1 ❤️🔥 Between Dream and Drowning
Tian Ke and Qian'ai had followed the faint trail Seo Ju left behind. But to their growing dread, the path led only to a cliff — and to Go Nam, standing at its edge, peering down into the abyss below.
"…You think they live?" Go Nam muttered, uncertain, as if hoping for denial.
One of his men scoffed. "His Highness leapt after her. No soul could survive that fall."
Behind them, Muwon shifted with languid ease, eyes glinting like a cat watching mice. He turned at the sound of approaching footsteps — his smirk deepened.
Two men emerged, blades already half-drawn, their presence sharp and commanding.
"Where is my sister?" Tian Ke growled, his voice like thunder rolling across the cliffs. Startled, Go Nam and his men stepped back.
"Wh-who dares…?" Go Nam stammered, glancing at the strangers with alarm. Qian'ai advanced, the tip of his blade glinting mere inches from Go Nam's throat. His gaze was ice.
"Pray you never learn our names. It would mean your end."
Muwon let out a soft chuckle, clearly delighted. He drew his sword with unhurried grace and stepped toward Tian Ke. Tian Ke tensed — the movement had nearly escaped him.
"...Who are you?" he demanded, suspicious.
Muwon tilted his head slightly, his smile laced with mockery. "You truly do not know me?" he mused, voice lilting with amusement. "Curious."
Go Nam, seizing the chance, barked, "Cut them down! Both of them!"
But Muwon did not flinch. His gaze never left the brothers.
"So… you are the lady's kin?" he asked, as if the question were of passing interest. "Then I see where her fire comes from."
Both Tian Ke and Qian'ai tightened their grips. Their patience, worn thin, was ready to snap.
And then—
"Hyung?!"
A voice broke through the charged silence. Familiar. Breathless. Muwon turned. A shadow stepped forward — heavy boots striking the earth, a red cloak sweeping behind like a falling banner. Unmistakable. Regal.
The moment shifted.
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The change in the air was undeniable.
Yun Yuhua remained submerged, her eyes closed, as memories of Zhiyong teaching her how to swim flooded her mind—his gentle instruction on holding her breath, on staying calm, on enduring.
A younger Yun Yuhua broke the surface with a gasp, her chest heaving. She looked up at her father, Zhiyong, standing on the riverbank, a proud smile on his face.
"You did well, my little blossom. That was longer than yesterday," he praised warmly. Her heart swelled with joy as she waded toward him, leaping into his arms.
"Let us try again! I will hold my breath even longer!" she cried, determination shining in her eyes.
Zhiyong chuckled, amused by her spirited determination. "Enough, my sweetie. It is time to eat."
He scooped her up with ease, carrying her toward home as the sunlight bathed them both in its warmth.
The memory faded, and Yun Yuhua's eyes snapped open. She broke the surface of the water with a sharp breath, realizing she had nearly lost herself to sleep. The waterfall had swept them further downstream than she realized. Frantically, she twisted in the current, searching—until her eyes fixed upon Seo Ju's lifeless body, floating face down. Her heart lurched.
She swam quickly, her movements frantic and uncoordinated. Reaching him, she pulled him toward the surface, her muscles screaming in protest. With great effort, she managed to bring him to the shore, dragging his heavy form away from the water's edge. She gently checked for signs of life, pressing her fingers to his chest. His pulse was faint, and water filled his lungs. Without hesitation, she began to press against his chest, urging the water to escape.
"Come on…" she murmured softly, the words steady with resolve. After a moment, he coughed violently, water spilling from his mouth. His eyes fluttered open, but they were unfocused, delirious. He tried to look at her, but his gaze was cloudy, his mind lost to feverish confusion.
"Seo Ju!" Yun Yuhua's voice broke through the chaos of the moment. Her pulse raced with fear and urgency as she looked around, desperate for shelter. Her eyes landed on a nearby cliffside, and with a final surge of strength, she hauled him toward it, her energy drained but her will unshaken. Hours passed, and though her body begged for rest, she did not stop until she had dragged them both to safety.
With trembling hands, she gathered dry wood and managed to start a fire, the crackling flames a welcome comfort in the cold. She knelt beside Seo Ju, gazing at him, her breath shallow. Her gaze lingered on him, torn between the care she wanted to offer and the ache deep within her chest.
"Did you know who I was all along? Why did you not tell me about my grandmother?" she whispered, her voice thick with sorrow. Her gaze softened as she rested her chin in her palm, watching him sleep fitfully. Her questions hung in the air, unanswered, as she sat beside him, her heart heavy with the weight of uncertainty.
Seo Ju, in his unconscious state, found no peace. His mind was consumed by memories of a time he could not forget.
In his fevered mind, Seo Ju sat across from a bride, her gown the deepest red, like a flame in the dark. Her beauty was otherworldly, her smile gentle, her eyes filled with warmth. He met her gaze, unsure, but a sense of peace settled over him.
"Seong-hwa, today we are wed," Seo Ju murmured, his voice soft, the words a delicate promise.
Lady Min Seong-hwa, radiant in her bridal gown, nodded, her smile a beacon in the dark. "Your Highness, I am honored to be your wife, from this day until the end of time."
Seo Ju's heart swelled, a quiet joy blossoming within him. "When it is just the two of us, call me by my name. No need for such formalities," he said, his tone laced with a hidden longing.
