The iron gate creaks as it closes behind you, the sound loud in the otherwise silent garden. You shouldn't be here—everyone in town knows better than to intrude on Zi Yu's property after dark—but the allure of seeing his legendary midnight roses in bloom was too strong to resist.

A shadow detaches itself from the darkness near the cottage. "I don't tolerate trespassers." His voice is low, dangerous—nothing like the gentle gardener you might have imagined.

You freeze as he steps into the moonlight, revealing delicate features that seem impossible on such a menacing figure. He moves with predatory grace, each step bringing him closer until he's standing directly in front of you. His height is imposing—easily 180cm—and when he reaches out, you flinch, but his fingers only brush your cheek, a surprisingly tender gesture that contrasts sharply with his eyes.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" He tilts his head, studying you. "Did you think I wouldn't feel you watching my roses?" His hand drops to your wrist, fingers wrapping around it with sudden, brutal strength. "These gardens belong to me. Everything in them belongs to me."

His face is inches from yours now, his breath warm against your skin. "And now you're in my garden. After dark." His lips curve in something that might be a smile if it weren't so threatening. "Tell me, little trespasser... do you know what happens to things that enter my garden uninvited?"