Todays song will be human by Christina Perry
Narrator
Lilith's wrists throbbed where the ropes had bitten into her skin.
She flexed her fingers, trying to shake off the stiffness, but her muscles remained tense. The air in the dim, musty room was thick, each breath feeling like a struggle.
Her heart still pounded from the cold menace in his words. He had spoken so calmly, so methodically: "You'll make the perfect bargaining chip.
"Fucking giant, she thought bitterly.The door creaked open, spilling light into the oppressive darkness. He entered, his tall figure casting a long shadow over her.
His face was as unreadable as ever, those dark, piercing eyes regarding her with a cold detachment."Get up," he ordered, his voice sharp and devoid of emotion.
His grip on her arm was firm, reminding her she had no choice. She winced but complied, standing on shaky legs as he guided her out of the room.
The shift from the suffocating gloom to the brightly lit hallway made her squint. As her eyes adjusted, the sheer opulence of the palace surroundings struck her.
Golden chandeliers shimmered, their light reflecting off polished marble floors. Rich tapestries adorned the walls, but despite the beauty, the grandeur felt like a trap. It was all too much—a gilded cage."Get her cleaned up." His command echoed through the hallway, clipped and detached.
His gaze flicked away from her, his words more like an order than any gesture of kindness.Two women, eyes wide with nervousness, approached.
Their hands trembled as they led her away, avoiding eye contact. The servant quarters they entered were simple, a stark contrast to the lavish hallways.
It was clear this space was for function, not comfort.Lilith let them undress her without protest, her mind racing while her body remained numb.
The warm water was a fleeting comfort, but it couldn't erase the truth. She wasn't free. She was a pawn in his game, and this small moment of mercy—if it could be called that—was just another move in whatever twisted strategy he was playing.
As the women brushed and braided her hair, her thoughts drifted back to him. Alex. He was nothing like anyone she had ever encountered—so calculated, so cold. Yet despite the danger, there was something magnetic about him.
She hated that part of herself was drawn to it. But she despised him more—for how he held her life in his hands, so casually, like she was nothing.
When the servants finished, they dressed her in a deep crimson silk gown.
One of them gave her a hesitant nod. "He's waiting for you downstairs," the woman whispered.Lilith's heart raced.
She didn't want to face him again, but she knew there was no avoiding it. They led her back to him, and as his eyes briefly scanned her appearance, he muttered, "Better." It wasn't a compliment—just an observation.
Better? she thought with irritation.
What the hell does that mean? She shot him a defiant look but said nothing.Without a word, he turned and began walking.
She followed, her stomach twisting with every step. They moved through grand corridors, past rooms locked and guarded, until they reached a set of intricately carved double doors.He opened them to reveal a small, intimate dining room.
The table, set with gleaming silverware, was illuminated by another chandelier, casting long shadows across the room.
The scent of rich, aromatic food filled the air, reminding her just how hungry she was. But even hunger couldn't ease the tension in her chest.
"Sit," he said, gesturing to a chair.
She hesitated, but his gaze was enough to make her obey.
She sat down, hands folded in her lap, trying to maintain some composure. He sat across from her, his movements deliberate and controlled, as if her discomfort was of no concern to him.Not surprising, she thought, biting back her irritation.
Servants brought out elaborate dishes—roasted meats, fresh vegetables, and sauces with aromas she couldn't place.
It was a feast fit for royalty, yet every bite felt like a trap.For a while, they ate in silence. Lilith forced herself to chew, though the food, despite its fragrance, tasted like ash.
Across from her, Alex ate with the same meticulous precision that seemed to define everything about him.
Calm, collected—like this was just another mundane meal. As if they weren't adversaries locked in a dangerous game."You should eat more," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"After all, you made such a fuss about it." His gaze flicked to her plate, still mostly untouched.Lilith met his eyes, unsure how to respond.
She was just a piece on his chessboard, an unwilling participant in whatever game he was playing."I'm not hungry.
Not anymore," she lied, her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach.His eyes narrowed, lips pressing into a thin line.
"You'll need your strength," he said coolly. "The situation with your family is... complicated."Her breath hitched.
He was talking about the relic, the one he intended to use her for. The thought of being traded like an object sent a chill down her spine, but she refused to let him see her fear."What do you even want with it?" she asked, surprising herself with the boldness of her question.
His gaze hardened, and for a moment, he didn't answer.
He took another measured bite, chewing thoughtfully. "That's not something you need to concern yourself with.""The hell it's not," she snapped. "In case you forgot, I am the exchange.""You don't need to know the details," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
"Just stay quiet and don't cause trouble."She clenched her jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reply.
After what felt like an eternity, he pushed back his chair, the sound of it scraping the floor breaking the tense silence. "Follow me," he said, his voice as emotionless as ever.
But Lilith didn't move.
15 Minutes Before
Alright, listen up, Lilith.
You've only got one shot at this, and it's now or never.
The bastard doesn't want to let me go? Fine. I'll escape.The dining room is conveniently next to what looks like a garden—my potential salvation. I haven't seen any guards lurking about, which means if I can just make it to the wall, I can cast my IV spell.
Invisibility.
It's risky, but the only plan I've got.Only one massive, glaring problem remains...
HIM.
His cold, unreadable gaze has been fixed on me the entire meal, like a predator sizing up its prey.
The silence between us is suffocating, tension swirling in the air like a brewing storm.
Finally, after what feels like hours, he rises from his seat, pushing his chair back with a grating scrape that cuts through the quiet.
"Follow me," he orders, his voice as flat and emotionless as ever.
No.
I don't move.
Not yet.
