The night over Jepka was unusually silent — the kind of stillness that carried secrets in the wind. Inside the sisters' small wooden home, faint golden light flickered across their faces as they sat gathered around the old table. The Book of Wonderslay open in front of them, its pages shimmering faintly like it was alive.
Saehwa's pale fingers rested on the ancient paper. Her eyes, dark and distant, followed the looping script that seemed to hum under her touch.
"There's… no path written here," she said finally, her voice low. "No map. Only a warning."
Eira leaned closer, curiosity bright in her eyes. "What kind of warning?"
Saehwa exhaled softly. "It says: 'Only one door remembers the truth, and only those who seek it with courage may pass.' The rest… are illusions."
Lyra scoffed. "So it's a giant puzzle with a death wish? Great."
Noah, ever calm, cut in. "If the library's really connected to the castle, then it's the only way inside. The surface barrier hasn't opened for centuries."
Eira was the first to speak, her calm voice steady but edged with worry.
"So… it's settled? We're actually going to help them reach the castle?"
Lyra crossed her arms, pacing near the fire. "Help? Or throw ourselves into death? That place is ruined! Even Saehwa said the barrier was meant to keep everyone out."
Naya glanced between them, her voice soft but resolute. "Still… we can't just let them stay trapped here forever. They have families waiting for them. They don't belong in Jepka."
Jimin, sitting nearby, looked up at her. "We never wanted to cause you trouble. You've already done more for us than we could've hoped."
Ethan nodded, his tone steady. "We'll go ourselves if we have to. You've already done enough."
That only made Saehwa frown. "You wouldn't last a day in that library. Especially when you have no powers."
Lyra shot her a sharp look. "Then maybe we shouldn't go there either."
The room fell silent.
Eira folded her hands. "Lyra…"
"No, I mean it," Lyra continued, frustration in her voice. "We're risking everything for strangers. What if any shadow kills us? What if something inside that castle isn't meant to be found?"
Ardelle placed a calming hand on her shoulder, her voice gentle. "Helping others is never without risk, Lyra. But isn't that what sets us apart from the darkness that destroyed the our world?"
Lyra looked away, her jaw tightening. "I just don't want to lose anyone."
Saehwa watched her sister for a long moment, then turned to the boys. "We'll help you reach the gates. But we won't go in. Once we find the door, it's up to you to go inside it and find your way back home."
Ethan inclined his head respectfully. "That's more than we could ever ask for."
Noah glanced at the ancient pages, brow furrowing. "But how will we even find the right door? If that library is a maze with thousands of paths—"
Saehwa sighed. "That's the problem. No one knows which door leads to the castle itself. The rest are traps — illusions, beasts, or endless corridors that twist for days."
Naya swallowed hard. "Then how do we prepare for something like that?"
Ardelle's tone softened. "We prepare for everything. Food, torches, healing herbs… weapons, too. If we're stepping even a foot into that place, we go ready."
Eira nodded, her calm returning. "Then it's decided. We spend the next two days preparing — physically and mentally."
Kai gave a faint grin, trying to lift the mood. "Sounds like an adventure."
Lyra arched an eyebrow. "You call facing death an adventure?"
Kai smirked. "Where I come from, it's close enough."
Even jimin allowed himself a small, reluctant smile at that.
The tension cracked, just for a moment — a ripple of laughter replacing the weight that hung over them.
Then Ardelle's voice brought them back. "We rest tonight. Tomorrow, we prepare — mind, body, and heart. The maze doesn't forgive hesitation."
Everyone nodded slowly, and one by one, they drifted away to their rooms — leaving the faint hum of the Book of Wonders echoing softly in the air.
Later, as the moonlight spilled across the window, Ardelle found Saehwa sitting alone on the porch, her hands wrapped around a cup of steaming tea, eyes lost in the dark sky. Her mind wouldn't stop turning — about the maze, about the book, and about those four boys she barely knew.
"You're quiet," Ardelle said gently, sitting beside her. "That usually means you're thinking too much."
Saehwa's lips curved faintly. "Maybe. I'm just wondering if I made the right choice."
Ardelle tilted her head. "You mean helping them?"
Saehwa nodded. "They have a world — families. But what if in trying to send them back… I end up breaking something here? Or losing someone?"
Ardelle smiles softly and said, "You remind me of my mother sometimes — strong, but afraid to show you care."
Saehwa looked down, her voice quiet. "that's why she left you?"
Saehwa looks away and sigh and said, "I don't want to care. It makes things harder."
Ardelle smiled softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Saehwa… being afraid doesn't make you weak. It means your heart still knows what's precious."
Saehwa looked at her, her icy-blue eyes glimmering in the moonlight. "And what if helping them costs us too much?"
"Then at least we'll know we chose kindness over fear," Ardelle said. "That's what makes us who we are."
For a long moment, they sat in silence — two sisters under the cold glow of the moon, listening to the wind whisper through the valley.
Finally, Saehwa whispered, "You believe this will end well?"
Ardelle's smile deepened. "I believe in you."
Saehwa looked up at her sister, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. "…You really think we can do this?"
Ardelle nodded, her glow soft but steady. "I know we can. Because we have each other."
Saehwa gave a small, tired smile — the first real one in days. "Then I'll try not to prove you wrong."
Ardelle laughed lightly and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "That's my little sister."
For a long moment, silence stretched between them, filled only by the hum of the night wind. Then Saehwa let out a slow breath, a small, wistful smile forming.
"You know," she murmured, "you're the only one who knows how to keep me human… or maybe just how to keep my kindness alive."
Ardelle's expression softened, pride shining in her gentle eyes. "Then don't let it fade, Saehwa. The world already has enough cold hearts."
They sat together beneath the pale moonlight — one glowing with warmth, the other shimmering with frost — two forces that somehow, perfectly, kept each other whole.