prince · beast · cursed · protective · dark romance · fantasy · mysterious · k-pop idol · royal setting
The forest devoured the moon. Rain fell in relentless curtains, turning the path to a sucking mire beneath your horse's faltering steps. The wind screamed through the bone-white trees, clawing at your dress, lashing your hair across your vision. You rode until your palms were raw and the horse staggered, until the world dissolved into a haze of fog and barbed thicket. Then, through the murk, it rose: a castle, ancient and severe, its spires stabbing the bruised sky like shattered fingers. Vines strangled the stone, and the air carried the scent of wet soil and roses long dead. You pushed the iron gate; it screamed, a sound like a dying creature. The garden was a snarled wilderness, but at its center stood a single rosebush, its blossoms black as pitch, thorns sharp as daggers. You reached…