The Summons That Cannot Be Refused
POV: Nae Yi / Cheng Dynasty Court
The High Priestess Nae Yi stood in the heart of her shadowed chamber, the incense smoke curling like spectral fingers around her pale, deliberate face. The blue flame of the altar danced against the walls, casting strange shapes that seemed to move with intent. Each flicker was a whisper, and to her trained senses, Heaven itself was speaking.
"It is no longer sufficient to wait," she murmured, voice barely above the sound of the flames. "Heaven hesitates, and its hesitation will become my opportunity."
A trembling minister, his robes rustling in the cold air, stepped forward, bowing so low his forehead nearly kissed the polished floor. "High Priestess… the Crown Prince has consolidated power. Even the generals speak his name with reverence. Your orders… may be questioned. If you act now—"
Nae Yi's eyes snapped open, silver in the flickering light. The fear in the man's voice was delicious. It reminded her why she had survived centuries, why kings and emperors bent before her, and why even Heaven feared to interfere when she acted decisively.
"Break your alliances if you wish," she said calmly, letting her words hang like daggers in the air. "Defy me if you dare. But remember this: I crowned kings before you learned to speak. I have seen empires rise and fall. And I will see another rise over the ashes of your fear."
The minister bowed lower, trembling. "We… will follow your command, High Priestess."
"Good," she said, turning to the altar. The flame leapt suddenly, bright blue, higher than it had in decades. "Summon Giyeok."
POV: Giyeok / Li Dynasty
The message arrived at nightfall, carried by a silent courier whose shadow stretched long under the lantern light. Giyeok's fingers lingered over the parchment, tracing the sharp, deliberate handwriting of the High Priestess. The words were not long, but each syllable weighed like a sword:
"Return to Cheng. Qu Xiao Xing. Your duty awaits. Obey."
She read it twice. Then again, slowly, deliberately. Her fingers trembled — a rare, human weakness.
Xiao Xing, sitting by the fire, noticed the change immediately. His dark eyes fixed on her, unreadable yet perceptive.
"You've been called," he said softly. His voice carried no judgment, only observation.
Giyeok nodded, swallowing. "To Cheng," she said, her voice even but taut.
A long silence fell.
"That's where the Crown Prince is," Xiao Xing said, quietly, almost cautiously.
"Yes," she replied.
"And Nae Yi," he added, his tone careful.
"Yes," she whispered, exhaling slowly.
Xiao Xing took a cautious step forward. "Why does your breath falter when you say her name?"
Giyeok's jaw tightened. "…She raised me," she admitted. "After the war that took everything from me. My parents… buried under the ashes of treaties and fire. I should have died, and she ensured I lived. She shaped me, forged me."
He reached out gently, touching her wrist. "And now?"
Her eyes flickered, conflicted. "…Now she wants something back. Something only I can give."
The fire crackled, and for a moment, neither spoke. The silence was heavy, like the calm before a storm.
POV: Xiao Xing / Li Dynasty
That night, rain fell steadily over Haemun. The city streets glistened under the lanterns as Xiao Xing and Giyeok moved along the walls, silent but alert. The distant thunder echoed the unease in their hearts.
"If you were given a choice," Xiao Xing said softly, keeping his gaze on the dark horizon, "would you still walk this path?"
Giyeok hesitated. "…I don't know any other."
He stepped closer, his cloak brushing hers. "…Then let me show you one," he murmured.
Her breath caught, and for the first time, the blade-master felt like a woman caught between loyalty and desire. She did not pull away. Her hand brushed his. The rain fell harder, cold against their skin, but neither moved. Above them, Heaven remained silent.
The silence spoke for them. It was not words that connected them, but fate — fragile, dangerous, yet undeniable.
POV: Nae Yi / Cheng Dynasty
Far away, in Cheng, the High Priestess watched the flames from her secret tower, eyes narrowed. "So," she whispered, "he has entered her path."
Her lips curved into a thin, deadly smile. "Very well… we will see if the wolf protects the lamb, or if the lamb bleeds first."
The flames danced higher. Her shadow stretched across the walls like a predator preparing to strike.
The chessboard had shifted. The pieces were in motion. And the game had only just begun.