Three days had passed since the fighting at Eralsa came to an end. Stationed inside the stone walls of Goryeong Fortress while waiting on formal orders from high command, Kei made his way down the quiet infirmary hallway to check on Vincent.
Vincent remained unconscious, though his breathing was steady and his vitals had stabilized. Haein sat in a wooden chair beside the cot, arms folded over her chest, keeping a quiet vigil.
"Now that the dust has settled," Haein said, breaking the silence without looking away from Vincent's resting face, "I suppose we can finally turn our attention back to the Heavenly Crystals."
"We still need word from the Shogun first," Kei answered, leaning against the doorframe. "Vincent and Yul took down a commander, and we held the line. That should be enough to hold up our end of the bargain."
"I received a wisp from Deikher earlier," Haein said, glancing back toward him. "He said a massive Gate of Abaddon tore open straight out of the sky near Vladimuskov, raining hundreds of fiends down across the plains."
"From the sky?" Kei's brow furrowed. "That's new. They've always opened on solid ground before."
"Byron took a hit during the fighting, but Deikher said he'll pull through." Haein exhaled slowly. "The rifts are getting worse everywhere, Kei. We need real answers about those crystals, and fast."
Kei fell quiet for a moment, turning the thought over. "How is Yul doing?"
Before Haein could answer, the door swung open, and Yejin stepped into the room. "He's resting comfortably," she said, offering a small, reassuring smile. "The Crown Princess came by to visit him personally earlier."
Haein tilted her head, curious. "The Crown Princess? Are the two of them... together?"
Yejin's brow furrowed for a second before the phrasing clicked. "Oh." She gave a light, knowing nod. "It's never been officially declared and many don't know about it, but yes. The Emperor hasn't opposed it, at least not so far."
Kei turned his attention to Yejin, studying her carefully. "And you? How are you holding up?"
"Much better, thank you." Her expression softened, her gaze meeting his with genuine warmth. "Thank you for saving my life, Kei. Again." She paused, shaking her head slightly. "I heard about your clash with the First Commander. Do you realize how few people in this entire empire could stand toe-to-toe with Scorpio like that? My father, my brother, Grandmaster Yoo, and perhaps Seon-Gak Lai Zhin Te. That's the entire list. You've grown remarkably strong since we first met."
"It wasn't enough," Kei said flatly. "I couldn't bring him down."
"No one expects a single warrior to capture the First Commander, or the Second," Yejin said gently. "The top three leaders of the Southern Alliance — Zarbosa, Scorpio, and Ursa — are walking natural disasters. People say their raw physical might rivals the Nephilims from ancient period."
"The nephilims?" Kei let out a quiet breath.
"In any case," Yejin continued, "my father confirmed that as soon as Vincent wakes up, the four of us — you, Vincent, Yul, and myself — will be officially awarded imperial military badges and a thousand kyeols each for slaying the Third Commander and repelling the First."
"The gold and the badges don't matter," Kei said, his voice dropping into business. "What about our petition to enter Shengyowon?"
"The imperial letter is being drafted as we speak," Yejin replied. "But I must warn you: do not assume Mistress Sheng Lizhan will simply open the doors. She is cold, unyielding, and entirely independent. Even an imperial decree from the Emperor himself can be turned away at her gate if she sees no worth in it."
Kei sighed.
Haein looked between them, her jaw tightening. "Then we find another way inside, Kei."
Yejin straightened, her eyes narrowing with sudden concern. "You aren't suggesting an infiltration, are you?"
"Vincent explained our mission to you, Princess," Kei said calmly. "We cannot afford to sit on our hands while the world's barriers collapse."
"It's far too dangerous," Yejin warned. "Mistress Lizhan is an extraordinary practitioner. Many believe her strength sits on the same tier as my father or Master Yoo. Sneaking past her guards is near impossible."
Kei held her gaze. "If the Emperor's letter fails, would you help us get inside?"
Yejin froze, caught off guard by the directness of the request.
"I don't want to break the trust we've built with the empire," Kei added, glancing briefly at Vincent before looking back at her. "The alliance Vincent negotiated is valuable to all of us."
Yejin looked at him for a long heartbeat, then let out a slow, yielding breath. "I understand. Your intention is good. If the formal request is rejected, I will speak directly with Maiden Raine."
"Who is Maiden Raine?" Kei asked.
"Mistress Lizhan's daughter," Yejin explained. "She is the sole heir to Shengyowon, and a close personal friend of mine. If anyone can help us reach the Mistress, it's her, and maybe she could persuade her mother."
"Good," Kei said, giving a single nod. "That gives us a path forward."
The door flew open again, and Tsuyu stepped inside with a bright, energetic smile. "There you all are! What's everyone doing crowded in a sickroom?"
"Just discussing our next steps," Yejin replied.
"Well, Lady Yejin, I think you should take them out for some fresh air," Tsuyu said, gesturing toward the courtyard outside. "It's their first time seeing Goryeong properly."
"Actually, it's my second time here," Kei noted. "Vincent and I came through with Yul before."
"Right, right, forgot about that." Tsuyu waved a hand dismissively. "Still! The market stalls are open, the food carts are out, and it's lively out there. A little walking around would do you both good after that awful battle."
"Thank you for the thought, Commander Tsuyu," Haein said, settling back into her chair beside Vincent. "But if it's all the same, I'd rather stay here and keep watch over Vincent."
"Commander Tsuyu sounds far too grand," Tsuyu laughed, waving off the title. "I'm not royalty like Yejin. Just call me Tsuyu."
A faint, polite smile touched Haein's lips. "Tsuyu, then."
Kei made to pull up another chair to stay behind as well, but Yejin caught him by the sleeve, already guiding him toward the door. She had spent enough time watching him dwell on battles and dark omens, and she was not about to let him skip a warm meal.
"You're coming with me, Kei. Let's go outside." She flashed him a warm smile, tugging harder when he hesitated. "That's an order from your superior."
"Where exactly are we going, Princess Yejin?" Kei asked, falling into step behind her as they left the infirmary.
She walked ahead, unhurried, hands clasped loosely behind her back. "I don't know."
"I'm sorry, you don't know?"
Yejin glanced back at him, nodding a few times with an easy smile still on her face. Kei noticed, not for the first time, that when she smiled like that her eyes nearly disappeared entirely, crinkling shut — something he found strangely endearing, though he had no plans of ever saying so out loud.
"You don't always need a direction when you're out walking, Kei." She turned forward again, letting the sunlight catch her hair. "Sometimes you just let the wind carry you wherever it wants to go."
Kei let out a small, quiet chuckle — the first real one in longer than he could remember — and for just a moment, his usual composure cracked into something close to a smile.
Yejin caught it immediately, eyes widening with delight. "Whoa. You actually laugh."
Realizing what had slipped out, Kei straightened his expression fast, smoothing it back into something neutral. "No, I didn't. That was a cough. I was coughing."
Yejin laughed outright at that, unconvinced and clearly enjoying it. "Sure. Yeah. Whatever you say."
They wandered on through the fortress streets like that, no real destination in mind, until the warm, rich smell of roasting meat and simmering broth pulled their attention toward a small, inviting restaurant tucked along the road — its windows glowing gold with lantern light, the pull of the smell alone enough to draw them both inside.