Milo:

A sharp whistle cut through the air, slicing through the chaos like a blade. It was loud, too sudden, too out of place. Everything froze for a split second.

Then, without warning, every single one of the cloaked figures turned and sprinted toward the sound. Just like that, they were gone, leaving Sang-min and me standing there, still braced for a fight that wasn’t happening anymore.

I stood there, breathing hard, my bow still raised.

What the hell just happened? "They’re… gone?" I muttered, barely able to believe what I was seeing.

Sang-min’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the trees. "They’re not gone. They’re after her."

Orla.

My stomach dropped. I turned toward the trees, toward where I’d last seen her, but the forest was too thick. She was gone. Just like that.

"No… no, no, no…" I whispered, panic clawing up my throat. Without thinking, I started running after them, but Sang-min grabbed my arm and yanked me back hard.

"It’s no use," he growled. "They’re on horseback. You’ll never catch up."

I wrenched my arm free, chest heaving. "I have to try! I need to save her!"

Sang-min’s eyes were grim. "You don’t get it. They’re the Black Lotus."

The name meant nothing to me. "Who the hell are the Black Lotus? And why would they want Orla?"

Before he could answer, the sound of hooves thundered through the trees. My heart slammed against my ribs as Raven burst through the underbrush, wild-eyed and breathing hard—but alone.

No Orla.

"Raven!" I ran to him, grabbing his reins as he tossed his head, still spooked. My hands shook as I tried to calm him, my mind racing. "Orla… where’s Orla?"

Raven’s panic told me everything I needed to know.

"They’ve got her," Sang-min said.

I gripped the reins so tight my knuckles went white. She was gone. The Black Lotus had taken her. But why?

Sang-min exhaled sharply. "They’re not just some random mercenaries. The Black Lotus is an elite force—handpicked by the king to do his dirty work."

I turned to him, confusion twisting through me. "The king? What king?"

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Sang-min gave me a look. "You really aren’t from here, are you?"

"Clearly."

He sighed. "Th Great King Gyeonhwi. Or as people like to call him, The Drunken King. He rules this land, and lately, he’s been on a mission."

The name struck something in my brain—familiar, but just out of reach. I’d heard it before, somewhere. But I couldn’t place it.

I frowned. "What mission? Does he know about us? About Orla?"

Sang-min shook his head, his grip on his daggers tightening. "The king’s looking for a new consort. Word is his queen can’t produce an heir, let alone a male one. So, he’s been sending his men—the Black Lotus—to search the kingdom for women who fit his… preferences."

I stared at him. "Consort?" The word tasted wrong in my mouth. "Why the hell would they take Orla? She’s not from here. How would they even know about her?"

Sang-min held my gaze. "I don’t know. But once the Black Lotus leader sets his sights on a woman, she’s as good as gone. And from the way they’ve been tracking us, they’ve been after her for a while."

The realization hit me hard. The attacks. The relentless pursuit. It had all been aimed at her. They had wanted her from the moment we got here. But how? How could they have known? The men I fought were dead. No one should have known we existed.

"This is insane," I muttered.

Sang-min’s face hardened. "The king believes in a prophecy. Some shaman told him he’s destined to wed a great deity. It’s complete nonsense, but he’s desperate. For years, he’s been taking women, hoping one of them will fulfill his so-called fate. Orla… she might be the next in his twisted game."

My stomach turned. Orla had barely escaped one wedding. Now she was being forced into another. My fists clenched, rage boiling beneath my skin.

And then it hit me—Sang-min had known. Maybe not everything, but something.

"You knew, didn’t you?" My voice was sharp. "After the ambush last night, you had to know who they were. Why didn’t you say anything? You just let it happen!"

Sang-min didn’t flinch. "I wasn’t sure," he said evenly. "It was dark. I couldn’t get a good look at their uniforms. I thought they were just bandits, maybe after my rice or supplies. I didn’t realize what it was until now."

"That’s not good enough!" My frustration boiled over. "You should’ve warned us! We could’ve stopped this!"

Sang-min’s eyes flashed. "I’m not responsible for this. I agreed to get you to Seongjin-ri, nothing more. If you want to blame me, fine. But don’t expect me to stick around if that’s how it’s gonna be."

I exhaled sharply, trying to reel myself in. He was right. This wasn’t his fight. "Look… I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t mean to snap."

For a moment, fighting side by side, it had felt like working with Yoo again—like we had each other’s backs. But this wasn’t Seoul. This wasn’t a choreographed performance. And Sang-min wasn’t Yoo. He didn’t owe me anything.

I ran a hand over my face, trying to think. "I just… I need a minute. I have to figure out what to do next."

Sang-min kicked a loose pebble, silent for a moment. The wind rustled the trees, filling the quiet between us.

Finally, he sighed. "We’re less than half a day’s walk from Seongjin-ri. You could stop there, get supplies. Maybe even help. If they took her to the king’s palace, my village is on the way to the capital of Gwonseong."

I looked up, surprised he was still offering anything after our argument. "You’d still take me there?"

He shrugged. "To Seongjin-ri? Yeah. But if you’re serious about helping her, you’ll need more than what you’ve got."

He was right. I didn’t have much of a choice. Charging in blind would only get me killed.

I glanced at him. This wasn’t the time to lose an ally. I exhaled, nodding. "Alright. Lead the way. We stop in Seongjin-ri, get what we need… then I figure out our next move."

Sang-min gave a short nod and turned toward his rice cart. I hesitated, then grabbed Raven’s reins and hopped on. My heart still pounded, my mind racing, but one thing was clear—

Orla was out there. And I had to find her.

I nudged Raven forward, following Sang-min down the trail. There was no turning back now.

©Sky Mincharo