"10,001 essence," a smaller figure said from the dark side of the hall.
Damion and Kaios both turned sharply, ready to pounce on the newcomer's bid.
Kaios opened her mouth to speak first, but Damion beat her to it.
"You, newcomer—how dare you taunt me with a mere one essence over my bid?" he growled. "Do you not know who I am? Are you new to this realm? Is this your first auction?"
He turned to Tian, who looked ready to speak, but froze as the figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light.
Kaios immediately dropped to one knee, her expression solemn.
Damion, noticing the change in her demeanor, turned back around, confused. What is going on? he thought. Then he saw him… and his breath caught.
His face went pale. He staggered back, coughing.
The Destroyer…
"Demon God Jakinn. True Demon Lord. Destroyer of Worlds," Damion stammered, his voice cracking. "I… I… I made a mistake," he choked out, falling to his knees and lowering his face to the floor.
Jakinn walked forward with a slow, deliberate pace, a smirk on his face. His deep chuckle echoed through the chamber.
"Oh, don't worry, Damion. I know the rules—and I follow them. Because without rules, there is no order. And without order… there is anarchy. And anarchy tends to break the balance. I hate it when that happens." He stopped just a few feet away. "That's why I placed my bid—10,001."
He turned to Kaios and Damion. "Now, why are you two kneeling? This is an auction, not a throne room."
They both rose slowly.
Jakinn stepped closer to Damion, his face now inches from the trembling demon lord. His voice dropped to a whisper laced with amusement and warning. "I do hope no one would dare to outbid me, though."
Damion gulped, sweat beading on his forehead. "Don't worry, Lord Jakinn… I'm… I'm all out of essence."
"Oh good," Jakinn said with a sly grin.
He turned next to Kaios—not as close as with Damion, but enough to be heard clearly.
"Long time no see, Kaiari," he said with a knowing smirk. "Oh, my bad—I mean Kaios. Let me answer your questions. Yes, she is of your kin—a Moon Elf. No, she's not directly from your bloodline. Yes, she has a family that loves her. And yes… she realmwalked by mistake, without knowing it. I've been watching her for a while now. I sensed her power."
Kaios lowered her head slightly. "Lord Jakinn… what will you do with her?"
"Oh, that?" He waved a hand lazily. "Don't worry. I was in the market for a maid. My castle needs cleaning and… well, other things," he added with a crooked smile.
"Thank you, Lord Jakinn," Kaios said softly, a smile touching her lips as she bowed and returned to her seat.
Then Jakinn turned toward Tian and raised his voice just enough for the room to hear.
"Yo, Tian. I don't think anyone's going to top my bid now. Hand her over, will you?"
------
What… is this?
Kaizell sat still, her small fingers gripping the cold bars of the cage, her wide eyes darting across the vast, shining hall.
A bidding war… for me?
She could barely comprehend what was happening. Voices echoed like thunder, divine and cold, tossing around numbers—essence, they called it. She didn't even know what that meant.
And yet, her name had not been spoken once. Just "the girl." A thing to be sold.
Essence... is that what they trade with up here?
Her thoughts were spinning, her heart pounding. Now that she was in the center of the auction floor, she could see everything. The room was split—light on one side, shadows on the other. Grand, terrifying, beautiful.
And then she saw them.
Two people are fighting over me…
One was a tall hooded figure, dark and powerful, his voice soaked in arrogance. The other—
Kaizell's breath caught.
A… an elf?
Her heart skipped as recognition bloomed in her chest like fire. Wait… is that—?
Her thoughts rushed ahead of her voice.
The Moon Goddess. Kaios.
She blinked, stunned. No… Not a dream. It really is her. The silver hair. The glowing presence. The graceful fury in her voice as she argued with the other man.
That's the one Mama and Papa told me about in stories… in songs.
Kaizell's mind raced back to nights by the hearth, her mother's voice soft with awe.
"The one who once broke her vow of non-violence to protect her people."
"The priestess who stood alone when the beasts came, who raised the great moonlight barrier and destroyed the swarm."
"The one who was blessed by the god of our world after her impossible feat… and vanished into legend."
Kaios hadn't been seen since. Until now.
And she's here… for me.
Kaizell pressed her hands to her chest, trying to calm her breathing. Her magic felt weak, scattered—like it was being held underwater. But her emotions surged anyway.
Why would the Moon Goddess want me?
She looked down. Her fingers trembled.
My clan is scattered now. My people are barely surviving, hidden or gone. I only had Mama and Papa.
A wave of longing hit her.
Are they okay? Do they know I'm gone? Did I… realmwalk by mistake?
She remembered the strange pull, the moment she slipped through… space? Light? Shadow? It had happened so fast.
We elves live long lives… and children are so rare. I… I hope they're looking for me.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back.
I can't cry here. Not in front of them. Not in front of her.
Even in a cage, Kaizell sat up a little straighter.
She's watching me. The Moon Goddess. My ancestor. My legend.
And somehow… that gave her strength.
-
Wait… no. Why? Why did she stop bidding?
Kaizell's heart sank. Her small hands gripped the bars tighter as she stared out at the figures before her.
Was 10,000 essence that much? Was that the limit?
She barely understood what "essence" even meant, but it clearly held value—so much that the room had gone tense, still. Just as despair started creeping in—
"10,000 and 1."
A new voice. Calm. Unbothered. It cut through the silence like a blade.
Kaizell's eyes narrowed, searching the shadows.
