"This is incredible, Minjae," Seung exclaimed, leaping over the stepping stone. He adjusted his eyes to the dark and looked in wonder at the small room.

Shyly, Minjae approached a rolled bed in a dark corner of the cavernous chamber. She hadn't visited the cave in months, and its surfaces were coated in a thick layer of grime. Carefully, she pulled off the top sheet, coughing when a puff of dust rose into the air, and set it aside, revealing another layer beneath. She spread the cleaner cloth on the ground, unrolled the bed, and gestured for Seung to sit.

Next, she lit a small lamp.

The chamber had a small chest by the bed. A few water pitchers lined one side of the wall. There were some smaller jars of what looked like pickled food. Half of the floor was covered by hemp.

A stack of manuscripts found a home by the chest in this unlikeliest of places.

Carrying the lantern to the small chest, Minjae carefully placed it on the floor and dragged the chest closer to her. Inserting a key, she turned it, opening the lid.

"When Ko Yoon put me on that boat, he sent this chest with me; the boatmen already knew where to take me. It was my grandmother's chest, the one she wanted me to have when I left home with my husband." She looked up and gave him a smile. The lantern light made her amber eyes twinkle.

Seung tried to ignore the twinge in his heart at the thought of how lonely and scared she must have been to hide in a place like this, the pain catching him unaware at the back of his throat. He swallowed, looking away, just to gather himself and not let her see how much this was affecting him.

All the cruel words he had said to her in anger came rushing back. Even though it had been weeks, the acid of his own words to her still gnawed at him. Every time Gil-ae slighted her, the wounds went deeper. Even though he knew he was not in a position to have known any of this, it didn't lessen his guilt that he wasn't there to protect her. Or be there for her.

She was the bravest person he had ever met. And somehow, she always knew what he was thinking.

Minjae rose and walked closer to him. "Dari, don't do this to yourself," she said, her voice softer than the gentle stream of water over shining rocks.

She intertwined her hand with his and dragged him to the chest. One by one, the treasures inside the box turned into a pile on the bed. Seung watched her intently as she picked up each ornament and told him stories behind it.

"This belonged to my great grandfather's Aunt,

"This was my mother's favourite ornament.

"My grandfather bought this one on his first government posting for my grandmother"-

He could listen to her for hours. She showed him the gold and silver bars, the coins, the norigaes.

There was enough in that chest to buy a small kingdom. Minjae could have gone anywhere with that money, hidden, and never had anyone find her again.

Yet she chose to stay, endangering herself every day by not only lowering her status as a medicine woman but also serving sick people and using the money instead to create an elaborate network to rescue abused women. The same network that a few bastards infiltrated and put her life in danger. His jaw clenched. He would find them. He would find them and tear them apart limb by limb.

Even though he had known all of this, seeing it with his own eyes filled his heart with an emotion he could not identify.

He raised his knuckles to trace her jaw. "How long have you had this place to hide in?"

"Since I came to the island," Minjae replied. "I feel comfortable in forests. When we were hiding in the mountains during the last Barbarian invasion, Grandmother taught me a lot about living in the mountains and caves. It helps that I know the roots and herbs so well—I never go hungry."

Seung tilted his head curiously. "How did you get these things in here? I could barely crawl through the opening we just came through."

Minjae nodded, carefully replacing the contents of the chest and closing it. "There's another entrance on the other side that leads to the stream."

"The stream is on the other side of this cave?" Seung asked, intrigued.

Minjae dropped the key in her sleeve and moved the chest back to its original position. "Yes. The other opening is a ledge overlooking the stream. If you're outside, you might not realise the ledge is part of a cave."

Seung's brow furrowed. "But can you climb to it from outside?"

"You can if you know how," Minjae said with a small smile. "You have to climb up first and then descend to get inside." She walked over to a small wall that jutted out of the larger wall. Minjae dropped to her knees and crawled behind a small barrier jutting out from the massive cave wall. She motioned for Seung to follow, pushing a rock aside to reveal a narrow opening. Without hesitation, she ducked into the passage, her voice echoing faintly as she moved ahead.

Seung followed, the cool air brushing against his face as the tight passage twisted and turned. After a short crawl, they emerged into a larger, open space.

Nimbly jumping off a ledge, Minjae landed on a larger ledge below and then stepped onto scattered boulders of various sizes before landing on the floor. Seung followed her quickly.

