The Enchanted Canyon, A City Frozen in Time
Experiencing the mysterious always piques human curiosity. In the past, while exploring the vast plains, I often found myself wondering about the unknown. What lies beyond this region? What ancient relics slumber in the uncharted territories?
Seeing a unicorn was a similar experience. It was a rare occurrence, not something one encounters every day.
After reluctantly parting ways with the baby unicorn, we resumed our march, following its trail. Go Yeon-ju and Kim Han-byeol seemed to have quickly composed themselves, focusing on the journey ahead. However, Ahn Sol and Lee Yoo-jung occasionally glanced back, sighing wistfully, clearly regretting letting the unicorn go.
I understood their feelings. It was the first time we encountered a mythical creature that wasn’t a monster to be fought, but rather one that charmed us with its gentle demeanor. As I thought of the Pegasus egg resting safely in my room, I scanned our surroundings.
The canyon resembled a sideways V, and we were heading towards the wider end. The ruins in the Enchanted Canyon were less than an hour’s walk from where we met the unicorn. About forty minutes into our march, I felt we were nearing our destination. The reason was clear…
“The mist is getting thicker.”
Despite the morning sun, the mist hovering over the river seemed heavy, as if saturated with moisture. The deeper we ventured into the canyon, the quieter it became. Apart from the sound of our footsteps, only the gentle flow of water broke the silence.
Crunch.
The sound of a dry twig snapping underfoot made me instinctively raise my hand. As soon as I signaled, the footsteps behind me halted simultaneously.
“Soo-hyun, what’s wrong?”
“The path is gone.”
“What?”
“The trail has vanished.”
The path was still visible, but the trail of the expedition that had been so clear until now abruptly disappeared, as if it had never existed. I replied calmly, and Go Yeon-ju stepped forward to survey the area, her expression puzzled.
“It really has.”
“Let’s head to where the trail ends.”
I wasn’t particularly surprised. I had a few theories in mind. We walked about twenty more steps, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The path continued, but the trail was gone. Eight steps from the spot, I spoke to Go Yeon-ju again.
“It seems likely…”
“This is the place.”
Go Yeon-ju seemed to have reached the same conclusion. She pointed to the air with a knowing look.
“A magical barrier, or maybe a boundary? Either way, the problem is we need to get inside. How do you plan to do that?”
“Do you think I’d come unprepared? Step back for a moment.”
There is a formal procedure to dispel barriers, but it’s time-consuming and complex. It might seem crude, but the quickest and most effective way is to tear it apart with sheer force.
Drawing the Sun and Moon Sword, I glanced at Baek Han-gyeol. If he grows stronger, he might one day master the ability to reflect even such barriers. But that’s a matter for the future. For now, he couldn’t even perceive the barrier, let alone amplify and maintain it. At his current level, confronting the field effect covering this area would likely overwhelm him.
I raised the sword and activated my third eye. As expected, I sensed a massive barrier enveloping the canyon, possibly the entire mountain of illusions. I marveled at its grandeur for a moment before turning to the clan members standing behind me.
“The trail of the expedition and the rescue team both vanish here. I suspect this is the entrance to the ruins. I know it’s been a tough journey, but it would be a shame to stop now with the entrance right before us.”
”…”
In other words, I was suggesting we continue the expedition. We hadn’t faced any monsters, just the fatigue of marching without rest. There was no immediate danger. We had just taken a break to boost morale, and the entrance to the ruins was within reach.
When I asked for their thoughts, I was relieved to see all the clan members nodding in agreement.
“We’ll proceed with the expedition. I have only two requests for you. Ahead lies a magical boundary. Once we cross it, anything could happen. Whatever occurs, stay calm and maintain your composure.”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
Hearing Go Yeon-ju’s response, I stepped beyond the boundary of reflection without hesitation. Voices called out urgently behind me, but I signaled that it was fine.
『Potential Ability: Insight (Rank: A Plus) activated.』
『Potential Ability: Blessing of the Battlefield (Rank: EX) activated.』
My vision blurred momentarily before returning to normal. A subtle pressure weighed on my body. Though the effect was mild, it was still unsettling.
I aimed the sword and bent my knees, ready to strike. The barrier’s weak point was invisible. The entire surface appeared uniformly structured to my third eye. It meant any point would do.
