Black Blood Throne
Written by: Ruqaya
Chapter 1: The Price of Betrayal
The rain lashed down upon Dusk Manor with a primal fury. Perched atop obsidian cliffs, the manor loomed like a stone beast, its towers resembling a demon's claws. A rickety carriage stopped before the iron gates, guarded by silver-masked men.
Jaber stepped out, dragging his sixteen-year-old daughter, Ruqaya. Her wrists were bound, bleeding from the rough ropes. Her golden-brown hair was soaked, but her hazel eyes still burned with defiance.
"Shut up!" Jaber hissed.
"You've already sold me, Father," she whispered. "Is there any fear left?"
Inside, on an ebony throne, sat Alistair. He looked like a piece of the night carved into a man. Pale skin, icy gray eyes, and black tattoos coiling from his neck to his hands.
"I brought my daughter," Jaber stammered. "Her blood is pure. She will be your servant."
Alistair lifted Ruqaya's chin. "A servant? Why would I need a fragile human like you?"
"I would rather die by a monster's hand than live another day with the man who sold me," she spat.
Suddenly, a drop of blood fell from her wrist onto the marble. Alistair's black tattoos began to glow a brilliant gold. The beast inside him fell silent for the first time in centuries. He threw a pouch of gold at Jaber.
"Take it and vanish. This girl... no longer belongs to the world of men."
Chapter 2: Walls of Silence
Alistair dragged her through the manor. The candles lit themselves as they passed. He stopped at the highest tower.
"This is your world now. Do not leave, and never open the windows after sunset if you wish to live."
"Am I your prisoner?" she asked.
"I am the only thing standing between you and the creatures that want to tear your soul apart," he replied. He touched her wound; it healed instantly under his thumb.
Alistair stood behind the closed door, touching his chest. Thirty years I searched for the legend... and now, the key to the world's end is sleeping in my room.
Chapter 3: The Jewel's Burden
The next morning, Ruqaya found a navy silk dress embroidered with gold. When she wore it, she looked like royalty. Alistair led her to a balcony overlooking thousands of masked soldiers—the Sectors.
"They are here because of you," Alistair said. "Your blood is the Jewel. It is the only key that keeps the demons behind the Dusk Gate. They can smell you now."
"Are they real?" she asked innocently.
"They are hunger and shadow," he warned. "And I am your shield."
Chapter 4: Whispers Under the Moon
In the Great Library, Alistair gave her a silver necklace with a clear stone. "If it turns black, a demon is near."
Suddenly, the candles flickered out. A shadow lunged from the corner—a demon disguised as a servant. Alistair caught it by the throat and drove his silver sword through its chest. The creature turned to ash.
"Why me?" she cried.
Alistair pulled her into a warm embrace. "Because you are the light that will burn their thrones. You are my personal responsibility now."
Chapter 5: A Bird in a Glass Cage
Ruqaya felt like a prisoner. When Alistair left for the border, she convinced Zain, the Commander of the First Sector, to take her outside. But in the forest, Zain's face turned cold.
"Alistair doesn't deserve this power," Zain whispered.
Rebels emerged from the shadows. Zain had betrayed her.
Suddenly, Alistair appeared. He moved like lightning, slaughtering the rebels until only Zain remained.
"Stop!" Ruqaya screamed, shielding Zain. "If you kill him in cold blood, you are no different from the demons!"
She grabbed Alistair's blade with her bare hands. Her golden blood touched the steel, and a holy light forced Alistair back. He spared Zain's life, sending him to the dungeons instead.
Chapter 6: Scars of Gold
In his private chambers, Alistair cleaned her wounds. "In this world, Ruqaya, you are either the blade or the victim."
"But you chose to be my shield," she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder.
The peace was broken by a guard's cry: "A message from the Underworld! The Demon King demands a trade: Zain's head... for the Jewel's life!"
Chapter 7: The Sovereign's Choice
Alistair refused the trade. He brought Zain to the hall where a Demon Messenger waited.
"Take him," Alistair commanded, handing Zain to the demons.
"No! He is human!" Ruqaya screamed.
Alistair grabbed her. "I am trading his blood for one night of peace for you. His life for your safety—that is the price!"
As the demons dragged Zain away, Ruqaya collapsed. "Who will save me from you, Alistair?"
Chapter 8: The Silence of the Jewel
For three days, Ruqaya didn't eat. She sat by the window, her light fading. Alistair broke into her room.
"You are killing yourself!" he roared.
"I'd rather die than live in a world where you play God," she replied coldly.
Alistair fell to his knees, pressing her hands to his forehead. "Eat... please. Hate me, hit me... but do not go dark. If your light dies, I have no reason to stay human."
She agreed, on one condition: "Promise me you will never kill those I protect again."
Chapter 9: The Forbidden Garden
Alistair became obsessed. He moved his office into her room. One day, they went to the garden. A young guard moved to catch Ruqaya as she tripped.
Alistair's eyes turned red. He crushed the guard's hand. "Who gave you permission to touch what is mine?"
"Alistair, stop!" she cried.
He pulled her into a crushing embrace. "I am jealous of the air you breathe. What others touch... I amputate."
He kissed her neck forcefully in front of everyone. "Call it love, call it obsession... you are mine."
Chapter 10: The Golden Prison
Alistair locked the gardens. Ruqaya realized she wasn't just his Jewel; she was his obsession. As he watched her from the shadows, the Demon King gathered his armies. The war for the Jewel was no longer about the world—it was about the man who refused to let her go.
Other chapters are pending.