Chapter 1: The Auction

The chains around Elysia’s wrists were cold, biting into her skin as she was dragged forward onto the auction stage. The torches lining the wooden platform flickered against the night sky, casting eerie shadows over the gathered crowd. The scent of damp earth and burning incense filled the air, mixing with something far more pungent—the stench of fear.

It wasn’t just hers.

Around her, dozens of other humans stood in line, their eyes hollow, their bodies trembling. They were slaves, just like her. Some were already resigned to their fate, staring blankly at the dirt beneath their feet. Others still clung to the last shreds of hope, their gazes darting toward the darkened forest beyond the market, as if foolishly considering escape.

But there was no escape. Not from this.

“Lot number seventy-eight,” the auctioneer announced, his voice booming over the crowd. “A fine specimen. Strong, young, unbroken.” His bony fingers curled under her chin, forcing her face up. “Look at this one! Beautiful, isn’t she? A rare find indeed.”

Elysia jerked her head away, fury sparking in her chest. She refused to let them see her fear, refused to let them break her spirit like the others. She was not livestock to be bartered and sold.

And yet, that was exactly what was happening.

From the shadows beyond the stage, dozens of glowing eyes watched her hungrily. Monsters, demons, creatures of nightmare—all gathered here for the same reason. To purchase a human.

To own one.

A shudder ran down her spine, but she forced herself to remain still as the bidding began. The auctioneer’s voice rang out, fast and sharp, as hands rose in the air.

“Five hundred gold pieces!”

“Six hundred!”

“Eight hundred!”

The numbers climbed higher, the monsters competing for her like she was nothing more than an object. Elysia clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as bile rose in her throat.

Then a voice cut through the crowd.

“Ten thousand.”

The marketplace fell silent.

Elysia’s breath caught as the crowd parted, revealing the figure who had spoken. He stood at the edge of the torchlight, tall and motionless, his presence commanding immediate attention. Unlike the other monsters, who reeked of desperation and greed, this one exuded something far more dangerous.

Power.

His silver hair gleamed under the moonlight, an unnatural contrast to the black armor he wore, lined with silver filigree that shimmered like molten metal. His face was sharp, his features carved from ice, his dark eyes empty as the abyss. And when his gaze settled on her, a strange chill spread through her veins.

Prince Kael.

The name whispered through the crowd like a curse.

The auctioneer swallowed hard. “T-Ten thousand?” His voice wavered as he glanced at the other bidders, but no one dared to challenge the offer. Not when it came from him.

A demon of the Shadow Court.

“The girl is yours, my lord,” the auctioneer stammered, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground.

The chains around Elysia’s wrists were yanked, forcing her to stumble forward. She barely had time to regain her footing before she was shoved toward him. The other monsters shrank back as Kael stepped forward, reaching out with a gloved hand.

For a moment, she thought he would grab her, drag her into the darkness like the monster he was. But instead, he simply lifted one finger and touched the iron cuffs around her wrists.

A pulse of power surged through the metal, and with a sharp crack, the chains shattered.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Elysia’s eyes widened as she rubbed her raw wrists, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. He had freed her?

No. Not freed. Claimed.

“You belong to me now,” Kael murmured, his voice like a whisper of wind through the grave. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

The guards shoved her forward, forcing her to follow.

Her heart pounded as she glanced over her shoulder, her last glimpse of the marketplace burned into her mind—the torches, the monsters, the hollow-eyed humans still waiting to be sold.

And then the darkness swallowed her whole.

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The journey to the Shadow Court was long and silent.

Kael did not speak, nor did he so much as glance in her direction. He rode ahead on a midnight-black stallion, his cloak billowing behind him like living shadow. Behind them, his soldiers followed in grim silence, their armor glinting beneath the pale moonlight.

Elysia sat in a carriage, her wrists still sore, her mind racing. She had heard the stories of the Shadow Court—whispers of a cursed prince who ruled a land of endless night. Some claimed he was a beast in human skin, a creature of pure malice. Others said he had been born without a soul, cursed to bring death to all who came near him.

But none of the stories made sense.

If he was truly a monster, why had he not forced himself on her? Why had he freed her from her chains? Why did he keep his distance now?

The questions gnawed at her, but she found no answers.

Hours passed. The road twisted through a dense forest, the air growing colder with every mile. By the time they reached the castle, the sky had turned an eerie shade of deep violet, the stars hidden behind swirling clouds.

Elysia shivered as she stepped out of the carriage, her breath fogging in the air. The castle loomed before her, its black stone walls rising like jagged fangs against the night sky. Strange symbols were carved into the doors, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light.

The air itself felt alive.

Kael dismounted, his movements slow and deliberate. When he finally turned to her, his expression was unreadable.

“Follow me.”

Elysia hesitated. Every instinct screamed at her to run. But where could she go? There was no escape from this place, no safety beyond the walls of the Shadow Court.

With a deep breath, she stepped forward.

The doors groaned open as Kael led her inside, the torches along the corridor flaring to life with an eerie blue flame. The interior was not what she expected. Instead of cold, lifeless stone, the castle walls pulsed—breathed—as if the entire structure was alive. The air hummed with unseen energy, sending a shiver down her spine.

“You will stay here,” Kael said, stopping in front of a massive wooden door. “No one will harm you.”

The words were simple, but there was something beneath them. A promise. Or perhaps… a warning.

Then, without another glance, he turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Elysia stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest.

She did not know what had just happened. She did not know why Kael had bought her or what he intended to do with her.

But one thing was certain.

She was no longer a prisoner of the auction.

She was a prisoner of the Shadow Court.

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