Chapter 2 - "A Name in the Dark"
Rain still pelted the city streets, but inside the
silent hall, it sounded like a thousand knives
slicing through the air. I clutched the hem of my
coat, trembling-not from the cold, but from the
weight of what had just happened.
My name... my father had forgotten it tonight.
"I am Avelyn," I whispered to no one, my voice
barely more than a ghost. The word felt strange,
foreign, as if claiming it aloud made it real. The
man-he had not even glanced at me when he
spoke of debts and promises. Yet I could feel his
presence, sharp and cold, like ice that had
seeped into my bones.
He didn't move.He didn't need to. His silence
was a command. I wanted to look at him, to see
a trace of mercy or regret in those dark eyes-but
something told me he would not give it.
"You will obey" he finally said, his voice low,
controlled, but heavy enough to make the room
shiver. "Do not speak unless spoken to."
I swallowed, a bitter taste rising in my throat.
This was no ordinary man. This was a devil
wearing a man's skin.
And yet, a tiny spark of defian ce stirred within
me. I would not let him see fear-at least, not
entirely.
The lightning flashed outside, illuminating his
face for a fraction of a second. For a brief
moment, I saw him clearly. The curve of his jaw,
the cold calculation in his eyes, the faint scar at
the corner of his lip. Then darkness swallowed
him again.
I clenched my fists. My name, my life, my
freedom--he had taken them all, but I would not
disappear without a fight.
And in that room of shadows and rain, I realized:
my life had changed forever
my life had been sold-but my spirit had not.