The palace sky was blanketed in gray clouds, and the cold wind that brushed the tips of leaves carried with it the whispers of an unfinished past. Areum stood by the window of her royal chamber, her eyes wistfully gazing into the distance, though her mind wandered elsewhere — to that secret room, to the bloodstained symbol on the wall, to the strange messages beginning to form a pattern.
Her heart was restless. Since the intrusion, she had kept everything from Wang Joon. She knew the more people knew, the greater the danger. But carrying the burden alone, with no one to confide in, was starting to suffocate her.
Wang Joon watched her from a distance. His steps slowly approached the woman who had become the heartbeat of his world since her arrival at the palace.
"Areum… you're not yourself. Is something troubling you?"
Areum gave a faint smile, but it was empty.
"Just tired. A lot has been happening lately."
She turned her gaze away, hiding the tears welling in her eyes. Wang Joon didn't push. He knew when to wait.
A few nights later, Areum returned to the secret manuscript chamber beneath the royal library. There, her eyes were drawn to the strange symbol at the edge of the Seol Hwa manuscript — three flower petals forming a circle, the emblem that now haunted her dreams.
Suddenly, the lower part of the manuscript glowed faintly. Hidden within the layers of the old parchment, a holographic image emerged. A woman's face appeared — one that resembled Areum, but older, with the aura of someone from the future.
"Areum," the voice echoed. "I am Raena, from a century you will never touch. Our future teeters on the edge of ruin. If the Three-Season Flower rises, the world will burn."
Areum froze. "Raena… who are you, really?"
The message left only one clue: a location — the Dark Passage beneath the East Wind Pavilion. Without hesitation, Areum jotted down the coordinates and carefully stored the hologram.
The next day, Areum met Wang Joon in secret at the palace's back garden.
"I need you to trust me, but I can't explain everything yet," she said quietly.
"Whatever it is, Areum. I'm on your side."
"Tonight, follow me to the East Wind Pavilion. We need to investigate something. But this must be kept from everyone."
Wang Joon nodded without question.
Night fell. With only lantern light and their courage, Areum and Wang Joon slipped into the long-abandoned pavilion. Beneath the rotting wooden floor, they found a trapdoor. Dust and cobwebs greeted them.
The tunnel was narrow, its stone walls lined with strange paintings — winged humans, flowers that bloomed three times a year, and flames consuming a royal crown.
At the end of the corridor, they found a metallic box that looked far too modern to belong in their time.
"This… isn't from here," Wang Joon whispered.
Areum reached out her hand, and the moment her fingers touched the box's surface — a blinding light flashed, and the world around her vanished.
In an instant, Areum saw the palace in flames. Black smoke filled the sky. Wang Joon was being dragged by a masked figure and beaten mercilessly. And atop a fallen throne stood a woman in white robes — her face identical to Areum's, but her eyes… hollow.
"Areum," Raena's voice echoed in her consciousness, "the future cannot be changed. But you can choose who will live."
Areum awoke with a gasp. Wang Joon was gripping her hand.
"Areum! You fainted just now. Are you okay?"
Areum slowly turned to the box, now sealed again. In her heart, she knew — the true mystery was only beginning.
And the future was drawing near.