Bound in Black Magic
Life at the castle wasn't too bad, all things considered. Once you stripped away the paralyzing fear of the unknown and the constant, dull ache in my infected shoulder, a strange kind of routine began to take shape. I quickly learned that survival here meant keeping your head down, moving fast, and never, ever drawing attention to yourself—a rule I tried desperately to follow, even if my mismatched eyes and the cruel hand of fate seemed determined to make me a target.