I watch him take five slow, deliberate steps away from the table, his back now turned to me.
This is it.I bolt from the chair, heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. I race toward the garden window, and with one frantic push, I fling it open.
The cold night air hits me like a slap, but I don't stop.
Desperation fuels my legs as I grab a nearby garden pot and hurl it behind me, praying it crashes into him—anything to buy myself a few extra seconds.I can't hear if it hit him or not, my pulse thundering too loud in my ears, but I keep running.
I get closer to the garden walls with every step. If my instincts are right, we're in the Cerberus Kingdom.
That means the forest—the escape—is to the right, just beyond these walls.I may have failed history lessons in royal etiquette, but navigating kingdoms? That's my forte.
I spent years studying every entry and exit, every hidden passage.
I wanted to be a knight once, after all. Now, all that knowledge might just save my life.With the walls in sight, I begin mentally preparing my invisibility spell. I can already feel the magic stirring inside me, surging, ready to be unleashed—Fuck!A massive, black, four-foot dog appears out of nowhere, blocking my path.
My heart leaps into my throat, and I skid to a halt, nearly face-planting on the grass."Are you kidding me?!" I mutter, breathless and panicked. The dog growls, low and menacing, its gleaming eyes tracking my every move.I try darting to the left—it blocks me. I move right—same result.
It's like some demonic chess game, and I'm losing."Please, just let me go," I beg, my voice trembling with desperation. "I really don't have time for this, okay? I need to—"Before I can finish, the voice I dread the most cuts through the air, colder than the night around me.
"Did you really think you could escape?"His voice sends a cold shiver racing down my spine, freezing me in place.
I can't turn around.
I can't even breathe. It's like the world has collapsed in on me, suffocating me in his presence."I thought I made it clear," he continues, his footsteps slow and deliberate as he approaches. "You're not going anywhere... until I say so."In one swift, terrifying motion, his hand grips my chin, forcing me to look up at him.
His dark eyes bore into mine, unfeeling, sharp as knives."I—"I don't get a word out.
A hot, burning sensation wells up in my chest, and before I can stop it, I feel it.
Tears.
No way.
Not now.
Not in front of him.
A single tear rolls down my cheek, and then another, and before I know it, I'm sobbing uncontrollably.
The humiliation is unbearable, but the fear—the powerlessness—is even worse.
"Shit," he mutters under his breath, his grip on my chin loosening.
He lets go, and I collapse to the ground, gasping for air between sobs.Two minutes. It feels like two long, agonizing minutes before I finally manage to stop crying.
My breaths are shallow and ragged, but at least I can speak now."They won't make the trade," I choke out between gasps, still unable to meet his gaze. "They... they're not going to do it."
Silence.
He doesn't respond immediately, but I can feel his eyes on me, piercing, calculating."What do you mean?" His voice, for once, betrays a hint of confusion."If what you want is so important to them, they won't make the trade. Not if I'm the one they have to give up for it."I finally raise my eyes to meet his.
For a second, just a second, I think I see something flicker across his face.
Doubt? Amusement? I can't tell."You're royalty, aren't you, Lilith?" His voice is softer this time, but the way he says my name—it's unsettling, like a snake coiling around its prey."I'm part of the royal family, yes." My voice sounds steady, but my insides are a wreck, shaking with adrenaline.
"Explain yourself." His coldness returns, sharper now, like a blade.I force myself to stand, wiping away the last remnants of my tears. I stare him down, locking eyes with him as I step forward."I'm the product of an affair," I say, my voice ice cold.
"I'm not the heir. I'm not the princess they'd sacrifice anything for. I'm expendable. You're holding onto the wrong leverage."For a moment, there's nothing but silence between us. His eyes narrow, and I can practically see the gears turning in his mind.
This wasn't the game he thought it was.
The rules had changed.---Only three people in this sprawling castle knew the truth: the king—my father, the woman who had been a servant, and me.
It all began long before my birth, when the king found himself enchanted by a servant with an allure that made even the most exquisite jewels pale in comparison.
Rumor had it that he loved her deeply, a passion that burned brightly in secret, away from the prying eyes of the court.
But duty called, and the day came when he was married off to a queen—an alliance forged for political gain, not love.
Years passed in a blur of banquets, politics, and whispered conversations, with the king continuing to visit the servant, all while his unsuspecting wife remained blissfully unaware.
The queen was radiant, destined to be the perfect mother, and the kingdom buzzed with excitement at the news that she was expecting a second child.
Two princes—two brilliant, charming heirs to the throne. The joy was palpable, a light illuminating the castle.
But then, darkness descended.
One fateful night, the queen, heavy with anticipation, stumbled upon the truth in a way that shattered her world. The tragic news cut through her like a dagger: she had lost the baby. Her heart shattered, but what came next was a cruel twist of fate that no one could have foreseen.
For hidden within the servant's womb was a secret—a child, me, waiting to be born into a world filed with deception and betrayal.
The king, unable to deny his own flesh and blood, chose to keep the servant's baby, thrusting me into a life shrouded in secrets.
The queen, in an act of forced motherhood, raised me as her own, even as her heart simmered with bitterness.
Inside the castle, she wore a mask of grace, but beneath it simmered an ocean of resentment for the woman who had dared to bear the king's child.
The king himself, an icy figure, showed only coldness toward me, his accidental daughter—a mere mistake in a twisted game of power and desire.I discovered the truth when I turned five, a shocking revelation that shattered my already fragile sense of self.
I was always the error, the blemish in their perfect world—a reminder of their illicit love, a child born from shadows and secrets.
The castle's walls echoed with laughter and joy, but in my heart, I carried the weight of a secret that could destroy them all.