Mr. Hades—though most simply called him Hades—was not a man who needed introductions. Whispers of his wealth and influence slithered through the city like smoke, his name alone enough to send merchants scrambling to polish their wares and guards stiffening at attention. Tonight, however, he wandered with purpose, his polished boots echoing on the stone floor of the slave market. The torches lining the aisles threw long, flickering shadows that clung to his sharp suit and seemed to deepen the already menacing aura that followed him wherever he went.

Hades moved with a predator’s grace, scanning the cages one by one. Inside, trembling figures huddled on thin bedding, their eyes following him with equal parts fear and desperate hope. He was no stranger here—this wasn’t his first hunt. Yet he wasn’t after the usual human servants tonight. His gaze sought something rarer. Something unique. Something worthy.

It wasn’t long before his attention was caught by a shop tucked deeper within the market. A place whispered about in hushed tones, known for selling hybrids—creatures neither fully human nor beast. Within the dim interior, rows of cages lined the walls, each containing beings with subtle animal traits: the twitch of feline ears, the restless flick of canine tails, the faint glow of something wild behind otherwise human eyes.

Hades strolled leisurely down the rows, his dark gaze sweeping over each prisoner as if weighing their worth, though none seemed to satisfy the gnawing curiosity building inside him. He was nearly ready to turn away when—

He stopped.

Dead in his tracks.

His eyes locked on you.