Chapter 4: The Unbound Shackles

The chamber was silent.

The woman stood motionless, her fingers twitching as if grasping at something unseen. Her breathing was shallow, uneven.

Lucian observed her with amusement.

The realization was sinking in. The weight of the wish.

She was trapped.

"Do you understand now?" Lucian's voice was smooth, almost mocking.

She swallowed hard. "No... This isn't right."

Lucian chuckled, stepping forward. His shadow stretched unnaturally in the dim glow of the chamber. "Oh, but it is."

Her hands curled into fists. "I wished for the shackled to be freed, not this!"

Lucian's gaze darkened. "And they were."

The bottle trembled.

A whisper echoed through the chamber, like distant voices carried by a phantom wind.

Lucian's grin widened. "You didn't specify what kind of shackles, did you?"

The woman's breath hitched.

Shackles.

She had thought of prisoners, slaves, those bound by chains of oppression.

But the artifact had interpreted it differently.

The wish had torn apart all bindings.

---

The Price of the Wish

Beyond the chamber, across the world, chaos erupted.

The chains of slaves and prisoners crumbled to dust.

Blood-bound contracts dissolved, releasing those sworn by ancient oaths.

Cursed beings, once imprisoned in relics, broke free.

Souls trapped in eternal torment escaped their fates.

Sealed gods and demons, banished for eternity, awoke once more.

Wars were already beginning. Kings had lost their sworn knights. Lords had lost their enslaved armies. Priests watched in horror as their sealed deities—some divine, some monstrous—returned.

All because of one wish.

And now, the balance had to be restored.

Someone had to take their place.

---

Lucian's smirk deepened as the woman paled. "You freed them all."

She exhaled sharply, gripping her arms. "Then why… why am I here?"

Lucian's eyes gleamed. "Because you are the price."

Her body froze.

Lucian continued, voice rich with amusement. "The world cannot simply unbind without consequence. If countless were freed, then someone had to bear the burden."

He gestured toward her.

"And that someone is you."

A chilling silence followed.

She slowly shook her head. "No… No, I won't accept this."

Lucian chuckled. "You don't have a choice."

She was the new shackle.

The chains she had broken? She had inherited them all.

---

Eternity in the Bottle

Lucian stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "This place was once my prison alone."

He tilted his head, studying her expression.

"But now, it's yours too."

She should have panicked. She should have broken down.

Instead, she inhaled deeply and smiled.

Lucian's amusement faltered for the briefest moment.

"Oh? That's not the reaction I expected."

The woman lifted her gaze, her voice steady. "Because I already knew this would happen."

Lucian's eyes narrowed.

For the first time, he was caught off guard.

She knew?

Impossible.

Unless…

His amusement was replaced by intrigue. "Explain."

She smirked. "I knew the wish would demand a price. I just didn't expect to be sent here."

Her confidence unsettled Lucian slightly. Was she bluffing? No—her heartbeat was steady, her expression unreadable.

Lucian let out a soft chuckle. "You're interesting."

She met his gaze, unwavering. "And you're predictable."

Lucian's grin widened. "We'll see about that."

Because now, for the first time in a long time, Lucian was not alone.

And that made him curious.