The thuds woke Kai-Se more than the urgent taps on his shoulder did. His eyes snapped open to find the darkness giving way to light. It's early. Dawn. Nao-Zai's face emerged from the sleep-induced haze, a distraught expression marring his features. What's wrong?

"We have to go," was all Nao-Zai said before whipping away. That's when Kai-Se registered the growing rustles and sensed the rising tension thickening in the air. "They're coming."

Kai-Se dug his teeth against each other on his way up. The mattress was rumpled and An-Ri was nowhere to be found. He didn't even sense her go back to the earring. His mother whizzed past his periphery, hurrying some of the younger children along as their mothers pattered around. The urgency settled on him then. "Who's coming?" he asked.

Nao-Zai stalked towards the window and pulled it shut. The shutters rumbled with the motion before silencing with a final thud. "Them," he answered like that explained everything. Then, he sighed and mussed his hair. "I don't know. Shin-Ki told me he gave our location away."

At that, Kai-Se's breath hitched and a painful grip closed in around his limbs. "What?" he followed Nao-Zai as the soldier trudged towards the inly weapons they had with them. The blade caught part of the lightening sky in a weak glint as Nao-Zai hefted it from its sheathe. It clicked shut not long after. "Why?" Kai-Se asked.

The soldier pushed past him like how he would to lanterns hanging over doorframes of shops. Kai-Se made a move to follow. "Nao-Zai," he called. "Why would Shin-Ki do that?"

"I don't know, okay?" Nao-Zai whirled to Kai-Se with an expression he hadn't encountered before. It was somewhere between annoyance and fear. Maybe more. Realization flicked across Nao-Zai's face, making him sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. Then, in a calmer tone, he said, "I don't know why Shin-Ki sold us out, but it can't be for good reasons. So, we have to go. While they're letting us."

Kai-Se knitted his eyebrows. "That's not enough reason," he said. "Where's the damned shaman?"

"In here," came a quiet voice from the door. Everyone turned to the figure slinking into the wide room, robes swishing in elegant waves with every step. They didn't seem concerned about their current standing with the present crowd. It set Kai-Se's blood to a simmer.

The shaman stopped in front of Kai-Se and he made sure to stare the shaman into their dark, shrouded eyes. "I know what you're thinking," they said.

"That you're a piece of steaming cow crap?" Kai-Se seethed. A hand wrapped around his arm. He didn't dare look at its owner. It was probably his mother judging from how soft it was. "Spare me the pleasantries, Shin-Ki. Give me enough reason to not end you right now."

Nao-Zai was immediately at his side, hand resting on his shoulder. Holding him back further. Stopping him from lunging at the shaman and wringing their neck with clawed fingers courtesy of An-Ri.

The shaman chuckled—a misplaced sentiment in this room and moment. "Brave words, Your Grace," they said, the mention of Kai-Se's title more delivered more in mockery than out of respect. "If it helps ease your worries, I simply did what's best for Trahn-gwok-tan. Whoever sits on that throne in Dangrao must tolerate my and this place's existence. This is just the start of a long line of diplomatic proceedings."

"Such a shame you're the first straws to be cast into the fire," Shin-Ki continued when Kai-Se failed to produce a proper response. "But I need that fire to keep the cold out. Especially when winter is already on its way."

Shin-Ki eyed the crowd, their gaze and expression as flat as the wooden floorboards. "They're coming at the first light," they said. "Make sure you are out of my temple by then. I will not be held liable for any tragedy after this warning. Consider this my last act of kindness."

They turned, tromping back from when they came from. "Mercy doesn't come easily," they said over their shoulder. Within seconds, the shaman's shadow ebbed from the flickering candle lights in the corridor.

Kai-Se's fists clenched. How could he have trusted that blasted shaman? He was the one who brought the Noryeong clan here, believing they'd be safe. Now, not only the ruling clans know where they were, a guess on where they're going wouldn't be far behind. In short, they're doomed. Really, really doomed.

And it was Kai-Se's fault. For trusting the wrong person, for setting them on this path in the first place, and for believing he knew what he was doing just because he was the son of two powerful figures in a bygone empire.

The Queen removed her grip from his arm. Her face was twisted into a sheet of worry. "It's almost the first light," she said. "Let's go."

Kai-Se could only nod, urging his body to go with the flow of footsteps leading out of the room and pattering down the corridor. The Noryeong clan shuffled forward, his mother taking the lead, Kai-Se waddling in the middle, and Nao-Zai guarding the rear. Trahn-gwok-tan's dim corridors heightened the shadows devouring Kai-Se's mind as they tore through the quiet temple before the sun was even up. All traces of sleep were chased out of his eyes. It's pointless to think about resting when they could literally die the moment they step foot into the forest outside.

The temple's backdoor sped into view, giving them a full view of the rolling fog from this high up. Dawn chased the darkness, plunging the sky into a periwinkle expanse. It's going to be adamantly blue soon.

Time's up.

Kai-Se tackled the steep stone steps down the hill, the temple's overbearing stature fading behind the crest with every rung he took. The wind blew, ruffling their clothes, their hurriedly-tied hair, and the blades of grass growing where the stone ebbed. When they cleared the stairs, it brought them out of Trahn-gwok-tan's jurisdiction, characterized by the faint tingling lifting off his skin. It's only because he was acquainted with magic that he knew it was some sort of illusory spell meant to hide the temple's presence to those who weren't looking.

