The ghostly scholar pinched the bridge of his transparent nose. "I was in the middle of my eternal slumber. Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay dead in this palace?"
Yena raised her hand. "Technically, aren't you already...."
"Yes, thank you," the ghost cut her off. "I'm very aware of my situation."
Joon stepped forward. "If you know about this place, then you know about my curse."
The ghost's eyes flickered, his voice dropping. "Ah… the one who walks in daylight but belongs to the moon."
"That's… creepy," Yena whispered. "Ten out of ten delivery, though."
The ghost continued, ignoring her. "Your curse isn't what you think, boy. It isn't just about the moon. It's about blood. A betrayal soaked into your family's history."
Before Joon could ask more, the young fake knight piped up, "Wait.....shouldn't I be arresting you both?"
Yena turned on him. "Shouldn't you be polishing actual armor instead of swinging foam swords at strangers?"
"It's steel," he protested.
"It bent when I hit it with a broom!" she snapped back.
"Can you two not?" Joon barked. "We have a literal ghost giving us exposition here!"
The ghost sighed. "This is why mortals never survive the first stage of the curse....too much bickering. Now listen. The blood that cursed your line came from a deal your ancestor made… with the Moon Court."
Yena frowned. "Moon Court? Sounds fancy."
"Sounds lethal," Joon corrected.
"Both," the ghost confirmed. "And they will come for you during the Lunar Eclipse. You have exactly thirteen nights left."
The room went quiet.
Then....
CRASH!
A stone tile in the corner flipped open and three palace cats bolted out, hissing. The fake knight screamed.
Yena sighed. "This day is just getting better and better."
The courtyard should have been silent, but it was alive with chaos. Yena was still clinging to the cursed talisman like a cat holding a slipper, Joon was shouting orders that no one followed, and the palace guards were trying to decide whether to fight the mysterious intruders or stop the kitchen boy who had decided this was the perfect moment to steal a roasted duck.
"You three! Stop.....No, not you three, the other three!" Joon barked, but his voice cracked halfway, giving the command all the authority of a startled goat.
A shadow darted between two pillars. Yena's eyes narrowed. "Did you see that?"
"No," Joon replied automatically, which was his usual reaction when he didn't want to admit he had seen something terrifying.
The air shimmered....like heat off a summer road....and then, out of nowhere, a masked figure landed in front of them with all the grace of someone who had practiced their dramatic entrance far too much.
"Who are you?" Yena demanded.
The figure tilted their head. "The question isn't who I am," they said smoothly, "but whether you'll still be standing in the next ten seconds."
Yena took one step forward. "Well, I've survived exploding soup, a cursed heir, and the head maid's morning temper. Try me."
The masked figure chuckled.....a low, taunting sound that made the hairs on Yena's arms prickle.
"Bold words," they said, drawing a curved blade from behind their back. "Let's see if you can back them up."
Joon instinctively moved in front of her. "Hey.....if you want to fight someone, fight me."
The figure tilted their head again. "Alright."
Before Joon could blink, the blade sliced through the air....fast enough to shear a falling leaf in two. He ducked just in time, stumbling into Yena, who barely kept her balance.
The palace guards, deciding they wanted no part in this, pretended to be extremely busy tying up the duck thief.
Yena's grip tightened on the cursed talisman. "Fine," she muttered, "let's see how you like a little bad luck."
She flung the talisman toward the masked figure. It slapped onto their chest with a spark of blue light.
The figure paused. "What is this?"
"Oh, just something I picked up from an angry ghost last week," Yena said sweetly.
The ground beneath them gave a sudden lurch.....like the palace itself had sneezed. Tiles cracked, and a plume of shimmering mist erupted between them.
When it cleared, the masked figure was gone.
Joon exhaled in relief.....until a voice whispered directly behind them:
"You're going to regret that."
Yena spun around so fast she nearly tripped over her own robes. The masked figure stood just a breath away, not even winded, their blade resting casually against their shoulder.
"Impossible," Joon muttered. "You were over there."
"And now I'm here," the figure replied, as though explaining the concept of walking to a very slow child. "I move quickly. You think palace walls can stop me?"
Yena's mind raced. If the talisman didn't work, then…
"Why are you here?" she demanded.
The figure's gaze slid to Joon. "Because the Crown Prince's curse isn't meant to be broken. And someone's getting too close to doing exactly that."
Joon blinked. "Wait....so you want me cursed?"
"Want? No." The figure took a deliberate step closer. "But it's better than what happens if you're not."
Before either of them could ask what that meant, the ground gave another violent shudder...this time accompanied by a deep, echoing crack.
From the darkness beyond the courtyard, something answered. Not a human voice. Not even an animal. A long, low wail that sounded like the moon itself was grieving.
The masked figure's head snapped toward the sound. "Too late," they whispered.
Joon and Yena exchanged a look....equal parts fear and "we really, really did not sign up for this."
From the mist, pale shapes began to emerge. Tall. Wrong. Their limbs moved like marionettes whose strings were tangled.
The masked figure drew another weapon....a chain with a hooked blade. "If you value your lives," they said, "stay behind me."
Yena frowned. "You just tried to kill us."
"Yes," the figure replied. "And if I fail, you'll wish I had."
The first of the pale creatures lunged from the mist...iits jaw hanging open far wider than humanly possible, its eyes glowing like lanterns trapped under ice.
The masked figure's chain whistled through the air and hooked into its neck. With a savage yank, the thing's head snapped to the side, but it didn't fall.
"Not human!" the figure barked. "Aim for the marks!"
Yena squinted....beneath the creature's translucent skin, faint, inky sigils pulsed with light. She had seen them before. In old scrolls. In warnings. Moonbound seals.
Joon stepped forward despite Yena's hissed protest. "If I break those....."
"You'll die," the figure cut in. "But yes."
Another creature leapt. This time, Yena didn't hesitate. She whipped the half-burned talisman from her sleeve, pressing it to the sigil. The paper flared white-hot, and the creature shrieked before collapsing into dust.
"Not bad, shaman," the figure said, almost approvingly.....before spinning, the hooked chain catching another beast by the leg and flinging it into the courtyard wall.
But there were more. Too many. The mist thickened until Yena could barely see Joon beside her.
And then...amid the chaos...the masked figure stumbled. Not from a wound, but because a loose strap at their temple had come undone. The mask slipped, revealing a flash of a face beneath.
A scar. Sharp cheekbones. Eyes the exact shade of midnight.
Yena froze. She knew those eyes.
"...It's you?" she whispered.
The figure yanked the mask back into place, their voice suddenly colder. "We'll discuss this when you're not about to be eaten alive."