The Citadel of Bingyeon (Ice Smoke)

Episode 9: Furnace

Deep in a snow-covered forest, as we slid our bodies into the maw of the hidden cave, even the fierce howling of the mountain wind finally faded away into a low whisper. By then we were already miles from the fortress, safely beyond the guards’ patrol route of the High Council.
As soon as Hyunjin stepped inside the cave, he got straight to work. From the leather cuff of his sleeve, he sent out dark smoke and built a low-burning magical barrier that tightly sealed off the entrance. The smoky mist acted as a perfect insulating wall, blocking the skin-slicing frost outside while making sure even the slightest flame from our camp stayed hidden from the outside world. After sprinting flat-out all night, his puppy-like boundless energy was completely drained away, and he brushed a hand over the back of his neck before slumping down onto a flat rock. His cheeks were flushed a deep red, like a waterfall of crimson.

"My legs feel like they’re frozen solid, just like ice blocks in a frontier region. If Chanyeon-hyung hadn’t firmly guided us along that geographic route through the canyon, we’d have been carefully caught. The guards’ armor-up speed is so fast, this is seriously completely unfair."

Hyunjin looked at me and let out a tense, quiet breath as he complained, a playful, affectionate smile hanging smoothly at the corner of his lips.

"Good job, hyung. Thanks to you overriding and blowing apart the smoke veil, we’re still holding out instead of being chained up and locked away right now."

Jiseok let out a soft little chuckle and gently eased Chanyeon and Hyunjin’s tension. As his deep, warm voice washed over us, the taut atmosphere circling inside the cave was instantly and peacefully released.

Jiseok had a handful of dry pine branches, gathered in a flash from the forest right before we retreated into the cave, in his hands. He quickly finished a tiny, modest brazier in the center of the inner space. The moment the flames caught the firewood and began to burn, that self-proud, huge smile unique to him bloomed brilliantly across his face. He walked past the golden warmth of the fire to right beside me, then dropped to his knees in one smooth motion and sat lightly down on the stone floor where I was resting. When he reached down and gently took my hand in his, his palm—so cold against my skin—was astonishingly hot, grounding me and soothing my pulse. With a quiet precision that never felt rushed at all, Jiseok moved his thumb and slowly drew a pretty little heart right in the center of my palm, reassuring me. Looking straight down at me, his eyes curved softly, filled with an affection so deep and precious it felt impossible to escape.

"Are you okay, Seoha?"

Jiseok’s whisper was a comforting, certain, wordless promise to reassure me.

"You pushed yourself too hard running all night. Does anything hurt?"

"I’m just a little tired."

I smiled and leaned my upper body lightly into his solid, comforting presence.

"But I’m really okay."

"That’s a relief. The real battle will start counting down in earnest from tomorrow morning."

Chanyeon-hyung murmured softly. His voice sank a whole octave deeper and sweeter, sending a delicious, electric shiver straight down my spine. The moment that tremor touched me, it felt as if the deepest part of my chest was gently tightening.

After the Supreme Commander completely finished checking the layout of the cave perimeter, he strode out from the dark shadows. As if comfort or rest had never been on his mind in the first place, he took off the heavy white fur coat he was wearing and carefully spread it out on the floor like a soft makeshift cushion I could lean on. Then he sat down quietly right beside me, shedding his stiff, sharply disciplined military bearing as commander in a single breath. His blindingly bright, sunlike smile once again spread across his face, shining with relief. He slipped one large, warm hand smoothly around the back of my waist, supporting the weight of my body with effortless, steady strength. His palm firmly held my posture, pulling me close against his chest as he shared his warmth and wrapped me tightly in his arms.

Chanyeon-hyung carefully laid down the two star-glass shards we had scraped together and obtained so far onto the fur cloth in front of us with his other hand. The moment our magical energy quietly struck the surface of the transparent crystals, those shard-like pieces all began to vibrate at once, releasing a low, steady hum, and once again projected a dazzling celestial map clearly over the very center of our small circle.

We all leaned forward at once, and in each of our eyes, a faint violet twilight glow was reflected, leaving a beautiful afterimage. We hurriedly followed the map’s route, searching for the exact coordinates of our next destination.
"From the trajectory of the signal lights engraved on the inscription, the third shard is fixed right in the exact center of the outer wasteland territory."

Still staring at the map, Chanyeon-hyung continued. A military strategic focus had settled sharply in his gaze. Moving his other empty hand, he slowly traced a route across the blazing, desolate expanse of the Smoke Palace border.

"To reach those coordinates, tomorrow at dawn we have to break through the inspection canyon pass corridor, no matter what. The High Council will already have thoroughly blocked off every perimeter net on the main road and locked it down, so we’ll aim for the rugged, steep high-ridge route and move out."

"The ridge is steep and dangerous, but even if the watchers on the horizon lift their heads to check, my smoke veil can hide the silhouette of all of us perfectly."

Hyunjin shouted while bending deeply over the map. His eyes flew wide open, and then that usual lively, impatient momentum surged right back up to the top of his head in an instant.

"Let’s build up momentum and move like lightning, and snatch that shard in one go. We’ll get out clean before the local lords of that territory even fully realize the visual reality that the real queen is walking around inside their land."

Jiseok lightly added a firm, stubborn strength meant to reassure me to the hand that cupped mine, and in his eyes looking up at me there shone clearly a narrative of devotion so deep and absolute it was impossible to escape.

"We’ll safely shield you right in the center of the formation and move with you enclosed there, Seoha. We’ll build a perimeter so nobody can even hint at danger anywhere near your range."

A slow but resolute smile once again spread across Chanyeon-hyung’s lips. His hand supporting the edge of my waist carried a firm, unyielding force that protected me, and he pulled me even deeper into his arms to hold me close.

"All the plans have been perfectly set up."

"So, Seoha, now you can rest easy and relax. Tomorrow morning, we’ll finally reclaim with our own hands one more precious piece that will make up your crown."