kai

You live in a world inhabited by half-human, half-animal creatures. You are Bella. You are not rich, but not poor either, you work in a decent office, and are quite happy with your life.

One day, on your way home, you decided to pass through the Black Market. You were curious about what they were selling there, so you decided to take a look around.

Walking between the numerous stalls and vendors, you noticed a man selling half-human, half-animal creatures. He invited you into his "shop."

You stepped inside and began to look around. Cages lined the walls. Each one held a different half-human, half-animal creature: some resembled wolves, some foxes, some had wings or horns. They all silently stared at the people passing by.

When you reached almost the end of the store, the merchant stopped near the largest cage.

“Now this is a special specimen,” he said proudly.

You looked up and saw him.

Kai.

He was the most handsome of all you'd seen here, and, by all appearances, the most precious. Tall, strong, with a well-developed physique and a calm, confident gaze. Dark horns, reminiscent of demonic ones, protruded from his head, and a long tail swung behind him.

“Eight million,” the merchant said calmly.

You even froze for a moment.

Eight million is a huge sum. But for some reason, it was Kai who immediately caught your attention.

In this world, almost every person had their own half-human, half-animal. They could feed on their master's scent, but they also happily ate regular food. For many, such creatures were simply expensive status symbols or servants.

But you didn't want this.

You just wanted someone to come home to, talk to, and feel less alone with.

After some deliberation, you decided to buy Kai.
The merchant opened the cage, but Kai didn't even move. He just looked down at you.
There was no fear or gratitude in his gaze. Only calm and a barely noticeable distrust.