As a reddish aura emanated from the Sun and Moon Sword, I leaped forward without hesitation.
Thud!
The start was promising. I expected strong resistance before reaching the barrier, but I managed to pierce it from the outset. The power of authority seemed stronger than anticipated. Despite being a large-scale barrier, I could feel the immense flow of magic pushing back against my thrust.
Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!
The barrier tried to repel me. I pushed harder, determined to tear it apart. As our magic clashed, blue sparks flew where the sword met the barrier, disrupting the air. The repulsion was no joke, but I trusted in my abilities and authority. As the barrier’s magic intensified, I increased my own, leaning forward with all my might.
Crack, crackle! Crack, crackle! Rip, tear!
“Good.”
The sensation of tearing paper traveled up the sword. We had been evenly matched for a while, but the scales were tipping in my favor. My hands, pressed against my chest, were slowly advancing. Encouraged, I twisted and thrust, feeling the barrier give way.
Wooong!
As the barrier’s hole widened, a deep hum resonated, drawing magic towards it. The pressure on my body increased. Tearing the barrier seemed to concentrate the surrounding magic, temporarily strengthening the field effect around me.
Realizing it wouldn’t be easy, I licked my lips and adjusted my grip on the sword. Then it happened.
“Oppa…”
“Huh?”
A woman’s voice, familiar and haunting, whispered in my ear without warning. I looked up instinctively, and what I saw was unbelievable.
“What…?”
I uttered in disbelief. Above me, in the air, were two figures I knew all too well.
“Ah…! Please stop… Ah…!”
“Park Da-yeon…? Belphegor…?”
In the air, Park Da-yeon and a demon sat together. Belphegor lounged in a chair, wearing a delighted expression. A woman straddled him, her limbs limp, moaning deeply with each thrust of his hips.
As I stared, the scene shifted again.
“Soo-hyun… Run… Run and… survive…”
My brother appeared, lying on the ground, blood trickling from his mouth. A gaping wound in his abdomen, he reached out to me.
The scene changed once more.
“Don’t look… Please don’t look…! Soo-hyun, I beg you… Don’t look…!”
This time, it was Han So-young, tears streaming down her face, pleading with me.
“You damn…!”
As I forcibly dredged up memories I wished to forget, a spark seemed to ignite before my eyes. Suddenly, a fierce heat flared at my waist, and when I glanced down, I saw the “Glory of the Sun” glowing red-hot.
“Stay calm. It’s just a hallucination.”
I quickly steadied myself. Though the unexpected sight had momentarily thrown me off, I managed to regain my composure and focus. Shaking my head to clear my vision, I resolved to tear through the barrier. Fortunately, I hadn’t been pushed back too far. Now was the time for swift action. Drawing on the power surging from my heart, I poured all my strength into the Sun and Moon Sword once more.
Crackle, crackle!
Sizzle, sizzle!
As soon as I mixed the power of fire with my magic, the barrier that had fiercely resisted began to melt away, like ice cream under a scorching flame. The hole in the barrier widened, and soon it couldn’t hold out any longer, collapsing in a cascade.
『Activating latent ability: Unyielding (Rank: A Plus).』
“Hah, hah.”
“Oppa…!”
I heard Kim Hanbyul’s anxious cry from behind me. The clan members rushed over, pulling me into the safety of the reflection’s range. I had succeeded in creating an entrance. It wasn’t exactly dangerous, but the brief hallucination had been unexpected.
As I caught my breath, Go Yeonju approached with a worried expression.
“Suhyeon, are you alright? You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine. It’s a bit taxing, but manageable.”
I replied briefly and stepped back to survey the front. There was now a large, melted hole that could easily be mistaken for a cave entrance. Sparks flew around, suggesting an attempt at restoration, but the lingering effects of the fire seemed to be expanding the opening instead.
With a long sigh, I calmly sheathed the Sun and Moon Sword.
“Wow, hyung found another one.”
“Yeah, look at that hole.”
“Hehe, our oppa made that. Ahem!”
”…Yeah, impressive.”
Listening to the kids chatter, I took a long drag on my cigarette. The three hallucinations I had just witnessed touched a nerve, naturally stirring anger. But it wasn’t a hot anger. Instead, it cooled my head, sharpening my senses. It wasn’t quite a blessing in disguise, but it felt like the edge I’d lost over time had been honed once more.
