Sealed in Ink and Shadow
"Let's see..."
Lucian pulled an old but luxurious leather ledger from his desk drawer, its pages worn with the clear marks of time. Inside, the names of past Exploration Club members were neatly recorded in chronological order. The slightly stained ledger carried a heavy sense of history, built up over years of accumulated lists.
"Rupert handed over the practical paperwork ahead of time, but the final step has to be done in person."
He placed a hefty fountain pen, still faintly scented with ink, in front of us.
"Go ahead and write your names here. The moment you leave your signature by hand, you'll officially be members of our Exploration Club."
At his brother's cue, Rupert took the pen first. Gone was his usual playful demeanor; he filled in the blank with a surprisingly serious expression. The pleasant scratching sound of pen on paper echoed through the quiet reception room.
Jayden and the others followed one by one. Finally, it was my turn.
The cool metal nib felt solid in my fingers, its weight reassuring. The thick, slightly faded paper was densely packed with the names of countless seniors and notables.
Huh, kinda fresh.
This medieval fantasy-style initiation ritual was a first for me, but I didn't hate it. It was just a club signup, but... the old-school vibe was pretty nice.
I slowly brought the pen tip to the paper.
Park Seojun.
Amid the scrawled alphabets, my three neat, firm Korean characters stood proudly. The black ink spread smoothly along the paper's grain, etching my name. There was something oddly thrilling about the unfamiliar sensation, stirring a corner of my chest.
Is this what they call romance?
Once everyone had signed, Lucian closed the ledger with a satisfied nod and tucked it back into the drawer. He opened a small box on the desk and took out gold badges emblazoned with the club's intricate emblem.
"This is your proof of membership. As long as you're wearing it, please act in a way that honors the Exploration Club."
Lucian stepped forward and personally pinned a badge to each of our collars. A single golden dot on the plain uniform sparked an inexplicable sense of belonging and pride.
With that, the signup was complete. We sat for a bit, chatting lightly.
"It might seem over the top coming from me," Lucian said, setting down his teacup. "But this isn't just brotherly bias—Rupert's actually a pretty good guy. You've seen it yourselves; he's got a bit of a pushover streak."
Nods all around. Lucian glanced at Rupert with a meaningful smile.
"What's amazing is, despite trusting people to a foolish degree, luck always follows him. He seems to take all the losses, but that pushover nature ends up benefiting him in the end."
Coincidences repeated become skill, right?
"That's why I happily joined in on Rupert's request. It's not exactly 'people-reading skills,' but his intuition for others often feels sharper than mine."
Lucian finished with a serious look at the group.
"So, take good care of my little brother from now on."
Rupert flushed, looking embarrassed at the request.
"Ah, bro, come on! Don't say stuff like that in front of the guys..."
The mood, which had grown a touch solemn, shattered instantly with Rupert's whiny protest. It was an unexpected sight—the human side of the brothers—and stifled chuckles broke out among the group.
"Yes, sir, President. I'll stick to him like glue and take full responsibility."
Looks like he'll keep footing the friend bills, so gotta look after him.
I was smirking inwardly, mentally tallying the gains, when the lounge door creaked open with a hesitant, almost precarious sound.
Drag—
"U-um... L-Lucian, President. I-If it's not too much trouble, c-could I... just for a moment...?"
The man peeking through the gap was a young guy who looked fragile at first glance. Crooked glasses and a coat that hung loose like he'd borrowed it from someone bigger. Even as he stepped inside, his eyes darted nervously, fingers fidgeting.
"Ah, Professor Dominic."
Lucian stood, looking pleased—or maybe a bit awkward.
"Th-there are g-guests, I see. I-I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Not at all. These are the new recruits joining our Exploration Club today."
Dominic pushed up his glasses and eyed us as Lucian introduced us.
"Ah, y-you're the n-new students L-Lucian mentioned, c-coming in t-today."
