The Black Wings had been anchored for seven days off a small uninhabited island between Soyeol and Birahng, Cheon Hwan's hidden refuge. He hadn't bothered to give the island a name; it was simply "the island." When his crew spoke of "the island," there was no mistaking which one they meant. Hwan showed no mercy to those who landed on his island, whether driven by storms or curiosity. It was his and his alone, a dominion untouched by others.

The woman they had pulled from the sea off Birahng had uttered a single sentence upon waking, then fallen silent. By day, she sat on the sand, staring at the horizon. By night, she slept in a tent pitched on the shore. Though she spoke no words, she knew where to sit, where to sleep. When food was brought to her, she ate in silence. Hwan watched her lift the spoon to her lips, the hot broth disappearing down her throat. He felt a strange mix of boredom and relief. No one dared to disturb her in her tent. As the sun rose each morning, she would emerge, her pale skin now tanned and peeling from days spent under the relentless sun. Her long, dark hair, tangled with sand, cascaded down her back.

Yirahng was growing restless. Hwan lay in the shade of a tree, his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the passage of time. Five days had passed since they had arrived. Frustrated, Yirahng gestured towards the woman sitting on the beach.

"How long is she going to sit there?" she grumbled.

Hwan didn't reply. Yirahng crawled towards him, her face inches from his. "Should I just stab her and get it over with?" she asked, a playful glint in her eyes.

Hwan finally opened his eyes, a hint of annoyance in his gaze. “Don’t do anything crazy. Stay here.”

Yirahng's lips moved, but her words were lost in the gentle breeze. She lay beside Hwan, her head resting on his stomach. Her frustration with his apparent indifference was shared by Jang'gyeong Yoon, who sat nearby, arms crossed, a sigh escaping his lips.

"How much longer will this continue?" he grumbled. "Everyone is growing weary. We've been stuck here for days, eating nothing but fish."

"At least we have fish to eat," Hwan replied nonchalantly.

"That wasn't my point," Yoon pressed. "Is that woman truly the Guardian Crimson?"

"Or are we all hallucinating?" Hwan murmured.

Yoon, realizing he wouldn't get a straight answer, rose and retreated to the tent, seeking refuge from the scorching sun. Silence fell over the small clearing. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling Hwan's face. Yirahng, lulled by the warmth and the rhythmic sound of the waves, soon drifted off to sleep. But Hwan, though his eyes were closed, remained alert.

The eyes of a king you have, he thought, the woman's first words echoing in his mind.

Even after leaving Wicheong Palace, after braving the perils of the sea, after claiming a Sungian warship as his own, after declaring himself Guardian while his father still lived, a sliver of doubt had lingered. But the woman's words had ignited a fire within him, fueling his conviction. He had waited four years on the sea, a lifetime in his mind. He could wait a little longer.

Darkness fell swiftly over the island, the early spring air turning colder with the fading light. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Hwan's men lit bonfires, one near their leader and another beside the woman. Insects danced around the flames, their tiny bodies consumed by the fire with a soft crackle. The woman, who usually retreated to her tent before nightfall, remained on the beach, her gaze fixed on the darkening sea. It had been a full moon when the star had fallen, and with each passing day, it waned. Hwan, sensing the growing unease among his crew, finally rose from his spot beneath the tree. He trudged across the sand towards the woman, who didn't acknowledge his approach.

"Do you intend to stare at the sea forever?" he asked, his voice cutting through the stillness.

The woman blinked, her gaze still fixed on the horizon, now swallowed by the darkness. The faint scrape of steel echoed through the quiet night as Hwan drew his sword. Moonlight glinted off its polished surface as he held it aloft, the tip resting against her chin.

"Answer me," he demanded. "There's no reason to keep my men waiting for a piece of driftwood."

The woman's head tilted slightly, her eyes meeting his. "You have no patience," she stated flatly.

Hwan, accustomed to waiting, scoffed. "Finally, you speak." He sheathed his sword.

The woman remained silent. "Are you going to grace us with another word, or return to your silence for another seven days?" Hwan asked.

After a long pause, the woman finally replied. "There were many things I needed to remember."

"And have you remembered?" Hwan pressed. "Perhaps your name?"

"Sanhgjon called me Yeong(零)," she replied. "You may call me that as well."

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"Are you the Guardian of the Crimson Star?" Hwan asked.

"Sahngjon sent me here," she replied cryptically.

"Why?"

"Because it is time."

Her answers were brief, vague, offering little information. Hwan frowned. "You have a talent for speaking in riddles." he remarked sarcastically.

Hwan moved closer, sitting across from Yeong, the firelight dancing in his eyes. Yeong met his gaze. Despite her thin frame, her unassuming demeanor, and the grime that clung to her from days spent on the beach, her eyes held a strength that Hwan had never encountered before.

"How can you help me?" he asked.

Yeong shook her head. "I can only guide the king chosen by Sahngjon."

