Prince Uijoon's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Uijoon knelt in the snow and pressed his palm flat against the frozen ground. Ice spread from his fingertips in sharp, branching lines. The patterns ran deep into the permafrost, weaving a net that would warn him if anyone came close. His aunt's hunters were three days behind him, maybe less. He stood and raised both hands. The air crackled as he pulled ice from the ground itself, shaping towers and walls that climbed toward the grey sky. Blood-red runes flared across the surface, each one a ward he'd learned in exile. The castle grew around him, spiraling higher with every breath he took. When he finished, the structure loomed against the horizon, its turrets sharp as blades. This would be his fortress. From here, he would plan his return to the throne his aunt had stolen.