Arianna sat on the edge of the enormous bed, gripping the silk sheets like a lifeline. The air in the room felt thicker, heavier, as if it carried Damien's presence even though he was gone. But was he really?
No.
She could still feel him.
That unseen tether, that cold, unnatural thread binding her soul to his—it pulsed, faint but inescapable, like an invisible chain wrapped around her heart.
Her hands trembled as she pressed them to her chest.
No. No, I won't let this happen.
She had to find a way to sever this bond.
She forced herself to breathe, to steady her mind. Think, Arianna. Think.
Magic had rules. Curses had weaknesses. And if this contract was truly unbreakable, Damien wouldn't have dared her to try and fight it.
That meant there was a way.
She just had to find it before it consumed her.
A sharp knock shattered the silence.
Arianna stiffened, her breath catching in her throat.
The door creaked open, revealing a woman standing in the dim candlelight. She was dressed in a long, elegant black gown, her dark hair twisted into a braid over one shoulder. She was beautiful—but in a way that was otherworldly. Her golden eyes glowed faintly in the flickering light.
"You're awake," the woman observed, stepping inside.
Arianna didn't move. "Who are you?"
The woman gave a small smile, though there was something cold behind it. "My name is Lilith."
Arianna frowned. "And what exactly are you?"
Lilith's smile didn't falter. "You ask the right questions. That's good." She stepped closer, her movements too graceful, too fluid. "I serve Damien. I ensure that things run smoothly in this house."
Arianna's stomach twisted. Another one of his servants.
"So, what?" she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "You're here to make sure I don't try to escape?"
Lilith tilted her head. "No. I'm here to prepare you."
Arianna's entire body went rigid. "For what?"
Lilith let out a soft chuckle, as if she found the question amusing. "For your new life, of course."
Something in her tone sent ice down Arianna's spine.
"My life," she said, gritting her teeth, "does not belong to him."
Lilith's expression didn't change. "You'll come to see things differently soon."
Arianna's hands curled into fists. "I don't care what kind of magic binds me to him. I will never belong to him."
Lilith sighed as if she had heard this argument a thousand times before. "You all say that in the beginning."
Arianna froze. You all?
Her blood turned cold.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak. "There were others?"
Lilith gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yes."
Arianna's throat tightened. "And where are they now?"
Lilith's golden eyes darkened slightly, as if she were remembering something distant. "Some… fulfilled their roles. Others—" she paused, then smiled, "—were less fortunate."
Arianna's heart plunged.
Less fortunate?
She didn't dare ask what that meant. She already knew.
She had seen the way Damien looked at her, the way he spoke about the contract.
If she didn't comply—if she refused to submit—the magic would rip her apart.
Just like it had done to the others.
A cold sweat broke out on her skin. I have to get out of here.
Lilith's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Come," she said, gesturing toward the door. "It's time you learned your place here."
Arianna clenched her jaw, every instinct screaming at her to resist. But she knew she didn't have a choice.
For now.
She forced herself to stand, keeping her chin high as she followed Lilith out of the room.
The Darkened Halls
The hallway was vast and endless, lined with high arching windows that overlooked a landscape of nightmares.
Arianna's steps faltered as she stared out at the world beyond.
There was no sun.
No moon. No stars.
Only a sky cracked with red lightning, swirling clouds of black mist curling over jagged mountains in the distance.
And below, a vast city of shadows stretched out endlessly, filled with dark, looming structures that pulsed with an eerie, dim glow.
It was a place that didn't belong in reality.
Arianna swallowed hard. "Where are we?"
Lilith glanced at her. "Not quite Hell. Not quite Earth."
Arianna's chest tightened. "Then what is this place?"
Lilith gave her an amused look. "It is what Damien wishes it to be."
Arianna shivered, forcing herself to keep walking. I can't be trapped here.
She had to escape.
Somehow.
Lilith led her through towering corridors, past flickering candlelight that cast twisted shadows on the walls. There was something wrong about this place—something unnatural, as if the walls themselves were breathing.
Then they stopped in front of a massive door.
Lilith pushed it open without a word.
Inside was a grand dining hall, a long black table stretching the length of the room. And at the head of it sat Damien.
His silver eyes met hers instantly, unreadable.
Arianna's stomach clenched.
She forced herself to keep her expression blank as she stepped inside.
Lilith bowed slightly before taking a step back.
Damien leaned back in his chair, watching her with amusement. "Good. You're learning to listen."
Arianna ignored him, keeping her voice level. "Why am I here?"
He gestured to the chair beside him. "Sit."
She didn't move.
Damien's expression darkened slightly. "That wasn't a request, little wife."
Arianna clenched her jaw but forced herself forward, lowering herself into the seat beside him.
The moment she did, cold magic curled around her wrists.
She jerked, but invisible bonds held her in place.
Her pulse spiked. "What—"
Damien's fingers drummed lazily against the table. "You need to understand something, Arianna."
His voice was calm, but there was something dangerous beneath it.
"You are mine."
She swallowed hard, refusing to look at him. "You don't own me."
A slow, wicked smirk spread across his lips. "Then why can't you move?"
Arianna's breath hitched as she struggled against the unseen force holding her in place.
Damien leaned closer, his silver eyes gleaming. "You can fight all you want. You can resist, you can curse me, you can hate me."
His fingers trailed along the back of her hand, making her shudder.
"But in the end, you will come to me."
Arianna's body tensed.
Because deep in her soul, she felt it
The pull.
The bond.
And she was terrified.