They emerged into an enormous, barren cave, where light streamed from an opening above, concealed by a wall-like structure. Rope ladders were hanging on the side of what looked like a narrow platform that hid behind that wall. Jagged rocks jutted out everywhere the eyes could see, and a part of the wall was moist. A corner of the cave had a small, dry hole.

"When it rains heavily, water collects there," Minjae explained.

"This can hold many people," Seung said. "But it would be hard to get pregnant women here."

"I'm hoping it won't come to that. We can get them away from danger much earlier."

They found their way to the outside ledge, and Seung's jaw dropped.

"I wish you had brought me here too—we could have hidden together," Seung said with a laugh, his eyes shining as he took in the rolling hills of evergreen trees and the gushing waters below.

The ledge wasn't too high to be dangerous but too high to climb from below. Seung sat on the edge and dangled his legs. He looked up at Minjae, patting the space beside him, a grin splitting his face.

With a wry smile, Minjae lowered herself next to him.

Something was so perfect about this moment.

"What are you thinking, Dari?"

"That chest you showed me," he said. "It's not safe in that cave."

She sighed. "I didn't know where else to keep it. At first, it was in Unnie's grandmother's room. Then I moved it earlier this year after you came back with your family."

"Why?"

"I was afraid you would see it and figure out who I was," she said, almost inaudibly.

"How? It was full of things I have never laid my eyes on."

"You would ask questions about everything. Moreover, the chest has my grandfather's name engraved on it inside."

Seung nodded understandingly.

"Also, it had the dress you gave me," she murmured. "But then I decided to keep it with me anyway." A small laughter escaped from her chest.

"Do you miss it?" Seung asked. "The dress, I mean."

"It was never mine; it was always Gil-ae's. It has the lace your father bought for her."

It was true. Seung had the dress stitched for Gil-ae as a surprise, and she was supposed to wear it on his wedding day. Yet now, it felt wrong. Once Minjae wore it, it belonged to her. Not that she would ever see it that way, and his sister had not been her usual self once she learned the truth to appreciate having Minjae as her sister-in-law.

"You are too kind for your own good," Seung sighed, pulling her closer. He laid his hand on her shoulder, his fingers light but firm on the wool covering her skin.

"I'm sure Soo Hyun would disagree," Minjae said.

Seung snorted.

"Can I ask you something?"

In reply, his thumb traced a circle on her shoulder.

"Why do you hate Soo Hyun so much?"

Moving away a bit, he bent his head awkwardly so he could look at her, his brow lifting in askance.

"She was also my father's victim," Minjae said, her eyes curious.

Shaking his head, Seung turned and looked down at the shimmering water, intertwining his free hand with her slender fingers lying in her lap and giving it a soft squeeze. "I don't hate her. But I don't like the idea of having her in my house either. And she does not escape punishment just because of her history. She could have confided in me, too. But she tried to take your place despite knowing who you were. She is still trying to hurt you. That is something I'll never forgive."

Minjae's mouth fell open. "How-"

"I'm not blind, and I know everything that goes on in this house. I have eyes and ears everywhere," he said, though there was a touch of that old arrogance that made Minjae smile. "If it wasn't for you being so concerned about your father finding out about us earlier than he needs to, she would have been long gone."

Minjae had learned that there were a few things Seung didn't compromise.

Seung gently pulled her closer. The stream's liquid force hummed musically, the soft winter sun highlighting the white foam of bubbles that rose where the pebbles waylaid the dancing water.

"I love water," Seung said.

"I love you," Minjae said, looking down at the gushing stream.

They sat there together, sighing deeply, happily, and for that short while, forgetting everything about the gloom of war pounding their soil not too far from their currently safe island.

∞

A quick, quiet visit to Han So-Ye had been enough to persuade her to seek a meeting with the monks in the mountains.

"Unnie, I don't want to go alone," Pyo Ye-ri's lips quivered, her eyes wide in fright.

"I promise I will join you soon. Just remember you must be brave and take care of halemoni," Minjae said soothingly. The young girl nodded her head, uncertainty framing her vulnerable face as her thin arms went around Minjae. "Come soon, Unnie," Yeri cried into her midriff. Minjae patted her head comfortingly.

"I will. Now go," Minjae tried to keep her throat unclogged. The truth was, nothing was certain in a war. Would she see Pyo Ye-ri or the old woman she called grandmother for the last five years again?

