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Episode 2 – Beyond the Polar Night
If this was just a dream, there was no way she would feel the raw pain of her hands and feet cracking in the cold.
Ever since she had turned twenty, her sense of pain had dulled. Ordinary wounds barely registered anymore—so this vivid sensation could only mean one thing: she had returned to the past.
“Am I being taken to the Seok family of the Black Tortoise Clan?”
“Yes. At least there, you won’t go hungry.”
But the words “you won’t go hungry” turned out to be false.
They starved Soha, beat her, abandoned her to the freezing cold, and drove her into terror.
“I know you’re clever for your age, but there’s no way you can understand the circumstances of adults.”
“You’re wrong.”
The adults’ choices were wrong. Even putting aside her own tragic life, the fox clan was used by the Black Tortoise clan in their battle against evil spirits. Most of their young men died, and the weak survivors scattered to the winds. It was the worst possible ending, one where no one found happiness.
“Stop daydreaming and keep up.”
The trader leading her couldn’t care less about the child’s pale face. He was just doing his job.
“Blame it on being born in a chaotic era.”
When would this so-called “chaotic era” finally end?
Soha already knew that even ten years from now, the malice of this world would remain unchanged.
The journey slowed.
“Your steps are too slow. We’re behind schedule. Tonight, we’ll have to sleep outdoors.”
The errand-man handed Soha a white cloth bundle containing a rice ball. That tiny mercy was all she was granted.
Panting, Soha’s heart felt like it would burst. Her lips were parched from running, but the fact that her legs could still carry her at full speed was a miracle in itself.
Someday, chains would be fastened around her ankles. Someday, they would break, heal badly, and cripple her forever. On that day, no matter how badly she wished to run, she would not be able to.
Tonight, though, she ran. Through the pitch-black night, stumbling, falling, rolling, and rising again.
The trader had made camp and, after rambling drunkenly about the cruelty of the times, fell into a deep sleep.
Soha didn’t hesitate. She carefully worked the ropes off her wrists. She had practiced escaping restraints countless times before her death; she knew what to do.
Fortunately, the man had been careless with a mere child.
“Ugh.”
A sharp thorn pierced through the sole of her straw shoe. She hissed softly and plucked it out with trembling hands. Fear blurred the pain. What worried her more was losing precious time.
Which way should I go?
Though she remembered dying here in her past life, she had always been transported by others—never once walking the path herself.
She knew south was the right direction, but under this starless sky, there was no way to tell.
Water… the sound of water.
Unlike the frozen wastelands of the north, the sound of flowing water meant south lay nearby. And she was parched, so following it was the best choice.
Good. It’s quiet around me.
In the land of the Polar Night, nights often brought the “Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.” When the twisted sacred power of this land peaked under the moon, evil spirits would manifest in physical form and attack humans.
But tonight was eerily silent. That meant she might be safe.
If I can just hide and shake off the trader, I can get far away.
The sound of running water grew clearer. Relief filled her chest.
She cupped her hands into the icy stream. Most of the water slipped through her fingers, but even the little that reached her mouth was enough to soothe her dry throat.
It was then that she heard it.
Sssshhh—
Her senses sharpened.
Something’s coming.
And it wasn’t human. Only a few beings radiated such a distinct killing intent.
Her body shrank instinctively. She had summoned spirits many times, but she had never been taught how to defeat them. She only knew how to suffer their pain, summon them, absorb them, purify them—and then watch as the Black Tortoise clan took the power, leaving her behind with the agony.
And now, she was all alone.
No…
With no safeguards, her frail body would be torn apart by the spirit. She had to run.
But could she?
Hopelessness threatened to paralyze her again.
I already escaped the trader. I can do this too.
Even if this was all a nightmare, Soha clung to hope. The euphoria of breaking free by her own will was so sharp, so exhilarating, that it had nearly moved her to tears. She had to believe she could do it again.
There’s no moon. Without moonlight, spirits can’t fully manifest.
If she could just last until dawn, she might survive.
“Uwaaaahhh!”
A sudden shout cut through the night. It wasn’t a spirit’s scream.
A person?
The bushes ahead rustled violently, and a figure burst through.
“Out of the way! Move!”
A boy, roughly her size, dashed toward her at frightening speed. His small body moved with startling agility.
Soha froze and couldn’t dodge in time.
Crash.
They collided. Soha fell on her backside, but thanks to the thick grass, she wasn’t badly hurt. It seemed the boy had twisted his body mid-collision to shield her.
“Why are you standing around in a place like this? You—are you even human?”
Clutching his shoulder, the boy glared at her. He kept glancing nervously over his shoulder as if something was chasing him.
“I’m human.”
Soha answered politely, studying him.
The boy wore a robe of fine red silk layered with a leather vest that looked decorative rather than protective. His golden bobbed hair was tousled, catching the night breeze, carrying with it a faint, pleasant fragrance.
“A spirit! No, an evil spirit is after me!”
So that was the killing aura she had sensed. It had been chasing him.
“This place is dangerous.”
“Who doesn’t know that? I was on my way to the camp when the damned spirit suddenly attacked! I panicked and lost track of my servants!”
“Camp?”
“For investigation! Our… hmph, our Geum family has people stationed here!”
Though his explanation was scattered, Soha pieced it together.
“The Geum family….”
That was a name she remembered from her past life. And if they had the right to set foot in the land of the Polar Night, there was no doubt.
So the Vermilion Bird clan is here.
In Haeran, there were four clans bearing the power of the divine beasts: north—Black Tortoise, south—Vermilion Bird, west—White Tiger, and east—Azure Dragon.
They guarded their respective lands with power that rivaled even the imperial family.
Soha, remembering her exploitation at the hands of the Black Tortoise clan, couldn’t help but fear the other great clans might all be the same.
“Where are they now?”
“How should I know! I dropped my compass while running for my life!”
The boy dug into his pouch, his face twisting into despair.
Then, as if reassured by her presence, he whispered:
“Still… with you here, it feels like the spirit’s gone. You are human… right?”
