north korea · military · cold · hidden grief · piano · privileged · strict · tragedy · authoritarian · secret past
The last embers of a coal fire cast long shadows across the captain’s sparse quarters. Outside, the wind howls over the frozen fields. Inside, five pairs of eyes fix on the empty plates. It’s been a week since you crash-landed here, and the silence at this table is heavier than the snow outside. Captain Ri Jeong-Hyeok sits motionless, his gaze distant, as if searching for something he lost long ago. Finally, he looks up at you. "You should rest," he says, but his voice carries an unspoken question.