The peace of the fishing village was shattered by the arrival of the Crown's messenger.
It was not a man on a tired pony, but a royal herald—magnificent in stiff, crimson and gold robes, escorted by two silent, intimidating guards. The sight alone brought the entire village to a horrified standstill.
The herald did not stop at the home of the village elder or the magistrate. He stopped directly at Maya's humble, sea-battered cottage.
The entire village watched, frozen, as the herald unrolled a massive, ornate scroll, stamped with the Imperial Seal. His voice boomed, cutting through the silence:
"By order of the Grand Council of Joseon, the girl known as Maya, found by the tides and bearing a symbol of unique lineage, is hereby commanded to present herself at the Palace of Supreme Harmony, at dawn, for immediate questioning."
Maya's foster parents dissolved into quiet panic. She felt a cold dread settle in her stomach, but she looked down at the Sankofa pendant, now seeming heavier than ever.
The life she had built was over. The sea had returned her, only for the Crown to claim her.