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Hae Narim, The Crown Princess of Hanulbeol-guk, felt completely alone.

The palace in Chunnan, a provincial city at the heart of Surao province, was all but abandoned.

With its halls and corridors lying eerily silent, and its chambers unoccupied, it was far away from the soothing atmosphere of the quiet garden retreat inviting for deep meditation. Instead, the air was heavy and the atmosphere crushingly empty.

Only a few souls still lingered inside. Aside from the Princess herself, the place had only about a dozen occupants, consisting merely of a few guards, and a handful of servants, all seemingly lost in the mostly empty buildings.

It was strange.

Although the seats of the provincials Viceroys generally paled in comparison to the luxury of the Royal Palace, they were all still appropriately large, representative to the official they housed, with a large garrison of both domestic staff and guards present, assuring both comfort and safety to the dignitary along with his guests. At least, such were the expectations under normal circumstances.

In Chunnan, it was not the case. The palace itself was suitably equipped, with spacious rooms for the officials, decorated hallways, and large servant quarters, along with the barracks that would fit an entire brigade of soldiers to assure the Viceroy's safety. It wasn't small adobe - in fact, it would be on par with those in richer provinces as well.

Viceroy's palace in Chunnan was lacking in only one important category - people.

There was space, with no one to use it. The token number of attendants were hired only to prevent the buildings from falling into disrepair, and there were hardly any defenders to secure the palace against any serious threats.

Yet, there was no sense of actual danger.

Even looters and thieves seemed disinterested in the empty buildings devoid of most occupants. Despite the fact that many shrines in the countryside were looted, and roads were unsafe for most travellers, the empty palace still somehow dissuaded anyone from even entering, be it law-abiding subjects or opportunistic criminals.

It was almost like no one expected to find anything of substantial value here, despite the fact that all furnishing and decoration remained untouched, simply gathering dust.

The Princess didn't need to even fear the assassins here, even if the guards present wouldn't present any meaningful obstacle to anyone suitably skilled. Not only that the Jin enemies wouldn't expect her to be there, but the place also seemed so eerily noiseless and empty that even a Sword Adept would struggle to conceal his presence in such a place.

Viceroy Gam Youngjae seemed to take a strong dislike to the place his predecessors had built, preferring the safety of rather a plain fortress over the benefits that staying within the city limits offered, and did so long before the disastrous events regarding the monsters.

Narim didn't know the reasons for such a choice and didn't care to investigate.

While the official residence lay vacant, the city of Chunnan itself was still clinging to life with increasing desperation.

Horrified by the war that strangled the kingdom, scared of the rumours about the terrible monsters they never heard about before lurking in the wilderness, the city was teeming with activity even if directed to fight the imminent dangers that were gathering outside.

The rumours reached even the princess' ears too. She did overhear servants, unused to the guests and distressed by the events, talking even if they thought they were far from her to notice the whisper - the bridge over the river had been destroyed, and the fortress on the opposing bank besieged by the army of Evil Spirits.

It was a rather chaotic moment, as some people wished to flee, while others were ready to defend their homes, with others convinced that the problems were still sufficiently far away, or that Viceroy's men would keep them safe.

The palace stood silent in the middle of it - the city just seemingly forgot that the heart of the city even existed.

Hae Narim didn't care at the moment.

The Crown Princess of Hanulbeol-guk should have a dozen or more handmaidens available at all times, all of them maintaining a certain decorum which would fit someone serving the member of the Royal family. Here, she barely had one, along with the two armed guards. This was not even a remotely appropriate way to handle the Royal guest.

Yet, Narim didn't feel offended by the lack of hospitality.

She even preferred solitude, for she was in mourning.

Her father was dead.

Hae Narim was certain of it.

She couldn't escape the truth, not even here in the outlying province surrounded by the mountains, cut out from the rest of the kingdom, for the news themselves weren't carried by the mere mortals traversing the dangerous roads, but revealed to her through the higher powers to torment her.

Narim felt it deep in her soul, it filled her heart with sadness she couldn't ever hope to escape.

