Hyunwoo stepped into Ozpin's office, the heavy metal doors shutting quietly behind him. The air inside was thick, carrying the weight of recent events. Glynda stood to the side, her arms folded, her eyes sharp as ever. Ironwood was near the window, his uniform still showing faint scuffs and marks from battle—dust residue on the sleeve, a scrape across his chestplate. His posture was rigid, hands clasped behind his back, jaw set like a soldier refusing to show weakness.
Ozpin sat at his desk, fingers laced around his cane, expression calm but unreadable. The only sound in the room was the soft ticking of the clock overhead and the faint hum of the machinery that powered Beacon's communications.
"Hyunwoo," Ozpin said at last, his voice steady. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."
The boy stepped forward, his spear strapped to his back, his expression unreadable but eyes alert. "It sounded urgent."
Ironwood turned, his steel-blue gaze locking onto Hyunwoo. "Urgent doesn't begin to describe it." His tone was clipped, military sharp. "Your information about Dock 12 was correct. The White Fang were moving shipments. More than Dust. More than weapons. They had Paladins."
Hyunwoo tilted his head slightly. "How many?"
Ironwood's lips pressed into a thin line. "Enough to crush a city block if they were left unchecked." He glanced at Ozpin, then back at Hyunwoo. "We destroyed them. Every single one. But..." His voice hardened. "...the fact that they were even there raises questions."
Glynda finally spoke, stepping closer, her heels clicking softly against the floor. "Atlas technology doesn't simply vanish into the hands of terrorists without... help. This wasn't smuggling—it was orchestration." Her gaze flicked to Ironwood for a heartbeat before settling back on Hyunwoo.
Ozpin leaned forward in his chair, eyes sharp but voice calm. "Tell me, Hyunwoo. Did you expect the scale of what we found? Or did even this surprise you?"
Hyunwoo paused, meeting Ozpin's gaze. He didn't flinch under the weight of it, though the question hung heavy.
"...I knew they were stockpiling," he said finally. "But if they're moving Paladins... then someone higher is feeding them. Someone who wants Vale distracted before the real strike."
Ironwood's hand tightened briefly behind his back, his knuckles whitening. "That's my concern. If my mechs are being turned against us, then my men could be next. The public won't trust Atlas if they believe we can't control our own military assets." His eyes narrowed. "And that is something I won't allow."
For a moment, silence lingered between the four of them. The gravity of what had happened at Dock 12—and what it implied—was undeniable.
Then Ozpin's gaze shifted, sharper now, studying Hyunwoo. "There is more you aren't saying. Isn't there?"
Hyunwoo's words came out steady, but his gaze lingered on each of them, weighing how much to reveal.
"From Roman? Nothing more," he admitted. "But..." his voice dipped, tone turning sharper, "I have a hunch. Yesterday, during Professor Goodwitch's class, Mercury Black asked me to spar. He didn't fight to win—he was testing me. Pushing, prodding, like he wanted to see how far I could go. I made sure he didn't get what he wanted, but it wasn't about the match. It was about gathering information."
Ironwood's brows furrowed, his voice immediately stern. "Testing you? That means he was ordered to report back. Someone wanted to know your limits."
Hyunwoo gave a small nod. "Exactly. Which is why I think Roman's operations are only the surface. The bigger play? It's aimed at the Vytal Festival. Especially the finals, when the world will be watching. They want to spread fear—not just here in Vale, but across every Kingdom tuned in."
The room went still. Even Glynda's stern composure seemed to falter slightly.
"They want to drive people into panic," Hyunwoo continued, his voice low but clear. "And in that chaos... Grimm will swarm. People will die, trust in the Huntsmen will crumble. That's when they'll move for something else—something bigger." His eyes narrowed. "Amber's remaining power."
The name landed heavy in the room. Glynda stiffened immediately, her lips parting as if to object, but she hesitated, glancing toward Ozpin. Ironwood's fists clenched tighter behind his back, his jaw grinding like he was holding back his response.
Ozpin, however, leaned back in his chair, cane resting against the desk, expression unreadable but eyes sharp as blades. "Amber," he repeated softly, almost like testing the weight of the word. "You think their ambitions reach that far?"
Hyunwoo's gaze hardened. "I don't think—I know. They don't care about winning battles. They care about symbols. Taking Amber means taking power the world barely believes exists anymore. And if they succeed... there won't be a festival left to celebrate."
Ironwood finally stepped forward, his voice hard as steel. "Then we need to tighten security around the Maiden immediately. Double the guards, restrict access, and—"
"—And paint a target even brighter on her back," Ozpin cut in smoothly, though his voice never rose. "We must tread carefully, James. Overreaction will only accelerate what our enemies desire." His eyes never left Hyunwoo. "But perhaps... Hyunwoo may be our best countermeasure."
The office was heavy with silence after Hyunwoo finished. His words echoed in the vast chamber, only broken by the faint hum of the machinery outside.
Ozpin set his mug down, folding his hands over the cane resting in his lap. His eyes glimmered faintly behind his glasses. "Cinder Fall," he said, the name rolling like a curse. "And her pawns. Emerald Sustrai. Mercury Black. We confirmed their identities the moment the information slipped."
Glynda crossed her arms, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Their infiltration is deep enough already. They've hidden behind the guise of students, walked our halls, observed our defenses. If they are preparing to strike during the Festival..." Her tone hardened. "Then Hyunwoo may be right. The timing fits too well."
Ironwood's voice was sharp, commanding. "Then the solution is obvious. We move in on them now. Arrest them before they can act. Eliminate the threat before the stage is set."
