There was something in his eyes. A darkness so deep it seemed to stretch back through time. The man smiled, but it wasn’t a smile anyone should trust. He leaned in, close enough for her to smell the rust of iron on his breath.
„You want power?“ he asked, his voice smooth like whiskey, like it had no end. „I can give you power. Everything you’ve ever dreamed of.“
She had dreamed, once. Of a life without fear. Of standing tall, unstoppable. But that was before she understood the cost. Before she knew what it meant to be truly afraid.
„I’ll take it,“ she whispered, unable to pull away.
His smile widened, sharp, like a blade. „It’s simple,“ he said, „but not without price.“
A mark appeared, burning like fire beneath her skin. She gasped, the pain too much, but it faded quickly, leaving something cold and heavy inside her. The power surged through her, wild and intoxicating, and in that moment, she felt invincible.
But as the hours passed, the darkness grew. It whispered to her, creeping into her thoughts, turning every victory into a shadow. She had wanted power. She had wanted it all. But now, every step she took felt like walking further from herself.
He had warned her. She just hadn’t listened.
„Power,“ she murmured, staring at the mark on her arm. „And all it cost was my soul.“
Would she ever be able to reclaim it? Or had the deal already sealed her fate?
