Cheon Hwan stood on the deck of the Black Wings, his gaze fixed on the ominous crimson star blazing in the night sky. Even Jang’gyeong Yoon''s hurried approach did little to distract him from the celestial phenomenon.


    "Do you think this could be the star from the Azure Scripture?" Hwan asked. "Am I wrong to hope?"


    They had sailed the seas for many years, the constellations their constant companions. This crimson star, however, was an anomaly, its presence unsettling. Yoon''s thoughts also drifted towards the verses of the Azure Scripture, but he couldn''t offer Hwan any certainty.


    "Let us observe further," he said cautiously. "The star is still distant. If it is indeed the prophesied star, it will draw closer to land."


    Hwan remained silent. Yirahng spoke up.


    "If that''s the star, what happens then? Do we return to Wicheong?"


    Hwan shook his head. "We go to Sunyahng. The capital of Wi."


    "But we have nothing but the Black Wings. How can we return to Sunyahng?"


    "Sahngjon will provide," Hwan replied.


    Hwan''s gaze remained fixed on the star, its crimson light growing more intense with each passing moment. He and his crew waited, their anticipation mirroring that of their ancestors who had gazed upon the same celestial phenomenon countless years ago. The star hung motionless. As the night deepened, the crew grew weary, their necks stiff from craning upwards, their eyes burning from the strain. Just as their excitement began to wane, the star''s light flared, a sudden surge of brilliance that jolted them awake. It pulsed with an unstable energy, its fiery glow casting an eerie light across the deck. Those who had momentarily looked away snapped their attention back to the sky. The star was descending, its movement swift and deliberate. Its trajectory seemed to converge on a single point: the Black Wings.


    "It seems to be heading towards us," Yirahng murmured with a hint of unease.


    Hwan''s hand tightened around her shoulder tightly. Yirahng was right. The star was descending upon them, its fiery glow painting the sky in shades of crimson. The faces of the crew were bathed in its ominous light. It grew larger, closer, a fiery mass hurtling towards them.


    Yoon''s voice was sharp with panic. "Shouldn''t we move? Shouldn''t we try to evade it?"


    But Hwan remained calm. "There''s nowhere to run," he said flatly.


    "Guardian, at this rate..." Yoon''s urgent warning was cut short as the star directly overhead erupted in a blinding flash, a deafening roar shaking the very foundations of the ship. The sea churned, and the Black Wings lurched violently, nearly capsizing. Hwan, blinded by the intense light, barely managed to grab Yirahng and steady himself against the railing. Those caught off guard stumbled and fell, some crashing against the deck.


    As the tremors subsided, the ship regained its equilibrium, the blinding light fading to a single point in the sky. Hwan looked up, his eyes widening in awe. Where the fiery mass had been, a white sphere now hung suspended, its luminescence casting an ethereal glow upon the deck. It hovered close, almost within reach.


    Then, it began to descend, its trajectory shifting just enough to miss the Black Wings before plunging into the sea. Water sprayed across the deck, the ship rocking precariously. They waited, their breaths held, until the vessel steadied once more. The crew rushed to the railing, their gazes peering into the depths where the sphere had vanished. The sea was dark, its surface calm, the only sound the gentle lapping of waves against the hull.


    "Is that it?" Yirahng asked.


    "Patience," Hwan said.


    A moment later, a faint glow emanated from the depths, rising slowly towards the surface. Hwan narrowed his eyes, watching intently. A familiar form emerged from the water, its outline illuminated by the ethereal light.


    "It''s a person," Hwan breathed, his voice barely a whisper.


    A wave of excited chatter erupted across the deck. Hwan raised his voice above the commotion.


    "Don''t just stand there! Retrieve it!"


    Keumpyeong Hui directed the crew. Several sailors tossed ropes into the churning sea, then dove in after them. They reached the floating figure, securing the ropes and hauling her back towards the ship.


    The figure, once aboard, was revealed to be a woman. They laid her gently on the deck. She was unconscious, her breathing shallow. The torchlight illuminated her pale skin, her lips tinged with blue from the cold seawater. The radiant glow that had surrounded her in the depths now faded, leaving her vulnerable and still. The crew hesitated. Yirahng cautiously approached, her eyes widening as she took in her features.


    "How can someone be so beautiful?" she said. "I''ve never seen anything like it."


    Those gathered around shared her astonishment. Her beauty was undeniable, her features striking and unique. Even without the ethereal glow that had surrounded her in the water, she would have commanded attention, her presence captivating. Hwan observed her in silence.Stolen story; please report.


    "Was she inside the sphere?" Yoon asked.


    Hwan remained silent, his gaze fixed on the woman. Her long, dark hair fanned out across the deck, seaweed tangled within its strands, her stillness a stark contrast to the chaos that had just transpired.


    "Take her to my cabin," he commanded. "Warm her. And move the ship further out to sea."


    "Yes, Guardian."


    The crew bowed their heads and scurried to obey. Hwan watched them disappear down the hatch, then turned to Yirahng.


    "Yirahng."


    "What?"


    "Go with them," Hwan said. "Find some dry clothes for her."


    Yirahng hesitated, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. "Fine," she grumbled, then reluctantly followed the crew below deck.


