This world has always been about the strong preying on the weak—no place for baseless arguments. The candlelight flickered across the ancient altar walls, casting long shadows that seemed to lean in, listening.
"Then... at least lift my curse! If I die again, your lineage ends!"
The air grew heavier, pressing against my skin like an invisible hand.
"Tch... Bear a Barnett heir first, then I'll honor our deal."
"Unfair! My family endured this curse for centuries—how does that equate to your unborn descendants? This is absurd!"
His voice abruptly sharpened, echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once. "I define fairness. You're alive, aren't you? And I've granted your first demand. Don't push your luck, girl."
The temperature plummeted. My breath came in visible puffs as frost crept across the portrait beneath my feet.
I felt like crying... but no tears would come. Dealing with a vampiric deity was no simple feat. Not when he held all the cards—and my future in his skeletal grip.
