The Citadel of Bingyeon (Ice Smoke)

Episode 5: Fragment

The heavy, solid oak-barrel latch locked into place completely with a weighty, resonant thunk.

Hyunjin gasped rough breaths and pressed his back fully against the locked doorframe. He didn’t waste even 1 second. With a light flick of his wrist—lightning-fast and precise—a thick, swirling mass of dark smoke burst out like a waterfall through the gap in his leather sleeve. The smoke haze instantly swept across the smooth floor mat and spread rapidly up the wall, serving as a magical barrier that completely blocked the senses of the Supreme Council tracking teams sniffing around outside. It swallowed and trapped the strange scent of the universe that had just burst from my fingertips, along with the magical traces of violet light.

"The outside air is crawling with the traces of the Council guards."

Hyunjin hurried toward the bed, breathing hard and wheezing. His puppy-like, overflowing energy was tightly tangled with dangerously surging adrenaline.

"It looks like they sensed a huge ripple across the entire atmosphere. Chanyeon hyung, what on earth was that just now? It was like... the whole sky had bent and twisted all at once."

Chanyeon oppa didn’t answer right away. As the last veil of violet cosmic dust quietly melted down and was absorbed into the depths beneath my skin, he only held me firmly and stubbornly against his chest, not letting go of the pulse of the arm wrapped around my waist.

Jiseok walked quietly to the other side of the mattress. The shock and awe that had blanketed his face blankly quickly shifted into his signature proud, bright smile the moment his gaze turned to me. In his eyes, looking up at me, a warm flame of excitement and protectiveness shone clearly. He reached deep inside his thick winter fur coat, pulled out a small bundle of cloth strips, and laid it down with extreme care on the mattress right in front of us.

"Just before the guards closed in around the perimeter, I found this at the exact center of the rupture coordinates."

Jiseok murmured softly. His low, gentle voice in the middle of our panic had an astonishingly grounding effect, easing my chest. As he untied the smooth seam of the cloth, there appeared a jagged crystal fragment, pulsing periodically with a deep, supernatural violet cosmic glow. It was a perfect match in appearance with the twilight-colored magical energy that had leaked from my fingertips a moment ago.

"Even the cold ice magic of the frontier couldn’t freeze and seal this crystal in the end, and even Hyunjin hyung’s curtain of dark smoke couldn’t quite swallow up and erase its light. Seoha, this is yours. My whole warmth is telling me that plain and clear."

I leaned my upper body forward slightly. The tips of my fingers hovered a few centimeters above the brilliantly throbbing crystal fragment. The very moment I drew closer to that magical relic, the crystal began to vibrate, emitting a low, steady hum, resonating in perfect harmony with the celestial void-magic pulse slowly awakening inside my chest.

"This is star glass."

Chanyeon murmured softly. Lifting his gaze from the shard to my face, his deep, gentle voice had dropped an octave lower. The hand around my waist tightened, and on his features spilled the raw, fierce weight of absolute devotion.

"This relic exists only in the ancient prophecy about the one who will inherit the true throne. If the Supreme Council notices this shard’s existence, or if they witness for themselves the force of the magic you can wield... they won’t regard you as some ordinary stranger or traveler. They’ll come to painfully realize that you are an extraordinary being with the absolute right to rule and govern this entire kingdom."

Hyunjin let out a low, long whistle and dropped to one knee on the floor beside the mattress. Resting his chin on both hands, he stared up at me with wide eyes.

"Literally, the queen fell straight into our arms from the night sky. Judging by the sound my whole heart is making, we’re definitely the destiny-chosen soulmates the universe ordained."

"Be quiet, Hyunjin hyung. This isn’t the time to joke around."

With a soft laugh, Jiseok playfully shoved Hyunjin aside with his broad shoulder. Then, when he turned back to me, his gaze was impossibly deep and gentle, full of stubborn resolve.

"Don’t be scared, Seoha. No matter what plan the Supreme Council comes up with, we found you first. We’ll keep this relic and the traces of your magic perfectly hidden, and we’ll teach you how to control and use this power, one step at a time."

A slow but firm smile spread across Chanyeon’s lips. The commander, restored to a blindingly bright, sunlike smile, calmly swept his gaze over his young lords before fixing his eyes on me again.

"The doctor’s absolute rest order has now been officially extended."

He whispered softly. His thumb slowly traced a line of gentle reassurance over the blanket near my waist belt.

"Until you can perfectly control the pulse of that flame blooming from your fingertips, I’m not letting you out of this room for even 1 second. And from now on, the three of us will be the most perfect, most steadfast dedicated guard unit, all for you alone."