The Ninth Mark [ATEEZ]

RISKS AND REWARDS. LOSSES AND GAINS.

That is how Yasemin has learned to think to guarantee her younger brother's survival above all else. Enot, the eighth and most dangerous state of the empire is surrounded by the ancient Myncewood Forest. Within its steadily expanding borders, shadowy creatures called wraiths snatch pitiful souls and hijack their bodies, withering them from the inside out.

With war threatening the empire and wraith attacks becoming increasingly frequent, the people have been effectively abandoned by the crown.

After Yasemin's brother disappears in the night, a series of poorly-timed choices lead her straight to the apathetic emperor himself. Desperate and at risk of execution, when he offers his assistance in finding her brother in exchange for her service as a spy, she has no choice but to agree.

The job is simple: find eight hidden seals to undo the curse of the wraiths, but as war looms, Yasemin must navigate a world of espionage, preternatural powers, and ancient artifacts to find her brother and save the empire.

Guided only by a soul imprisoned in a ring and a distrusting, ragtag team of revolutionaries, the risks outweigh the rewards and loss is her new normal.

No one can be sure this journey won't end in vain.

-fantasy! au
© 2025, saverics

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