The gods granted her visions last night, so vivid and clear, allowing her to witness her father's death, again and again, almost as if the heavens meant to plague her with nightmares for the most grave transgression against the celestial order.

Maybe it was truly so, perhaps the gods wanted to remind her what she had done after the days of uncertainty.

Knowing that she was all that remained of the royal dynasty in this dying kingdom was not enough, she had to understand that the Scrolls of Pho-us-kah were forbidden for a reason.

The Crown Princess would face her fate with dignity, being the last one of the royal blood, if she only herself wasn't the cause of even greater disaster than even the Jin barbarians couldn't match with their brutality - in the futile attempt to stop Hanulbeol-guk's mortal enemies, she had awakened the ancient evil bringing doom to them all.

Her father the king perished in the attempt to undo her mistake using another of the ancient Scrolls recovered from the Forbidden Library, which was placing the weight of the blame on her shoulders. After all, it was Hae Narim who started it all.

Hae Narim shouldn't have demanded the first scroll from the Forbidden Library, she shouldn't have attempted the ritual, she shouldn't have ...

The Princess hadn't seen it at first, too enamoured by the possibilities, too captivated by the seemingly easy solution, so she ignored the warnings. Her hubris brought disaster upon her, her father, and her country.

The being summoned from the depths of Spirit Reams wasn't the legendary hero to save her country from the barbarians that surrounded them, it was a creature of great evil and malice, bringing death and doom to her people once released upon the mortal realm.

She once thought she had the authority to command such power, but she had been gravely mistaken.

The Dark One didn't look threatening at first, despite his shining eyes and foreboding aura, it was just one man.

It wasn't just a man.

She had been shocked by the beast-women that commanded the fire, but still, the princess had thought it could be stopped with a few brave warriors.

There had been only a couple of those monsters, those Evil Spirits. They could be killed, she thought, her mistake could be such easily undone, if only she diverted the Viceroy's men towards them.

Hae Narim couldn't be more wrong.

Once the Dark One stepped into the mortal realm, it wasn't a matter of the single man, it wasn't just a few women that were beasts he dragged through with him from the Spirit Realm or another place he had resided in before called upon the mortal world.

She severely underestimated the magnitude, it was merely five nights and the number of monsters kept rising without pause.

It wasn't a question of a single man, the single being, with only a dozen bestial followers.

They were many.

It was a flood, dark waters were rising and she was about to be drowned in the tide.

The disturbance, once small and unsettling, was now ominous and malevolent, like a storm that raged on the horizon threatening to engulf all the land and devour everyone that resided within. She didn't have to see the skies from the seclusion of her chambers. She sensed the incoming storm within her heart and soul, and she knew it was not going to pass.

Maybe the gods decided to punish her with the clarity with which she felt the presence despite the distance between her and the corruption that spread through the land.

Narim sat in her chambers, her eyes fixated on the space in front of her, mourning her loss, and her fate.

In the isolation of her chambers, in the palace half abandoned, there was no one to witness her weakness. Tears flooded her eyes.

She lost her father, her lands were dying, and she was the one to blame for it all.

Hae Narim, the Crown Princess of Hanulbeol-guk, once beloved by the gods, didn't feel the privilege anymore.

She didn't feel beloved by anyone, let alone the heavens.

Perhaps it was indeed the will of the gods for her to witness the fall of her dynasty and the kingdom before she, too, faced oblivion. After all, the ancient Scrolls killed many who tried to misuse them, yet she survived to bear witness.

Then, once again, the overwhelming sensation that had plagued her hit Narim like a tidal wave, as somewhere far away, beyond her sight, but not beyond her spiritual senses, the evil force once again reared stronger than moments before, while the strange pull from beyond beckoned her to take the action.

The dark power was growing stronger. Whether it was the Dark One, summoning his armies from beyond, or the taint upon the land itself to birth more monsters, one thing was undeniable. It was growing, and it was not going to stop.

It bubbled, festered, strangled the lands, ever-hungry, ever-growing.

There was however something else too.

Like the breaking light of the dawn, it called to her.

