Chapter 27

A Dragon, an Angel’s Confession, and a Familiar Face

Yongsun fled to her office before Wheein made it back to the library. Hyejin had watched her leave but decided not to follow. Yongsun collapsed against the office door, holding her head in her hands. She shook as she wept, quietly. It was too much, too much for Yongsun to understand why she was losing control now.

Each sob made tighten, and soon Yongsun could not breathe. She gasped for air, then leant her head back against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt her heart hammering in her chest, like a bird thrashing in its cage.

She remained sitting on the floor, her breaths were shallow, so tight that she let out a squeak when no air passed through her lungs. There was a weak fire burning inside her, the pendant around her neck glowed. Yongsun ripped it off, the thread snapping, and she held it in her palm, watching it pulse.

The pendant was her heart, but it was also Vega’s. And Vega was as much a part of Yongsun as Light was a part of the Stars, and the Stars a part of Destiny. They belonged to each other, but neither could exist without the other.

Yongsun looked at the pendant with tears in her eyes, feeling nothing but anger, and sadness, and envy. Why had she been born with Vega’s star fragments in her body —in her blood? Why was it expected of her to follow Destiny when it only led to pain? Why could she not live a life of peace?

She clenched her fist around the stone, gritting her teeth. It was the Star’s fault. It had to be. And Yongsun would not follow them, not the way Starfollowers did, she would walk her own path, and the Stars would only be there to light her way, not drag along by the collar.

There was a light tap against her window. Then several more urgent taps. Yongsun looked up, wiping away her tears. She placed the pendant in her pocket as she stood and walked towards the window. The tapping only grew more and more insistent. Yongsun thought a bird was mocking her, but instead she saw a folded piece of paper stuck to the other side of the glass.

Yongsun looked closer and realised it was laced with magic —the paper had been folded into the shape of a tiny dragon. The dragon tried to crawl underneath the lower frame of the window, its paper claws scraping futilely at the glass. Yongsun quickly went to open the window, but a sudden gust of wind blew the dragon away, hurling it high up in the air.

She watched as the wind tried to carry it away. Yongsun leaned her head out of the window, her eyes following the dragon as it struggled to make its way back to her.

And then! There! Hiding by a chimney a few buildings over was a Shadow! Yongsun let out a gasp and, without a second thought, climbed through the window to stand on the ledge. The Shadow saw her and opened its jaw, as if snarling at Yongsun, then it leapt across the roof like a mad dog, and chased after the paper dragon.

Tiles came loose as the Shadow’s claws dug into the roof with mad rage. Yongsun wiped her eyes again, her cheeks still wet from her earlier tears and, with haste, made her way along the ledge of the building, trying to reach the paper dragon before the Shadow did. She knew the dragon had to be from Moonbyul, she just knew it!

«Over here!» Yongsun called, reaching out her hand.

The paper dragon dived towards her, but so did the Shadow. They all collided, the dragon landed safely in Yongsun’s hand, but the Shadow landed on top of Yongsun and was snarling in her ear like a rabid dog. She hid the dragon against her chest, and then tried to push the Shadow off her, but her hand went straight through its chest, becoming stuck, as if someone had grabbed her hand from the other side.

Yongsun hissed, feeling thorns pricking her hand that had been clasped tightly by the Shadow. She tried to shove the Shadow away, but the Shadow would not budge. And so Yongsun decided to carefully make her way back towards the open window. The Shadow snapped its toothless jaw at her, and Yongsun winced when it scratched her cheek with its talon-like hands.

She suddenly fell backwards into her office, landing on her back with a loud groan. The Shadow gripped the window frame, trying to pull Yongsun back out again. The paper dragon in her hand began to move, wriggling in her palm. She held onto the dragon tightly, but then it burst free and leapt at the Shadow, letting out a ferocious growl.

Its eyes blazed with azure, light shone from its body, enveloping the office. It placed itself in front of Yongsun like a shield. Yongsun squinted, and through the light she thought she saw Moonbyul standing there.

It was like a vision, or a dream, but it felt so real, as real as the sun, the moon and the Stars. Yongsun thought she saw Moonbyul turn her head and give her a small reassuring smile that said I am here. I found you, and I won’t ever leave you.

Yongsun watched as the dragon cut the Shadow in half, then in quarters, then in eights —until it was nothing but bits and pieces scattered on the floor. The Shadow slithered away, but as a last attempt it reached out to take the paper dragon with it. Yongsun was quicker and pinched the dragon’s tail, drawing it towards her. The Shadow slithered away with a menacing snarl, as if promising it would return.

The light faded. «You’re safe.» Yongsun whispered softly, holding the paper dragon against her chest, gently enough so the paper did not crumple.

Yongsun looked at the paper dragon, seeing it had already curled up in a ball in the palm of her hand. «What a funny thing you are.» She laughed sweetly and stood, then placed the paper dragon on her desk.