His gaze lingered on our group, including me. He had a frail look, like a breeze could knock him over, but his eyes sparkled with an odd intensity as he sized us up.
Lucian turned to us and introduced the man.
"This is Professor Dominic, our club's advisor. He's one of the top experts in ancient history across the entire academy. He'll give you the most accurate answers to any issues you encounter during explorations."
At the polite, concise introduction, Dominic adjusted his glasses shyly and cleared his throat.
"Th-that's too grand, L-Lucian. I'm j-just... someone with a k-kean interest in h-history."
We bowed our heads in greeting as per custom.
"Hello."
The group introduced ourselves one by one, exchanging simple hellos. Dominic shook hands with each of us, stammering but meeting our eyes.
"Y-yes, n-nice to meet you all..."
He occasionally dropped his gaze awkwardly, but behind those glasses, his eyes gleamed with curiosity, like he was appraising a relic.
This guy's the advisor?
He didn't match the rugged, dangerous vibe I'd imagined from the club's name. I had no idea about his scholarly depth, but his awkward, unpretentious manner was oddly intriguing.
Doesn't seem like a bad guy, at least...
With no more business and seeing the two had matters to discuss, we excused ourselves and headed out.
"Whoa, total perfect son material. Your bro's no joke."
I said it half-seriously to Rupert. The mythical creature from moms' tales—the one that makes all other sons look bad. Good, handsome, smart, and diligent to boot. I'd just seen one in the flesh.
Tuma Al something? Even compared to Gratia's dorm head, Lucian felt a clear step above. Just his composed aura alone—no other student could match it.
The others nodded in agreement, especially Jayden, whose eyes had been sharp since earlier. He was the most sensitive to strength.
"Indeed..."
Jayden spoke heavily, his gaze fixed on the closed office door.
"I can't confidently say I'd reach that level at his age. He's unparalleled."
Rupert's face twisted awkwardly at the rare praise from Jayden. Happy his brother was complimented, but painfully aware of the gap—as the everyman little bro.
"Haha, my bro's always been like that. Feels like he got all the good genes from birth? Makes my blood run cold living in his shadow, always compared."
Jane jumped in to lighten the awkward air.
"Anyway! Let's all go grab some food. You're not seriously saying we should scatter to our dorms and fend for ourselves, right?"
A short walk across campus led to a cozy café street lined with restaurants and shops catering to students and staff—a popular weekend spot.
"Nah, no way. Rupert did the legwork, so Jayden's buying, yeah?"
Jayden subtly raised his rock-like hand at my question.
⊥
A clear, no-nonsense middle finger rejection.
Clear message.
Still, he ended up paying. Tsundere as ever.
"But our club's advisor seems like a really nice guy."
"Yeah, doesn't seem like the strict type who cracks down on students."
Everyone nodded at Rupert and Jane's comments. In any group, people matter most. Harsh teaching isn't always bad, but from a student's view, a chill, lenient prof is king.
A secluded night, the stable shrouded in deep darkness lit only faintly by moonlight. Silvery blue light seeped through a window in the sturdy wooden walls, stretching long across the center of the stable.
The air hung heavy with scents of hay, dust, and a faint herbal aroma.
In the damp gloom stood a unicorn with pure white fur, breathing quietly in the mystical silence. Then, faint footsteps approached the space where only the spirit creature's breath echoed softly.
Thud—thud—
Hiiing?
The unicorn stirred from sleep at the unknown presence. Its eyelids lifted, revealing deep, intelligent eyes that pierced the darkness with calm intensity.
Thud—thud—
A figure cloaked in robes blacker than pitch. Black mist rose from its body, obscuring its face and blurring its silhouette.
"Tch, I meant to handle this quietly, but your senses are sharp. As expected of a spirit beast, eh?"
A low voice, like scraping the abyss's floor, chilled the soul itself, resounding through the stable.
Suddenly, a blinding white radiance tore through the silence, engulfing the entire stable. Then, darkness swallowed everything once more.