Hae Narim felt it was her duty to correct her mistakes, not to wallow in her loss. She couldn't rely on the sacrifice of the brave men to stop this, she would have to undergo the trials herself should she be ever able to undo the damage done through the first ritual.

She abruptly rose to her feet in a swift motion.

It wasn't exactly the proper behaviour, as there was no one to criticise her lack of manners, after all, she wasn't at the royal court anymore. Not that there were any courtiers that could whisper to each other for what mattered.

The two guards, stationed at her door, were startled when she opened her door without calling for the servant and simply rushed through the palace's corridors in pursuit of something they themselves didn't feel.

The guards followed her anyway.

With the royal guard gone, and Viceroy's suspicious reluctance, her escort was almost ludicrously tiny considering her status, combined with the outgoing war, yet they did their duty as best as they could.

There was no one else, after all, if she ignored the absolutely confused maid who didn't seem to understand Narim's strange behaviour. The handmaiden bowed deeply, staying out of Princess' way.

Hae Narim was entirely captivated by the unheard summon that beckoned her forward, and demanded her to take action - this time, however, it wouldn't be the brave men that would have to make the sacrifice.

Narim briefly paused at the palace wing entrance, staring at the cloudless blue skies above.

The weather was pleasant, sunny, excellent for a stroll through the gardens in front of her, but she wasn't concerned with something as such at the very moment, for she could see past the limitation of the ordinary mortal's sight.

The gods wanted her to see.

The raging, incoming storm may be hidden from the mundane eyes, even hers, but she could still perceive it in her soul, a coming tempest that threatened to drown everyone in its unending fury. She could feel the guards behind her staring, in an attempt to understand her sudden, strange behaviour.

The enclosed gardens were as deserted as the rest of the palace, though not completely overgrown, their state reflecting on all surrounding buildings.

Narim was not interested in the garden, and after her brief pause, she continued to her true destination - there was a shrine connected to the manor, usually reserved for the official to carry out traditional rituals to secure heaven's favour for the upcoming term.

The events of the last days suggested that the gods weren't particularly pleased with how mortals handled the affairs.

"Stay here." She barked at the guards, without much thought, and rushed up the stairs towards the sanctum.

The small, yet richly decorated temple seemed as empty and abandoned as other buildings within the palace complex, yet remained in perfect shape, cleaned and maintained rigorously by unseen hands.

The statue of the Heavenly Dragon, Stylite Emperor, was polished to a glistening sheen, his golden scales shone in the sunlight, the idol's eyes gleaming as brightly as the celestial body itself. It looked down on the princess almost inquisitively, while the sculptures of his officials looked almost displeased with her presence invading the place of ritual and worship.

She nearly expected to be struck with the lighting for what she had done, however, it would have seemed that the gods decided to place a different kind of tribulation upon her for the affair with the Scrolls of Pho-us-kah.

No one spoke. Nothing spoke.

The statue of the Red King gleamed briefly, as the scales of the Dragon of the South reflected on the unseen fires, announcing that the Stylite Emperor appointed an official to execute his will.

The otherworldly presence that covered the temple's grounds was overbearing.

Narim forced herself through the appropriate ritual before she approached the dragon statues, her head lowering, kneeling before the altar in respect of the gods, and bowing deeply. The silence was in the air, and tension was unbearable, but Narim could sense the unseen energies that sparkled around the hallowed ground as the will of the divine manifested.

The Princess made the mistake of raising her head even slightly, only for the invisible force to strike her down.

Then, nothing, only silence, then the Red King announced his verdict, with a fiery fury of his own.

"What was done shall be undone." Boomed the voice from the heavens as the patron of humanity placed her judgement upon her.

Then, a strong vision completely seized Narim, leading her through the empty grasslands and the darkened pathways towards the...

... Forbidden Library, a hidden vault deep beneath the Royal Capital where the accursed Scrolls should be forever entombed, sealed away from mortal hands in an attempt to stave off the inevitable disaster should the sanctuary be breached, and the power of the Scrolls released upon the world.