He craned his neck from the ground, looking for a tall structure in the middle of the canopies. He found nothing—just a blank space of trees and silhouettes of the mountains from the horizon where the temple has to be.

That's when a flash of orange caught his attention. They're still leagues higher than the forest floor, and that advantage only afforded them a glimpse of what was coming up the same hill they were on. Hundreds of armored men, along with horse-drawn carts of weaponry and ammunition and lit torches, trudged up the incline. Muffled strings of their conversations floated in the air, adding another knot into Kai-Se's already-tight gut.

Hurry. That's all they could do now.

The Noryeong clan caught the same signs and bristled as one. Without exchanging any words, they quickened their descent with as much silence they could manage. Kai-Se's heartbeat pounded in his temples, ears, and against his ribcage. Despite the cold, sweat sat on his hairline before dripping down the side of his face.

Suddenly, the Queen swerved through another trail—one Kai-Se hadn't even seen. Everyone followed without question, forcing Kai-Se to do the same. The trail sloped down, showing no signs of ever stopping. The pull of the earth was the only thing keeping their pace and their momentum at its finest.

Kai-Se bit his lip to chase out the numbed throbbing in his ankles and shins. His boots did little to shield his muscles with every forceful footfalls against the uneven terrain. He doubted the others were comfortable either. They've been walking for weeks on end since getting out of Dangrao. Even the most hardened person would have some dull aches somewhere.

The front line shuffled and pressed themselves against the growing ledge to his right. Soft whispers passed him by, no doubt from the Queen. Stick to the walls. Kai-Se followed, relaying the same message down the line until it reached Nao-Zai in the rear. As they moved further down, the sound of wheels slapping the rocky trail rang above them. They're...they're somewhere below the army sent to obliterate them. All because of his mother's quick detour. Had they continued on their way, they would have met the armed soldiers' upward trek. What should Kai-Se do to learn that?

He craned his neck, instead, studying the passing cavalry, keeping careful watch of his head sticking out of their blind spot. They weren't wearing green, like the Fai clan in the Imperial palace. Instead, a deliberate symbol swished from the hilts of their swords, flashed in their top knots, and fluttered in the flags they hefted in the air. Two sickles crossed at the hilt. The crest of the Linzhu-Takyeo clan. They're into this madness too? Who's next? The pacifist clan, Xianzhu?

Two clans passed each other by without trouble. Then, one of the women missed a step, letting out a stringent scream as she hurtled to the ground. A string pulled taut was bound to snap in the worst way possible. Kai-Se's heart skipped a beat. When the screams of alarm and pursuit flared behind him, it came alive once more. Blood rushed to his head, making his ears ring and his eyes sharpen beyond what he could take.

The Queen's urgent cries matched their enemies' commands. Kai-Se planted his feet on the ground and let the rest of the Noryeong clan through. Nao-Zai sputtered to a stop when he noticed Kai-Se wasn't moving. "I'll hold them off," Kai-Se said through gritted teeth. He spared the soldier a glance. "Keep guarding the rear for any strays."

The soldier could only nod, turning away and following the fleeing clan. Boots landed with noisy thumps on the trail beyond him. Kai-Se flexed his fingers, his senses rearing from the korza he sensed. Heat flared from his ear and An-Ri popped into existence. He grinned at her as he tucked her in his arms. "It's just us again, right?" he said.

She bobbed her head even though she probably had no idea what he was talking about. He had confirmed it when he had the luxury of time. She had no memory of her past life, which meant more than a thousand years of events were lost down in the drain. But that's what he's there for, right? He'd tell her her own story if need be.

He faced the oncoming horde and stretched his hand out. Korza from both the trees and An-Ri's bottomless well sparked from his fingertips. Closer. Closer. Let them come and he'd blast them to dust.

The first line burst forward. Kai-Se sent his magic to meet them. The world exploded into a swirl of dust and blood.

And when it cleared, a bamboo grove replaced the forest he was in. What...?

An-Ri had vanished from his arms. His hand snatched at the earring dangling from his lobe. Endless waves of relief washed over him when he heard the familiar jangle. He looked around, noting the faint breeze whispering through the tall spires of deep green stalks. Did his magic do this? Where were the people pursuing him? What happened to the Noryeong clan? They must be somewhere deep into this grove, confused as he was. Maybe he'd explain it was because of his magic? He had to find them first though.

He stepped forward, his boots crunching against the layer of dried leaves carpeting the grove's floor. A flash of white and blue. He turned to find the same crane plauging his recent dreams. It was the same crane who transformed into a man by the stream. He was...

The crane squawked, opening its beak and tapping impatient steps with its pronged talons. Its wings jerked as it tucked them into its slender body. The feathers in its tail twitched. Then, it turned, inclining its head at Kai-Se as if it wanted him to follow. It gave him no choice as it began sashaying deeper into the grove.

Where was it taking him? He's got to find out.

His first step hadn't finished trampling the blades of grass beneath his sole when a weight slammed into his back. The grove flickered and glitched, like it was a backdrop being pulled back to reveal the horrifying backstage of a shadow puppetry sequence. His cheek hit the rocks, the pain shooting into his jaw and lips reminding him of his predicament. How did he even manage to forget it?

Silver streaked in the light. Nao-Zai's scream filled the air.