Prologue
Rain pounded relentlessly against London’s cobblestone streets.
Thick gray clouds drifted across the city, while the lights of the bridges shimmered on the dark surface of the Thames. The streets were crowded with people pulling their coats tighter as they hurried through the evening, completely unaware that only a few meters beneath their feet, an entirely different world was thriving.
Deep inside a section of the Underground that had been sealed off for decades, a massive steel door slid open without a sound.
Men in black suits greeted the arrivals. They asked for no names. They checked no identification. Every guest wore the same plain black mask.
Beyond the entrance, the hall looked more like the grand ballroom of a luxury hotel than the meeting place of a criminal organization.
Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead. The marble floor gleamed as though it had been polished only moments before. Waiters in white gloves moved silently among the guests with flawless precision.
Only the conversations felt unusual.
Everyone spoke in hushed voices, as if no one wanted even their own voice to be recognized.
At the far end of the room, an enormous screen glowed in the darkness.
Precisely at nine o’clock, the chandeliers went dark.
Every eye turned toward the stage.
An elegantly dressed man with silver hair stepped up to the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen... thank you for accepting our invitation once again.”
His voice was calm, almost friendly.
“Every contract from the last quarter has been successfully fulfilled. Our clients were highly satisfied, so tonight we are pleased to present new opportunities.”
A map of London appeared on the screen.
Then Europe.
Moments later, red dots began lighting up one after another.
Berlin.
Paris.
Milan.
Prague.
Warsaw.
Budapest.
Madrid.
Thin golden lines stretched between them.
A web.
An invisible network of business.
“Demand continues to grow every year,” the speaker continued. “Unfortunately, supply continues to decline.”
The next slide displayed only three words.
HUMAN
HALFBLOOD
PUREBLOOD
Beside the third category, a single number flashed across the screen.
For several long seconds, no one spoke.
The number silenced the entire room.
The speaker allowed himself a faint smile.
“Rarity always increases value.”
No one objected.
No one looked shocked.
It was as if this were the most natural business in the world.
Only one man sitting near the back shifted uneasily and straightened his tie.
Otto Weber hated places like this.
Not because he found them immoral.
He hated them because every visit reminded him how insignificant he truly was.
By day, he worked as a bank clerk.
He dressed neatly. Worked efficiently. Paid his taxes on time.
Yet year after year, he remained in the same small office while younger employees climbed past him with promotion after promotion.
He wasn’t respected in the supernatural world either.
As a halfblood, he belonged nowhere.
Humans thought he was strange.
Shapeshifters considered him weak.
Although hyena blood ran through his veins, he had never been capable of completing a full transformation.
He hated it.
He hated his body.
He hated everyone who had been born stronger than he was.
More than anything, he loved money.
Because money made everyone bow in the end.
At least, that was what he believed.
Someone lightly touched his arm.
“It’s time.”
Enisa Bartollini.
She wore an elegant black dress and a confident smile.
Otto followed her through a narrow corridor, leaving the ballroom farther behind with every step.
The music gradually faded.
Finally, they entered a smaller conference room.
The door sealed shut automatically behind them.
Enisa placed a slim black folder on the table.
“Do you know why I asked you here?”
“I have a pretty good idea.”
“No.”
Her smile never changed.
“You don’t.”
Otto made no move to open the folder.
“I’ve heard the rumors.”
“Everyone hears rumors.”
She slid the folder closer.
“I’m offering you a business opportunity.”
Slowly, Otto opened it.
Confusion crossed his face first.
Then surprise.
Then silence.
“This... can’t be serious.”
“It is.”
“It’s madness.”
“I prefer to call it an investment.”
Otto closed the folder.
“It’s far too dangerous.”
“The biggest profits always are.”
Enisa watched him patiently.
She knew exactly when silence was more powerful than words.
Otto stood and walked toward the dark window.
His own reflection stared back at him.
A middle-aged man.
Ordinary.
Forgettable.
The kind of man no one ever noticed.
Slowly, his hand curled into a fist.
“How much?”
Enisa didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she removed a small tablet from her handbag and turned the screen toward him.
Otto’s eyes widened.
It was more money than he could have earned in an entire lifetime through honest work.
“That’s only the advance,” Enisa said quietly.
His mouth suddenly felt dry.
“And if I back out?”
Enisa smiled again.
There was nothing warm about it.
Nothing kind.
It was the smile of a trap snapping shut.
“You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’ve already made our choice.”
“Chosen who?”
Enisa rested one hand on the folder.
“The right girl.”
Silence filled the room once more.
Beyond the walls, the muffled sound of music drifted through the air.
Otto closed his eyes.
For one brief moment, he still had a choice.
Then he opened them again.
Greed proved stronger than his conscience.
“All right,” he said quietly.
“What do I have to do?”
Enisa slowly picked up the folder.
“Nothing complicated.”
She looked directly into his eyes.
“You simply have to sacrifice someone who trusts you.”
Otto said nothing.
His silence was worth more than any signature.
The deal was done.
And somewhere in London, a young girl slept peacefully, completely unaware that, on that very night, strangers had decided her future.
