The Hall of Ancients still echoed behind them as Baek Sun-Ho walked beneath the archway, the weight of the past pressing against his shoulders like a mantle. The murals of old sovereigns, burned into stone with age and reverence, seemed to whisper warnings—though none he could decipher clearly.
Outside, the air was colder.
No storm, no threat. Just a silence that stretched too far to be peace.
---
That Night – Uneasy Sleep
Sun-Ho's eyes snapped open, then closed again as he sank into trance. Not quite sleep. Not quite meditation.
The world around him faded, and he stood once again in a place half-remembered.
A ruined temple.
Vines wrapped around pillars. Broken tiles etched with the sigils of the five elements. In the center stood five massive statues—each representing one elemental beast.
The Flame Dragon.
The Thunder Serpent.
The Iron Ox.
The Wind Crane.
And the Tide Leviathan.
But the sixth pedestal—plain and unmarked—sat at the center, empty.
He stepped closer.
Then came a voice.
> "You finally look like someone worthy."
He turned.
A man stepped from the shadows.
His own face, older. Sharper. Wiser—but colder.
> "I was you once," the echo said. "Before the silence. Before the mistake."
Sun-Ho said nothing.
> "You think power is the solution," the echo continued, "but what happens when you're asked to give it up?"
"I already gave up everything once," Sun-Ho replied. "This time, I'll decide what I keep."
A pause.
Then, the past self smiled—not with warmth, but with approval.
> "Good. Because what's coming will strip away all certainty."
The temple trembled.
Lightning crawled across the murals.
And as everything shattered, Sun-Ho awoke.
---
Morning – Fortress Perimeter
So-Ri sat beside him as the sun pierced the early haze. Her fan rested across her knees, unopened.
"You were thrashing again."
"Dream," Sun-Ho muttered, rubbing his face. "Or memory. I can't tell anymore."
"Was I in it?" she asked.
He turned to her with a smile. "Of course. You were lecturing me about caution while parrying a thunderbolt with your fan."
She smirked. "Then it wasn't a memory. I would've caught the thunderbolt."
Nearby, Ji-Mun staggered out of his tent, hair a tangled mop of regret. "Why do I feel like something ominous happened overnight?"
Ma-Rok stretched with a yawn, cracking his knuckles like boulders grinding. "Probably because it did. Ominous is our default now."
Master Jang appeared, sipping tea. "I did have a vision," he said.
Everyone turned.
"…In it, Ji-Mun finally bathed."
"False prophecy!" Ji-Mun yelped, drawing a laugh from everyone.
---
Later – Assembly Hall of Sects
The chamber was thick with unease. Sects from across Murim had gathered. Voices spoke softly, but tension burned beneath.
A northern envoy had been discovered unconscious near the western cliff path. Not killed—silenced. A circle of runes branded into the dirt surrounded him.
The mark was clear:
A lion's head encircled by eleven rings.
The symbol of the True Hands.
Jin Ye-Hwa, ever poised, stepped into the center of the room. Her red robes shimmered faintly under the golden lanterns. "They're not hiding anymore. This wasn't a message—it was a declaration."
The air thickened.
The Grandmaster of the Jade Palm Sect crossed his arms. "If the True Hands move openly, we should act before they strike."
Another spoke. "And do what? Open war?"
Murmurs rose.
Sun-Ho, standing calmly in the back, stepped forward without raising his voice.
> "They already declared war. We're just deciding how long we pretend it hasn't begun."
All eyes turned.
Even the elders who disapproved of his candidacy leaned forward.
Jin Ye-Hwa's eyes gleamed. "Well said, Sovereign."
"Don't call me that," Sun-Ho said. "I'm here as Baek Sun-Ho. Nothing more."
"Then perhaps you should speak tomorrow," the head of the Eastern Branch suggested. "Let the people see what you stand for."
Sun-Ho nodded. "I will."
---
That Night – Training Grounds
He stood beneath the moon, his bare feet pressed into the earth, qi swirling like a tempest through his veins.
Flames curled along his arms—but beside them, threads of lightning danced like impatient snakes.
He focused.
Control.
Balance.
Thunder cracked far in the distance, as if answering him.
So-Ri approached with slow steps, cloak pulled tight. She didn't interrupt until the energy faded.
"You're pushing yourself."
He exhaled. "I can feel something approaching. A storm that isn't just political. The kind of threat we can't argue down."
She studied his face. "Will you burn it away?"
He looked at his hands.
"…Maybe."
"You're not alone, Sun-Ho," she said, softer now.
He smiled. "I know. That's what makes me dangerous."
She stayed beside him until the fire in his breath settled into warmth.
---
Bonus Closing Scene – Morning Banter
Yul-Rin set breakfast with a triumphant grin. "This time, no lotus oil. Just dried pork and rice gruel."
Ji-Mun poked his bowl. "You say that…"
Master Jang poured tea. "I sensed no poisons."
Ma-Rok took a bite and beamed. "Crunchy! That's new."
Yeon scribbled on his slate and held it up:
"That was a rock."
Ji-Mun froze mid-bite. "Wait. What was a rock?"
Everyone laughed—except Ji-Mun.
Sun-Ho looked around the group—mismatched, eccentric, unwavering—and felt the knot in his chest loosen.
Tomorrow, the storm would come.
But tonight, they were together.
---
End of Chapter 110 – Echoes That Bleed