"Good," Junghwa's voice rang out behind him, calm but attentive. "Now, keep walking. You'll need at least three steps to trigger a complete bloom."
Swallowing hard, Wooyun took a step, then another. Each time, the black marks followed, creating a trail of inky footprints behind him.
It felt strangely natural, like the negative qi wanted to sink into the ground, leaving behind a piece of himself with every step.But on the third step, Wooyun suddenly wavered. The warmth of his positive qi flared too strongly, and it leaked slightly toward the shadow veins. Pain shot up his legs like lightning. He stumbled, barely catching himself as a sharp, burning sensation crawled up his spine.
"Careful." Junghwa's voice cut in, firm but not unkind. "You let your positive qi bleed into the trap. You're lucky it was only a minor leak."
Wooyun's breath came hard, sweat beading at his brow. "Minor, my ass," he muttered under his breath, but inside, he knew Junghwa was right.
