Extraction of Desires

The Devils Threshold

The interior of the Maybach was silent, save for the low hum of the engine and the frantic thumping of my own heart. Outside the tinted windows, the neon lights of the city blurred into streaks of sickly blue and gold.

Beside me, Dante Moretti was a shadow given form. He hadn't said a word since he dragged me from the auction stage, but his presence was suffocating. Every time I shifted, the silk of my dress rustled—a sound that seemed deafening in the heavy quiet.

[Warning: Host’s heart rate is exceeding 120 BPM.] [Passive Extraction triggered: Stress hormones detected. Converting 'Anxiety' into 'System Mana'...] [Mana: 5/100... 12/100...]

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breath. Even my own terror was being harvested by this mechanical parasite in my brain.

"You're shaking, Elena," Dante’s voice sliced through the dark. It wasn't a question. It was an observation, cold and clinical.

"You bought me like a piece of meat," I whispered, finally finding my voice. "Did you expect me to be happy?"

Dante turned his head. In the fleeting light of a passing streetlamp, his eyes flashed—not with anger, but with something far more terrifying: hunger. He reached out, his gloved fingers tracing the line of my jaw. I flinched, but his grip was iron.

"I didn't buy you for your happiness," he said, his thumb pressing firmly against my chin, forcing me to look at him. "I bought you because you are a St. Claire. And because your father died owing me something far more valuable than money."

[Ding! Target: Dante Moretti.] [Emotion Scan: Dominance (Rank S), Cold Interest (Rank A).] [Would you like to extract?]

Yes, I screamed internally. Take it all. Make him feel nothing.

[Extraction Failed.] [Reason: Host Level too low. Target’s Mental Shield is 'Indomitable'.] [Advice: Increase 'Charisma' or 'Submissiveness' to bypass target's guard.]

Submissiveness? I wanted to spit in the system’s face. I was a daughter of the aristocracy, not a slave.

The car slowed as we approached a massive wrought-iron gate. Beyond it sat the Moretti Estate—a gothic fortress of stone and ivy that looked like it belonged in a nightmare. As the gates groaned open, I realized this wasn't just a house. It was a cage designed for a very specific type of bird.

Dante stepped out and didn't wait for a servant to open my door. He did it himself, looming over me like a dark god. "Welcome to your new reality, Elena. Don't bother looking for the exits. My guards have orders to shoot anything that moves without my permission."

He grabbed my wrist—not roughly, but with a possessiveness that made my skin crawl—and led me into the grand foyer. The marble floors were polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the massive crystal chandelier above.

"Maria!" Dante barked.

An older woman in a sharp black uniform appeared from the shadows, her face a mask of iron discipline.

"Take her to the North Suite," Dante commanded, releasing my wrist. "Strip her of that wretched dress. Give her something... appropriate. And Maria?"

"Yes, Signor?"

"Lock the doors from the outside."

As Maria led me up the winding staircase, the system pinged again, more insistently this time.

[Daily Quest Updated: The Devil’s First Supper.] [Objective: Obtain one 'Positive Emotion' from Dante Moretti during dinner.] [Reward: +20 Charisma, Skill - 'Lover's Whisper' (Rank E).] [Penalty for Failure: System Lock-down for 48 hours.]

I looked back down at Dante. He was standing in the center of the foyer, watching me ascend. He looked solitary, powerful, and utterly heartless.

Obtain a positive emotion from a man who had forgotten how to feel?

I gripped the banister, my mind racing. If I couldn't win with strength, I would have to use the only thing the system gave me. I would use the very obsession he had for me as a weapon.

"I'll see you at dinner, Dante," I called out, my voice trembling but clear.

He didn't move. But for a split second, the system flickered.

[Alert: Dante Moretti’s 'Obsession' has spiked by 2%.] [Mana gained: +5.]

A dark, desperate hope flickered in my chest. He might own my body, and he might own this house. But with every breath he took in my presence, I was going to strip him of his power, piece by piece.