4. Lucian

4

LUCIAN

S he’s trying to be brave, but I can see the fear in her eyes, a flicker that she tries to hide behind a mask of defiance. It’s almost endearing. Almost. But it’s also annoying. She thinks she can resist, that she can challenge me here in my own domain. Foolish human.

“Elara,” I say, letting her name roll off my tongue like a warning. She flinches but lifts her chin, staring at me with those fierce green eyes. “You’re in my world now, which means you’ll follow my rules. Or you won’t survive long enough to regret it.”

She scoffs, crossing her arms as she looks around, taking in the dimly lit corridors, the twisted shadows that seem to shift as if they’re alive. “I didn’t ask to be here,” she mutters. “If you’d just take me back, we wouldn’t have this problem.”

I laugh, the sound echoing through the halls. “Take you back? You bound yourself to me when you touched that cursed bracelet. There’s no going back. Not for you. Not for either of us.”

She glares, her fingers tightening over the bracelet. “This is absurd. I didn’t know! I didn’t want this!”

I step closer, my gaze fixed on her, unyielding. “Ignorance is no excuse. Here, actions have consequences, and you… you’ve tethered yourself to something far darker than you understand.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but I hold up a hand, silencing her. “Listen closely,” I say, my voice low and edged with steel. “This realm isn’t like your world. Here, shadows are more than just the absence of light, and the creatures lurking within them would love nothing more than to devour a fragile mortal like you.”

Her face pales, but she swallows, her jaw set stubbornly. “Then maybe you should just let them.”

I chuckle, amused despite myself. “You think you’d last a moment without me? This world would tear you apart the second you stepped out of my keep.”

“Then why keep me here?” she snaps, her voice rising. “If you don’t want me, why not let me go?”

“Because,” I say, voice soft and menacing, “you’re bound to me. Your fate is tied to mine, whether either of us likes it or not. And as long as you’re here, you’ll obey my commands.”

She stares at me, a mixture of anger and confusion swirling in her gaze. “And if I don’t?”

I tilt my head, a dark smile forming. “Then you’ll find out exactly what happens to those who defy me in my own domain.”

Without waiting for her reply, I turn and motion for her to follow. She hesitates, then grudgingly falls into step behind me. I lead her through the corridors of my keep, letting her glimpse the darker aspects of this world—the shadows that writhe and shift like living things, the echo of distant howls from creatures that prowl the depths.

As we pass a window, she catches sight of the landscape beyond—dark mountains stretching out under a sky that swirls with ominous clouds, tinged red like smoldering embers. She shudders, and I smirk, satisfied that she’s beginning to understand the gravity of her predicament.

“This is my realm,” I say, pausing to let her absorb the view. “And every creature within it answers to me. I could command them to tear you apart, and they’d do so eagerly.”

She turns to me, her expression hardened. “And yet, here I am. Still standing.”

Her defiance is laughable, yet something about it tugs at me, a reminder of things long buried. I quickly push the thought aside. “You may be here now,” I say, “but don’t mistake survival for strength. You’re here because I allow it. Nothing more.”

She narrows her eyes, glancing around at the shadows, then back at me. “What’s the point of all this, then? Are you just trying to scare me into obedience?”

“If that’s what it takes,” I reply coolly. “You need to understand that this isn’t a game, Elara. Your life—your very soul—is at stake. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for you.”

She clenches her fists, a spark of defiance still burning in her gaze. “I’ll never just accept it. Not like that.”

I step closer, so close I can see the pulse beating in her neck. “Then I suggest you start learning the rules quickly, because one misstep could cost you far more than you realize.”

She meets my gaze, refusing to back down. “Maybe I’ll surprise you.”

I chuckle, dark and low. “Maybe you will. But don’t expect mercy. This world doesn’t care for the weak, and I don’t suffer fools lightly.”

We stand in silence, her breathing quick and shallow as she stares at me. She’s brave, I’ll give her that. But bravery can be a dangerous thing in a realm like this. I turn away, leading her toward a darker hallway, the shadows pressing in from all sides.

“You have much to learn,” I say, glancing back at her. “And not much time to learn it.”

She doesn’t respond, but I can see the fear beneath her defiance, the way her fingers twitch as though itching to grab something solid. She may resist, but in time, she’ll come to understand the reality of her situation.

As we walk, I feel the tension thrumming between us, like a coiled thread ready to snap. She’s a fighter—reckless, defiant, unwilling to bow. But that will make breaking her all the more satisfying.

“Welcome to your new life, Elara,” I say, watching as she takes in the words, her face a mixture of anger and something close to dread. “I suggest you get comfortable.”

And with that, I lead her into the shadows, knowing that sooner or later, she’ll come to realize the futility of her resistance. Until then, I’ll enjoy watching her struggle.