▬▬▬▬  THE DAYS IN THE the palace had begun to blur together, each one as intoxicating and suffocating as the last. Sukuna's presence loomed over every corner of your world, a constant reminder of the position you now found yourself in. Yet, despite the gilded cage, you felt something stir deep inside you—a familiar sensation, one that clung to your every breath. The past.

It was always there, whispering in the corners of your mind, the shadows of memories too painful to recall but too ingrained to escape. Your life as the concubine of the dead warlord had been one of silence, suffocation, and survival, but now—now you found yourself in a different cage, under the watchful eye of someone far more dangerous. And yet, there were things you had never revealed to him, to anyone.

Your past. The man you had once belonged to. The warlord whose name still haunted your nights. He had been a tyrant—one who ruled through fear, but you had never loved him. To you, he had been nothing more than another power-hungry man seeking to own your body, your soul. He had been everything the world feared, but in your eyes, he had been weak. Foolish.

But now, in the palace of the King of Curses, the warlord's shadow cast its long fingers once again. Sukuna was far more dangerous, far more intelligent, and he knew how to break people—whether by their body or their mind.

And yet, you felt a strange sort of comfort in your memories of the warlord. Not because you had loved him, but because those memories were a reminder of how far you had come.

But Sukuna—Sukuna was different. He would never be someone you could forget.

⸻

The garden was quiet that evening, the calm of the night only broken by the distant chirping of crickets. You were there alone, sitting on a low stone bench, gazing at the delicate flowers that bloomed beneath the light of the full moon. The air was heavy with the scent of jasmine and plum, and for a moment, it almost felt like you were back in the simplicity of the days before you had entered this palace of curses.

The silence was almost peaceful—until the familiar, dangerous presence of Sukuna made itself known. You didn't turn to look at him as he approached. His footsteps were heavy, purposeful. You could hear the rustling of his robe before he came to a halt beside you, standing tall and imposing, his eyes locked on you.

"You know," he began, his voice low and smooth, "you've been distant. Silent, even."

You could feel the weight of his gaze on you. It was the same feeling as when he first took you as his concubine—a feeling of being studied, like an interesting specimen. You didn't reply immediately, letting the silence stretch.

It was only when he took a step closer, his shadow falling over you, that you finally met his eyes. His four eyes studied you with an intensity that bordered on possessiveness.

"You've been thinking of him, haven't you?" Sukuna's voice was quiet but laced with something that made you stiffen—a dangerous edge, a challenge in his tone.

Your heart gave an unexpected jolt, and you knew he was referring to the warlord. The very name still haunted you, even though he had long since passed. You swallowed, trying to keep your composure, to keep the memories locked away where they belonged. But Sukuna—he had a way of making the deepest parts of you come to the surface.

"I don't know what you're talking about," you said, keeping your voice as even as possible.

But Sukuna didn't buy it. Of course, he didn't. He knew too well that everyone had their secrets—especially those who lived in the palace. He took a step forward, his presence overwhelming you. He leaned down, his breath warm against your ear, his lips grazing your skin as he spoke.

"Don't lie to me," he murmured, his voice sending a shiver down your spine. "I can see it in your eyes. I can see the ghost of him still lingering within you."

You didn't flinch. You couldn't afford to. You had lived a life of deception for so long that it was second nature to hide the truth. But Sukuna was no fool. He could read you as if you were an open book.

"I don't remember him fondly," you said after a long pause, meeting his gaze defiantly.

Sukuna raised an eyebrow, his smile widening ever so slightly. "Hmm. You don't love him, then?"

You shook your head. "No. I never did. He was nothing but a man who sought to control me."

Sukuna chuckled softly, the sound dark and rich. "And yet, you still think of him."

He reached out then, his hand brushing against your cheek with the gentleness of a lover, but there was something colder in his touch—something that made your skin prickle. Sukuna's fingers lingered for a moment, his thumb tracing the curve of your jaw.

"I can smell your memories, woman. But don't think for a second that your past will change how I see you." He paused, letting his words sink in, before adding, "If anything, it makes me more intrigued."

You couldn't help but feel a flicker of unease in your chest. Sukuna was a man who thrived on control, but you could sense there was more to him than that. He had a curiosity about you, something darker, more dangerous, that only deepened as you tried to pull away from the past.

The warlord had been a man of tremendous power. A ruler who cared for nothing but his own desires, and you had been his prize, his possession. You had worn your smile like a mask, concealing the hollow emptiness that came with being a concubine. Every night, you had been forced to lie beside him, knowing he only wanted your body and not your heart. He had ruled his kingdom with an iron fist, and he had expected you to do the same. But you refused to bend to his will.

You had been clever, subtle, and patient. But when he died—violently, at the hands of an enemy who had more ambition than common sense—you were left in the wreckage of a kingdom that no longer had a place for you. The warlord's death had marked the end of your time as his concubine, but it didn't end the way you felt about that life. Survival had always been your first instinct. And you had survived.

You had long left that life behind you—until now.

Now, in Sukuna's palace, his words pulled at that carefully buried past. Sukuna was not the type of man to simply allow his concubines to exist in peace. No, he sought power through manipulation and games. And that, you realized, was exactly what he was doing.

"You don't care for me," you said quietly, finally breaking the silence that had stretched between you and Sukuna. "You never did."

The words were out before you could stop them. You hadn't meant to say them, but there they were, raw and untamed. The sting of truth was undeniable. Sukuna's face darkened for a moment, and you saw the flicker of something in his eyes—a fleeting emotion, hard to place.

"Is that what you think?" Sukuna asked, his voice softer now, the challenge replaced with something closer to curiosity.

"You are not a man who loves," you said, meeting his gaze unwaveringly. "You are a man who takes, who dominates. That is the world you live in, lord Sukuna."

He smiled then, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You think you know me, don't you? That's interesting." His gaze softened a fraction. "But I wonder, woman—what will you do when you see the real me?"

You didn't know how to answer that. The truth was, you weren't sure if you were ready to face the real Sukuna.

The next morning, you were summoned to the inner chambers of the palace for an audience with Sukuna. His presence was expected in the grand hall, but this time, you were to accompany him. The tension that had settled between you and Sukuna the night before had lingered, but there was something different in the air now.

When you entered the hall, the atmosphere was thick with power and expectation. The other concubines were in attendance, but their eyes were focused on you and Sukuna, watching the silent dance unfold. Sukuna stood before a large golden mirror, his gaze fixed on his own reflection. He turned to you as you approached, his four eyes narrowing slightly.

"You've been testing me," you said bluntly, keeping your voice steady. "But I've passed every one of your games, haven't I?"

Sukuna's smile was cold, sharp. "Yes. You've done better than I expected." His voice dropped to a low growl. "But I am not done testing you."

Your heart skipped a beat.

"There is more to you than meets the eye," he continued, his eyes glinting with something dangerous. "I will break you in time. But until then..." His voice trailed off as his eyes lingered on you.

"Until then, what?" you asked, meeting his gaze defiantly.

"Until then," he said with a slow, predatory grin, "we will continue this little game. But remember, woman—I own you now. And in the end, you will belong to me."

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

But you weren't afraid. You had lived through worse. You had survived him. Now you had to survive Sukuna.

And this time, you would do it on your own terms.

NEXT CHAPTER