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Chapter 5
“Uwaaaah!”
The journey of Geum Ihwan, from the Vermilion Bird Clan’s land of Jeoksongyeon to the land of eternal night, following his father and cousins, had gone smoothly.
Even though they had strictly forbidden him from tagging along, the clan head already knew Ihwan had sneaked after them. That was why even though he stayed secretly behind in the land of eternal night, he was still within the clan’s protection.
But the dagger Ihwan had hidden away changed everything. The dagger summoned ghosts, and while being chased, Ihwan left the camp.
When Ihwan first saw Soha, he wasn’t sure if she was human.
First, it was suspicious that a child was wandering alone in this frozen land. Second, her skin was so pale it was frightening. Third, unlike him, her calm composure only made her seem more eerie.
Shouldn’t a normal person faint in terror after suddenly being chased by ghosts?
Even when he hinted at being from the Vermilion Bird Clan, she showed no reaction.
“Do you have a gwi-gu (ghost orb)?”
How did she even know he had one?
“But… why are you in such a dangerous place?”
“I’m running away.”
“Running? Are you being chased by ghosts too?”
“…Something worse than that.”
Still, hearing that she too was being chased gave him an odd sense of kinship—and relief.
Ihwan carefully studied the child before him.
Her body was small, maybe younger than him, who was ten. So thin, too thin. Did she even eat properly?
Her clothes didn’t look like those of a noble, yet her aura was as calm as his mother’s, and her speech was stiff, like an adult’s.
What a strange child.
“My name’s Geum Ihwan.”
No answer.
“What’s your name?”
She just stared.
“So cold…”
It was his first time being treated so indifferently. But even so, sticking with this stone-faced kid was better than playing tag with ghosts.
“Now’s not the time to laugh and joke. Surviving and seeing our families again comes first.”
“You’re looking for your family too?”
“…My family is all dead.”
“Oh? Uh…”
He immediately regretted asking. He’d poked at someone’s wound without thinking.
But strangely enough, being with her made him feel at ease.
“Are you hurt?”
“You’re… worrying about me?”
Despite her cold tone, she didn’t complain about how tightly he was clinging to her sleeve. Was she only pretending to be calm for his sake?
“Kindhearted, maybe.”
Maybe she was kinder than she appeared.
And if she was kind as well as reliable—wouldn’t that be perfect?
But the child, who had looked almost like a fairy, suddenly turned pale. A stranger had appeared. Her small hand trembled, and Ihwan thought, This time, I have to protect her.
Ihwan grabbed Soha’s arm tightly and, relying on the tag games he had been good at since childhood, began to run.
“This child has nothing to do with me. I can’t let her get dragged into my situation.”
“As if I’d be interested in a brat like that.”
“But I promised I’d return her to her family.”
As capture drew near, the small child who barely looked half his size stood firmly in front of him, shielding him.
‘A promise?’
Why was she acting so responsible for someone she just met? Was she really planning to sacrifice herself?
He looked at her frail shoulders, thin cheeks, dry hair, and bony arms. Could someone like that really protect anyone?
She looked like someone who should be protected—not the other way around.
And yet, why was his face burning?
When a ghost appeared, Ihwan’s fear spiked. He hated them—hated the malicious ones who harmed people.
“Run.”
But the child was different. She had trembled before the human pursuer, yet now she faced the ghost with calm defiance.
Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
“You’re telling me to run away alone?”
“I’ll be fine—I have this. But if you don’t run, you’ll die.”
He froze. She really wanted to protect him. Why?
“You’ll be a burden if you stay.”
“How could the heir of the Geum Clan ever be a burden?”
“…You already are.”
Ihwan gritted his teeth. He couldn’t abandon her.
His clan had spoiled him, yes, but they hadn’t raised him to be an ingrate. A man should never leave a small child behind to face danger.
But then he saw it—the desperate light in her eyes.
He had never seen such desperation before.
And so, it wasn’t out of logic, but because of that overwhelming plea in her gaze, that he gave in.
He obeyed. He left.
But the moment he turned his back, regret swallowed him. His chest tightened, breath caught.
He shouldn’t have turned away. He shouldn’t have left her alone.
‘Soha.’
He heard the pursuer call her name. It was easy enough to remember two syllables.
Soha, Soha, Soha… The name swirled chaotically in his mind.
Finally, he couldn’t take it.
“Soha!”
He shouted her name aloud at last.
When he turned back, Soha had already stabbed the ghost, her body glowing blue.
A white mist rose from her, frost forming along her limbs.
She’s freezing?
As he rushed closer, Ihwan felt cold like he had never known. His silk trousers stiffened as they froze.
“Just… what…”
But there was no time to think. The ghost no longer mattered. His vision filled with nothing but the sight of Soha, freezing before his eyes.
He sprinted, seized her hand—the one clutching the gwi-gu—and pressed his own hand over it. Then he poured his Vermilion Bird’s energy into her.
‘Please… please!’
Why was he so desperate?
Because she might die?
Because she had been kind to him?
Tears stung his eyes. The cold seeping into his hand was so bitter it made him want to cry.
As the Vermilion Bird’s flame flowed into her, the storm of frost began to recede.
The ghost froze solid and collapsed with a crash. The backlash sent both Ihwan and Soha tumbling to the ground.
“Soha!”
He checked her face—thankfully, color was returning. The frost covering her body melted away. She was still cold, but blood was flowing again.
Relief surged. Ihwan had always thought nothing was scarier than ghosts, but right now, he felt something far worse.
“Young master!”
“Are you there?”
Familiar voices echoed in the distance. Through the dark, torches flickered like countless stars—like will-o’-the-wisps.
“Here! Here, help us!”
Ihwan shouted until his throat was raw. He wanted anyone—someone—to see the small child in his arms.
He crawled toward the torches, still clutching Soha tightly, refusing to let her go.
