Chapter 1

Nyx’s Pov

“No! Don't take her, please! Please, I'll pay you! I'll do whatever you want, leave my daughter alone, please!” My mother screamed, the corner of her eyes red with tears. Her face was heavily bruised, purple and black. She had been hit with a plank by the loan sharks who had suddenly come to our house.

“If you don't shut your mouth, we'll be forced to do worse to you! However, your daughter… She's really pretty” The one who looked like their leader came forward, his sunken eyes leered at me. I shrunk back, my entire body trembling.

“Why… Why are you doing this to us? We… We don't owe you anything, we've never borrowed money from you.” I yelled, my voice shaking.

The leader sneered, revealing yellowed teeth as he shifted his weight and leaned in closer. His voice was cold, unfeeling.

“You don’t know, do you?” He chuckled darkly, the sound echoing through the small room, “Your dear father owes us more than you can imagine. He borrowed money to feed his gambling habit. When his luck ran dry, he ran too, leaving behind only broken promises and well, you two.”

My mother’s cries turned into broken sobs, her fingers gripping the tattered edge of her apron. The words hung heavy in the air, suffocating me. My father had left months ago, claiming he had found a job in another town. Now, the truth stabbed through me, sharper than any knife.

“What… What do you mean?” I stammered, my voice small and quaking.

The leader took a step forward, the dim light from the single bulb casting shadows over his gaunt and yellow face, “He said if he couldn’t pay, we could sell everything he had. The house. The furniture.” He paused, and his lips twisted into a sick smile. “And even his daughter.”

A chill ran through me, and my knees buckled as I fell to the ground. My mother tried to stand, to shield me, but another thug pushed her down roughly. She fell with a gasp, her eyes wide with terror as she reached out for me.

“No!” She cried, her voice hoarse, “Please, take me instead. Not my Nyx!”

The leader waved her off as if she were nothing more than an annoying insect, “He specifically mentioned the girl. Said she was young and would fetch a good price. You’re not worth anything to us, old woman. I didn't notice this but her eyes look pretty special, I've never seen eyes like hers before, she will really fetch a perfect amount of money for those perverted men who have needs for unique women like you.”

Despair clawed at my throat as the realisation hit me. This wasn’t just a threat. My father had sold me for his debt, and now they had come to collect it.

One of the thugs stepped forward and grabbed my arm, his grip iron and merciless. I twisted, trying to break free, but it was useless. His strength far outweighed mine.

“Let go!” I screamed, tears streaming down my face as I thrashed. The leader simply watched with a disinterested expression, as if he’d seen this play out a hundred times before.

“I'll pay you back! Whatever my husband owed, I'll pay you back. You can take everything in the house but please, return my daughter back to me. Please.”

The thug turned, glaring at my mother, “Do you know how much your husband owes us? If you don't know, let me tell you. He owes us one million, do you think you can pay us back? Even if we don't take your daughter and we give you more time to pay, the men who your husband had scammed out of their money would come here for you.” The leader spat, his eyes glinting with malice.

The number and his words hung in the air like a death sentence, suffocating the tiny room with its weight. My mother’s eyes widened, hope shattering in them like glass. That amount was impossible; it was more than she could ever earn in a lifetime.

The room fell silent except for my mother’s choked sobs. I felt like I was drowning, suffocating on the truth of our fate. A million dollars. The realisation that there was no way out sank into my bones like ice.

The thug holding me yanked my arm harder, pulling me toward the door. Panic surged through me, hot and desperate.

“No!” I screamed, fighting with everything I had. The leader’s grin only widened as I thrashed, a cruel pleasure in my defiance. I bit down on the arm of the man restraining me, tasting blood as my teeth sank into his flesh. He roared in pain, stumbling back and releasing me.

“Little witch!” He shouted, cradling his bleeding arm, where a chunk of flesh was torn away. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth, and I spat it out, gasping.

But my victory was short-lived. A heavy blow struck the side of my head, and pain seared through my skull. The room spun wildly, and darkness closed in around the edges of my vision. I felt myself falling, and then there was nothing.

When I finally came to, my ears were ringing. I struggled to open my eyes, my head throbbing in time with my racing heart. The noise around me surged, a myriad of voices, laughter, and shouts. Blinking rapidly, I forced myself to focus. Bright lights glared down at me, and I squinted, taking in my surroundings.

I was standing in the middle of a large stage, bound at the wrists and ankles. The room beyond was grand and opulent, a stark contrast to the crumbling house I had been taken from. Rows of finely dressed men and women sat in plush chairs, their faces hidden behind decorative masks. They watched me with expressions of eager anticipation, some smirking, others cold and detached.

Where was I? What was this place? I looked around, my eyes darting everywhere to figure out where I was. I was like a wild bird in a cage.

“Our product is finally awake! And as you can see, this is a unique product, her eyes are very special!” I was suddenly held by the chin and forced to face the crowd.

“You will never see eyes such as this anywhere around! Her starting bid is from Six Hundred Thousand Dollars!”

At first, I was confused. Confused on what they were putting a price on but then, realisation dawned on me. I was in an auction house. And I was the item that was being sold.