The night was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Moonlight covered the kingdom like a silver blanket. Villages slept quietly. Merchants rested after a long day. Noble estates were silent. Even the palace, usually alive with guards and servants, had settled into stillness.
The world seemed asleep.
But not everyone was sleeping.
---
Inside a secluded courtyard deep within the palace—
Shin Gu's chamber remained illuminated.
A single candle burned on a dark wooden table.
The curtains were tightly closed.
The doors locked.
Strange symbols had been drawn across the floor using red ink.
Bowls filled with black liquid surrounded the symbols.
The air felt heavy.
Unnatural.
Shin Gu sat in the center of the formation.
Her eyes closed.
Her hands formed strange seals.
Dark energy slowly moved through the room like black mist.
The candle flames flickered violently.
The temperature dropped.
Even the shadows on the walls seemed alive.
Shin Gu's expression was calm.
Focused.
Determined.