And it was about to be breached, as figures moving in the shadows struggled through the underground maze leading towards the relic's resting place, with the foreboding presence that spelt the greater threats and promised colossal struggles.

Yet, no answers were given. Fires of the Red King demanded the scroll.

The Princess didn't dare to ask, neither in words nor in thoughts. She would trust the vision instead - after all, it was only her hubris that led her to this place.

The images shifted, showing another of the Scrolls, currently safely placed on one of the pedestals, bathed in strange, flickering light as the vision reflected the will of the god that demanded her to take action.

Narim thought she remembered the particular scroll.

Then, the perspective changed, to another relic, another scroll from the massive collection, and another, as it rapidly rushed through the unseen corners of the Library, the way the Lord pointed at items to be brought to him by his attentive servant.

The Dragon of the South wasn't satisfied with the content of the Forbidden Library.

"What was done shall be undone." The voice once again sounded, and the vision once again moved, shooting up from the darkened hallways, and away from the royal city with the fires on the horizon.

It moved to the west, towards the ruin overrun with vegetation, and into the tomb hidden beneath the crumbled stones.

Narim didn't recognize the place, yet was blessed with this strange sense of direction in which she should search for the answers, supposedly hidden within the sarcophagus buried underground.

It was where another Scroll was, clutched in the hands of the decaying skeleton, so close, yet beyond everyone's notice, hidden for centuries.

There were more places like that one.

Many had searched for the Scrolls of Pho-us-kah during the ages, though as far as Royal's sages were considered, those not sealed within the Forbidden Library were lost forever, yet the vision suggested there was at least one nearby.

How they remained to be concealed, the Princess did not know, and the Red King didn't bother to explain.

"What was done shall be undone." The voice insisted as the vision moved once again, to the grand temple inside the Royal Palace she had visited so many times.

The unearthly presence bore on ber once again, dissatisfied with the lack of effort from its mortal followers. The Red King, the Dragon of the South, wasn't known for its patience.

Then, the confusing visions stopped as abruptly as they started, and Hae Narim returned back to her body still prostrating herself before the statues of the gods, shaken from the harrowing experience.

The voice urged her to rush.

The heavens above were giving her a chance to redeem herself.

She slowly rose back to her feet, and once again, bowed deeply to the statues of the gods before she finally left the shrine, sparing a last glance at the dragon idols, feeling the massive weight that had been placed upon her.

The Princess could feel the gaze of the red dragon staring down into her soul, urging her to proceed with her quest, the only chance to redeem herself in the eyes of the gods, however, it was almost like the others lost interest in the mortal altogether.

Would the Lord of Black Waters and the Viridian High Lady dismiss the plight of the mortals struggling against the otherworldly powers?

There was no answer.

The Princess didn't deserve one, she thought.

Once again, the temple sank into complete silence, and the sensation that pulled her was gone.

The hearing was over.

As she slowly descended the stairs down the palace's garden, there were more than just the two guards that awaited her there.

An elder priestess in her ornate robes of office, accompanied by the two apprentices, greeted Narim with a deep, respectful bow.

"Your Royal Highness, the Crown Princess Cheonchong, Beloved by the Gods." The priestess addressed her with the full title, though Narim didn't feel beloved by the gods after what she had done.

Narim stayed silent.

"This one had felt...there is...we..." The priestess continued, her voice suddenly shaking and stumbling, unable to put the words together even after pronouncing the official title with flawless articulation, almost as if she was unsure how to continue.

"Bring me the robes of your priestesses," Narim ordered. She had a right to wear those, after being bestowed the relevant title, but she never did so. Now, they seem appropriate, considering the circumstances, and would allow her to leave the city unnoticed.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness." The elder priestess answered, without raising her head, still lowered in the bow.

Narim bowed back.

There was a mission which doesn't require her title as the crown princess - with her country in great peril, and under pressure, she had felt from the heavens above, there was another task that only she could fulfil.

It lay outside of this valley.

Hae Narim, The Crown Princess of Hanulbeol-guk, had a higher calling - she had to bring this to an end.