𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 06: 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚋𝚢𝚜𝚜

---

Elara could still feel the ink on her fingers, warm and

binding. The moment she signed her name on that

cursed contract, the air around her changed. It felt

heavier, charged with a strange energy that made her

skin tingle. She could sense Darius's presence even when

he wasn't physically there, a constant, cold pressure at

the back of her mind.

The night had fallen, thick and impenetrable, as if the

darkness itself was watching her. Darius had

disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving her

alone in her apartment, but something had shifted. She

wasn't alone anymore, not truly. She was tethered to

him now, bound by the deal she had made.

Her phone buzzed on the table, startling her out of her

thoughts. She glanced at the screen-it was Lena.

Elara hesitated. Lena didn't know anything about the

deal she had made or the creatures lurking in the

shadows. Could she even begin to explain? She stared at

the phone, her hand hovering over it, before swiping to

answer.

"Elara?" Lena's voice was breathless, worried. "Are you

okay? I've been trying to reach you all day."

"I'm fine," Elara lied, her voice wavering slightly. "I've

just... had a lot on my mind."

"You sound off. What's going on?"

Elara closed her eyes, leaning back against the couch.

How could she explain any of it without sounding in

sane? Darius, the shadows, the contract-none of it

would make sense. But Lena was her best friend, and the

weight of keeping everything bottled up was crushing

her.

"Lena, I... there's something I need to tell you. It's going

to sound crazy, but I need you to listen."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before

Lena spoke again, her tone careful. "Okay. I'm listening."

Elara took a deep breath and began to explain

everything-how she had felt like something was

stalking her for months, how Darius had appeared out

of nowhere, and how she had signed the contract that

bound her to him. She didn't leave anything out,

knowing full well how ridiculous it all sounded.

When she finished, there was silence. Elara's heart sank,

the tension rising as she waited for Lena to respond.

"Elara..." Lena's voice was slow, hesitant. "Do you think

maybe you're just-"

"Crazy?" Elara finished for her. "I know how it sounds,

Lena. But it's real. I can feel him. I can feel them."

Before Lena could answer, a loud crash echoed from the

hallway outside Elara's apartment. She jumped, her

heart leaping into her throat.

"Lena, I have to go," Elara whispered, her voice tight

with fear. "Something's here."

Without waiting for a response, she hung up and

dropped the phone on the couch. The crash was followed

by a low, guttural growl, sending ice through her veins.

The shadows had come for her.

She stood frozen, her eyes locked on the door. The

growling grew louder, the sound of claws scraping

against the floor just beyond the threshold. Her breath

hitched, her body trembling with fear. Darius had

promised to protect her, but where was he now?

The door rattled violently, and Elara backed away, her

eyes wide with terror. The shadow creature from

𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎-the one that had nearly reached her-was here

again.

She could feel it, its presence thick and oppressive,

sucking the air from the room.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and the creature lunged

forward.

Before Elara could scream, Darius appeared, his form

materializing from the darkness like a vengeful shadow.

His eyes glowed with an unholy light, and his voice was

like ice.

"Back. Now."

The creature let out a screech of protest, its twisted

form writhing in the doorway. But Darius wasn't

backing down. He stepped forward, his hand raised, and

with a simple flick of his wrist, the shadow creature was

thrown back into the hallway as if an invisible force had

slammed into it.

It howled in pain, then melted into the darkness,

disappearing completely.

Elara stood there, her chest heaving, unable to process

what had just happened. Darius turned to her, his eyes

burning with an intensity that made her shiver.

"You're mine now, Elara," he whispered, stepping closer,

his voice low and possessive. "I told you I would protect

you. But you must never doubt me again."

She nodded, too shaken to speak. The contract had

bound her to him, and in that moment, she realized just

how deep the connection went.

---