The two bidders—Kaios and the hooded man—both whipped around in disbelief and anger, their divine presence flaring. But just as it seemed the room might erupt—
Kaios… why are you kneeling?
Kaizell's breath caught.
My Moon Goddess… the one from the legends…
She felt her heart twist.
No… no, this doesn't make sense.
Why are you kneeling to him?
The hooded man—Damion—was now bowing even lower, face to the floor.
Who… is this new one?
He'd come from the darker side of the room—Kaizell hadn't noticed him before. His aura was different. Heavy, terrifying, but... not cruel. Not yet. Still, the pressure of his power settled over her like a weight.
Is he… an evil god too?
Her breath quickened.
But then why would Kaios kneel? Why is she… thanking him?
She wanted to cry out, to ask what was happening. But her voice caught in her throat.
He bought me… so I guess… I belong to him now.
Her hands trembled.
All alone… what will he do to me?
Why is everyone bowing to him? Who is he really?
Her mind raced, but there were no answers.
Suddenly—
CLANG!
A sharp smack against the bars yanked her from her thoughts. She jumped, heart pounding.
"Get out, girl! This is your new owner—Demon God Jakinn!" Tian snapped. "Now move!"
She froze.
Jakinn.
That name… it echoed inside her like thunder.
Before she could move, Jakinn raised a hand lazily.
"Tian, don't be so hard on her," he said with a slight chuckle. "She's still a child."
He reached into his cloak and produced a pouch, dropping it in Tian's open palm.
"And here's your 10,001 essence coins."
The weight of it landed with a dull thud.
Kaizell stared at him, eyes wide, chest rising and falling fast.
So this… is Jakinn.
The one who just bought me. The one who made gods kneel…
But why did it feel like the story wasn't over yet?
---
"Girl, come over here," Jakinn said, flicking his wrist lazily, as if calling a pet.
Kaizel's legs moved before her mind caught up. Her heart thundered in her chest as she stepped out of the cage, past Tian, who gave her a look that was somewhere between pity and fear. The guards parted without a word. They weren't just letting her go—they were afraid.
She reached Jakinn, and without a warning, he placed an arm around her shoulders.
Poof.
A blink. A heartbeat.
Silence.
No more murmuring gods. No bright lights. No caged stares. Just... nothing.
Kaizel flinched, her eyes squeezed shut. The quiet roared in her ears, pressing down on her like a heavy blanket.
When she opened her eyes again, her breath caught.
They were in a throne room—but not like the golden halls she'd seen in her childhood storybooks. This place was old, forgotten. Stone walls cracked with age. Torn tapestries fluttered in the breeze coming from shattered windows. Dust blanketed every surface. Spiderwebs clung to archways like lace. A throne—twisted and carved of obsidian—sat at the top of a short dais, crooked, like the weight of the world had warped it.
She coughed hard, the dust tickling her throat. Then again. Her small frame shook with each breath.
"Easy now, girl," Jakinn said, brushing a chair with a flick of his hand—dust exploded off it in a cloud. "Let's start with introductions."
He wasn't even looking at her at first. He strolled toward the throne as if giving a tour of a house he hadn't visited in decades.
"I'm Jakinn. A demon lord. A god. And... other things."
Other things?
Kaizel stared at him. She didn't feel afraid in the usual way. Not like when the giant men towered over her. No, this was something else. Like watching a storm on the horizon and realizing it was walking toward you on two legs.
"I already know your name—Kaizel," he continued casually, stretching his arms above his head before sinking into the dusty throne. It creaked under his weight. "And to earn your trust, I'll tell you a secret."
He glanced at her, sharp eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
"I don't own you."
She blinked. What?
"Your parents do."
She just stood there, stunned. Then, her lips trembled.
"M-my... mama and papa?"
Jakinn tilted his head, a playful grin on his lips. "Yep. They're here."
Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the ground with a soft thump. Emotions crashed over her like waves—relief, disbelief, confusion.
"Cleaning my castle," he added as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "They've been doing a good job, all things considered. I may have told them you'd be coming."
Kaizel clutched the jewelry around her neck—still glowing faintly. "So this... this wasn't real? The auction?"
"Oh, it was very real," he chuckled. "The fear, the cage, the bidding war. All of it."
Her eyes widened. "Then why?"
"Because sometimes," Jakinn said, waving a hand, "people need to see how the world really works. And sometimes... I like to mess with people."
He stood again, this time walking toward her slowly.
"You? You're special, Kai. Yeah, I'm calling you that now. 'Kaizel' is too long. Cute, but long."
"Special how?" she asked, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
Jakinn knelt beside her. "You realmwalked. Without meaning to. Without training. That shouldn't be possible—not for someone so young. Not for someone without divine blood."
She felt a chill up her spine.
"You're more than you know. And trust me, we'll figure it out—together."
He reached out and dusted her cheek with a thumb, brushing away a tear she didn't realize had fallen.
"But for now," he stood again and stretched, "let's keep things simple. You're my maid. My main maid."
Her brows furrowed. "But why me?"
Jakinn gave a wicked grin. "Because I like underdogs. And you? You're going to surprise a lot of people."
Kaizel—Kai—looked around the throne room again. Her thoughts swirled like a storm.
Her parents were here. She wasn't a slave. She was... something else.
Something important.
"Okay," she whispered.
"Good," Jakinn said, striding past her. "Now let's find your parents and get this place cleaned up. This throne room smells like moldy regret."