Eclipsion's Claim

She stole a relic. He stole her freedom. In the kingdom of Valtheris, power is everything and King Kael Draxen holds it all. Ruthless, untouchable, and dangerously obsessed, he has never desired anything he couldn’t possess. Until her. Annabelle Vale is a thief with nothing to lose until she becomes bound to the most powerful man in the realm through a marriage she never chose. But beneath the luxury lies a deadly truth. Their souls are linked. Their fates intertwined. And his love? It might be the one thing that destroys them both. Because in a world ruled by power… Obsession is the most dangerous magic of all. They say power changes people. That once you taste it, you become something else, something colder, something dangerous. I think that’s a lie. Power doesn’t change you. It reveals who you are. And tonight… I’m about to find out exactly what kind of person I am. Annabelle thought to herself and knows tonight is going to be promising. A smirk tugging at her lips. The palace of Valtheris glittered like a jewel carved straight from the heavens. Golden chandeliers spilled light across polished marble floors. Nobles draped in silk and arrogance drifted through the grand hall, their laughter light, careless—untouched by the hunger that lived beyond the palace walls. Annabelle Vale walked among them. Unnoticed, Unwanted and without invitation. Just the way she liked it, Her gown shimmered in deep midnight blue, slit high enough for movement, soft enough to pass for nobility. A delicate mask of silver lace hid half her face, but her emerald eyes remained sharp alert, calculating, alive. Every step she took was measure.Every breath controlled. Because tonight wasn’t just another theft. Tonight… she was stealing from a king. Her fingers brushed lightly against the inside of her wrist, where a thin blade rested hidden beneath silk as if to assure herself she didn't leave it behind. She always feels insurance and survival whenever she feels her blade it's just perfect. “Careful, darling. You’re staring.” Annabelle didn’t flinch. Instead, she lifted a glass of wine from a passing tray, her lips curving into a lazy smile as she turned toward the voice. A noble young arrogant man and already too drunk grinned at her. “First time at court?” he asked. Annabelle tilted her head, studying him like a puzzle she had no interest in solving. “Does it show?” “Only a little,” he said, leaning closer. “You’re looking at everything like you plan to steal it.” Her smile sharpened. and thought to herself If only you knew. “I have expensive taste,” she replied smoothly. He laughed, clearly pleased with himself. “Then you’re in the right place.” No. He had no idea. Because Annabelle wasn’t here for Pearls Or gold. Or anything that could be bought. Her gaze drifted subtle, precise toward the far end of the hall. Toward the throne. And the man sitting on it. King Kael Draxen. Even from a distance, he was impossible to ignore. He didn’t glitter like the others. Didn’t laugh. Didn’t move. He sat still, draped in black and silver, one arm resting lazily against the throne, his presence commanding without effort. Watching. Even his gaze is so cold that she swore it made her have goose bumps Annabelle looked away from him before he caught her gaze. She looked away not out of fear but out of instinct. Men like that didn’t just see you. They understood you. And that was far more dangerous. “Dance with me.” The nobleman reached for her hand. Annabelle slipped away before he could touch her. “Another time.” There wouldn’t be one. she thought She moved through the crowd with effortless grace, her body blending into the rhythm of the music as she made her way toward the restricted wing of the palace. Step by step. Breath by breath with excitement flowing through her. As she moved closer, the guards were exactly where she expected them to be. Just as she thought Two at the archway, always alert and of course Predictable. Annabelle didn’t slow. Didn’t hesitate. She tripped just slightly and deliberately Just enough. Her glass slipped from her fingers, shattering against the marble floor with a sharp crack. Wine spilled like blood. The guards turned instantly. “What” Annabelle stumbled forward, catching herself against one of them, her fingers brushing his wrist. A whisper of pressure. A precise movement. The man stiffened then slumped. The second guard barely had time to react before Annabelle blade pressed lightly against his throat. “Sleep,” she murmured. A flick. A nerve struck. He collapsed silently beside his companion. Annabelle exhaled slowly, steadying her pulse. “Too easy.” whispering to herself She stepped over them without another glance. The corridor beyond was dark and quiet.Too quiet like it has been forgotten over the ages. It must be a forbidden area. Her heart beating rapidly in her chest not out of fear but out of excitement. Exactly where she belonged. The deeper she went, the colder it became. The air shifted—thick, heavy, charged with something she couldn’t quite name.Even she felt her skin crawl. Then she knew it's going to be different from her past thefts. She felt magic, Old, powerful and alive. Annabelle's heartbeat quickened. Not with fear. With anticipation. At the end of the corridor stood a single door. Black. Unmarked. Waiting. She approached carefully, her senses sharp, every instinct screaming that this was no ordinary vault. Then she knew her instincts lead her to the right path “Of course it isn’t,” she muttered under her breath. “You didn’t come for ordinary.” Her fingers hovered over the handle. For a moment—just a moment—she hesitated. Something felt… wrong. Not