In the silence of a winter night, the wind bit the skin like invisible fangs. The gardens of the Cheoson royal palace were plunged into a darkness disturbed only by the pale light of the moon. Jin-Hee walked softly, her discreet figure blending among the frost-covered trees. In her hands, she held a lantern covered with cloth, filtering just enough light to guide her steps.
Ahead of her, Ally, draped in a thick cloak, moved with an almost unreal grace. Despite her rank as Royal Priestess, Ally seemed more vulnerable than sacred, her gaze lost in thoughts she never fully shared. Jin-Hee, her attendant and confidante, was determined to pierce this armor of mystery.
"You shouldn't be here, Ally," Jin-Hee whispered, breaking the silence. "If anyone sees you..."
"No one will see us," Ally replied without turning around. Her voice, soft yet firm, carried a natural authority that contrasted with her absent air. "And even if they did, what could they do? I am already a shadow in this palace."
Jin-Hee clenched her fists, holding back a sigh. Ally often spoke like this lately, as if accepting an inescapable destiny that Jin-Hee refused to understand.
"A shadow? No, you are much more than that, Ally. You are the future of this kingdom."
Ally suddenly stopped, her eyes fixed on an invisible point in the darkness.
"And you, Jin-Hee? What are you?"
The question, asked with disarming simplicity, left Jin-Hee speechless. Ally turned to her, her features illuminated by the flickering lantern light.
"You are more than an attendant. More than a friend. Perhaps even more than you realize yourself," Ally added, a sad smile touching her lips.
Jin-Hee opened her mouth to answer, but a sound interrupted them. A branch snapped somewhere nearby. With a quick movement, Jin-Hee extinguished the lantern, plunging the two women into darkness.
"Come," she whispered, taking Ally's hand. "We can't stay here."
They took refuge in an abandoned pavilion. Ally sat on a stone bench, looking relaxed despite the palpable tension.
"You take too many risks, Ally," Jin-Hee murmured, kneeling before her. "Why do you insist on visiting these forbidden places?"
Ally placed a light, almost maternal, hand on Jin-Hee's head. "Because I must remember, Jin-Hee. Before everything changes."
"Changes?" Jin-Hee frowned, a shiver running down her spine. "What do you mean?"
Ally looked away, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "There are things I cannot explain to you now. But promise me one thing: no matter what happens, never lose faith in yourself. Not in me, but in you, Jin-Hee."
They discreetly returned to their quarters. As they walked, one last image remained etched in Jin-Hee's mind: Ally, standing under the cold moonlight, her tattoos — one almost faded, the other shining like a constellation — silent witnesses to a destiny beyond understanding.
And in the distance, on the horizon, the faint silhouette of the Cheongbok waterfall loomed, a mute reminder that the true weight of prophecies lies not in words, but in the hearts they break.