Nyx stirred awake, her head throbbing and her wrists burning from the rough ropes cutting into her skin. The damp air clung to her face, heavy with the stench of mildew and sweat. She winced as she shifted, her back pressing against the cold, uneven stone wall. Somewhere nearby, water dripped in a maddening rhythm.

“She’s awake!” a sharp voice barked, cutting through the stillness.

A wiry man with hunched shoulders poked his head through the doorway, his crooked grin making Nyx’s stomach twist. Footsteps thundered closer, the air growing heavier with tension. Two more figures entered—a tall, broad man who radiated quiet menace and a woman with cropped hair whose sneer could cut glass.

“Well, well,” the woman said, her voice dripping with venom as she crouched in front of Nyx. “Look who’s finally awake. How’s it feel, little miss perfect, to finally not have everyone fawning over you?”

Nyx blinked groggily, her lips dry and cracked. “What are you talking about?” she rasped.

The woman’s eyes narrowed, her sneer twisting into something darker. “Don’t play dumb. You waltz into our village, batting your sad little orphan eyes, and suddenly we’re invisible. Nobody even looks at us anymore.”

Nyx frowned, her mind struggling to catch up. “I don’t understand,” she said, her voice steadier now.

“Of course you don’t,” the tall man growled, leaning against the wall. His shadow loomed over her, making her feel even smaller. “You’ve never had to fight for scraps, have you? Everything just falls into your lap. Respect. Praise. Jobs.” He spat the last word like it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“That’s not my fault,” Nyx said, her voice firmer this time.

“Not your fault?” The woman stood abruptly, pacing like a predator circling its prey. “You think that matters? Do you know how hard we’ve worked? How many years we’ve spent trying to scrape together some respect? Then you show up—” she whirled to face Nyx, her voice rising—“and suddenly we’re nothing. Like we don’t exist.”

The short man’s laugh was sharp and bitter. “That job last month? We killed the beast, but all anyone could talk about was how you brought it back. Like we didn’t even matter.”

Nyx’s stomach tightened. “I didn’t ask for that,” she said softly, her voice steady despite the fear curling in her chest.

“But you didn’t stop it, did you?” the woman hissed, stepping closer. Her shadow fell over Nyx’s face, and the faint torchlight glinted off her knife as she twirled it absentmindedly in her fingers.

Nyx’s eyes flicked to the blade dangling from his waist, then to the tall man by the entrance of the dungeon. Her mind raced, cataloging every movement, every weakness.

“If anything happens, I’ll take over,” Uriel whispered, calm and steady.

“Not yet,” Nyx replied silently, flexing her wrists against the ropes. The fibers bit into her skin, but she stayed still, waiting.

The tall man pushed off the wall, his voice rumbling. “Nothing’s stopping us now. We’ll sell you to the traders—young, strong, with a hunter’s skills? You’ll fetch a fortune.”

The short man grinned, his greed shining through. “Enough to make sure we never have to hunt again.”

Nyx’s jaw clenched, her anger simmering beneath the surface. “Selling me won’t solve your problems,” she said sharply, her voice cutting through their laughter.

The woman crouched again, her face inches from Nyx’s. Her knife glinted in the torchlight as she smirked. “Oh, it won’t just solve them,” she said softly. “It’ll make them disappear.”

Their laughter filled the room, echoing off the damp stone walls. Nyx tested the ropes again, feeling for any weakness. She winced as the fibers dug into her wrists, but the hunters were too busy bickering to notice.

“Split it evenly?” the woman hissed. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“You wouldn’t even have her if it wasn’t for me!” the short hunter snapped, his face red with frustration.

“You’re not getting more than me,” the short man snapped, jabbing a finger at the woman. “I found her first!”

“Enough,” the tall man growled, his voice silencing them. “We’ll split it evenly, like we agreed.”

“Evenly?” the woman shot back. “Why should you get the same as me when I’m the one who—”

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As their argument grew louder, Nyx’s heart pounded. The torch by the door flickered, its light casting long shadows across the room.

“Uriel,” she whispered in her mind, her voice urgent. “Be ready.”

“Always,” Uriel replied.

Nyx’s lips tightened into a thin line, her anger hardening into resolve. Whatever happened next, she wasn’t going to make it easy for them.

The hunters’ voices escalated, their argument spilling over each other in a chaotic blur.

“Split it evenly?” the woman hissed. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“You wouldn’t even have her if it wasn’t for me!” the short hunter snapped, his face red with frustration.

Nyx’s lips tightened into a thin line as the short hunter turned abruptly and stormed toward her. His sharp features twisted with anger. “You think you’re better than us, don’t you?”

Nyx frowned, confused. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, don’t give me that,” he spat. “I tried to talk to you—tried to be nice. But you just ignored me, treated me like I was nothing.”