    Hwan leaned against the railing. The deck remained in a state of controlled chaos. The crew members, their faces etched with a mixture of awe and apprehension, stole glances at their leader, seeking answers in his silence. But Hwan had none to offer. The darkness seemed to stretch endlessly, the horizon swallowed by the night.


    Yoon approached. "Can we finally believe that what we saw was the star from the Azure Scripture?" he asked.


    "I still can''t believe my eyes," Hwan murmured.


    Yoon was surprised by his leader''s uncharacteristic uncertainty. Hwan''s shoulders slumped, his usual confidence replaced by a quiet vulnerability.


    "We all feel the same," Yoon reassured him.


    "The Emissaries always interpreted the Guardian Crimson as a person," Hwan said, "but I never imagined a woman falling from the sky."


    Cheon Hwan conjured the woman''s image in his mind. Though her true nature remained a mystery, her extraordinary appearance seemed a fitting match for the crimson star.


    "In a way, it''s a relief," Yoon said.


    Hwan turned to him. "A relief?"


    "The star fell right before our eyes. Why here, in this vast ocean? It confirms our belief. The true successor wasn''t Cheon Seong, but the Guardian. Wi will be revived by your hand."


    Hwan smiled thinly. "You doubted your choice, then?"


    "Guardian, that''s not what I..." Yoon stammered.


    Hwan turned back towards the sea. "It doesn''t matter," he said. "It''s my fault if you doubted me."


    "Guardian, I never doubted you," Yoon said earnestly. "Not for a moment. Believe me."


    Hwan offered a cryptic smile. Yoon''s gaze lingered on Hwan''s face, finally noticing the fresh scratches.


    "Guardian," he asked cautiously, "what happened to your face?"


    Hwan chuckled. "Who else could have done this?"


    "Perhaps you''re being too lenient with Yirahng," Yoon said. "She tends to overstep her boundaries."


    Hwan''s smile vanished, his voice hardening. "It is you who oversteps."


    Yoon quickly lowered his head. "My apologies, Guardian."


    He paused, his gaze lingering on Hwan''s wounds. "Perhaps you should return to your cabin and attend the Guardian Crimson," he suggested. "We don''t know when she''ll awaken. You should be the first to greet her."


    "Indeed," Hwan agreed. "Remain on the Black Wings. Entrust the captured vessel to Hui."


    "As you wish, Guardian."


    Leaving Yoon on deck, Hwan descended into the cabin. The sudden shift in events, the unexpected encounter with the divine, left him feeling disoriented. He entered the cabin, finding Yirahng gazing intently at the woman''s face.


    "Is she so fascinating?" Hwan asked.


    Yirahng, her eyes still fixed on the woman, replied, "A woman fell from the sky, engulfed in flames. Wouldn''t you be curious?"


    Hwan chuckled at his lover''s childlike wonder. "Indeed, it is quite a sight."


    Yirahng turned to him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "She''s beautiful, isn''t she?"


    Hwan frowned. "Where did you learn such impertinence?"


    "Just a question," Yirahng countered with a shrug. "No need to get your feathers ruffled."


    "Leave us for a moment," Hwan said.


    "No," Yirahng replied flatly.


    Hwan sighed. "There''s no need for concern," he said. "I must watch over her until she awakens. No one else."


    "Why?" Yirahng challenged. "Is she the mother of all mankind?"


    "It''s the prophecy," Hwan said wearily.


    "Are you sure she''s the Guardian Crimson?"


    "We both saw her fall from the sky," Hwan said, his irritation growing. "Don''t be difficult."


    Hwan''s brow furrowed, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face at Yirahng''s blatant display of possessiveness. But he held his tongue, his gaze fixed on Yirahng, a silent challenge in his eyes. Yirahng, after a prolonged standoff, finally relented, rising from her seat. She glared at Hwan.


    "Touch her, and I''ll kill you both," she said.


    "As you wish," Hwan replied.


    Yirahng stormed out, slamming the cabin door behind him. Hwan settled into the vacated seat, his gaze fixed on the woman lying motionless on the bed. She was still unconscious, her breathing shallow, her skin pale and lifeless. He couldn''t imagine her waking, her voice breaking the silence, her eyes revealing the secrets hidden within. Yirahng had been consumed by jealousy, envious of her flawless beauty, but Hwan found her perfection unsettling. She seemed almost unreal, a porcelain doll rather than a living being. He felt the weight of the dagger concealed within his robes. He wondered if she would bleed like any other human, if her skin would yield to the sharp blade.


    He waited. The cabin, with its windows tightly shut, offered no indication of the passing hours. Dawn must be approaching, he thought, his eyelids growing heavy. Just as fatigue threatened to consume him, the woman stirred. Her eyelashes fluttered, her body shifting beneath the covers. Hwan held his breath.


    He held his breath as her eyelids slowly lifted, revealing clear, captivating eyes that blinked a few times before settling on him. As she awakened, her presence seemed to intensify, her form taking on an almost ethereal quality. She rose from the bed, her gaze piercing, holding him captive. Her eyes, filled with an elegant strength, searched his face, lingering on every scar and line etched by time and hardship. The silence stretched, broken only by the soft rhythm of their breathing. Then, her voice, cool and clear, cut through the quiet.


    "The eyes of a king you have."


    Her words ignited a spark within Hwan.