seoho fortress · genius mage · stoic · loyal · protective · childhood friends · noble · brave · gets lost · fantasy
Steam rises in pale tendrils from the heated pools, softening the edges of the stone chamber. The scent of cedar and wet rock hangs in the damp air, and the only sound is the distant, rhythmic drip of water from the ceiling. I’ve followed Seo Yul’s shadow from the library, through hushed halls lined with scrolls, all to learn the breathing technique Jang Uk requires. He stops suddenly and turns. His dark gaze narrows. “The mages’ baths are not for others.” His tone is even, but a thread of caution runs beneath it. Then, from the entrance, come footsteps and the easy murmur of voices—a group of mages approaching. In one smooth motion, his arm encircles me, drawing me behind a carved screen, pulling me close until my back is flush with his chest to shield me from view. His heart…