She silently watched Pyo Ye-ri making her way to the bobbing boat in the distance, already filled with several young, pregnant and old women from the village. This was the seventh and the last boat before they opened the rescue to the Yangban women on the island.

"It's dangerous, but ah! Anything to hoodwink those bastards," Han So-ye said, a sly smile lifting her mouth, her eyes gleaning.

"How is Ko-Yoon?" Minjae asked. Ko Yoon was supposed to coordinate with Soye, but he had recently been severely wounded in a crossfire when the land forces went to aid the naval boats in a skirmish.

"I'm not sure; I haven't had an update in a while," So-Ye said.

A light powdery fluff fell on them, sticking to their scarves and heavy winter coats. Minjae felt her boots sink some more into the mushy white ground beneath her.

"Do you think Captain Park is doing all right?" Han So-Ye asked suddenly.

Surprised by the question, Minjae thoughtfully studied her friend. When Seung had told her that Park had been in love with Han So-Ye and was saving money to buy her freedom from the state, she'd been shocked. How had she been so blind?

"You've loved him for so long, So-ye-ah. Why did you never tell me?"

Han So-Ye's expression hardened. "Go and arrange for the first group of Yangban women we need to move," she said, effectively cutting off any further discussion about Captain Park.

Minjae gave her friend a steady look. "Don't change the subject. Why?"

A shadow flickered across Han So-Ye's face. "What difference would it have made?"

"You kept pushing us together even though we were never interested in each other," Minjae said, her voice tinged with confusion and hurt.

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"You are the kind of woman who could have made him happy. Moreover, I hoped maybe he would move on and not be a disappointment to his family."

"It was not fair on either of us, Han So-Ye," Minjae said.

Han So-Ye shrugged. "It kept men like Inspector Ka away from you."

Minjae's mouth thinned. "I can take care of myself."

Han So Ye sighed. "You could have fallen in love. Your husband was a nutcase, and had Commander Lee not come to the island, then who knows..."

A soft laugh escaped Minjae. "I could never be with Captain Park or any other man. The man I loved all my life ensured I could never think of anyone else."

Han So Ye scoffed. "Until that handsome man came and trampled all your ideas of ideal love." She paused. "Wait, who was it that you loved all your life? You never told me anything!"

Brushing the snow off her skirt, Minjae pressed her lips. Could she confide in Han So Ye? No one knew the extent of her relationship with Seung. Kim I-On did, but with her new baby and the Governor's house being a pit of all things political as the war raged in the mainland, her visit to her best friend had become sporadic. Even Kim Da Bom didn't know the details. No one did.

"I want to tell you a story," Minjae said softly. "But we will need some sustenance because it's a long one."

They quickly made their way back to the Keisang house. It was good to be out of the bitter cold and snow covering every inch of the foliage.

A few claps from Han So-Ye and maids appeared with trays full of food. War or no, Han So Ye's kitchen was always overflowing.

"It all started when a woman died after giving birth to a little girl years ago," Minjae began.

Four cups of tea, and two hours later, Minjae sank back to her cushion, her eyes trained on a vague spot across the floor.

For the first time, Minjae didn't leave out anything. Not even the shards of fear that she felt every time Seung was away from her.

The tea in front of Han So-Ye had grown cold. She had not touched anything. In fact, she had not moved in the time Minjae told her story.

Words had never been Minjae's refuge, yet here she was, having poured out every scar, every secret. For a long moment, the room was hollow and still, as if even the walls dared not breathe. Han So-Ye blinked once, her lips parting as if to speak, but no sound emerged. Only her eyes—wide, glassy and yet filling again to add to the rivulets cascading down her cheeks—betrayed the depth of emotions she fought to contain.

When she moved, it was like she was eighty-five instead of twenty-five, and then sank next to Minjae, folding Minjae into her arms with fierce tenderness as though trying to shield her from the weight of her own past. So-Ye patted her back soothingly.

"The man this entire kingdom reveres is nought but a disgrace cloaked in honour. Your father is unworthy of your filial piety, Minjae," Han So-Ye said feelingly.

Something dark twisted inside Minjae. It was easier said than done.

Han Soye looked lost for a moment. "So, the real Minjae, my beautiful little friend...."

"I'm sorry, Han Soye, for lying to you and pretending to be someone I never was," Minae twisted her fingers in her lap.

