."
Gaeun picked at the spring onions sprinkled over the porridge. "His maid pawned off the ring he gave me for our anniversary as a prize for a bet. He's supposed to fight ten duels over ten days. If he loses, Go Won keeps the rings. And so far, he is losing."
He gave an unassuming sniff to his barley tea. "Leave him. I don't understand how or why you are allowing him to treat you like this."
Her mother's sickly, sunken face flashed across her eyes. The last thing she needed right now was Lee Hyunjoo's ghost hanging over her head like a sword.
"How are things with Lady Yunok?" Gaeun asked instead, "You have been making heart eyes at her."
Yifan scowled, "I have not. Don't confuse me with Haneul. She swooped in the moment Lady Heo stepped foot within the perimeters. Didn't you see the trail of drool she left from the gates to the Strategy Room?" They shared a laugh. Then, he said, "Perhaps it isn't in my fate to have a love all to myself."
The mirth disappeared off of Gaeun's face. She made a non-commital noise and turned her attention to her food. Once they finished with their meal, Yifan made a show of walking her back to their shared room before returning to mingle with the local men to gather information.
Gaeun waited until the shops outside closed before switching to her uniform, pulling her hood over her head, and slipping out of the windows into the dark. She tiptoed quietly over roofs and awnings, observing as the residents packed up their businesses, dragged their carts back to their huts, and retired for the night. In the village square, much after the candles and lanterns had been extinguished inside each home, three officials wearing large cloths to cover their faces set about to rip off all the missing posters from the walls. Gaeun let them be, knowing much to her dismay that beating them up and leaving them in an alley would cause mass hysteria in the village despite the officials' misdeeds.
It was only when the moon, high in the sky, was cloaked behind thick clouds that Gaeun heard swift movement in the dark. Two silhouettes darted across the uneven lanes, winding around the houses. Gaeun picked up speed, noiselessly sweeping over the slanted, tiled roofs. When she managed to reduce the distance between them, she found that the two figures were carrying slumped bodies over their shoulders.
Instinctively, she attacked. The duo had made it to a clearing, where the number of houses had dwindled to one or two when Gaeun drew her sword, turned it into a rope dart, and snapped the sharp end at the feet.
"Put the kid down, Mako."
Mako came from a family of priests and monks. He had been the only son among five sisters. He had also been shunned and cast out over his decision to choose his axe over the path of monkhood. Once, he had been a burly man with close-cropped hair and round, kind eyes. Now he had been forced into the body of an ordinary man—unassuming demeanour, nondescript hair, of a shade common to many, a simple, straight nose. Unlike his earlier life, this Mako failed to stand out in every way.
The duo stopped. Mako's companion widened his stance threateningly, ready to fight even with the unconscious body hanging down his back.
"Little Flame," Mako smiled pleasantly with thin, cracked lips, "I feel at ease just by seeing you. Have you been well?"
Her grip around the dragon hilt tightened. "Gecko is here too," she warned, "Unlike me, he will kill you."
"Good," he replied without hesitation, "What better way to go than by the hands of a god and a friend."
His companion punched him in the shoulder, shoving him aside. "Always talking shit," he sneered, tossing aside the body he was in charge of. "You wait until I tell the Master what you've been up to." He unsheathed his sword and took a step towards Gaeun.
Mako, unlike the other man, respectfully set down the person he was carrying. When he arose, dark markings littered his neck, glowing an angry red. This was just like what Gaeun had seen with Ren. He drew an axe from his side and surged forward.
It was as if he wasn't even trying. Gaeun wasn't surprised by how easily predictable Mako's moves were. She dodged them with little to no effort, side-stepping his swings and ducking when he aimed for her head. She targeted his partner, momentarily taken aback by the man's above-average strength. The clang of metal on metal pierced the utterly silent night. Not wanting to awaken and scare the villagers, Gaeun yanked Mako's partner close using her metal rope, shocked the sword out of his hand and punched him unconscious.
The moment her fist connected with his jaw, Mako hurled his axe at them. The steel lodged itself in his partner's skull with a sickening noise before Gaeun could react. She froze. It had been deliberate. Mako had aimed intending to kill his companion.
She shakily met his eyes as she let go of the corpse and couldn't help but ask, "What happened to not killing unconscious people?"
He raised his shoulders casually, "In my defense, I didn't know he passed out." Mako wiped off the blood staining his axe using his sleeve. "You're late, Salamander, and you are looking in the wrong place. We were here to return the boys to their homes." He gestured at them grimly, "They're dead."
Gaeun felt the words like a sucker punch to the abdomen. She stalked forward, shoving him to a side, and crouched by the bodies. One had turned to a statue of cracked stone—his energy sucked out of him, possibly to feed a starving soul shifter—and the other boy had a slash of crimson across his throat.
"He has his principles, the Master," Mako said, his arm quivering, "There is kindness in his cruelty, Gaeun, and that has earned him devout followers. They revere him. They would do anything for him."
