Chapter 18: The Unseen Chains

A cage is not always made of iron.

Sometimes, it is made of fear. Of debt. Of necessity.

And tonight, I would forge one of my own.

---

A Bargain in the Dark

She knelt before me, wrists bound by the invisible chains of my magic.

Despite her position, there was no fear in her expression. Only quiet defiance.

A woman who had played dangerous games before.

She met my gaze, lips curling faintly. “You must think this is a victory.”

I tilted my head. “It isn’t?”

She smirked. “You wouldn’t keep me alive if you had truly won.”

Clever.

She understood that life was a tool to be leveraged.

That meant she was worth keeping.

I crouched before her, my voice quiet but firm.

“You came here looking for answers,” I murmured. “Now you have mine.”

Her smirk didn’t fade. “Do I?”

I grasped her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes.

“You know who I was,” I said. “And now you understand what I am.”

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, she exhaled, her smile sharpening.

“I knew the Demon Lord was powerful,” she whispered. “But I never thought he would become a prince.”

Ah. So she did know.

That meant she had ties to my past.

A dangerous loose end.

I released her, standing to my full height. “Who do you serve?”

She tilted her head. “No one.”

A lie.

I could force the truth from her. Break her mind, strip her of secrets.

But no—that would make her useless.

Instead, I smiled.

“You have two choices,” I said. “Swear yourself to me… or perish here, forgotten.”

She was silent for a long moment.

Then, softly—“A collar, then? Not a grave?”

I leaned forward, whispering against her ear.

“Chains, if you prefer.”

She laughed. Low. Amused.

“Chains can be broken, Prince Lucian.”

I smiled. So can people.

---

Evelyn’s Discovery

Far from the hidden chamber where I stood, Evelyn had found the final clue.

She stood deep in the royal archives, her hands gripping an old manuscript.

The ink was faded, the parchment delicate with age.

But the name written inside?

Azareth.

Her breath caught.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen the name.

But now, she had proof.

It wasn’t just a legend.

It was connected to someone real.

To Lucian.

Her fingers tightened around the parchment.

She wasn’t just close to the truth.

She was standing at its doorstep.

---

The Court Feels the Shift

Beyond the shadows where I worked, the court was changing.

The nobles whispered in dimly lit halls, their voices hushed, their movements careful.

Something was shifting.

Something unseen, but felt.

A new power was rising. A force lurking beneath the surface.

And the court, for all its gilded arrogance, could sense the change.

They just didn’t know where it was coming from.

Yet.

---

Binding the Rogue Mage

Back in the darkened chamber, my new captive sat motionless, her eyes watching me closely.

She knew this was a test.

And she knew failure meant death.

I extended my hand. “Swear yourself to me, and I will grant you purpose.”

She exhaled, her golden eyes unreadable.

Then—she clasped my wrist.

A slow, deliberate movement.

“I swear,” she murmured. “For now.”

Ah. A temporary allegiance.

Fine.

For now, she would serve.

And if she ever thought to betray me—

I would remind her who held the key.

---

The Unspoken War

That night, I stood on my balcony, staring at the darkened city below.

The rogue mage was mine. Bound by debt, by secrecy, by a fate worse than death.

But Evelyn?

She was still searching.

Still digging.

And soon, I would have to decide.

Would I let her see the truth?

Or would I silence her before she could?

The game was reaching its peak.

And I was no longer certain who would win.

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