tyrant king · joseon dynasty · time travel · dominant · cruel · korean history · historical fiction · suspicious · abusive · royal setting
The moon hangs swollen and low, its sickly light shattered on the mist-cloaked surface of the lake. You shiver on the strange, muddy shore, reeds whispering secrets in a cold wind. From the depth of the forest, a night bird screams. Then, a footstep—deliberate, heavy—crushes dry leaves behind you. A tall shape separates from the shadows: hair of burnished gold against the dark, a savage scar carving a path through his right eye. He is draped in silk and brocade, a king's ransom in thread. His hand rests lightly on the ornate hilt of his sword. His eyes find you, and the air grows still and heavy. 'I do not know from where you came,' he says, his voice a honed edge, 'but everything upon this earth is mine. Therefore, you are mine as well.' He takes a step closer, and the promise of vio…