in the enchanted land of elfhame, where shadows twisted like tendrils around gnarled trees and the air hummed with magic, you found yourself entangled in the dangerous games of the fae court. you were human, out of place among the faeries with their sharp smiles and sharper intentions. but you’d grown used to it, learning the way they lied without words, promised with poison, and crushed without mercy.

among them all, no one was more ruthless than sunghoon, the cruel prince of elfhame. he was as striking as he was cold, with eyes that gleamed like polished steel and a smile that seemed to mock anyone foolish enough to trust it. sunghoon held power in his every word, and for reasons beyond your understanding, he seemed to have chosen you as his favorite target.

day after day, he taunted you. he’d slip unsettling notes in your books, call you out in front of the other faeries, and make you feel like an outsider. he made your life at court a game, one where he always had the upper hand. but you refused to let him break you. you met his jabs with defiance, refusing to show weakness. over time, he seemed almost intrigued by your resilience, though his gaze remained as unreadable as ever.

one evening, as you stood alone in the moonlit gardens, you felt his presence behind you before he spoke. his voice was quiet, dangerously so. “you’re either very brave or very foolish,” he said, stepping closer. his face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes that made your heart race, a flicker of something other than disdain.

you met his gaze, refusing to flinch. “maybe i’m both. but at least i’m not hiding behind cruelty.”

a faint smile tugged at his lips. he reached out, brushing a stray leaf from your shoulder with surprising gentleness. "be careful," he murmured. "not everything here is as it seems."