Egor opened his eyes—
and immediately flinched.
Too bright.
Light stabbed into them.
Tears gathered before he could stop them.
He raised a hand, wiping them away.
The world came back slowly.
Blurry at first—
then sharper.
Light.
Strange spheres of fire drifting beneath the ceiling.
Not candles.
Not torches.
Something else entirely.
He turned his head.
Stone wall.
Cold.
Rough.
The other way—
Rows of beds.
Empty.
Too empty.
A ward.
He looked down.
A blanket.
Thick.
Heavy.
Warm.
And beside his hand—
dark hair.
Klaus.
Asleep.
Egor barely twitched his fingers—
Klaus's eyes snapped open instantly.
He straightened in one motion.
They stared at each other.
Silent.
Then—
both smiled.
"You slept too long," Klaus said, voice rough.
His eyes moved over Egor's face—
slow.
Careful.
Too careful.
Still pale.
But alive.
"I thought I might not wake up," Egor said quietly.
For a fraction of a second—
Klaus's jaw tightened.
Gone just as fast.
"How do you feel?"
"Sore."
A pause.
"Like I slept twisted for hours."
Another.
"But… I'm fine."
He pushed himself up.
Klaus was already there—
adjusting the pillow behind him.
Closer than needed.
The blanket shifted.
Something else moved with it.
Weight.
Egor looked down.
A girl.
Curled at his feet.
Head resting on folded arms.
Asleep.
He looked back at Klaus.
"She hasn't left your side since we dragged her out," Klaus said, dismissive.
A beat.
"And she's the reason you're alive."
Egor blinked.
"She is?"
"The knife meant for me was poisoned."
A pause.
"The antidote required blood with the same magical nature."
Egor went still.
Then slowly—
it clicked.
"She's…?"
"An antimage," Klaus said flatly.
"If you hadn't insisted on saving her—"
A pause.
"You'd be dead."
Silence.
"…Guess you're lucky," Klaus added.
Egor let out a quiet breath.
"…Yeah."
But his gaze drifted.
To her.
To the girl.
And something tightened in his chest.
Uncomfortable.
Sharp.
He wasn't the only one anymore.
—
Brod stepped out from behind a curtain.
"You're awake," he said, already reaching for Egor's wrist.
"Any pain?"
"I'm fine," Egor said.
Though his eyes flicked to Klaus.
"I'll explain later," Klaus said.
"Let him work."
He stood.
Lilith woke instantly.
Like she had been waiting for it.
And followed.
Klaus didn't stop her.
Just sighed.
Egor watched them go.
Then looked down.
A needle.
Fresh puncture.
His blood—
darker than it should be.
"We'll repeat the treatment," Brod said. "A few times."
A pause.
"You should recover."
"I think."
"You're not sure?" Egor asked.
"I've never treated a living antimage."
Egor let out a weak breath.
"I don't feel special."
Brod's eyes lit up.
"Your blood is extraordinary."
A step closer.
"No one has ever properly studied it."
Egor shrugged.
"If you need it—take it."
Brod almost smiled.
Two antimages.
Alive.
Unheard of.
—
Klaus walked ahead.
Lilith followed.
Close.
Too close.
"You don't need to follow me everywhere," he said without turning.
"I'm sorry, my lord," she whispered.
"I just… feel safer."
He stopped.
Turned.
"You can't come with us."
Her face fell instantly.
"Why?"
"I'm leaving soon."
A pause.
"You're not coming."
"I won't be a burden," she said quickly.
"I can cook—I can clean—I can—anything—"
"You saw what happened at the estate."
She nodded.
"Then you understand."
A beat.
"Staying near me is dangerous."
Silence.
"I don't have a family," she said.
Klaus hesitated.
"…Then a village."
"I've been a slave since childhood."
That stopped him.
"I don't know where I'm from."
Her voice stayed quiet.
Flat.
"They sold me at seventeen."
A pause.
"To a pleasure house."
Klaus's expression darkened.
"We were attacked on the way."
"That's how I ended up there."
"…How old are you?"
"Almost nineteen."
A pause.
"Why the cage?"
She swallowed.
"My power."
Silence.
"A mage attacked us once."
A breath.
"The spell disappeared when it touched me."
Klaus went still.
"Someone noticed."
Her hands trembled.
"They took me."
A pause.
"For experiments."
Klaus's jaw tightened.
"She came once a month."
Her voice thinned—
barely holding.
"I don't know what she did."
A breath.
"But it hurt."
Silence.
"I couldn't move for days after."
Another.
"Then it started again."
Klaus looked away.
"…I'm sorry."
A pause.
"But that doesn't change anything."
She dropped to her knees.
"Please."
Forehead to stone.
"I'm not afraid."
A whisper.
"Not when I'm with you."
Klaus closed his eyes briefly.
Too familiar.
Too dangerous.
Another person clinging to him.
Another person who wouldn't survive it.
"…We'll talk later."
—
When they returned—
Egor was sitting up.
Alive.
"I thought you abandoned me," he said.
"I went to get food."
Lilith stepped forward.
Tray in her hands.
"What is that?" Egor asked, eyeing the drink.
"It smells worse than it tastes."
"And it works."
Brod smiled faintly.
Egor ate.
Everything.
"Where's your captain?" Klaus asked.
"Gone. Back soon."
"Rooms are ready."
"One room," Klaus said.
Egor lowered his gaze.
Heat creeping up his neck.
"She gets the next one."
"No—" Lilith started.
"You'll stay next door."
She fell silent.
—
The bath was massive.
Steam filled the air.
Water shimmered.
Men inside.
Talking.
Laughing—
Then silence.
Klaus ignored them.
Stepped in.
Egor followed.
The water hit—
warm.
Too good.
Klaus leaned back.
Relaxing.
"Strange place for a bath."
"It's artificial," one of the men said.
"Artifacts."
"Fire. Water. Air."
"A shame it's illegal," another muttered—
then froze.
Silence.
Klaus didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
"It is."
A pause.
"A shame inventors are executed out of fear."
No one spoke.
"Enjoying the bath?" came a voice behind them.
The captain.
"If you're done—we should talk."
"I've been waiting," Klaus said.
He stepped out.
Water running down his body.
Egor looked—
and realized too late.
Heat rushed to his face.
He turned sharply away.
"You've grown," the captain said dryly.
Egor choked.
Klaus smirked.
—
Dressed in black—
simple.
Practical.
They followed him.
Lilith waited outside.
"My lord—"
Klaus's gaze dropped.
The mark.
Burned into her skin.
Royal.
A reminder.
"Wait here," the captain said.
"Egor comes with me."
A pause.
"And her."
Klaus nodded once.
And stepped inside.