The ropes bit into her wrists as they dragged her up the temple steps .
White silk pooled around her ankles , stained with dirt and tears . Her hair was unbound , cascading over trembling shoulders , and a crown of dying jasmine flowers slipped down her forehead with every shaky step .
She could hear the village priest chanting behind her . Words of sacrifice . Words that sealed her fate .
" Offer the purest maiden to the Demon King , so he may spare us for another decade . "
She was that maiden .
At seventeen , untouched and innocent , she was worth more dead than alive in their eyes .
When she reached the stone altar , the guards pushed her down to her knees . Her chest rose and fell in shallow , panicked breaths . Beyond the torches , the cave yawned open like the mouth of a beast . Darkness seeped out , thick and alive , brushing against her skin with a cold caress .
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she whispered a prayer to gods who never listened .
A deep growl rumbled from within the cave . The ground beneath her shook , tiny stones dancing around her bound knees . Shadows shifted and curled until two glowing red eyes emerged from the blackness .
Her heart stopped .
He stepped out slowly - a towering figure draped in black robes , horns curling back from his head , his skin dark as obsidian and marked with glowing crimson veins . His eyes locked onto her , unblinking , as if peeling away her soul .
A smile curled his lips . Sharp , cruel .
" So ... this is what they offer me this century , "
his voice was smooth , dark silk over steel .
" A trembling little virgin in white . "
She flinched as he crouched before her , his clawed fingers lifting her chin . Her tears pooled in his palm .
" Did they tell you I would kill you , little lamb ? "
he asked softly .
She couldn't speak . Couldn't breathe .
His smile widened , fangs glinting in the torchlight .
" They lied . "
His thumb traced her lower lip , smearing her tears across it . His touch burned like embers .
" I will not kill you , " he whispered , leaning in so close she could taste his darkness .
" I will keep you . I will breed you . I will ruin you until the gods themselves cannot recognise their creation . "
She choked on a sob as he stood , towering over her small , kneeling form .
" Take her , " he commanded the shadows .
And as the dark tendrils wrapped around her body , lifting her from the altar , she realised death would have been mercy compared to what awaited her in the Demon King's palace .