Honbul: Flame of the Soul

It was late at night, and autumn rain was pattering down outside.

“Kgh. Kgh.”

The boy coughed as he poked at the hearth with an iron poker. Perhaps because the rain had dampened the firewood, the flames refused to catch. Smoke from the wet wood rose thickly enough to sting his eyes, but the boy kept blowing carefully on the fragile embers.

Only then would the night be warm.

It had rained all day, and this was the second day since Myojeong had left home.

Several years had already passed since Myojeong and Hwirim reunited. After meeting again for the first time in so long, the two had begun visiting each other from time to time. Ever since then, whenever the seasons changed, Myojeong would leave on a trip for about a week.

The purpose of those trips was to meet his friend, Hwirim.

In the meantime, the boy had grown considerably.

At first, whenever Myojeong said he was going on a trip alone and leaving him behind, the boy felt lonely. But after thinking about it, he realized he was no longer a child. He couldn’t keep following Myojeong around like a baby bird trailing after its mother, doing everything together.

And so, while Myojeong was away, the boy learned how to enjoy being alone.

Even without Myojeong at home, there was plenty to do. He went into the mountains to gather wood, chopped firewood in advance, caught fish in the stream and dried them, and sometimes secretly went down to the village to drive off stray ghosts and pocket a little money.

Today, however, the rain had fallen without pause since morning, leaving him trapped inside.

Four days from tonight, Myojeong would return.

Before he knew it, the embers had finally caught properly. The fire crackled steadily in the hearth. The boy went into the room and lay down on the warm floor.

With nothing else to do, he decided to write a few talismans.

Wrapped in his blanket, the boy lay on his stomach and drew talismans. Listening to the steady sound of rain as he worked, his body gradually grew heavy, and he dozed off.

It was when he came back to himself and picked up the brush again.

Rustle.

A faint presence stirred outside.

The boy’s gaze turned toward the paper-covered door.

No one would come all the way to a thatched house deep in the mountains at this hour. Perhaps some wild animal passing by had taken shelter from the rain.

Or maybe Myojeong had returned a few days early.

Feeling a small flicker of anticipation, the boy opened the door and looked outside.

In the dark yard stood a strange figure.

It was much smaller than Myojeong. A straw rain cape hung over the figure’s shoulders, and a rain hat was pulled low over their head.

At first, the boy thought it was a ghost. But on closer inspection, it was a person.

Caution instantly sharpened his eyes.

The boy glared at the unidentified visitor.

“Who are you?”

At his question, the red lips visible beneath the low rain hat curved into a smile. The visitor murmured in a voice so soft it barely carried.

“So you’re that child...”

The quiet mutter was swallowed by the rain before it could reach the boy’s ears.

Still smiling faintly, the visitor lifted their rain hat and met the boy’s eyes.

“......”

The moment their gazes met, the boy immediately reached for the sword nearby.

Something about this person was different.

At a glance, he knew they were no ordinary human.

With the sword in hand, the boy asked in a low voice,

“I asked who you are.”

“You have very good eyes.”

Muttering something incomprehensible, the visitor began walking toward him.

Just as the boy’s thumb was about to push the sword from its scabbard with a click, the visitor stepped under the eaves, removed their rain hat, and said,

“Judging by that insolence, you really are Myojeong’s disciple.”

At the visitor’s words, the boy’s fierce momentum faltered.

“...You know Myojeong? Who are you?”

“Of course I do. My name is Suhyang.”

Looking up at the boy standing on the wooden porch, the visitor smiled.

“I’m an old friend of Myojeong’s.”

Suhyang was another of Myojeong’s friends.

“I came to see my dear friend.”

After introducing themself, Suhyang removed the straw rain cape from their shoulders and sat down heavily on the porch.

The boy hesitated for a moment before lowering the hand that held the sword.

Since Suhyang claimed to be Myojeong’s friend, his wariness eased slightly.

“Myojeong is out on business. He isn’t here right now.”

Suhyang looked troubled.

“What terrible timing...”

With their brows drooping, Suhyang looked up at the boy and asked when Myojeong would return. When the boy answered that he would be back in a few days, Suhyang let out a deep sigh.

“Who knew seeing his face even once would be this difficult...”

Suhyang laughed helplessly.

Their manner of speaking was extremely gentle, but even at a glance, they seemed solid, with an extraordinary strength of will. The boy did not know Suhyang well, yet he could tell they were someone with firm convictions.

