9: The Kingdom’s Collapse
"The people are at the gates, Seok Hoon!" Hyejin's voice cut through the chaos of the royal council chamber. She stood tall despite the panic around her, her hanbok slightly disheveled but her gaze sharp. "Do you hear me? They've had enough of your lies and Appa's legacy!"
Seok Hoon slammed his fist on the table, silencing the murmurs of the advisors. "I won't let this kingdom fall," he snarled. "I've sacrificed too much for it."
"Yet it falls all the same," I whispered, my voice echoing in the empty void. My spirit lingered in the shadows of the chamber, bound to this cursed castle. They couldn't see me, but I saw them—desperate, broken, and drowning in their schemes.
"You think abandoning the slave trade will save you?" one advisor shouted, his face red with anger. "The nobles have already turned against you, Seok Hoon. Without their support, you're nothing!"
"Silence," Seok Hoon ordered, but his voice faltered, and for the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.
---
Outside, the roar of the crowd grew louder. "Hye-min, look!" A young servant burst in, her breath heavy. "The gates... they're breaking through!"
"Jinjja?" Hyejin asked, her face paling. She turned to Seok Hoon. "We need to evacuate the palace."
"We stay and fight," he said firmly, drawing his sword.
"Fight who?" she shot back. "The people? The very ones you swore to protect?"
"They're nothing but a mob," he snapped. "Without leadership, they'll destroy everything."
"And whose fault is that?" she countered, stepping closer. "Min Soo's? Appa's? Or yours?"
---
I wanted to speak, to call out, but my voice was swallowed by the curse. My presence in the room was a cruel joke—forced to watch the ruin of everything I'd tried to save.
A sudden crash echoed through the chamber as the heavy wooden doors were thrown open. A soldier stumbled in, blood streaming down his face. "The rebels..." he gasped. "They've breached the inner walls. The nobles' armies have joined them. We can't hold them back."
"Appa's dream," Hyejin murmured, her voice breaking. "All of it... gone."
"Not yet," Seok Hoon said, gripping his sword tightly. "As long as I draw breath, this kingdom will endure."
"You don't understand, do you?" she said, tears welling in her eyes. "This isn't about you anymore."
---
Outside, the sounds of war grew closer—shouts, the clash of steel, the crackle of flames. I could feel the anger of the people, their desperation. They weren't just rebelling against the crown; they were tearing down a system that had failed them for generations.
In the chaos, a figure emerged—a woman draped in tattered robes, her face hidden beneath a hood. "Jeonha," she said, her voice cold and deliberate. "The people demand justice."
"Justice?" Seok Hoon scoffed. "They'll get nothing but ash."
"Then ash it will be," she replied, raising her hand. The torches in the room flickered, and a chilling wind swept through the chamber.
---
The queen burst into the room, her face a mask of fury. "Seok Hoon, you fool!" she shouted. "Your arrogance has doomed us all."
"Mother—"
"Don't 'Mother' me!" she snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "This revolution is your doing. You and your cursed brother—"
"Leave Min Soo out of this!" Hyejin shouted, stepping between them.
"Min Soo?" The queen laughed bitterly. "He's dead, and yet his curse lingers. It's as if he's still here, watching us fall apart."
I wanted to laugh, but the sound died in my throat. She wasn't wrong.
---
The walls shook as the palace began to collapse, the sounds of destruction echoing through the halls. "Seok Hoon, we need to leave now!" Hyejin pleaded, grabbing his arm.
"No," he said, pulling away. "This is my kingdom. I will not abandon it."
"Then you'll die with it," she said, tears streaming down her face.
---
The rebels burst into the room, their leader stepping forward with a look of grim determination. "Your reign is over," he said, leveling his sword at Seok Hoon.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The flames, the screams, the weight of the curse—they all converged into a single moment.
"Do it," Seok Hoon said, his voice hollow.
The blade fell, and with it, the last vestige of Goryeo's royal family.
---
As the flames consumed the palace, my spirit remained, bound to the ruins. The revolution had begun, and Goryeo was no more. But in the ashes of the kingdom, I felt something stir—a new darkness rising, one that would not be so easily defeated.