The frozen valley stretched endlessly before them, but Haneul and Miyu kept walking. Their boots sank into the snow with each step, leaving a trail that disappeared almost instantly in the wind.
Hours passed in silence, the only sound the crunch of ice beneath their feet. When the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, the siblings saw it — the faint, shimmering outline of towers made of crystal and mist.
"Is that… the Spirit Capital?" Miyu whispered in awe.
Haneul nodded slowly. "Yeah. The city where no human is welcome."
---
By the time they reached the city gates, their strength was nearly gone. The gates themselves weren't made of metal or stone but of living energy — translucent and shifting, as if breathing.
Runes glowed faintly across their surface.
Miyu stepped closer, but the air pulsed violently, forcing her back. "It rejected me…" she murmured, clutching her pendant.
Haneul placed his palm against the barrier. For a moment, the blue glow from his veins resonated with the gate's light — and the runes flickered, hesitating.
The magic recognized him.
Half-human, half-spirit.
The gate opened with a whisper that sounded almost like a sigh.
---
Inside, the Spirit Capital was a world unlike any other. Roads of light wove between floating buildings, and rivers of silver mist flowed above the streets. The air shimmered with tiny orbs — spirit souls — drifting gently like fireflies.
But the beauty hid the tension. Every spirit that passed by stared at the siblings, their forms half-translucent and ethereal. None spoke.
"They don't like us here," Miyu said softly.
Haneul gave a small smile. "They don't like me. You're still human. I'm the one who doesn't belong anywhere."
Miyu frowned and took his hand. "Then I'll stay by you. Always."
He squeezed her hand lightly, a silent thank-you.
---
They found shelter in an abandoned shrine at the city's edge. The walls were covered in ancient markings — prayers for balance between humans and spirits.
While Haneul searched for supplies, Miyu found a strange crystal at the altar. When she touched it, visions flashed through her mind — a woman's voice calling her name, the same pendant glowing around her neck.
"Miyu… if you hear this, it means the balance is broken. Find the Celestial Core before the Frost King does. It's the only way to save your brother."
The voice faded, leaving her trembling.
When Haneul returned, he saw her pale face. "Miyu? What happened?"
She hesitated, then told him everything.
Haneul's expression darkened. "The Frost King… He's real, then. The one who cursed me."
The crystal pulsed again, as if confirming his words. A low rumble echoed from outside — the ground shook, and the air grew bitterly cold.
From beyond the shrine walls, a voice like cracking ice spoke:
> "Half-blood… you should not have come here."
Frost spread across the floor. The door burst open, revealing a tall figure clad in shards of ice, his eyes burning like frozen stars.
Miyu gasped. "Haneul—"
Haneul pushed her behind him, his arm glowing blue with spirit fire. "Stay back."
The figure raised his hand, and a wave of frost rushed forward — but Haneul met it head-on, his power flaring like a storm beneath the snow.
For a moment, the shrine filled with blinding light — blue fire against white frost.
When it cleared, the Frost King was gone… but so was the crystal.
Miyu fell to her knees, tears stinging her eyes. "He took it… the Celestial Core…"
Haneul clenched his fists, frost creeping up his arm once more. "Then we'll take it back. Whatever it takes."
And as the Spirit Capital trembled around them, the siblings' bond burned brighter than ever — the fire that refused to die, even beneath the endless snow.