𝐅.𝐖 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 !

ʙᴀʀɢᴀɪɴ ᴏꜰ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ (ᴍɪʟᴇꜱ)

Miles Fairchild wasn't always one to bargain with the dark, but when Y/N lay motionless on the floor, heart still, breath shallow, he knew he had no choice. His voice had echoed desperately through the quiet mansion, calling for help, for anything. And just when despair settled over him, a figure appeared—dark, imposing, eyes like burning coals.

"You wish to save her," the demon said, reading his mind with unsettling ease.

Miles swallowed, his gaze flicking to Y/N, the only person who had ever shown him real kindness since his family's strange tragedies began.

"Yes," he murmured, more to himself than the creature. "I'll do whatever it takes."

The demon's lips curled into a twisted grin. "It will cost you, Fairchild. I don't deal in charity."

Miles barely hesitated. "Anything."

The demon extended a clawed hand, black smoke curling around his fingers, and recited the terms: a year of heightened strength and speed, of supernatural gifts that would allow him to shield Y/N from any danger that might follow her. But at the end, he would belong to the demon's world—forever.

With a firm nod, Miles took the hand. A surge of power flooded through him, dark and intoxicating. Y/N's heartbeat started again, her color returning. Relief filled him, but a nagging sense of dread remained as the demon disappeared with a warning glance.

The following months passed in an odd mixture of exhilaration and dread. Y/N noticed the changes in Miles almost instantly: his presence was sharper, more intense, his eyes occasionally flashing a haunting red glow. He rarely spoke of what had happened that night in the mansion, but when danger lurked, he'd always be there—fast, silent, and terrifyingly powerful.

But as the months wore on, Y/N began piecing together the truth. She confronted Miles one stormy night, demanding to know what was haunting him, the reason for the shadows in his gaze. Miles tried to brush it off, but the closer the deadline came, the more transparent he became.

On the last day of his freedom, he finally broke down.

"I did it to save you," he whispered, his voice laced with regret. "But... now I'm theirs."

Y/N's heart clenched, realization dawning. "Miles, no. We can find another way."

But Miles had long accepted the price. And as the clock struck midnight, the demon returned, towering over them both with an almost triumphant leer.

Yet, as the demon reached for Miles, Y/N, defiant and desperate, stepped between them. Her voice trembled but held steady as she made her own offer: she'd take Miles' place.

The demon's laughter filled the room, echoing through the mansion. "One life in exchange for another," he mused. "Touching... but deals like this are binding."

Yet the demon sensed a newfound resolve in Y/N's eyes. He hesitated, an unusual glint of curiosity flickering over his face before he vanished with a warning.

Miles took her hand, eyes still shadowed but filled with a new glimmer of hope. The bargain wasn't completely broken, but for the first time, they knew they had the strength to defy it together.

A/N: Haven't updated this book in a while. THANK YOU FOR 6K READS! <3

-Shaarvi