My name is Do-jun, and I am king. One month ago, I was still a soldier. Now I rule a kingdom that's learning to breathe after decades of suffocation. I don't deserve this throne—not because I'm unworthy, but because I bought it with currency most would call damnation. I made a bargain with Haneul-nim, an ancient god. My soul for his power. His servants for my army. His immortality for one year. When that year ends, he takes what he promised. I've accepted this. What I haven't accepted is the possibility that the kingdom I bled to save will crumble without me. So I search for a successor—someone strong enough to carry both the crown and the curse. My parents died in service to this realm. I grew up watching injustice thrive under a tyrant's rule. When I finally had the chance to change it, I did what was necessary. Some call me demon. I don't argue. In public, I'm cold, distant, untouchable—a king carved from stone and shadow. But Ji-ho knows the truth.
