The Citadel of Bingyeon (Ice Smoke)

Episode 11: Disguise

The open plains of the outer fief stretched endlessly before us, like a sea of red mud and parched grass. We all knew it was only a matter of time before the local lords’ scouting parties started nosing around everywhere, thanks to the sudden magic explosion I’d unleashed on the canyon platform, which had lit up the whole valley.

"We can’t just cut straight across this open basin looking like that—with two lords and the supreme commander in such a flashy lineup."

Hyunjin murmured softly. His usual lively, impatient back-and-forth had sunk into a low whisper thick with tension. He pointed toward the bustling little border outpost tucked at the foot of the mountain.

"We need to sneak into the local market and get clothes that’ll let us blend in with the commoners. As long as we look like locals, we should be able to move around discreetly without drawing any attention."

By the time the sun had just begun to dip below the horizon, we slipped quietly into the outpost’s chaotic, crowded streets. While Chan-yeon oppa and Jisuk firmly boxed me into the center of our formation to shield me from the rough crowd, Hyunjin used his smooth charm and a few packets of silver coins to quickly secure a bundle of commoners’ clothes.

In the hidden shade behind the dusty canvas tent, we hurriedly stripped off the ornate gear distinctive to the fortress. I changed into a loose, comfortable tunic made from rough-woven local cloth, and the others swapped their dignified fur coats and dark leather vests for plain, faded traveler cloaks. By the time we stepped back out of the tent, our disguises were perfect.

"You’re really beautiful, Seoha."

Jisuk whispered softly in a smooth, gentle voice. The moment his deep, warm tones reached me, the taut tension pressing down on my shoulders melted away like spring snow. He moved right up beside me and tugged off the hood he’d been wearing, letting his black hair fall softly over his eyes. Jisuk reached down and gently took my hand. His palm was astonishingly warm, grounding my pulse with relief, and our fingers locked together tightly once again. Jisuk had carefully tuned his hearing aid to fully match the quiet evening hum. He squeezed the backs of my knuckles with tender, stubborn firmness, offering steady reassurance.
"Even dressed in nothing but common rags, you still look like my perfect queen."

"Stop embarrassing Seoha, Jisuk. Right now we need to keep our full attention on the mission."

Hyunjin chimed in playfully, trying to rein him in, but even as he looked at me in my new clothes, his cheeks were already blooming a deep, embarrassed red. He let out a light, flustered laugh and absently rubbed the back of his neck, his ears turning bright red in an instant.

"All right, the sun’s fully gone down now, so it’s really time to move."

The faint warmth of dusk vanished completely in the blink of an eye, and by the time we had left the outpost’s borders far behind, everything around us was swallowed in pitch-black night. We headed straight for the coordinates of the third fragment. According to the map, it was deep inside a treacherous, violently shifting maze of strange canyons, where towering stone walls devoured even the last traces of natural starlight.

In the suffocating darkness pressing down from every side, Hyunjin took the very front of our formation to guide us without drawing even a sliver of the Watchers’ attention from the horizon. With a gentle, fluid flick of his leather sleeve, he released a softly glowing trail of magic smoke like a waterfall. Unlike the blinding smoke walls he used in battle, this fine mist glimmered calmly with a faint, pulsing bioluminescent flame. It served as a tiny private lantern, wrapping only our group in its light. The smoke-light traced the maze’s narrow path with precision and beauty, completely blocking out the dark shadows around us.

"Just follow my smoke trail."

Hyunjin whispered softly. Smoothly reattaching that familiar mischievous energy that made him the team’s mood-maker, he turned his head and tossed me a proud, adorable wink.

"I’ll break through this maze perfectly."

As the narrow stone walls of the canyon pressed in, squeezing around us from every side, Chan-yeon oppa stepped right up behind me. The commander’s sharp, resolute aura had vanished in the dark as completely as snow melting in spring, replaced by a gentle devotion to protecting me at all costs. He slid one large, warm hand behind my waist, supporting the weight of my body with effortless strength. On the rough, uneven stone ground, he pulled me closer and held me tight so I wouldn’t misstep. Chan-yeon oppa’s intricate silver cochlear implant flashed sharply in the faint light cast by Hyunjin’s magic smoke.

"Keep your eyes fixed on the light, Seoha."

Chan-yeon oppa murmured softly beside my ear, lowering his head. His voice sank a full octave deeper, sweet and heavy, radiating a gravity that felt like it could squeeze my heart without mercy, and the vibration gently tightened deep in my chest. As he leaned closer to my cheek, his warm breath brushed softly over my skin, and his thumb slowly traced a reassuring line along the edge of my waist.

"The third piece is very close, darling. We’re almost there."

With Chan-yeon oppa steadying my waist, Jisuk pumping a pulse of unwavering trust through the back of my hand, and Hyunjin’s shining smoke trail precisely opening our route through the darkness, we pushed relentlessly toward the deepest heart of the shifting maze. Perfectly concealed, the four of us—bound tight by stubborn loyalty—were finally fully prepared to bring back the next piece of our crown.