CHAPTER 47
Muwon's steady voice broke through the heavy silence.
"Then tell me, Woljin. What must be done… for Sihyun to gain control of the twentieth mark?"
The old man's eyes lifted to him, unreadable and clouded with age. He spoke slowly, as though measuring every word.
"Lord Sihyun must be taken far from this palace. Away from the eyes of humans. Away from the noise, the walls, the chains. He must dwell in a place where only the silence of the earth answers him. There… I will guide him. Train him. Until he learns to hold his fire without letting it consume him."
The room grew still again.
Yuhyun stepped forward, his heart pounding.
"Then I'll come with him. He can't… he can't go through this alone. I'll be with him."
But Woljin only turned his head toward Yuhyun, his expression unreadable.
"No. That is not wise. He does not need the presence of humans near him. Even you. His bond with you may comfort him now, but it will hinder him later. You must let him walk this road alone."
Yuhyun's face went pale, his fists clenching as he shook his head violently.
"He's my brother! If he loses himself out there, if he suffers, and I'm not there—how am I supposed to just sit here and do nothing?"
Woljin's gaze sharpened like a blade beneath the weight of his wrinkles.
"You wish to help him, yet you would chain him with your own fear. If you truly want Lord Sihyun to endure… you must release him."
Yuhyun's breath hitched. The words cut deep, because they were true. But he couldn't accept them. His lips trembled as he bit back the urge to argue further.
From the throne, Muwon exhaled heavily, his hand pressing against the armrest. He didn't like this either. Sending Sihyun away, trusting him to Woljin — it could mean never seeing him again, or worse, that Sihyun would fall deeper into darkness without their eyes on him.
But then his gaze shifted to Taeyang's small face in his memory. For the sake of his son, for the sake of peace… he had no choice.
Muwon finally said, bitterly but firmly,
"Do it. Take him. Train him. If this is the only way to keep him from destroying himself and everyone else… then I have no other choice."
He lowered his eyes, his voice softening with a weight only he felt.
"For Taeyang's sake… I only hope Sihyun listens to you."
The chamber reeked of blood and sweat, Sihyun's voice hoarse from hours of screaming. His hair, once neatly tied, hung in tangled strands around his pale face, lips cracked, eyes dim with exhaustion. His body twitched against the iron weight of the chains, every breath sounding like a sob.
The heavy door creaked open.
Sihyun weakly lifted his head, his eyes catching on the figure that stepped inside.
"…Muwon…"
he rasped, his voice broken, fragile.
Muwon froze at the sight of him—nothing like the fierce sorcerer he'd fought against nights ago. Behind him, Yuhyun rushed in, his face paling at his brother's condition.
Sihyun's lips trembled as he tried to speak.
"Please… take it off. I… I can't heal. I can't—please, it hurts."
Muwon clenched his fists at his sides, forcing his face into an expression of stone. He couldn't afford sympathy. Not now. Not after the lives already lost.
But Yuhyun stepped forward, his voice shaking.
"Your Majesty… if you won't do it for him, then do it for me. I can't bear to see my brother like this. He's suffering."
Muwon turned his head slightly, meeting Yuhyun's desperate eyes. The silence stretched long between them, broken only by Sihyun's shallow groans. Finally, Muwon exhaled heavily, his resolve cracking.
"…Remove them."
The guards hesitated, their grips tightening on their weapons. But at Muwon's sharp look, they obeyed, moving cautiously toward Sihyun. The chains clattered one by one as they were unlocked.
The moment the last one fell, Sihyun's body gave out. His knees buckled, his frame crumpling toward the stone floor—
—but Yuhyun lunged forward, catching him just in time.
"I've got you, brother,"
Yuhyun whispered, lowering him gently into his arms.
Sihyun clung weakly to Yuhyun's clothes, breathing raggedly, as his body began to tremble with the faint pulse of returning magic. His wounds still bled, but the faintest glow stirred beneath his skin.
Muwon turned away, jaw tight, unwilling to let either of them see the storm in his eyes.
Yuhyun cradled his brother close, whispering soft words as if his voice alone could keep Sihyun from slipping away. Sihyun's breath came in ragged gasps, each inhale scraping through his throat, his body trembling from exhaustion. His fingers clung weakly to Yuhyun's robes, desperate for an anchor.
Minutes passed in painful silence, broken only by Sihyun's shallow breathing. Then—faintly—his tattoos began to stir with a dim glow, one by one, as if answering a call deep inside his core. His eyelids fluttered open, and his dark eyes burned gold for a fleeting moment. Slowly, his wounds began knitting shut, torn flesh drawing together until not even a scar remained.
But the effort drained him. His body sagged in Yuhyun's arms, no strength left in his limbs. He was healed, yet hollow—his magic, though returning, not enough to restore his stamina.
Yuhyun cupped his cheek gently.
"Brother… are you feeling better now?"
he asked softly.
Sihyun swallowed, then nodded faintly, his lips parting in a breath that was neither yes nor no. His eyes shifted toward Muwon, who had been standing silently, arms crossed, watching them with unreadable eyes.
At last, Muwon spoke, his tone flat, almost cold.
"Enough. Leave him, Yuhyun."
Yuhyun's head snapped up, startled.
"What?"
"The guards will reapply the chains."
Both twins froze, their expressions darkening at once. Sihyun's weak fingers tightened on Yuhyun's sleeve, while Yuhyun's face twisted with frustration. His lips parted, ready to argue—but the weight in Muwon's gaze silenced him.
Yuhyun bowed his head, his voice breaking.
"…Yes, Your Majesty."
His arms trembled as he carefully laid Sihyun back down. Sihyun's eyes locked on his brother's face, a silent plea glimmering there—but Yuhyun had no power here. Both brothers' hearts sank as the clinking of chains drew nearer.
Sihyun sat with both knees pressed against the cold stone floor, his hair disheveled, lips still cracked from his earlier torment. His glowing eyes narrowed as he locked them onto Muwon's steady gaze.
His voice, weak but laced with sharpness, cut through the silence.
"Do I truly have to be in chains? …Am I so weak that you fear me?"
Muwon didn't flinch. His answer was immediate, direct, and merciless.
"Yes. You do."
Sihyun stared at him for a long moment, then gave a short, bitter nod.
"…Fine."
The guards exchanged wary glances and stepped forward, chains in hand. But before one could clasp the shackle to his wrist, Sihyun's hand shot out, gripping the man's wrist like iron. A flicker of red magic surged from his palm, and the guard's skin began to burn, sizzling as smoke rose.
"AHHHH!"
the guard screamed, dropping to his knees. The others froze, caught between fear and duty.
Yuhyun gasped, horror filling his face.
"Sihyun—!"
But Sihyun didn't look at his brother. His eyes were locked solely on Muwon, unblinking, challenging, daring. It was a contest of will—sorcerer against king.
"Let him go,"
Muwon commanded sharply, his voice echoing through the chamber.
A slow, mocking smile curved on Sihyun's lips.
"Not until you agree not to chain me."
The guard's cries grew louder as the stench of burning flesh thickened in the air. Yuhyun trembled, torn between rushing forward and staying rooted by fear.
Muwon's jaw clenched. His voice came again, sharper, louder, filled with authority that brooked no defiance.
"NOW!"
The single word cracked like thunder.
For a heartbeat, Sihyun held his gaze, eyes glimmering with stubborn amusement. Then, with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, he finally released the guard's wrist. The man stumbled backward, clutching his charred flesh, wailing in agony as his fellow guards rushed to his side.
But Sihyun didn't look at the man he had burned. He only leaned back on his knees again, tilting his head at Muwon with that sly smile, as if to say—this battle isn't over.