Their clear, innocent eyes were also deep as an abyss, carrying a quiet power that needed no words.

After thinking for a moment, the boy told Suhyang to come inside the thatched house and take shelter from the rain for now.

The rain was heavy. He said Suhyang could leave once it weakened, and Suhyang accepted without protest, thanking him as they followed him through the doorway.

Then, while opening the door and entering the room, Suhyang asked,

“By the way, there was a bowl of rice under that tree.”

As the boy closed the door behind them, he said, “Oh, that?” and answered casually,

“Myojeong leaves it out for hungry stray ghosts passing by.”

“......”

After a brief silence, Suhyang clicked their tongue and muttered under their breath,

“There are starving people everywhere...”

The boy brought Suhyang a cotton cloth to wipe off the rain.

Suhyang’s bearing and posture were very proper. Every movement carried a subtle dignity and restraint. Even the simple act of wiping away raindrops with a cloth made them look like a young master from a noble family who had been taught flawless etiquette.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Suhyang asked, noticing his sidelong stare.

“No, it’s just...”

The boy trailed off awkwardly.

Just then, Suhyang, who had been sitting upright, noticed the talismans the boy had written. Their expression turned interested, and they pointed at one.

“Did you write that talisman?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a talisman to keep thieves from entering.”

The boy nodded.

The talisman he had been writing was indeed meant to prevent thieves from entering the house, and its technique was fairly complex. The fact that Suhyang had recognized it at once meant Suhyang was also an exceptional gifted person.

Well, they were Myojeong’s friend.

“But... you didn’t use only cinnabar.”

As Suhyang examined the talisman, their brow gradually furrowed.

“How did you know? I mixed in a little blood.”

“Blood? Whose blood?”

“Mine. Talismans get stronger if you mix blood into them.” 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“......”

Still staring at the talisman, Suhyang narrowed their eyes.

For one fleeting instant, contempt and disgust flashed through Suhyang’s gaze.

“Did Myojeong tell you to do that?”

“No. I figured it out myself.”

After a moment of silence, Suhyang smiled and nodded.

“...To write such difficult talismans this fluently. You’re remarkable.”

The sudden praise embarrassed the boy inwardly.

After awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck for a while without saying anything, the boy asked a question to break the silence.

“What do you do?”

Suhyang smiled gently.

“I am a Naja who protects humans.”

The boy’s eyes widened at the answer, which came without the slightest hesitation.

“To be precise, I was a Naja. The Office of ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Narye has been dissolved, after all.”

At that, the boy’s eyes changed completely.

“Get out.”

Suhyang frowned slightly.

“Hm? Why so suddenly?”

The boy’s gaze was already filled with faint hostility.

He clearly remembered something Myojeong had once told him.

“I don’t want anything to do with Naja.”

At the boy’s answer, Suhyang tilted their head.

“It seems you hate Naja.”

“I do.”

As though genuinely curious, Suhyang asked,

“And why is that?”

The boy repeated exactly what Myojeong had once told him.

“They don’t care what methods they use as long as they achieve their goal. They’re merciless and cruel. They believed every evil thing they did was good and righteous. A human being who would even sacrifice their own child—that’s what a Naja is.”

At the boy’s words, Suhyang burst out laughing, as if they had heard something terribly interesting.

Not knowing why, the boy grew more and more displeased.

He was glaring at Suhyang, who was laughing in that clear, refreshing way, when they said,

“Then you shouldn’t associate with your master either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Because Myojeong was a Naja too.”

What?

The boy’s eyes widened.

“Don’t tell me he never even told you that.”

When the boy reacted as though he was hearing it for the first time, Suhyang’s expression sharpened with understanding.

They narrowed their eyes and stared at the boy for a while, then quietly clicked their tongue.

“Foolish thing...”

It was unclear who those words were meant for.

The boy was inwardly shaken by this new fact.

Myojeong never spoke about himself. Whenever the topic of the past came up, he showed clear discomfort and immediately changed the subject. So although the boy had spent a considerable amount of time with Myojeong, he still knew very little about him.

Confusion suddenly swept over him.

Myojeong was a Naja.

Then why had he spoken so badly about Naja when he himself had been one?

Above all, why had he never told the boy?

Then Suhyang spoke in a low voice.

“Don’t trust Myojeong too much.”