The young man finished his jug of wine and retired for the night.
The following day, he was to meet his master bright and early for his training. He'd completed two of the layers and had three more to complete before Baek Junghwa could pass on all his arts. The morning light filtered through the paper screens of the Scarlet Pavilion, spilling into the wide, open hall where the faint scent of incense lingered in the air. The training floor gleamed with polished stone, a perfect mirror to the early dawn's glow. Standing at the center, Baek Junghwa looked every bit the ruler he was—tall, poised, and effortlessly composed in his black robes, the white and silver inner layers shifting like mist as he moved.
