{VLADIMIR}
The mont I descended into the underground, the air shifted—thickening into sothing feral and hungry.
Hissing curled from the stone walls. Claws scraped against rusted iron. The creatures lurking in those forgotten cells stirred at the scent of life, growling low like ravenous things waiting for a feast.
But the instant I stepped fully into the chamber—
Silence fell.
They slunk back into the black, recoiling like beasts sensing a greater predator. The dungeon itself shrunk around , the shadows retreating as though afraid to be seen.
All except one.
"Iris."
She stood behind the bars, her hands gripping the hem of her dress so tightly her knuckles whitened. She did not lift her head. Her trembling shoulders told she knew I was there long before I spoke.
I unlocked her cell. The door creaked open.
"Co."
She didn’t obey.
Her fingers curled tighter around the fabric of her skirt.
When she finally found her voice, it was a soft, fragile whisper.
"T-they... what will happen to them?"
I followed her gaze—the creatures hidden in the dark. The mont my eyes swept over them, they recoiled deeper into their pits, their breaths rattling like dying things.
"What about them?" I asked, uninterested.
"Are you going to kill them?"
Her tone held a trembling hope—one that irritated more than any accusation.
"That’s right."
Slowly, she lifted her head.
Her eyes—athyst, luminous even in the dim—t mine. Pure. Naive. Infuriatingly beautiful.
Sothing twisted deep inside .
She bit her lip, and my gaze was drawn there, to the soft flesh, the trembling mouth I had no business wanting. My fangs ached. My hunger stirred—not for blood alone.
She had no idea what she was doing to .
"I... I just..." She swallowed, her lashes trembling. "Can’t you free them instead?"
My eyes narrowed.
She truly had no understanding of this world.
If she would not learn gently...
Then she would learn the hard way.
====
{IRIS}
The mont Val’s silver eyes narrowed to thin, predatory slits, I knew I had said sothing foolish.
The cold in the dungeon didn’t just settle—it deepened, seeping into my bones, into my blood. The oppressive weight of his presence pressed against my chest, making each breath feel stolen rather than earned.
"And why," he said, the calmness in his voice more terrifying than any scream, "would I free them?"
My throat tightened. I felt as if the dungeon itself held its breath with .
"I—I only thought..." I couldn’t finish. The words tangled in my throat, wilted beneath the crushing force of his gaze.
He took a step closer. The torchlight caught the edge of his smirk—a sharp, knowing curve that made my stomach twist.
"I could free them," he mused softly. "But then..." He leaned closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret ant to break . "The Blood Veil you consu each day—the one that hides your blood scent—would cease production."
I froze.
"What?" My voice cracked.
That vial... the one he insisted I drink... The protection I depended on...
His smirk deepened. "They are experints, Iris."
My heart plumted.
"So are bred as food. Others are entertainnt. But most..." His gaze slid to the dark cages surrounding us. "Most serve as ingredients. For potions you benefit from. And for potions I require."
It hit like a blow.
I had been drinking the suffering of these creatures—unknowingly consuming the very thing stolen from them.
"You... that ti we t..." My voice trembled. "You said you were hunting one of them. Was it for this?"
He chuckled—low, amused, cruel.
"That’s right." His eyes glead with a dark thrill. "That hag evaded for years. Her heart was an ingredient beyond price. Even an Alpha werewolf would struggle to kill her. But you—" His gaze hardened into steel. "Or rather, the wolf sealed inside you—destroyed her with ease. Tore out her heart as if it were nothing."
A shiver ripped through .
"My... wolf..." I whispered.
"Sleeping," he replied. "Overwheld by the power it devoured. A rare creature like her should make you far stronger. If you ever wake it."
He stepped closer, close enough for to feel the cold of his breath against my cheek. His fingertips brushed my chin, tilting my head up until I stared straight into the abyss of his gaze.
"So tell ," he murmured, voice soft as velvet, deadly as a blade. "Do you still want to set them free?"
I tried to form words, but sha crowded my throat, choking the answer.
He saw it in an instant.
A quiet chuckle left him—dark, knowing, cutting.
"You don’t," he said, almost gently. "Because freedom for them would cost you sothing. And between their lives and your comfort... you chose yourself."
My chest tightened painfully. "N-no, that’s not—"
"Oh, but it is." He stepped back, his expression serious. "Do not speak of rcy when you do not understand the weight of sacrifice."
"B-but there must be another way," I whispered desperately. "Sothing that doesn’t involve tornting them..."
The air shifted.
The dungeon grew suffocatingly still.
Lord Val’s pupils constricted into razor-sharp slits. He stared at as though he were peeling back my skin, my soul, stripping bare until only the truth remained.
I instinctively lowered my eyes, my head bowing as fear coiled in my gut. My body trembled despite every effort to remain steady.
His voice ca softly—too softly.
"You have no right to speak of such things."
I flinched.
"You are a weak little werewolf," he continued, each word slicing deeper. "A creature who cannot even awaken her own wolf. You cannot save yourself, yet you speak of saving others?"
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, mortifying and unwelco.
"You cling to ideals that will get you killed. This world is not ant for soft hearts."
His silver eyes burned into mine.
"Rember this, Iris: the weak have no place in our world. The only rcy we offer..." His gaze drifted toward the cages. "...is a quick death."
A sob rose in my throat, but I swallowed it—barely.
Lord Val stepped closer again, his voice a low whisper brushing my ear.
"If you want to save them... then beco strong enough to make change my mind."
My breath stilled.
"Until then," he added, "you don’t get to speak of what you want."
And in the next heartbeat—
He vanished.
Leaving nothing but the cold, the stench of fear, and the truth that shattered what little I had left.
I stood alone in the dark, trembling, my hands gripping my arms as if I were the only thing keeping myself from falling apart.
Because for the first ti—
I truly understood the price of rcy.
And I understood just how powerless I was.
Reviews
All reviews (0)