"I always knew something was off when I saw you again. She was a pretty child, and even if it had been years, it seemed unbelievable someone would look so different after growing up. But you are so beautiful, and Kim Seo-jun proclaimed you his daughter, so no one dared question him and took him for face value."

"She saved my life and gave me hers. And I am so ashamed of being Choi Jina -"

"Hush. You are and always will be my dearest friend, Kim Minjae. I don't know when, but one day, you will be the proud Lady Choi that everyone will know and respect. And never forget you walked through fire to get your man. Never let him go."

Han So-Ye rocked Minjae as the tumultuous emotions within her died down.

"Also, I'm going to teach you some tricks," Han So Ye's eyes twinkled. "He will never know what hit him," she giggled.

Shaking her head, Minjae pushed at her friend. "Don't think I don't remember -"

Han So-Ye put her hand on Minjae's mouth, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't know!" She removed her hand and put her palm on her cheek, which was now flaming. "You recognised him right away, didn't you?"

Minjae nodded, reminded of that first painful night when she had realised Seung was back in her life.

"You must have felt so hurt," Han So-Ye looked down.

"I was. But then Dari thought he didn't have a filial wife to return to, so I can't hold it against him or you."

"I was foolish. I wanted to hurt Captain Park," Soye said sadly. "His mother had visited me right before and said some nasty things. I thought - I thought if I went with someone, someone really powerful, he would finally rid himself of me."

Grabbing Soye's small, warm hands in her, Minjae gave a slight squeeze. "That is not how ways of the heart work, Soye. You should have given Captain Park a chance."

"I understand that now, but it's too late. I was angry and heartbroken. But did I not tell you Commander Lee's heart was not there? I have never met a man who could be so distant mentally. You make him whole, Minjae."

Minjae's face softened, red blooming her cheeks.

"And I am going to teach you those tricks, My Lady," she continued. She retrieved a stack of books, leaving Minjae teetering between mortified embarrassment and uncontainable excitement.

"He is never going to leave you alone," Han So Ye smiled widely.

She was still blushing, her heart feeling lighter in years as Minjae left.

"Did you come alone?" Han So-Ye called after her.

"I told you I can take care of myself," Minjae retorted.

"Are you mad? Do you know how dangerous it is? People stay indoors unless it's absolutely urgent. I barely have any clients anymore, and the roads are deserted. If something were to happen to you, no one would know until it was too late!" So-ye's eyes narrowed. "You are going to the hospital."

"It's a quick visit, and I only want to check on Ko-Yoon," Minjae's voice rose, firm with determination.

Han So-Ye crossed her arms. "Does Commander Lee know?"

At that, Minjae paused. Seung had, in no uncertain terms, forbidden her to travel anywhere alone, no matter how close her destination was to home. The hospital had been off-limits for a very long time.

She, of course, didn't always obey him.

∞

Lee Seung dismounted with practised ease, his shoulders were taut with exhaustion from a day spent securing defence routes and distributing supplies to villagers. The grim reality of war etched deeper lines into his brow.

He looked forward to the calm that Minjae brought to him, her soothing voice to tide him over, and her soft curves, a refuge from all that was wrong in the world. His muscles ached, but his need for her eclipsed all other aches. He wanted to bury himself inside her.

He bounded up the steps to her chamber, only to find it empty.

The sun was going down rapidly, and it was unlikely that she would be out this late.

As he approached the main hall, hushed voices reached his ears.

"Hospital?" Gil Ae's voice was strained.

"Yes, my lady. I had a doubt when I saw her maid coming back alone. So I made some inquiries."

A horrified gasp reached his ears.

Minjae had been to the hospital? Alone?

Ordinarily, Seung wouldn't dream of curbing her independence. However, Prince Bongrim's stormy mood and lingering disapproval of Minjae's presence in Seung's household loomed heavily over the situation. They could not afford to alienate the Prince. One never knew when a Royal could lose his temper and order something unthinkable, like her arrest for disobeying a royal edict. Minjae knew it very well.

"I also have it in good confidence that His Highness is peeved with Royal Commander Lee because of her presence in this household. She is also in the sore eyes of Consort Gwe-in for overstepping."

How did this woman manage to gather so much news despite being demoted to being little better than a slave?

"That's because they don't know the truth about Lady Jina being Oraboni's wife," Gil-ae said, and Seung's heart warmed at his sister's defence of Minjae.

