Shadowbound PactThe small city slept under a thin blanket of night. Streetlights flickered like dying embers, casting long shadows across empty sidewalks.
On the hill overlooking it all stood Blackthorn Manor—an aging gothic mansion whose windows glowed faintly, as though something inside refused to let the darkness win.Within its library, a single lamp illuminated two figures.The woman was breathtaking: porcelain skin, raven hair that spilled over bare shoulders, and eyes the color of fresh blood.
She sat poised on the edge of a velvet chaise, legs crossed, voice soft as silk as she corrected her student's pronunciation.The man opposite her was her opposite in every way. Obese, sweating through an ill-fitting shirt that strained at every button, he stared at her with open hunger.
His name was Clarence Worthington III—old money, new desperation, and absolutely no self-control."You seem to have trouble with fluid English," she said, smiling in a way that never reached her eyes.Clarence wheezed, shifting closer. "Y-yes. Been… struggling."Her blouse had slipped—just slightly—revealing the curve of her cleavage.
His gaze locked there like a starving dog spotting meat."I've been thinking," he rasped, "that breast—"Her eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise."—best way to learn is immersion," he finished lamely, face flushing crimson.
She arched a perfect brow but said nothing, only continued the lesson. He inched closer with every passing minute, breath growing heavier, hands twitching.
Then the leash snapped.The moment she closed the textbook, Clarence lunged. He seized her wrists, shoved her back against the chaise, his bulk pinning her beneath him.
She cried out—once—before his mouth smothered the sound.In the adjoining marble bathroom, hidden behind a false mirror, Adrian lounged fully clothed in a porcelain bathtub. One leg dangled over the edge; in his hands, a small camera recorded everything in crisp 4K.
He watched the feed on his phone and smirked."Enjoy it while it lasts, you fat fuck," he murmured, voice velvet and venom. "You have no idea what you just signed."Back in the library, Clarence fumbled with shaking fingers at the remaining buttons of her blouse.A shadow detached itself from the ceiling—like ink poured into water.
The temperature plummeted.Clarence froze as black tendrils coiled around his thick wrists, yanking them away from her body with wet, cracking sounds. His scream was cut short when an invisible fist—moving faster than thought—slammed into his jaw.
Bone shattered.He flew sideways, crashing through an antique side table in an explosion of splintered mahogany and crystal.The woman sat up slowly, smoothing her skirt, composure restored as though nothing had happened. She glanced toward the hidden camera and blew a kiss.
From the darkness stepped a figure—tall, lean, dressed in an immaculate black suit. Adrian pocketed the camera and adjusted his cufflinks."Contract fulfilled," he said pleasantly, circling the whimpering heap on the floor. "One soul, delivered as agreed.
Payment in full."Clarence tried to crawl away, blood bubbling from his ruined mouth.Adrian crouched beside him, voice almost tender. "You see, Clarence… when you hired that 'tutor' from my little agency, you didn't read the fine print. Sexual assault on my property triggers a penalty clause.
"He tapped the man's forehead with one gloved finger."Immediate collection."The shadows surged forward, wrapping around Clarence like living chains.
His eyes bulged as the darkness poured into his open mouth, down his throat, filling him from the inside. His body convulsed once—twice—then went still.When the shadows receded, only a desiccated husk remained, mouth frozen in a silent scream.The woman rose gracefully and slipped her arms around Adrian's neck.
"Darling," she purred, lips brushing his ear, "remind me never to get on your bad side."Adrian smiled, cold and beautiful."Love, you're the reason I have a bad side
."He snapped his fingers. The corpse dissolved into ash that scattered across the Persian rug like black snow.Outside, the city lights flickered again—and one by one, began to go out.