The barn crackled with tension. The boy in the black suit—a puppetmaster cloaked in arrogance—watched Wooin with unrelenting eyes. Around them, the masked figures tightened their grips on their weapons, waiting for a signal. The air itself seemed to weigh down on Wooin as his mind churned.
The name Hak Yon thundered in his thoughts, alongside the revelations about his mentor, Gyeo. Wooin felt as though the ground beneath him had fallen away. For all this time in the smithy, he had never thought Gyeo's quiet wisdom and meticulous craftsmanship concealed secrets of this magnitude.
"What makes you think I know anything about this… legacy?" Wooin demanded, his voice hoarse but steady.
The boy smiled thinly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Because if Gyeo didn't tell you, he's a bigger fool than I thought. A legacy like Hak Yon's is too important to be hidden away, especially from his chosen disciple."
Wooin's mind raced. He wanted to deny the boy's accusations, but a small, nagging part of him whispered that there was truth here. Gyeo's insistence on mastery, his cryptic lessons about responsibility, and his obsession with secrecy—had it all been part of preparing Wooin for something greater?
"You're wasting your time," Wooin said finally. "I don't know anything."
The boy's expression darkened. "Then let me make this simple. Either you tell me where Hak Yon's legacy is, or your sister suffers the consequences."
Haeji whimpered in the background, and Wooin's heart clenched. Her tear-streaked face, pale with fear, was a knife to his resolve.
"You lay a hand on her," Wooin said, his voice a low growl, "and I'll—"
The boy cut him off with a sharp laugh. "You'll what? Look around, Wooin. You're outnumbered, outclassed, and entirely at my mercy. I'd advise you to reconsider your bravado."
Wooin gritted his teeth, his fists tightening at his sides. But even as rage simmered within him, his mind darted toward a plan. He needed to think quickly, to find a way to protect Haeji while buying time to learn the truth.
"Fine," Wooin said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "Let her go, and I'll tell you everything I know."
The boy's smile returned, triumphant. "That's more like it. But I'm no fool. You'll tell me first, then she goes free."
Wooin's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Alright. Hak Yon's legacy… It's…"
He hesitated, feigning uncertainty, hoping the pause would lend his words weight. "It's in the ruins beneath Baegun Pass. Gyeo mentioned it once when we were working on a blade for a merchant. He said Hak Yon's legacy was buried there."
The boy's eyes narrowed, studying Wooin for any hint of deceit. "The ruins beneath Baegun Pass?"
Wooin nodded, keeping his gaze steady. "That's all I know."
The boy stepped closer, his polished shoes crunching on the barn floor. "If you're lying, I'll make sure your sister pays the price."
Wooin didn't flinch. "Then you'd better hope I'm not."
The boy studied him for another moment, then motioned to two of his masked men. "Take him," he ordered. "We're going to Baegun Pass. If this turns out to be a wild goose chase, bring me his head."
The figures moved forward, their hands gripping Wooin's arms like iron.
"What about my sister?" Wooin demanded, struggling against their hold.
The boy glanced at Haeji, then back at Wooin. "She stays here. Once we confirm your story, we'll send someone back to release her."
"No!" Wooin shouted, his voice breaking. "She comes with me. I won't leave her here with your men."
The boy tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You're not exactly in a position to negotiate."
Wooin's mind scrambled for an argument, but before he could speak, a new voice echoed through the barn.
"I think the boy's right."
The words sent a jolt through everyone in the room. The masked figures turned, their stances shifting to defensive readiness. The boy in the suit stiffened, his eyes scanning the barn for the source of the voice.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward—a man clad in simple, travel-worn robes, his graying hair tied back in a loose knot. His eyes gleamed with quiet intensity, and his posture exuded the calm confidence of someone who had long since mastered fear.
"Gyeo," the boy said, his voice low with both recognition and irritation.
Wooin's heart leaped. "Master Gyeo?"
Gyeo inclined his head toward Wooin but didn't take his eyes off the boy in the suit. "You've gone too far this time, Jin-Seok," Gyeo said, his tone even.
Jin-Seok—finally named—smiled faintly. "Gyeo. I was beginning to think you'd abandoned your little disciple to his fate. How predictable of you to play the hero."
Gyeo ignored the jab, stepping further into the barn. "Let the boy and his sister go. This is between you and me."
Jin-Seok's smile widened. "Oh, I don't think so. You've been keeping secrets, old man—secrets that could change the balance of power. And I intend to claim them."
"Power built on stolen secrets is no power at all," Gyeo said quietly.
"Spare me the philosophy," Jin-Seok snapped. "Tell me where Hak Yon's legacy is, or I'll carve it out of your protégé."
Before Jin-Seok could finish his threat, Gyeo moved. His hand flicked out, and a small, metallic object shot through the air, striking the dagger from Jin-Seok's hand with pinpoint precision. The weapon clattered to the ground, and Jin-Seok stumbled back, his composure momentarily shaken.
The barn erupted into chaos. The masked figures lunged forward, their weapons flashing in the dim light. Gyeo met them head-on, his movements impossibly swift and fluid. Wooin watched in awe as his mentor disarmed and incapacitated the attackers with nothing more than a pair of tongs he had drawn from his robe.
"Wooin!" Gyeo shouted over the commotion. "Get your sister and run!"
Wooin didn't need to be told twice. He darted toward Haeji, cutting through her bonds with a jagged piece of metal he found on the floor.
"Haeji, can you stand?" he asked urgently.
Haeji nodded shakily, her eyes wide with fear but determined.
"Then let's go!"
The siblings bolted for the barn door, but Jin-Seok's voice rang out behind them.
"Stop them!"
Two masked figures moved to block their path, but before they could reach the siblings, Gyeo intercepted them. With a single, powerful strike, he sent them sprawling.
"Go!" Gyeo barked.
Wooin hesitated for a split second, his eyes locking with Gyeo's. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he didn't understand.
"Master—"
"Later!" Gyeo snapped. "Protect your sister!"
Wooin swallowed hard, then grabbed Haeji's hand and ran.
---
The siblings didn't stop running until they were deep into the forest, the barn a distant speck behind them. Wooin's lungs burned, and Haeji was practically collapsing with exhaustion, but they pressed on until they were certain they weren't being followed.
Finally, they stopped, leaning against a tree to catch their breath.
"Wooin," Haeji gasped, her voice trembling. "What's happening? Who were those people? Why did they take me?"
Wooin shook his head, his thoughts a tangled mess. "I don't know, Haeji. But I swear, I'll keep you safe. No matter what."
Haeji nodded, her trust in her brother unshaken.
As the moonlight filtered through the trees, Wooin's mind returned to Gyeo's words and Jin-Seok's accusations. Hak Yon's legacy… Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to draw the attention of dangerous people and place his family in jeopardy.
He looked down at his hands, scarred from years of forging, and clenched them into fists.
"If this legacy is real," he muttered, "I'll find it. And I'll make sure no one uses it to hurt anyone ever again."
With that vow, Wooin knew there was no turning back.
The journey to uncover Hak Yon's legacy—and the truth about his own destiny—had only just begun.