Night hung in silence above the palace skies. The wind carried a haunting whisper of solitude. Areum sat in the corner of her chamber, Seol Hwa's manuscript in hand, a small candle burning beside her. Her heart still pounded from the recent ransacking of her room, and that blood-stained symbol continued to haunt her thoughts.
With careful fingers, she opened the seemingly ordinary page. But something caught her eye — as if another layer lay hidden beneath the faded ink. She brought the page closer to the candlelight, and slowly, as if by magic, the "Three Seasons Flower" symbol appeared, along with the sketch of a strange woman's face... and a name that had long haunted her mind: Raena.
"This can't be..." she whispered. Her eyes widened. The name had surfaced again. This time, more vivid than any dream or illusion.
"You've seen it too, haven't you?"
The voice came from the shadows. Areum flinched and turned quickly. Emerging from behind one of the dark pillars in her chamber was a tall figure dressed in black. The candlelight revealed only half his face — but enough for Areum to recognize him.
"Prince Ji Seok? What are you doing here?" she asked defensively.
Prince Ji Seok stepped closer, his eyes sharp but without malice. "I know what you're searching for, Areum. And I know what you've found."
Areum clutched the manuscript tightly. "How do you know about Raena? About this symbol?"
"Because I've seen it before," Ji Seok replied, pulling out a rolled-up piece of old cloth from within his robe. He unfolded it in front of her. There, the same symbol was drawn in red ink, along with a brief handwritten note. "It belonged to my father. Before his death, he gave a warning. If this symbol ever appeared again, blood would spill — just like before."
Areum stared at the note. The handwriting was wavering, but still legible. The name Raena repeated over and over.
"Who was Raena, really?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Ji Seok took a deep breath. "A woman from the future. My father believed she once appeared in our history, trying to change something. But she failed. And her appearance was always followed by the fall of a kingdom."
Areum closed her eyes for a moment. Fact after fact crushed into her mind. "Then that means I—"
"You're not her. But you're retracing her steps," Ji Seok interrupted. "And that means you're in danger. Just like she was."
Areum raised her head. "What do you want, Prince Ji Seok?"
"To help," he answered honestly. "But that help comes with a condition. You must trust me. And look into the mirror in the old palace. That's where it all began."
Ji Seok stepped back, then disappeared into the darkness without waiting for a response. Only the echo of his voice lingered.
That night, Areum did not sleep. Her soul was restless. Her mind spun. The symbol. The name. The future. The past. Who was an ally, who was an enemy?
By dawn, she stood before the antique mirror in her room. It had hung there for years, ignored. But now, she stared deeply into her reflection.
And beyond that reflection — a woman's shadow slowly appeared. Her eyes were crying, as if mourning from a time far away.
Areum froze.
CRACK!
A thin fracture formed across the mirror's surface. Not from the outside... but from within.
Areum stepped back, her body trembling.
"Raena... who are you really... and what is our connection?"