The chamber was silent.
The flickering torchlight cast strange shadows along the cold stone walls, but there was no one left to see them.
The gold, the riches, the broken remains of human ambition—they remained untouched.
And at the center of it all sat the bottle, resting atop the wooden table, waiting.
Lucian sighed within his prison. Again.
Three wishes. Three prices paid.
Now, the bottle would sleep, sealed away until another foolish soul came to claim its power.
Time did not exist for Lucian. Not in the way mortals understood it. He could remain trapped for centuries, or he could be freed within hours. It all depended on who found him next.
He had no control over it.
Not yet.
For now, he waited, wrapped in the void of his prison. His form was but a whisper of existence, drifting in the darkness, his essence bound by unseen chains.
But he was aware.
He could feel the world beyond the bottle, sense the lingering remnants of the last transaction. The echoes of madness still clung to the chamber like an invisible fog.
He wondered how long it would take before another came.
Not long, it seemed.
The sound of footsteps shattered the silence.
Lucian stirred. Interesting.
He focused, stretching his awareness beyond the glass barrier.
A figure emerged from the shadows of the corridor, moving with slow, deliberate steps.
A woman.
Her cloak was deep crimson, the fabric trailing behind her like spilled blood. Golden chains adorned her waist, their delicate clinking the only sound accompanying her movements.
But it was her eyes that caught Lucian's attention.
Cold. Calculating.
She moved with purpose, stepping past the discarded gold without so much as a glance.
Her gaze locked onto the bottle.
Lucian felt a stir of amusement. So. Another one comes.
The woman approached the wooden table, standing before the artifact that had ruined so many before her.
She did not reach for it immediately.
Instead, she studied it, tilting her head as if listening.
Lucian remained silent.
She could sense something. He was sure of it.
After a long moment, she exhaled. "You're awake, aren't you?"
Lucian's amusement deepened. Oh?
The last fools had taken minutes to realize the bottle was no ordinary artifact. This one, however, knew immediately.
He decided to answer.
His whisper curled through the chamber.
"And you are not afraid?"
She smiled slightly. "I know what you are."
Lucian hummed. "Oh? Then tell me, who am I?"
She reached out, running her fingers along the smooth glass surface.
"You are an entity bound by rules," she said softly. "An ancient power, trapped within a vessel, granting wishes at the cost of something equal."
Lucian was impressed. She had spoken the truth so clearly, without hesitation. No panic. No blind greed.
This one was different.
He studied her in return. Who was she?
A sorceress? A scholar?
Or something else entirely?
She finally lifted the bottle, cradling it carefully in her hands.
"I've spent years searching for you," she admitted. "Legends spoke of a being sealed in a cursed bottle. The wish granter. The trickster."
Lucian chuckled. "And yet, here you are. Willing to play my game."
Her lips curled. "I understand the rules. That is why I came prepared."
Lucian leaned closer, his presence pressing against the barrier of his prison.
Prepared?
Now, this was truly interesting.
Most who sought him out were desperate fools, stumbling upon the artifact with only greed in their hearts.
But this woman… she had planned this.
Lucian's voice was smooth. "Tell me, then. What is it you desire?"
The woman's eyes darkened. "Freedom."
Lucian raised an unseen brow. "How poetic."
She shook her head. "Not for myself."
Now that was unexpected.
Lucian remained silent, letting her continue.
She stepped away from the table, bottle still in hand, her grip firm but careful. "There are people bound in servitude. Those who have been cursed, enslaved, used as pawns in a war they did not choose."
Lucian observed her with interest. "And you wish to release them?"
She nodded.
He chuckled. "A noble wish. But noble wishes often come at the steepest cost."
Her fingers tightened around the glass. "I am aware."
Lucian felt curious. "And you are still willing to make it?"
She held his gaze. "Yes."
Lucian exhaled softly.
How rare.
How fascinating.
Most who came to him sought power, wealth, revenge. Their desires were selfish, driven by greed or desperation.
But this woman wanted something for others.
That was far more dangerous.
Lucian's voice curled through the chamber.
"Then make your wish."
The woman closed her eyes for a moment, gathering herself.
Then, she spoke.
"I wish for the chains of all those unjustly bound to be broken."
The words carried weight, echoing through the stone walls, laced with undeniable conviction.
Lucian felt the magic stir.
The bottle trembled, the ancient laws shifting, preparing to enact the transaction.
He smiled.
And now… the price.
The chamber darkened. The torches flickered, their flames twisting into unnatural shapes. The air grew heavy, thick with unseen power.
Lucian's whisper was soft, almost gentle.
"Your wish has been granted."
The woman exhaled, her grip loosening slightly.
Then, she froze.
Something was wrong.
Her breath caught, her entire body locking in place.
Lucian watched with quiet amusement.
She had been prepared. She had studied the legends.
But she had still underestimated the cost.
Her eyes widened as an invisible force wrapped around her, tightening like unseen chains.
Her breath came in sharp gasps. "What… is this?"
Lucian's voice was calm.
"Every action demands an equal reaction."
The woman trembled, her knees nearly buckling. The golden chains at her waist snapped, one by one, as if reality itself was adjusting to accommodate the exchange.
Lucian continued.
"You wished to free the bound. And so, the balance must be kept."
The realization hit her.
The weight. The invisible shackles. The force binding her in place.
She had taken their place.
Her breath shuddered.
She had freed them. But in doing so, she had become the one who was bound.
Lucian chuckled softly. "And now, you belong to me."
Her lips parted, shock rippling across her expression.
The chamber fell into silence.
Lucian felt it—the shift in reality, the final snap of the laws sealing into place.
And for the first time in centuries, he was no longer alone in his prison.
— End of Chapter 3 --