I wasn’t born to be a mate. I wasn’t made to love or protect or cherish. I was created for war. For ruin. Fallen. Twisted. Cast out.
But Minji… gods, Minji made mewantto be something else.
And I broke her anyway.
I sank to one knee, the demon realm’s ash sticking to my fingers as I buried my hands in my hair and pressed my forehead to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into the dirt, knowing it wasn’t enough.
Knowing it never would be.
But I would make it right.
Somehow.
Even if it meant burning for it.
Seori
The gilded cage
I woke to silk.
Not stone. Not chains. Not the cold, blood-slick floors of a dungeon. But silk sheets, embroidered in dark gold and midnight red. A pillow soft enough to swallow my face. The scent of night blossoms and something ancient lingered in the air like memory.
I sat up too fast.
Pain didn’t spike through me. No bruises. No restraints. Just... warmth.
The room around me was opulent. Arched ceilings carved with obsidian reliefs of stars and shadows. Pillars draped in crimson fabric. A fireplace glowed with blackflame in the corner, casting golden light over polished floors and a massive bed I barely felt small in.
This wasn’t a prison.
But it wasn’t freedom either.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed just as a soft knock echoed at the door.
It opened before I could speak.
A woman stepped in, draped in delicate black and silver robes, her hair pinned high with moonstone. Her eyes were violet — glowing faintly — and yet her smile was soft, practiced. Familiar in the way nightmares often pretend to be comforting.
"Good morning, my lady," she said, bowing low. "His Majesty has requested you be properly dressed before your audience."
My brows drew tight.
“His Majesty?”
“The King,” she replied simply, approaching with a tray of shimmering fabrics and gilded accessories.
I stood still as she began to brush my hair, her touch gentle but trained. When she moved to lace the corset of the blood-red gown she selected, I held her hands.
“Where am I?”
“In the palace,” she said, as if that explained everything.
“What happened? How did I get here?”
Her expression faltered for just a moment.
