Chapter 3 Midnight Blood and the Demon Contract

The journey took three long days. When the old carriage finally stopped, the sun had already gone down, leaving the sky dark and cold.

Kaelen looked out the window. The Border Town Mansion was in terrible shape. The gates were rusty, the walls were covered in dirt, and there were no lights burning in any of the windows. It looked like a house that had been abandoned for years.

A large man with a thick scar across his cheek walked out of the main doors. He wore a dirty uniform and carried a heavy metal sword at his waist. This was Captain Boros, the military commander of the town. He was supposed to protect the area, but everyone knew he took money from Crown Prince Cedric.

Boros walked over to the carriage and yanked the door open. He looked at Kaelen, then let out a loud, mocking laugh.

"Well, if it isn't the royal garbage," Boros said, not even bothering to offer a hand. He turned to his men. "Hey! Get the cripple out of the cart."

Two rough soldiers pulled Kaelen out of the carriage. They did not care that his legs were dead. They dragged him across the dirt and dropped him heavily into his old wheelchair, which squeaked loudly in the quiet night.

Aurelia stepped out of the carriage on her own. She adjusted her dark dress, her face completely calm and cold. She did not look at Kaelen, and she did not look at Boros. She walked straight toward the mansion entrance.

"Wait a minute, Lady Aurelia," Boros said, stepping in front of her with a dirty smile. "This mansion hasn't been cleaned in five years. We don't have any fancy food, and we don't have any clean sheets for you or your little husband."

Aurelia stopped. She looked at Boros with her icy violet eyes. "I do not care about your sheets, Captain. Show me to a room."

"Take the rooms on the second floor," Boros shrugged, waving his hand toward the dark hallway. "But don't come begging to my men for supper. We barely have enough for ourselves."

Aurelia did not argue. She turned around, walked up the old stairs, and chose a large bedroom at the end of the hall. She closed the door firmly behind her. She did not check on Kaelen. She did not ask if he needed help getting up the stairs. She simply left him behind, completely ignoring his existence.

The soldiers pushed Kaelen’s wheelchair into a small, dusty room on the ground floor. The air inside was freezing, and the single bed had nothing but a thin, stained mattress.

"Enjoy your new palace, Prince," one of the soldiers sneered before slamming the heavy door shut, leaving Kaelen in total darkness.

Kaelen sat alone in his chair for hours. He did not try to move to the bed. He just listened to the distant sound of the wind blowing outside the mansion.

At midnight, the quiet night was suddenly broken.

Smash!

The glass window in Kaelen’s bedroom shattered into pieces. Kaelen opened his eyes instantly. Through the darkness, he saw three dark figures slip into the room. They wore black clothes and masks over their faces. In their hands, they held long, curved daggers that smelled faintly of sweet poison.

"Is that him?" a low voice whispered.

"Yes. The cripple," another replied. "Cedric said to make it quick."

Kaelen’s heart beat fast against his ribs. He threw himself out of the wheelchair, trying to use his arms to drag his body across the floor toward the door. But his dead legs were too heavy. They felt very heavy, trapping him in the middle of the dark room.

The lead assassin walked over calmly. He did not even need to run. He placed his heavy boot firmly on Kaelen’s back, pinning him to the floor. Kaelen gasped as the pressure drove the air from his lungs.

The assassin knelt down, grabbing Kaelen by his hair and pulling his head back. He pressed the cold edge of the poisoned dagger right against Kaelen’s bare throat.

"Look at you," the assassin laughed softly, his breath smelling of sour wine. "A prince of the empire, dying on a dirty floor in the middle of nowhere. Your brother sends his regards, little mouse."

Kaelen felt the sharp edge cut into his skin. A tiny drop of blood ran down his neck. An incredible rage filled his chest. Hot tears spilled down his eyes as he already had no choice than to accept his fate, what was the need of begging for a life not well spent.

Kalen closed his eyes, welcoming the blade, although he did not want to die like this. He wanted to live. He wanted to tear down the palace, kill his brothers, and make the whole world pay for treating him like trash. He has not even spent a full day here and they try to kill him already.

Suddenly, everything froze.

The wind outside stopped blowing. The assassin's hand became perfectly still, stuck in mid-air. The entire room turned pitch black, swallowing the faint moonlight.

From the center of the darkness, a massive shadow appeared. It did not have a real shape, but two glowing red eyes stared down at Kaelen. The air became so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

A bright, glowing blue screen floated into the air right in front of Kaelen's face.

[Sovereign’s Ledger System Awakened.] [Bloodline Condition Met: Total Despair and Divine Rage.] [Do you trade 1 year of your lifespan for Absolute Mind Control?]

Kaelen stared at the words. His mind was racing, but he did not feel afraid anymore. He only felt a cold, dark hunger for power.

The massive shadow leaned closer, its red eyes glowing brighter. A deep, eerie voice echoed directly inside Kaelen’s head.

“Think carefully, little prince,” the shadow mocked, its voice full of dark amusement. “Power is never free. For every soul you bind to your will, your beautiful black hair will turn white, and your human heart will turn to stone. You will become a monster. Do you still want it?”

Kaelen looked at the blade pressing against his throat. He looked at the assassin who wanted to take his life for a few gold coins. He did not care about his heart turning to stone. He did not care about losing his life.

He glares directly at the glowing blue interface, his mind screaming with absolute fury.

“Take it all! Give me the power!”

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