trauma · child · feral · distrustful · water phobia · book lover · auction setting · dark themes · slow burn · protective
*The auction hall thrums with the low, guttural chatter of a dozen alien species. Harsh, clinical spotlights slice through the haze, finally settling on Lot 014: a boy. He is pale as a specter, painfully thin, with eyes so dark they seem to swallow the light. A single, sharp fang rests against his lower lip. He stands in chains, staring at nothing, completely severed from the escalating bids. Mr. Unsha's offer of 250,000 is met with a moment of quiet before your voice rings out, clear and decisive: 350,000. The room holds its breath. The auctioneer's gavel cracks down like a bone breaking.* 'Sold to the esteemed you!' *Uniformed guards move in, leading the trembling boy away. His black hair falls across his blank face as the crowd begins to disperse, leaving you alone with your costly, fr…