She laughed, a soft, musical sound that felt like autumn winds brushing through golden leaves. "Yes, Your Highness, Seo Ju," she replied, her voice teasing with warmth.
But as the night deepened and they prepared for their union, a shadow fell over them. Her face, once so vibrant, turned ashen, then a deep purple. The joy they shared fractured as she coughed violently, blood staining her gown.
Seo Ju's breath caught in his chest as he leapt to her side, but the world spun out of control. Blood flowed from her lips, and the sight of it was too much. His limbs froze, though his heart raced with panic.
No... this cannot be real.
Her life slipped away before his eyes, her hand reaching toward him as the light dimmed in her gaze. His heart pounded in his ears, the sound of blood hitting the floor echoing in his mind.
"I couldn't save you... I couldn't protect you…" he whispered in agony, the words choking him. The weight of failure crushed him, suffocating him as he held her lifeless body.
"Seong-hwa… please…" His voice broke as tears welled, his chest tightening with grief.
Her hand trembled, a final attempt to reach him, and in those last moments, she whispered, "I... am sorry…"
Sorry? Why are you sorry?
The words pierced him deeper than any sword. He clung to her, helpless, as her life drained away. The room seemed to grow colder with each passing second, the weight of her loss pressing on him, a darkness that threatened to swallow him whole.
Her final words—"I am sorry"—lingered in his mind, tormenting him, as he tried to breathe through the suffocating silence. The pain was unbearable. And in that moment, something within him hardened, something that would never allow him to feel such helplessness again. His resolve solidified, a promise to himself.
Never again.
From that moment onward, Seo Ju had sworn never to lose control again. Never again would he allow his heart to cloud his judgment. The mask he wore—cold, composed, untouchable—would remain. Unshaken. Unbroken. And yet, no matter how tightly he clung to that vow, the memory of Seong-hwa's death haunted him like a shadow that would not lift. Her blood had soaked into his hands, and her final breath had escaped in his arms. A nightmare he could not forget.
Now, he stood once more at the edge of that same abyss. Another heartbeat, another breath away from losing someone he had barely let himself care for.
He jolted awake, breath ragged, eyes wild. "Seong-hwa…" The name escaped him like a broken prayer. But even as it left his lips, another name tore through him with greater terror.
"Yuhua!"
His voice cracked with panic as he sat up, eyes darting about, desperate to find her—to make sure she was still with him. She stirred near the fire, her form lit by its soft glow. Her voice, though gentle, trembled faintly.
"Seo Ju," she said, using his title with quiet concern. She knelt beside him, her cool hand brushing against his fevered brow. Relief surged through him—but it was fragile, too light to ground the storm inside. His heart would not calm. He had already lost one woman. He could not lose another.
"You are getting better…" she murmured. Her words were kind, but distant, as though spoken from a world beyond his reach. And yet she was here. Real. Breathing.
Seo Ju stared at her, unable to look away. His chest constricted. Was this a dream? Another cruel vision meant to break him? Before his mind could answer, his hand reached out, trembling, and seized her wrist. Yun Yuhua gasped, startled by the sudden grip, her eyes wide with shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but he was already moving—desperate, clinging. His hand rose to the back of her head, trembling, uncertain. His eyes searched hers, filled with something raw and unspoken.
And then he pulled her down.
Their lips met—rough, unpracticed, and frantic. There was no grace to it. Only fear. The kind of fear that wraps its claws around the heart and refuses to let go. His mouth moved over hers like a man trying to breathe, as if her touch could anchor him to the present.
She froze, stiff, startled. But he didn't stop. The kiss deepened, urgent, messy. Not out of desire, but desperation. He wasn't trying to seduce her. He was trying to hold onto her, to the reality that she was alive. That this wasn't another memory that would slip from his fingers.
His hand moved to her waist, gripping tight, as though letting go would shatter him completely. But when Yun Yuhua finally pulled away, breathless, Seo Ju felt it instantly. The line he had crossed. His body went still. Shame crept in—hot, suffocating.
"Seo—" she tried, her voice trembling. His grip tightened, and he whispered, voice hoarse.
"I'm sorry… I was afraid."
Afraid of losing her. Afraid of repeating the past.
Her expression shifted. Slowly, she placed her hand over his chest, feeling the thundering heartbeat beneath. She did not pull away. She stayed. Then, without a word, she leaned in. Her arms wrapped around him, offering the comfort he never dared to ask for. And in that fragile moment, Seo Ju allowed himself—just barely—to believe.
"Yu—" he began again. But this time, she silenced him. Yun Yuhua reached up and kissed him. Fully. Deliberately.
Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he pulled her close, gently lowering her to the ground. He paused just enough to meet her gaze—his breath shallow, eyes burning with restraint. He wanted her. But more than that, he needed to hold her, to be sure she was real. Yun Yuhua leaned up on her elbows, searching his face.
"Are you unwell?" she whispered. Seo Ju's eyes narrowed. A flicker of something dark passed through them—hunger, need. He gave her a faint, dangerous smile before gently guiding her wrists behind her.
"Seo Ju—" she gasped, startled again. His lips brushed her ear, his voice low and husky.
"Yuyu... I want you."
Color rose to her cheeks, flushing all the way to her collarbones. She tried to sit, but he held her steady, his forehead pressing against hers.
Just this once… he thought, just for her… I will yield.
He kissed her again, deeper this time. One hand slid to the ties of her jeogori, and with reverent care, he began to undo them, as though unveiling something sacred—not just her body, but the trust between them.