Chapter 5
I didn't sleep.
I couldn’t. The cold of the dungeon, the dampness that clung to the air like a wet blanket, and the eerie silence that enveloped me were enough to keep me wide-eyed in the dark. Every creak of the castle, every shift of the stone walls seemed to mock me, reminding me how utterly alone I was here. Even my own thoughts felt alien, as if they were whispering from a place too far gone to reach.
The vampire’s words replayed over and over in my head. The truth has a price. What did that mean? How much was I willing to sacrifice just to uncover what had happened to my parents?
I had crossed a line the moment I stepped into Marcus's domain, and now, it seemed, there was no turning back. But even knowing that, a strange curiosity gnawed at me—an insatiable hunger to know the truth, whatever that truth might be. My parents had been taken from me, and in their absence, all I had were whispers, shadows, and this place—a place far darker than I ever could have imagined.
As I sat in the cold silence of my cell, my mind started to drift. Images of my parents, of their faces before they disappeared, danced just out of reach. My father’s deep laugh. My mother’s comforting embrace. I remembered how they would tell me stories about the old world—about vampires, and magic, and dangers I never fully understood. They always warned me to stay away from this place.
But now… here I was. The foolish daughter who had ignored every warning and stumbled into the heart of the very thing that had torn my family apart.
And I was beginning to wonder if I was ever meant to find them again.
Hours passed, maybe even days—I lost track of time in the dungeon. I barely ate, barely drank. My thoughts were my only company, and they were beginning to feel like an enemy.
Then, finally, the door opened again.
I snapped to attention, heart pounding.
The vampire who had come before—his name still eluded me—stood in the doorway, his silver eyes gleaming with that same unreadable expression. He didn’t speak right away. Instead, he stepped into the cell, leaning casually against the stone wall as if he had all the time in the world.
I scrambled to my feet, trying to keep my voice steady. “What now?” I asked, though my throat was tight with fear.
He smiled faintly, his expression still shadowed with amusement. “You’re still alive. That’s progress, I suppose.”
“What do you want from me?” I demanded, gripping the bars of the cell as if they could shield me from whatever was coming next. “I told you, I didn’t come here to cause trouble. I’m not—”
“You’re not like the others, I know,” he interrupted, his tone almost mocking. “You’ve said that already.”
I pressed my lips together. I wasn’t sure whether his words were meant to comfort or belittle me, but either way, I wasn’t in the mood for his games. “What does Marcus want with me?” I asked again, this time with more force.
The vampire tilted his head slightly, studying me. “The king has decided to give you an opportunity. You wanted answers. Now he’s offering them. But... nothing comes for free in this world. You should know that by now.”
I frowned. “What kind of opportunity?”
“A chance to prove yourself.” He pushed himself off the wall and walked toward me, his footsteps echoing in the stone corridor. He reached out and grasped the bars of my cell, his fingers curling around them with an unnatural ease. “The king is not so heartless as you think. He’s not going to kill you, at least not yet. He needs you—at least, for the moment. There’s something he wants from you. Something... you’re going to have to decide if you’re willing to give.”
I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
He let go of the bars and stepped back. “The king has a request. A task, if you will. If you complete it, you’ll get your answers. If you fail…” His smile widened, but there was nothing reassuring about it. “Well, I think you can guess the rest.”
I stared at him, confusion and fear mixing together in a vicious knot in my stomach. “What kind of task?”
“I can’t say too much,” he replied with a shrug, “but I can tell you that it’s something that involves your family.”
My heart skipped. I hadn’t even told him about my parents. “What are you talking about? My parents are dead—”
“Are they?” The vampire’s eyes glittered, sharp and predatory. “Do you truly know that for sure?”
I recoiled slightly. “What are you implying?”
“I’m implying that the king might know more about them than you think. And he’s willing to share it—if you’re willing to do what he asks.”
I felt my chest tighten. “Why should I trust anything he says?”
The vampire’s gaze hardened, the amusement vanishing from his face. “Trust, little human, is a luxury you can’t afford in this place. You have two choices: You either accept the king’s bargain and do as he says, or you stay here, rot in this cell, and never know what happened to your parents. You’ll never leave this castle again. Is that clear?”
My throat went dry as I absorbed his words. I had come here seeking answers, seeking closure, but now it felt like the truth had become something I couldn’t touch unless I played their game—whatever twisted game that was.
I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a shaky breath. Was this really the only way?
“Why would Marcus want me to do anything for him?” I asked, my voice hoarse. “I’m nobody.”
The vampire gave a single, harsh laugh. “Nobody? You’re something. Marcus doesn’t take an interest in just anyone. He’s seen your potential, your… value. And that’s why he’s giving you this choice.”
“And if I refuse?” I asked, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
He didn’t answer at first, just studied me, weighing my resolve. “Then you’ll be a forgotten human. Another one of many who came looking for answers and found only an empty grave.”
I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the dungeon. A forgotten human. The words struck me harder than I expected. It was as if all the fear, all the uncertainty, had caught up to me in that moment.
I wasn’t sure what I was agreeing to, but I knew one thing—if I didn’t accept, I would lose the chance to learn anything. To find out what happened to my parents.
And that… was a price I wasn’t willing to pay.
“Fine,” I said, my voice trembling but firm. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
The vampire’s smile returned, sharp and predatory. “Good. The king will expect you in the throne room. Soon.”
I felt my legs go weak as he turned and left the cell, his footsteps echoing through the dungeon. And I was left standing there, alone again, with only one thought in my head:
I had just made a deal with the devil.