As I flicked away the spent cigarette and stood up, all eyes turned to me.
“Alright, let’s head inside.”
“Suhyeon, maybe you should rest a bit more.”
Despite the concerned looks from Go Yeonju and the clan members, I shook my head. Tapping the still-warm scabbard, I urged them to move out, and she reluctantly stepped back.
Before entering, I glanced at the view through the hole. It looked similar to the outside, except for the distorted parts from the impact. But the resemblance was only skin-deep.
As soon as I stepped through the hole, a profound sense of dissonance washed over me. Once fully inside, I understood the difference: it was the absence of life. This dissonance wasn’t external but internal, a reaction to the sudden change in environment.
I led the way, with Go Yeonju bringing up the rear. Once she was through, I paused and turned to the clan members. Their faces were blank, perhaps overwhelmed by the strong sense of unease or still in awe of discovering the ruins’ entrance. None of them seemed to notice the change upon entering.
“How’s everyone feeling? You okay?”
“It feels… strange.”
“Strange how?”
“I don’t know… It’s too quiet, nothing’s moving. It’s like the whole world has stopped.”
Ansol answered, a question mark practically floating above her head. It was a long-missed illusion. She seemed at a loss for words, pouting and tilting her head. But her response impressed me slightly.
“Still sharp as ever. But where does that question mark come from?”
I was briefly tempted to reach for the imaginary question mark, but instead, I chuckled and pointed to the right for the still-bewildered kids. There, a river flowed—or rather, didn’t.
Their eyes followed my finger, and as they saw the river, their eyes widened in disbelief.
“What the…?”
“The river’s not flowing?”
“Is it… stopped?”
“It’s too soon to be surprised.”
I murmured, pointing upward this time. The kids, who had been staring at the motionless river, tilted their heads back to look at the sky. Their eyes couldn’t widen any further, so their mouths dropped open instead.
I followed their gaze upward. My eyes traced the towering walls to the bright sun above. Beside me, Ahn Hyun’s voice echoed in awe.
“It’s a city…!”
Above the canyon walls, countless structures reached for the sky. This was the true ruin of the Illusion Canyon we had been seeking.
More precisely, it was the magical city of Magia, later known to its users as the City of Traitors.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
Haha, I’ve tried to hold back in the comments, but that name keeps coming up. Even in comments on other works. Yes, my mental state is slowly cracking. I did mention before that it’s too unfair for me to be the only one in turmoil.
I’ve been reading BL lately, and there’s an interesting term: “Gong” and “Soo.” From what I gather, “Gong” is the attacker (active role) and “Soo” is the defender (passive role). Hmm! Gong is Baek Hangeol, Soo is Kim Suhyeon. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, that’s that.
Most of you know that when I set my mind to it, I write quite boldly (like the part with Go Yeonju’s first encounter). I hope I don’t cross the final line. (Threat, threat!) ^ㅅ^
『 Reader Comments 』
MTBear: Long time no see! Have you been well? Haha, I finished my finals and am on break. :) Congrats on being first!
StrongestSaint: Is it female or male~. Guess! (Whack, whack!)
Igzario: Hmm, soy sauce marinated crab is delicious. Indeed.
Starland: A fortuitous encounter? No, protagonist bias? Yes!
DreamBow: ……! Ahem, ahem! Hmm, the weather is nice today. Very sharp and keen weather.
HumanLife: Not a sister. Please call me hyung. Yes. If you keep this up, I really will write BL. (Serious)
Yosuri: Pony? No, sorry. I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve heard that term. :)
DevilShrine: Hehe, I survived by a hair. My magic resistance is special, but once fully grown, it’s quite sturdy.
Hyunoh: I was moved by your long comment and started reading the first sentence. I was really enjoying it. But at the part about “long hair and a healthy appearance, a cheerful smile on her slender waist… riding a unicorn needs no further explanation. ‘Royumi’ she introduced herself as such,” I burst out laughing. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Your descriptive skills are amazing. :D
WantToPlay: Ah, if you look at the previous note, when revenge is taken excluding death, the curse is cast by the unicorn. So in the main text, the baby unicorn doesn’t know Suhyeon harmed it. :)
Thank you for always reading. Your recommendations and comments are a great support.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.