"No." Ozpin's reply was immediate, firm, but quiet. His gaze never left Hyunwoo. "We strike too soon, we risk losing sight of the bigger game. Capture them, and the true hand behind this retreats into shadow again. Salem will simply choose new agents, and we will be no closer to ending this cycle."
The air in Ozpin's office felt colder than usual, the Vale skyline stretching like a sea of lights behind the glass. Hyunwoo stood with his hands behind his back, his expression steady as Ironwood's sharp tone filled the room.
"They're infiltrators. Terrorists in disguise. We cannot afford to let them walk these halls another day."
Ozpin took a slow sip from his mug before setting it down. "If we act now, General, Salem will simply send more. We'd cut the heads, but not the heart. And she will continue to move against us, more carefully next time."
At the mention of the name, Hyunwoo's eyes narrowed faintly. He didn't flinch, didn't ask — because he already knew. He had seen her shadow linger far past this moment in time, a constant force of destruction. And he remembered Ozpin's private words from weeks ago, when trust had been weighed and measured: Salem is the true enemy of this world.
Hyunwoo finally spoke, voice calm but edged with steel. "Cinder, Emerald, Mercury... they're just pieces. Salem is the hand moving them. Whatever happens at the Festival, it won't end with them. Even if we expose or kill them here, the war she's building won't stop."
Glynda's lips tightened. "So we simply allow them to move freely? That's reckless, Ozpin."
"It's dangerous," Ozpin corrected gently, though his eyes were sharp. "But necessary. Every move we make must consider Salem. And Hyunwoo is right — this is only a beginning, not the end."
Ironwood's fist tightened, his metal fingers groaning under the pressure. "You've seen what she's capable of, boy. And you would still let these pawns roam? They've already made you a target. They know your strength. If they measure you again, they'll move to end you."
Hyunwoo met the General's glare evenly. "Then let them try. If they see me as a threat, I'll use it. Better they waste their focus on me than on Ruby, my friends ... or Amber." His tone hardened as he added, "If Cinder succeeds in taking the Fall Maiden's power, Salem wins a step. That's the real line we can't let them cross."
"Which means we cannot delay. A true Guardian must be chosen soon... someone worthy of inheriting her power and responsibility."
Ironwood straightened, his eyes narrowing. "And until then?"
Ozpin shifted his attention fully onto Hyunwoo. His words carried weight, deliberate and unwavering. "Until then, Hyunwoo... I appoint you as her protector. You will guard the Fall Maiden until a permanent Guardian is found."
Hyunwoo blinked once, his brows lifting slightly. "You're sure? Before this, you didn't even want me involved in your plans. You wanted me on the outside."
Glynda glanced at Ozpin, concern flickering in her eyes, but the Headmaster didn't falter. "Circumstances change. You have already drawn their attention. They will test you, hunt you, and in that... you become the shield Amber needs."
Ironwood's jaw tightened, but he gave a small, approving nod. "If anyone can keep her alive until the transfer, it's him."
Hyunwoo exhaled, shoulders straightening, a faint edge of dry amusement on his lips. "Guess I don't get much of a choice, huh?"
"You have a choice," Ozpin replied softly, "but you also have the will. That is why I entrust this to you."
For a moment, silence hung in the room again. The light from the tower's beacon cast long shadows across the floor, stretching toward Hyunwoo as if the weight of duty itself had settled on his shoulders.
He didn't shy away.
Later that evening, Ozpin guided Hyunwoo down into one of Beacon's most restricted sublevels, where the hum of machinery filled the air. The chamber was dimly lit, lined with steel walls and guarded by Atlas specialists at every corner. At the center rested a reinforced stasis pod, cables and tubes glowing faintly as they pumped life into the frail body within.
Amber Autumn.
Her chest rose and fell only because of the systems keeping her alive, her fiery hair fanned out against the white cushion. Her face, peaceful but pale, made her look almost like a statue rather than the Maiden whose power was the fulcrum of their world.
Hyunwoo stepped closer, his gaze steady. "So this is her."
Ironwood folded his arms behind him, his voice clipped. "She's alive, but barely. Without this, she'd be gone already." His tone carried no softness, only the cold report of fact. "Half her power was stolen. The other half sustains her... for now."
Hyunwoo's eyes lingered, searching the fragile figure in the pod. "The Fall Maiden. Everyone's hope against Salem, and she doesn't even know she's still breathing."
Ozpin's voice, quiet but firm, carried from behind. "That is why she needs you. Until the time comes to pass her mantle, she cannot be left undefended. If Cinder—or Salem's other agents—finish what they started, then everything we are trying to protect will be lost."
Hyunwoo finally turned, his expression calm, though there was a shadow of weight in his eyes. "I get it. Protect the girl, keep her alive. Not just her, but what she carries."
"Not just what she carries," Ozpin corrected gently. "But who she is. A Maiden is not merely a weapon. Remember that, Hyunwoo."
Ironwood gave a sharp nod, adding with steel in his voice, "I'll keep Atlas resources at her side, but if they break through, she'll need more than soldiers. She'll need someone who fights like Salem's hounds do. Someone they can't predict."
Hyunwoo let out a slow breath, stepping even closer to the pod. His reflection cast back at him in the glass, standing side by side with the unconscious girl within. "Then I guess I'm your shield until the end."
For a moment, silence pressed in again — the hum of life support machines the only sound. Amber slept on, unaware of the storm gathering around her.
Ozpin placed a hand on his cane. "So it begins."
____
Support my stories on p*treon.com/Jujukaka0 and get 12 early chapters,