She watched as it shook its head, then stretched out its body, like a cat, then laid its belly flat on the desk. The magic disappeared, the illusion was gone, as if a seal had been broken, and the dragon was only a letter.

Yongsun picked up the letter and read it twice. She touched the bottom of the paper where Moonbyul had signed it. Yongsun felt relief, knowing Moonbyul was still out there, looking for an awakened Shadow. She was happy to hear from Moonbyul, but the contents of the letter carried grave and urgent news.

She put it down slowly, her eyes focused on the wall in front of her. She felt numb, then sick. A headache came over her and Yongsun had to sit down. She drew a deep breath, then read the letter once more.

The King of Couronne was in Avion, he had left a day before the air raid. Moonbyul wrote, saying she had felt the Shadow’s presence in the city the day the King showed up. She had left, knowing the Shadow could feel her presence as well, and Moonbyul was currently traveling back and forth between small villages north of Avion, but south of Ironsmith. But Moonbyul admitted she would, eventually, go to Ironsmith.

Yongsun placed her head in her hands, sighing. She felt like crying again. It was a healthy thing to do; to cry. But it always left Yongsun with a terrible headache afterwards.

There was a tiny nudge against her elbow. Yongsun lowered her hands, seeing the paper dragon looking up at her. It was a charming little creature, a miniature version of the Azure Dragon. Yongsun smiled softly as it tilted its head. She reached out, and the dragon rested its chin on her finger, a low rumble sounded from its throat.

«Tell her she must stay in the south. I will come to her.» Yongsun whispered to the paper dragon. «Tell her I miss her as well.» And then she watched the dragon leave out of the window.

She sat in her chair, watching the window, seeing the sun, the light and the sky, the roof and the broken tile, the buildings; the ones that stood and the ones that had been damaged.

Yongsun had always cared too much, and thought perhaps that was her curse (because Yongsun at one point did believe everyone was cursed with something, and that belief had not quite left her). And the World was too much, too much for her heart.

«Yongsun?»

A voice came from the door, and Yongsun turned in her chair. Irene stood there, panting. There was something on Irene’s face that Yongsun could not quite place, but it made her uneasy.

«I heard a terrible racket coming from the second floor and rushed to see what it was…» Irene breathed. «But… I saw you… That thing. It flew out the window. What was that? Who were you talking to?»

Yongsun’s mouth fell open, but she quickly shut it. She tried to find the words, but did not know where to start.

«Irene.» Yongsun spoke slowly. «Close the door, please.»

Irene did as she was told, but she did not move to stand in the middle of the room, she remained by the door. Her hands were folded in front of her, and her gaze was lowered, not meeting Yongsun’s.

«I was sending someone a letter.»

«Through the window?» Irene snapped back, her voice had more bite to it, and Yongsun flinched.

«Irene.» Yongsun tried again, her voice disappearing, becoming smaller and smaller. «Please.»

«Tell me, then.» Irene begged and crossed the room to stand by Yongsun. «Tell me what’s going on so I can help!»

«I don’t know where to begin!» Yongsun cried helplessly.

Irene reached out and Yongsun latched on to her, burying her head against Irene’s abdomen, gripping Irene’s shirt tightly. She felt Irene’s hand on her head, hands her hair.

«Do not be angry, please do not be angry.» Yongsun pleaded, scared. «I cannot help it, I cannot make it go away.»

«Make what go away?» Irene asked, voice soft. 

«Who I am. What I am. What is a part of me.»

Irene continued to comfort Yongsun. She drew a sharp breath, then asked, «and who are you, Kim Yongsun?»

Yongsun squirmed, turning so the side of her head was pressed against Irene’s stomach. She blinked once, then twice, and said the words, the secret she had kept from her fellow Angels.

«I am a magician. Destined, doomed —afraid, afraid to fail, yet I must be strong, must wear a mask of false courage. I must defeat an evil in the sky or else we all will die. And I cannot think about it, cannot understand why!»

Yongsun trembled, but at the same time she felt all the tension leave her body, and her soul felt lighter for it. She squeezed her eyes shut and held Irene a bit tighter, then let go, but Irene would not let her pull away.

She looked up, and Irene looked down at her. Her face was empty, but her eyes, they shone with something Yongsun could only describe as hope.

«I, I—» Yongsun stuttered.

Irene shushed her softly, cupping Yongsun’s cheeks.

«I will not tell, Yongsun, I will not tell anyone.» She whispered.

A tear fell from Irene’s eye, and soon they were both crying softly.

«You have given me hope,» Irene smiled through her tears, then let out a small choked laugh, «you have given me hope, and I could never be angry at you.»

«You do not understand, Irene.» Yongsun cried, scrambling to stand, but her legs were weak and she swayed.