"But you said I had the eyes of a king."

"Possessing the eyes of a king does not make one a king," Yeong said. "Nor does possessing the heart of a king."

Her response struck Hwan as a mere play on words. "I am the one who will be," he declared.

"Sahngjon's will is not set in stone," Yeong replied calmly.

Hwan felt a flicker of doubt. Yeong's words were a constant source of confusion and frustration.

"Hwan," she said, her voice soft yet piercing, as if she could see through his facade.

"You know my name?" he asked, surprised.

Yeong ignored his question. "There's something you must do for me," she said.

"Tell me"

"Take me to your brother. I've met you. Now I must meet him, too."

Hwan's face hardened. Annoyance bubbled within him, but he suppressed it, unwilling to defy her. "Why?" he asked instead.

"One does not question Sahngjon's will," Yeong replied.

Hwan remained silent. A subtle smirk played on Yeong's lips. "Are you worried?" she asked. "If Sahngjon's will favors you, I will return. The path will only open for you."

Her gaze seemed to pierce through him, reading his deepest fears and insecurities. "You have the eyes of a king," she said. "Of that, you can be certain."

Hwan's gaze locked with Yeong's for a long moment. Finally, he spoke.

"I'll take you. But you must promise me two things."

"What are they?" Yeong asked.

"If Sahngjon's will favors me," Hwan began, "you will not return here. You will stay in Wicheong and remove Seong from it. And all those who refuse to accept me."

"You want me to kill your brother?" Yeong asked.

"If you are truly Sahngjon's Guardian, you'll know the best course of action."

"That is not for you to decide," Yeong countered. "Sahngjon's will is absolute."

"And one more thing," Hwan added. "Do not reveal my existence to those in Wicheong. Not until I choose to reveal myself."

"Why?"

"It's better for me to remain deceased for now," Hwan replied.

Yeong's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She considered his words for a moment, then finally spoke. "I'll keep that in mind."

Her response was noncommittal, her expression unreadable. But Hwan didn't press further. He had no doubt that Sahngjon's will would prevail, and even if Yeong had ulterior motives, there was little he could do to stop her. Further arguments would only waste energy. He rose to his feet.

"Stay here for one more day," he said. "When night falls tomorrow, I'll take you to the coast nearest Wicheong. That's all I can offer."

"That's fine," Yeong replied. "They will find me."

Her words, like her expression, remained enigmatic. Hwan turned and walked back towards his tent, leaving Yeong alone on the beach. Yirahng and Jang'gyeong Yoon, who had been watching the exchange with bated breath, hurried after him. Before Yirahng could speak, Yoon addressed Hwan.

"What did she say, Guardian?"

"She is the other Guardian," Hwan confirmed. "Her name is Yeong."

"Did she say anything else?" Yoon pressed.

Hwan stopped abruptly. "I must take her to Wicheong Palace."

"What?!" Yoon exclaimed. "Wicheong Palace?"

Yirahng, who had been listening intently, was equally shocked. "Are you insane?!" she shrieked. "You're saying you'll hand over the Guardian Crimson to Wicheong?!"

"It was her request," Hwan replied calmly. "I'll leave her on the coast near Birahng. After that, it's up to them to find her, or for her to find them. If they do find her, they'll recognize her for who she is."

Yoon was baffled. "What are you talking about?!" he exclaimed. "Why would we hand over her, a gift from the Sahngjon, to Wicheong Palace?!"

"She's not a gift," Hwan said. "Yeong came to me according to Sahngjon's plan. She knows what that plan is, and she's not willing to share it. We have no choice but to follow her lead."

"But Guardian..." Yoon began to argue.

Hwan cut him off. "Yoon, do you believe that Sahngjon's will favors me?"

Yoon met his gaze, his expression unwavering. "I have never doubted it."

"Then trust me on this," Hwan said firmly. "Neither I nor Sangjon will betray your faith."

Yoon's lips trembled. He had faced countless near-death experiences alongside Hwan, each one etched vividly in his memory. Hwan was a force of nature, a man who faced tigers and hellfire with equal audacity. His unwavering determination had earned him not only the loyalty of his crew, but also their fear. And that fear was indistinguishable from faith. Though Sahngjon's will remained shrouded in mystery, Hwan's conviction was absolute. Yoon finally bowed his head.

"I understand," he conceded.

Hwan offered a small concession to reassure him. "Yeong will eliminate Seong from Wicheong Palace."

"Did she promise that?" Yoon asked. "When will this happen?"

"I don't know," Hwan admitted.

"So we're just supposed to sit and wait again?"

Hwan shook his head. "No. We prepare to seize Wicheong."

Yirahng scoffed. "I thought you said it was a rat's nest."

"We need to control that rat's nest before we can claim the four fortresses of Birahng and open the path to Sunyahng," Hwan said, his eyes gleaming with ambition.