"What is the truth, my lady? The one that you know or the one that people see?" Soo Hyun hissed. "Minjae is not fit to be his wife. She's too willful, too independent. A proper woman knows her place and serves her husband without question."

Seung froze, his blood turning molten.

Before Seung could step forward, Gil-ae's hesitant voice joined, "She has changed. That was not how she was raised. She was supposed to be filial and obedient."

"You see?" Soo Hyun pressed. "Minjae acts like she belongs in a man's world. She embarrasses him. Men like Commander Lee cannot afford a wife who stands on equal footing. He tolerates her now, but the day will come when he realises what a liability she truly is."

The air crackled with tension. Before either could utter another word, Seung strode in, his presence thunderous.

"Enough!" His voice reverberated through the room like an unsheathed blade. Soo Hyun flinched, lowering her gaze, trembling.

A sharp surge of anger burned through Seung's chest. He stepped out from the shadows, his voice low and lethal. "How dare you utter her name with your dirty mouth?"

Soo Hyun's face paled, her mouth opening and closing like a fish caught on dry land. Gil-ae's eyes widened in shock.

"Oraboni—" Gil-ae began, but he cut her off, his gaze locked onto Soo Hyun.

Soo Hyun went down on her knees. "Forgive me, Dari, I know it's not my place, and you can rip my tongue for it, but you defend her unreasonably," Soo Hyun said, bending some more in fake supplication that made Weung's blood boil. "Lady Choi defies you—everyone sees it! She walks in places meant for men. She is putting everyone in danger and disgrace."

Seung's expression darkened, his voice dangerously quiet. "The only disgrace here is your petty scheming."

"How can you be such a hypocrite!" Gil-ae burst out, trembling with emotion. "You let her do what no other woman can! You have one rule for her and another for the rest of us! You never hold her accountable."

Seung's anger faltered for a heartbeat, replaced by something deeper—regret, sorrow.

"You think I don't hold her accountable?" His voice broke slightly.

"No, you don't, Oraboni!"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Soo Hyun's face twisted with frustration, but she held her tongue. But Gil-ae's breath only increased until it turned into a sob.

What happened to his sweet little sister? She used to love everything about Minjae, yet now...

Seung took a steadying breath. "I have tolerated much in this household... but not this." His voice turned cold again. "If either of you dares to speak against Minjae again, you will find there are far worse enemies than the world outside our gates."

Gil-ae's lips thinned, and she looked past him over his shoulder. Seung followed her line of gaze.

Woo Sari, Minjae's maid, hovered anxiously near the gate.

"You are so blind for her, Oraboni!" Gil ae said bitterly.

His chest constricted. Seung advanced towards Woo Sari, fists clenched. "Where is Minjae?"

Before Sari could stammer a reply, Seung saw her—a small procession of Han Soye's guards escorting Minjae toward the gate. Relief warred with mounting fury.

When Minjae crossed the threshold, her eyes lit up when she saw Seung and a warm smile graced her face before she saw Gil-ae and Soo Hyun behind him. Her expression turned unreadable.

Seung seized her arm, dragging her toward the inner courtyard.

"Where were you?" His voice was hoarse with restrained rage.

Minjae yanked at her arm. "Dari! You are hurting me."

He let her go, but his mouth was pinched into a thin line.

"You went out alone—after everything—after I told you never to do so again?"

"I went to see Grandmother and Pyo Ye-ri off," she replied quietly so only he would hear.

Seung's eyes softened for a moment, and then he asked, "At the hospital?"

Shock flitted across her eyes. "How-"

"Alone." He glanced at Woo Sari, who now stood behind Minjae, a worried expression on her face. "You were planning to hide it from me?" Seung's voice was cold.

"No, I would not have hidden it from you, Dari. But were you even planning to tell me Ko Yoon was injured?"

Seung cursed under his breath and looked away.

"It's been five days! And he is not doing well. His wounds needed sutures, and if he does not get enough attention it will turn putrid -"

His jaw tightened. "You think you're invincible? Do you know what can happen if His Highness finds out you went to that hospital and, worse, attended to a man? That network you are so proud of is now infiltrated by people who want to see you hanging because they need a scapegoat, and you are being arrogant and reckless!"

It was a low blow, and she could see the regret in Seung's eyes the moment those words were out of his mouth. But he didn't take them back.

Her eyes blazed. "I know exactly what could happen. It only means control trumps humanity. All of you would rather see a man die of neglect than have him attended by someone who has the cure only because she is a woman. He is more than a younger brother to me, and I - I cannot—will not—stand idle and watch him die because of your misplaced sense of control."

