Chapter Twelve: The Temple in the Ice
The wind howled like wolves mourning a fallen star.
Sheila pulled her cloak tighter as they ascended the final stretch of the icy mountain path. Each breath fogged in the bitter cold, each step forward whispered that the world below no longer mattered. Up here, they were no longer Seoul's students or rebels in hiding.
They were who they once were: the Moon Queen, her Sword, and the Shadow caught in between.
The Temple of the Lunar Eclipse appeared as the wind parted — a crescent-shaped stone structure carved into the mountain's face, half-buried in snow and time. Lanterns of blue fire flickered to life as she approached, reacting to her presence.
Sheila stepped inside.
And the past opened before her.
---
☽
The inside of the temple was circular — walls lined with mirrors etched in runes. In the center, a shallow basin of moonwater glowed softly, casting dancing reflections over the domed ceiling.
At the far end stood an altar — and a silver pillar where the Moon Crest would sit during the final ritual.
Heeyoung had stayed behind in Seoul to distract the Council agents.
This journey was only for three.
Jiwoon entered second.
Hyunsoo followed last.
"Feels like a tomb," Jiwoon muttered, looking around.
"It is," Hyunsoo replied. "It was the place of your death. And mine."
Sheila said nothing. She moved to the basin and placed her hand in the moonwater.
A ripple of memory shot through her.
> A crown. A scream. A sword dropped in snow. A kiss. A shadow falling backwards into a pit of light.
She drew her hand back.
The water whispered: Choose.
---
That night, they camped inside the temple's sanctum.
Jiwoon sat by the fire, sharpening a dagger that didn't need sharpening.
Hyunsoo stood alone at the edge of the shrine, eyes on the moon through the broken ceiling.
And Sheila…
She held the Moon Crest in her lap, watching its glow dim and rise like a sleeping heart.
She knew what she had to do.
She would offer herself.
Not because she wanted to die—but because she was tired of watching the people she loved be broken by her throne.
---
💔
Hyunsoo came to her quietly, kneeling beside her in the silver shadows.
"You've been quiet."
"I'm thinking."
"I know what you're planning."
Her heart stopped.
He placed a hand over hers. "You've always believed pain should be yours alone. That if you suffer, it'll save us all."
He looked at her then — truly looked.
"But if you die, you end the throne. You end us."
She shook her head. "If I survive the ritual, one of you dies. Either you or Jiwoon. I can't let that happen."
Hyunsoo's voice broke. "Do you love him that much?"
"I love you both in different ways," she whispered. "But you're the only one I was never afraid to love out loud."
He leaned forward, brushing his lips to her forehead.
"Then don't leave me in silence."
---
🌘
Meanwhile, Jiwoon stood alone near the altar, holding the dagger.
The Night Queen's voice whispered inside him.
> "She's going to sacrifice herself. That's how she thinks she wins. That's how she betrays you again."
His grip tightened.
> "If you take her place, you will have her power. You will rise, Jiwoon. You will be more than her shadow."
He clenched his teeth.
But then—
He heard footsteps.
Sheila.
Alone.
She didn't see him.
She crossed to the altar, gently placing the Moon Crest on the silver pillar. Her lips moved.
> "Let this end with me."
Jiwoon's eyes widened.
She was truly going to do it.
Not for power. Not for glory.
But because she loved them both.
---
And just like that, everything the Night Queen had whispered… shattered.
He stepped into the light.
"Sheila."
She turned sharply. "Jiwoon—"
"I know what you're doing," he said.
She backed away. "You weren't supposed to see this."
He stepped closer. "You're going to die for us."
She looked at him, voice trembling. "Yes."
"Then let me die for you."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
Jiwoon pulled the dagger from his coat and tossed it to the floor.
"I'm done being a weapon. Done being her pawn. I won't hurt you. I won't fight you. I won't rise on your ashes."
He knelt before her.
"I remember everything now. The dreams. The war. The betrayal. And I remember… that once, you believed in me."
Sheila felt her knees weaken.
"I still do," she whispered.
---
☽
Hyunsoo entered then.
Saw them both. His sword half drawn—then paused.
Jiwoon looked up. "Kill me, if it must be done. But let her live."
Hyunsoo stepped forward slowly.
Then dropped his sword, too.
"I won't take her from either of us."
Tears burned in Sheila's eyes.
"What if the prophecy was wrong?" she whispered. "What if none of us have to die?"
The Moon Crest on the pillar blazed.
The temple shook.
The water rippled.
And then—
A voice echoed from the basin.
> "Then prove it."