“That’s not true,” Nyx said, shaking her head. “I don’t even remember—”

“Liar!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the dungeon. “You looked at me like I was dirt under your boots!”

Nyx’s heart pounded as the man stepped closer, his hands trembling with rage. “I didn’t—”

“Shut up!” he barked, his hand shooting out toward her face.

Before she could answer, his hand shot out, yanking the Veil from her face. The fabric fell away, and the room shifted as her gaze was revealed.

The hunters froze.

Her eyes shimmered with a deep, enchanting amethyst hue, their surface alive with subtle movement, as if liquid starlight flowed within them. Silver and purple swirls of arcane energy danced gracefully around the irises, spiraling outward in mesmerizing patterns. These trails extended faintly beyond her eyes, curling and weaving through the air like ethereal tendrils.

The magic seemed alive, pulsating softly, its silver glimmers like strands of moonlight and the purple currents carrying the stormy intensity of a restless night sky. Around her ears, the energy formed faint, curved wisps that glowed like a celestial frame, giving her an otherworldly, regal aura.

The short hunter stumbled back, his mouth agape. “No wonder you were hiding them,” he breathed, his voice filled with awe and something darker—greed.

The other hunters crowded around, their earlier argument forgotten.

“By the gods…” the woman murmured, stepping closer. “Look at her.”

“She’s not just some hunter,” the tall man said, his voice hushed. “She’s something else entirely.”

“Do you know what this means?” the short hunter said, his voice rising with manic energy. “They’ll pay a fortune for her. More than we ever imagined!”

The woman nodded, her eyes gleaming. “They’ll line up to buy her—magic like this? It’s priceless.”

Nyx’s stomach sank, her pulse quickening as their words sunk in. Her chest tightened with anger, shame, and frustration.

How could I have been so stupid? she thought bitterly.

They circled her like predators, their gazes fixed on her like she was a prize to be sold. The awe in their voices twisted into greed, their faces alight with dreams of wealth and power.

Nyx’s hands curled into fists behind her back. The ropes dug into her skin, but she barely noticed. The anger that simmered inside her grew hotter, brighter.

Nyx’s anger burned brighter. “You’re all disgusting,” she said, her voice trembling with fury. The magic around her eyes flared, casting sharp shadows across the walls.

The woman smirked. “Call us whatever you want, sweetheart. It won’t matter when we’re rich.”

“Yeah,” the short hunter said, his grin wide and toothy. “With eyes like that, they’ll pay anything for you. You’re not even human, are you?”

Nyx glared at him, her gaze burning. The swirls of magic around her eyes pulsed brighter, reacting to her fury.

The hunters didn’t notice—or didn’t care. They were too busy planning their windfall, their voices overlapping in a frenzy of greed.

Before anything could happen, the faint, flickering lights in the dungeon sputtered and died, plunging the room into total darkness.

“What now?” the short hunter snapped, his voice sharp with irritation. “Who’s messing with the lights?”

“Great,” the woman muttered, the frustration in her tone clear. “Someone get a torch.”

“Hold on,” the tall man grumbled. His heavy steps echoed in the darkness as he moved toward the wall.

Nyx froze, her breathing shallow as her eyes adjusted to the dark. “Uriel,” she whispered silently, her voice trembling, “do you sense anything?”

“Nothing definitive,” Uriel replied, its tone clipped. “But something is—”

The sentence was cut short by the sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh.

Nyx’s eyes widened as a flash of movement broke through the shadows. A wet gurgle escaped the tall man’s throat before his head fell to the floor with a dull thud.

“What the—?” the short hunter’s voice was strangled with panic.

Before he could finish, a second blade slashed through the air, severing him mid-sentence. Blood sprayed across the stone walls, hot and metallic, as his body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

The woman screamed, her voice sharp and terrified. But she didn’t even have time to draw her knife. A figure moved with blinding speed, and with one swift motion, her head was severed from her shoulders.

Nyx gasped, her chest tightening as her mind struggled to process what she was seeing.

“Uriel!” she called out in her thoughts, desperation rising.

“Nyx, get ready—”

But before she could act, she felt a sharp, searing pain in her stomach.

Her body jerked violently as a dagger plunged into her abdomen, its blade cold and merciless. She choked on a gasp, her knees buckling as her blood spilled freely onto the stone floor.

Her gaze darted down, her trembling hands clutching at the wound, but her strength was fading fast. Through blurred vision, she saw the faint outline of her attacker—a shadow moving fluidly, almost unnaturally, in the darkness.

“Nyx, stay conscious!” Uriel’s voice was urgent, but it sounded distant, as though it were slipping away with her.

Nyx’s body collapsed to the ground, her cheek pressing against the cold stone as her blood pooled beneath her. The room spun, her vision narrowing to a pinpoint of light.

Her thoughts were fleeting, fragmented. Is this it?

The sound of her heartbeat thundered in her ears, growing slower, weaker.

And then, everything went silent.