Du Guk's gaze roamed the studio like a hunter assessing unfamiliar terrain. His presence filled the space with tension, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. Nor Ah wiped her hands clean and gestured toward the leather chair in the far corner.
"You're here for a tattoo?" she asked, her voice steady despite the pulse racing in her throat.
"Yes," he said, stepping forward. "But not just any tattoo. I need something… binding."
Nor Ah's brow lifted. "You don't strike me as the sentimental type."
"I'm not." His grey eyes met hers again. "This isn't sentiment. It's survival."
The way he said it sent a shiver down her spine. She motioned to the chair, her fingers brushing his as she handed him the design pad. The contact was brief, but electricity surged through her palm—raw and biting. Du Guk's jaw tightened.
"You felt that too?" she whispered.
"Yes."
He sat, shrugging off his coat, revealing a body sculpted by something far older than a gym. Runes were inked faintly across his skin—faded, ancient, maybe even alive. She studied them, fingers twitching with a desire she didn't fully understand. A desire not just to touch, but to awaken.
"What are these?" she asked softly.
"Memories," he murmured. "Locked in blood. I've forgotten them. I need to remember."
She met his eyes. "And you think I can help with that?"
"I don't think," Du Guk said, voice low. "I know."