Chapter 2: The "Monster"
In the dim, underground marketplace, shadows moved restlessly, blending into the dark. Every corner seemed packed with strange beings—merchants draped in cloaks, buyers bargaining in hushed tones, creatures chained and muzzled. The dim torchlight flickered against the walls, casting eerie shapes across the caged figures. Among them was a young man with raven hair and piercing, mismatched eyes, each glinting with a haunted, almost feral look. His arms, visibly bruised, were bound with thick, enchanted chains that faintly hummed, crackling if he so much as shifted. He was a spectacle, but not in the way he'd ever wanted to be.
Noah—the monster, the lab rat, the failed experiment. People stared at him with a mixture of fear and disgust. Those who dared to look closer would see the faint, almost invisible scars tracing his skin. Marks left from years of tests, prodding, pushing his body to the limits as scientists obsessed over his abilities—tentacles that could sprout from his arms and back at will, quick to protect, defend, and, if unleashed, destroy. He had been their "project" for so long that he barely remembered life outside that cold, sterile cage.
But today was different. He was being auctioned, displayed like a rare prize to the highest bidder. Sold to someone who, hopefully, would keep him alive—if only as a weapon.
As the auctioneer droned on, Noah's gaze drifted over the crowd, disinterested. Faces blurred together. He had long since stopped caring. But then, from the back of the room, a soft, almost lazy voice called out.
"Yes, yes, I'll take him. Wrap him up or something, I guess." The crowd parted, allowing a young man to step forward, yawning as he took his place at the forefront. He was dressed in fine, loose-fitting clothes with an air of effortless wealth that seemed out of place in this grim setting. The nobleman's eyes held a strange mixture of brightness and indifference, as if he was far more interested in his next nap than the potential dangers lurking around him.
Noah blinked, uncertain if he'd heard correctly. Who was this lazy noble, and why would he want someone like him? There was no malice in the noble's eyes, no cold calculation like the scientists had. Instead, he looked at Noah with... curiosity. No fear, no judgment. Just curiosity.
The auctioneer, too, seemed surprised, fumbling over his words. "Ah, well... sold! To Lord Kai! A fine choice, my lord." He spoke as though uncertain whether "fine" was the right word, glancing nervously at Noah's bound form.
As the guards unshackled him and practically shoved him forward, Noah tried to gather himself. The noble—Kai, he'd called himself—stood there, looking unfazed, even bored. His gaze flicked lazily over Noah, not as if he were a weapon but as if he were... well, perhaps a stray animal.
Once they were outside, Noah dared a quiet question, his voice rough from disuse. "Why... did you buy me?"
Kai stretched, yawning again as he blinked at Noah, his eyes thoughtful but unbothered. "Oh, I dunno. You looked interesting. And a bit cool." He shrugged, as if that answered everything. "I've been wanting a pet."
Noah stared, unable to mask his disbelief. A pet? Kai said it so casually, as if it were a natural thing to bring a chained "monster" home as a companion. Noah had been called many things in his life, but "pet" wasn't one of them.
"Well, come along." Kai's voice broke through his thoughts. He gestured with an idle wave, his hand brushing against Noah's shoulder as he walked past. That brief contact, simple as it was, sent a jolt through Noah—a warmth he hadn't felt in so long he'd forgotten it even existed. He'd expected a cold touch, a rough grip, the way the scientists had handled him, but this… this was different.
They made their way back to Kai's mansion, an elegant yet strangely unpretentious place surrounded by quiet gardens and high stone walls. Kai led Noah to a cozy, dimly lit room and pointed toward a plush chair. "Sit," he said, and when Noah hesitated, he shrugged and added, "Or stand. Whatever you like. You're free now. Well, sort of. Just… don't break things."
With that, Kai slumped into his own chair across from Noah, looking ready to fall asleep again. "Tell me about yourself," he mumbled, voice fading as he yawned. "Or don't. I guess I don't mind. Just thought I should ask, since, you know… you're mine now."
Noah sank into the chair slowly, eyes still darting around, expecting a trick, a snare, a sudden flash of hostility. But Kai only stared at him, half-awake, his expression soft and detached. For the first time in his life, Noah found himself speechless.
This strange, lazy noble had bought him, called him a pet, and now looked as if he might doze off mid-sentence. And yet… Kai had shown him a kindness no one else had. It was unintentional, careless even, but it was there, like a flicker of warmth in the cold, shadowy corners of Noah's mind.
And with that, something within Noah began to shift, an unsteady yet undeniable feeling he hadn't known was possible. His heart stirred with something more than confusion, something deeper, as he watched Kai. Just a little kindness, and he'd felt it like a lifeline, like a spark in a void of darkness.
For the first time, he didn't feel like a monster. He felt like someone... who might, just maybe, be worth protecting. And he couldn't take his eyes off Kai, this oblivious noble who had somehow, without even trying, dragged him out of a nightmare and into a strange new world of light.