His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Is that what you think? That I seek control over you? I am trying to protect you."

Minjae's breath hitched, her voice trembling but fierce. "You cannot protect someone by caging them, Dari. I will not live as a prisoner of your fears."

They stared at each other, the wind howling around them, their breaths ragged from anger and something far deeper—something neither could name.

Seung turned away first, his hands trembling. He didn't miss Soo Hyun's raised eyebrows and Gil ae's slack expression. He could not decide what terrified him more—the danger she courted or the possibility that she was right. Or the fact that maybe Gil-ae was right.

"You are my wife! From today on, I forbid you from stepping out of this house without Woo Sari and my guards." His voice dropped, an unreadable expression taking over his face as he said in a voice that only she could hear. "And you will leave on the first boat that leaves this island with the Yangban women."

Minjae felt blood rush out of her face and tingle in her extremities.

"You don't mean that, Dari," her voice quivered.

Seung's eyes shuttered as he turned and walked away from her stunned face. Minjae watched him retreat, her heart pounding, her throat feeling like it was filled with sand. She hated the distance that loomed between them more than she feared any threat beyond the gates.

She could not, would not, leave things as they were. Though they didn't know what happened, Minjae didn't miss the smug expressions on Soo Hyun's face or Gil-ae's shocked ones.

Taking a deep breath, she calmly made her way to Seung's chambers.

Hands grabbed at her sides, spinning her around and pinning her to a column as soon as she stepped in and closed the door behind her. Seung's body pressed hers, his hands grabbing her wrists in his fists above her head.

"You put yourself and us in danger today," he ground out.

Minjae looked up at his brown, liquid eyes, the hurt in them twisting the band on her heart. They pulled her in, the way they always had. "I'm sorry. I only wanted to see Ko Yoon. I won't do it again."

"This is not the first time. You have been going to see off the boats every time they leave the island, knowing full well how dangerous it is!"

She had nothing to reply, knowing he was right. She swallowed. "Today was the last one." She dared another look. "But I won't leave you. I won't. I have my cave. I'll hide there when the time comes."

"I won't change my mind. You are leaving," Seung said, his chest heaving against hers. "I won't lose you again. This is going to be over soon, I know it in my bones. I'll fetch you right after."

Minjae shook her head. Her heart thumped frantically in dismay. "No."

Seung swallowed the rest of her words as he crushed her mouth with his. There was no pause as his hands released her wrists. He tugged at her hanbok and bunched her skirt around her hips, grasping her thighs to wrap them around his waist. His fingers found the inlet of her underpants and tore at it, finding her soft, moist core with fingers that went slick.

"Dari!" She gasped, throwing her head back, only to find his lips following the column of her throat.

"So ready for me, always," he said guttarily. He held her tight against him, shifting their position while he walked to the wall behind the column, pushing her against it. He entered her in one swift motion, the frames on the wall digging Minjae's back. Her petite frame quivered with pleasure at the invasion.

"You think I want to let you leave, Minjae?" His voice was tortured.

"Then don't," she grasped him tighter with her heels locked at her ankles around his torso.

"You are not safe here. Someone saw you today at the hospital, and it won't be long before the word reaches His Highness," Seung didn't stop pounding her, his anguish transferring to her in pulsing beats.

"I'll not -" A hard shove of his hips into her, so deep that she didn't know where he ended and where she started.

Minjae's nails dug in his shoulder cords in a delirious response.

"Let you-" he slammed into her again.

Minjae moaned in reply.

"Make me feel powerless," his grunt was passionate, his despair transparent.

Minjae dropped her forehead on his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut at the pain and pleasure wracking her body.

"I'm not leaving you," she whispered, and he reached out between them, his fingers weaving a spell on the apex of her nerves as he balanced her weight with one hand.

His eyes were hooded as he watched an energy burst from her like a crackling flame spitting a shower of embers. "Not leave me, but be safe for me," he said before he joined her as she rode into ecstasy, shuddering his release into her messily.

Minjae crumpled the fabric on his back, resting her cheek in the hollow of his shoulder.

Their heartbeats surged together, an untamed rhythm that filled the silence between them. At some point, the sun had dipped completely, leaving the chamber in a soft play of dark and light.

For all his fury and fear, she knew one truth: she would never leave his side.