Horrified, she demanded, "His principles make him return the corpses of children back to their parents?"
"So that they can have a proper funeral, yes."
"And what of the ones he stole in search of Baihu?"
"He would have returned them had Captain Yoon not arrived with her team."
Gaeun stood up in disbelief, "Don't speak as if you admire him, Mako."
At least he had the forethought to look ashamed. Averting her gaze, he said, "Forgive me. I have been doing this for some time now. Things have started to blur. Gaeun."
"What?"
"I'm going to attack you with the other axe."
"What—!"
Mako lunged and Gaeun narrowly missed his swing. He was too close for her to use the rope dart. With a jerk, she pulled the sharp end back towards the hilt and turned it back into a sword. She parried each heavy blow and matched his strength. Yet her muscles knew that it was Mako, the most gentle person to walk this earth, who was trying to cut her down. Gaeun couldn't bring herself to use her full strength against her dear friend.
There's something wrong with the axe, Jooyong warned frantically, I don't like it.
Gaeun didn't have to wait for too long to find out. Mako feigned swinging left only to drop his axe into his left hand and swiped upwards, catching Gaeun's right shoulder. It should have only cut through her uniform. But a sharp, furious pain burned through her. The blade had sliced through her skin, catching her by surprise. Gaeun screamed, stumbling back and clutching the bleeding gash.
Mako was beside himself. Horrified by what he had done, he grabbed his weapon arm forcefully to stop himself from moving. But the spell controlling him was much more potent than expected. He didn't give Gaeun a chance to pull herself together and hurtled at her again.
Tears stung her eyes as she struggled to fight through the pain. The few times she had gotten hurt, Gaeun's mind had been quick to erase the memory of it. She knew she was afraid of it. She knew this hurt more than when she had accidentally burnt her hands but less than her fall back in early summer. The wound did not show signs of healing any time soon and it hurt to use her sword arm.
"My fighting pattern has changed, Gaeun," Mako informed through gritted teeth as he dealt another blow, "I don't have the same blindspots as I used to for obvious reasons." He pivoted, his axeblade clashing against Gaeun's blazing sword. "Stop seeing me as your friend and finish me as an opponent." He shoved her back forcefully and used the blunt side of his weapon, ramming it into her side.
Pain exploded across Gaeun's vision. She let out a cry. In a burst of rage, she expelled a powerful wave of energy that flung him back. Spinning her sword into a rope dart, she unleashed a relentless torrent of attacks that nearly shredded Mako. He collapsed into a broken, bleeding pile and Gaeun froze.
She heard herself hesitantly call his name. "I'm—I'm fine," he wheezed, the spell already pulling him up to his feet, "He's searching for the perfect sacrifice, Gaeun. Let Yoon and the others know."
There was commotion from the village. Loud, frantic footsteps and villagers yelling to gather their torches and makeshift weapons to finally capture the evil that had terrorized their home. Gaeun flipped the hood back over her head and placed her mask back on. When she turned her attention back to Mako, he was gone.
She brought a hand up to her open wound and stifled a gasp when she felt it dampen. Her ribs ached.
Kota's weapons had hurt her as well. This couldn't have been a coincidence. Ryu Minshik had weapons that could harm her, Haneul, and Seok. Either that or he had found a way to infuse the waters of Gyeoncheondaeho into them, making them fatal against her.
Gaeun hurried stowed away her blade and melded into the shadows, using the alleys once again to stealthily retrace her steps back to the inn before the villagers could spot her. Once she had passed the mob, she leapt up to the roofs and waited until they found the bodies. The laments were just as harrowing as Gaeun remembered from the time, years ago, when she had to witness people mourning their loved ones.
She felt that she had failed in a way. Despite them being dead long before she could know, Gaeun felt that she had failed the boys. As she staggered away to find Yifan, she imagined how afraid and powerless they might have felt. The pain and suffering and hopelessness. She imagined them crying for their mother, their father, their siblings.
Yifan was wiping off the bloodied bootprints he had accidentally left on the floors when Gaeun climbed back into their room. He was disturbed, scrubbing the wood and stone harshly. "Did you see?" He asked without looking up, "They were all dead, being returned to their families' doorstep. Like...like some kind of business deliveries. They were so fucking young—I could only see Yiwei and..." He raised his head and did a double take.
Yifan stared dumbly at the cut that had split Gaeun's skin from her heart to the tip of her shoulder. Her voice was thick when she spoke and she tried her best to not cry. "We're leaving," she flung a spare shirt at him and turned around to strip off her uniform, "Now. Before they return."
He helped her haphazardly bandage her wound, never having needed to do it before. His hands had shaken while tying the bandages in place. They cleaned up any trace of them, making it seem as if nobody had ever occupied the room, all the while ignoring the uproar the village was in. Gaeun closed her eyes tightly at the sounds of agonising wails.
They left in a horrified silence before the sun came up and did not stop until they reached the embassy.
♕♕
hbd to me, i guess
thoughts?