dangerous.But like it has been expecting her. As if whatever lay beyond that door already knew she was here. Annabelle’s jaw tightened. “Too late to turn back now.” She pushed the door open. The room beyond was vast. Empty. Except for one thing. At the center, suspended in a web of silver light, was a stone. Dark. Perfect. Eclipsion heart Annabelle stepped forward slowly, her breath catching despite herself. It was… beautiful way more than she could ever have imagined. Not in the way gold or diamonds were beautiful. This was different. Something deeper. Something that pulled at her from the inside. “Finally,” she whispered. The closer she got, the louder it became. A pulse. A rhythm. Not just magic. Something more. Something… familiar. Her hand lifted before she could stop it. “Don’t,” she murmured to herself. But her body didn’t listen. Her fingers brushed the surface of the stone And the world shattered. A surge of power exploded through her, sharp and overwhelming, stealing the air from her lungs. Images flashed behind her eyes A man. A crown. A battlefield soaked in fire. And those same eyes Dark. Endless. Watching her. Waiting. “Annabelle.” Her name echoed through her mind like a memory she didn’t remember having. She gasped, stumbling back but her hand didn’t leave the stone. It wouldn’t. The Heart pulsed brighter. Faster. Hungry. “What… are you?” she whispered. The answer came in silence. But she felt it. Deep in her bones. Annabelle yanked her hand back with a sharp breath, the connection snapping violently. The room fell still again. Quiet. But not the same. Never the same. She stared at the Heart, her pulse racing now for a different reason. “This isn’t just a relic.” It was something far worse. Something dangerous. Something she absolutely should not take. She reached for it anyway. She didn't come this far to leave empty handed. The moment her fingers closed around the Eclipsion Heart, the magic binding it shattered like glass. The entire palace seemed to breathe. Then Alarms. Not bells. Not horns. Something deeper. A low, resonant hum that vibrated through the walls themselves. Annabelle froze. “Right,” she muttered. “That was expected.” She turned to leave And stopped. Because the doorway was no longer empty. Someone stood there. Watching her. King Kael Draxen. For a moment, neither of them moved. Neither spoke. The world seemed to narrow until it was just the two of them… and the dark, pulsing stone between them. Annabelle’s grip tightened instinctively. Kael’s gaze dropped to her hand. To the Heart. Then slowly, very slowly he looked back up at her face. There was no anger there. No surprise. Only something far more unsettling. Recognition. “Well,” he said quietly, his voice smooth as shadow. “There you are.” Annabelle’s breath caught. Something about the way he said it Not who are you. Not what have you done. But there you are. As if As if he had been waiting for her. “No,” she said under her breath, taking a step back. “That’s not possible.” Kael took one step forward. Just one. And the air shifted. “You took something that belongs to me,” he said. Annabelle forced a smile, though her pulse thundered in her ears. “Then you should have guarded it better.” For a second just a second it looked like he might smile. Instead, he said: “I did.” Silence fell. Heavy. Charged. Dangerous. Annabelle’s instincts screamed at her to run. So she did. She moved fast. faster than thought, faster than fear darting past him, the Heart clutched tightly in her hand. She expected resistance. Guards. Magic. Something. But nothing came. No one stopped her. No one followed. The palace doors opened as if inviting her out. And suddenly, She was free. Annabelle didn’t stop running until the palace was far behind her, its golden towers fading into the night. She slowed only when she reached the edge of the lower districts, her breath coming fast, her heart still racing. Then she laughed. Soft at first. Then louder. Almost disbelieving. “I did it.” She held up the Eclipsion Heart, its dark glow reflecting in her eyes. “I actually did it.” No guards. No chase. No consequences. Too easy. Way too easy. Her laughter faded. Slowly. Because something felt… wrong. The night was too quiet. The air too still. And the Heart The Heart was still pulsing. Not wildly. Not violently. But steadily. Calmly. Like a heartbeat. Not hers. Someone else’s. A shadow shifted behind her. Annabelle turned sharply Too late. Steel flashed. Hands grabbed her. Dozens of them. Silent. Efficient. Unavoidable. She fought of course she did but it was useless. They weren’t guards. They were something else. Something trained. Something lethal. A voice cut through the darkness. Cold. Familiar. Unmistakable. “Careful,” Kael said, stepping into the dim light. “She’s more valuable than she looks.” Annabelle stilled. Her breath caught as her eyes locked onto his. “You” “You really thought I would let you go?” he asked softly. There was no anger in his voice. No fury. Only certainty. As if this had always been how it would end. Annabelle’s grip tightened around the Heart. “You didn’t stop me.” “No,” he agreed, stepping closer. Close enough now that she could see every detail of his face. If it had not been her current situation she could have given him a compliment about how cold his face is but all the same looks so ordinarily handsome. “I wanted to see if it would choose you.” Her pulse skipped. “And?” she asked, her voice quieter now. Forcing herself back to her current predicament. His gaze dropped briefly to the Heart in her hand. Then pinned back his gaze at her it was dark, intense and unyielding. “It did.” he said