Soulbound

In a secluded village cloaked by the shadows of an ancient forest, a child was born under the crimson glow of a blood moon. As the infant drew his first breath, his mother's eyes grew wide with terror before life fled her body. Whispers soon rippled through the hamlet—this newborn was cursed, marked by an unholy malevolence. As the boy grew, his eyes remained soulless obsidian orbs, devoid of warmth or innocence. Even as an infant, he displayed an unsettling hunger, staring unblinkingly at those around him as if perceiving something deeper than their physical forms. The local priest sensed a disquieting aura about the child but could not discern its source. On his seventh birthday, the truth of his existence manifested in horrific fashion. Luring a young village girl into the forest with the promise of a new game, her childlike purity proved a beacon he could not resist. He devoured her soul, feeling its innocence fuel an insatiable new power coursing through his veins. As the light faded from her eyes, his own aging halted—he had become ageless, suspended in time. A wizened crone soon materialized, revealing the dark purpose that bound him. She offered an unholy bargain: an eternity of power in exchange for an unending hunger to be sated by devouring the souls of the pure. Enthralled by her promises, the boy accepted, binding himself to her ancient magic as she became his guide in the accursed arts of soul harvesting. In the centuries that followed, the immortal wanderer—now known as Malachai—left a trail of missing innocents across history's bloodied tapestry. He witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the waging of wars, the birth of revolutions. Yet this unending existence extracted a heavy toll. Malachai felt the weight of every stolen soul, their memories and dreams haunting his mind, driving him to the brink of madness. A brilliant detective, Evelyn Hart, began piecing together the bizarre pattern of disappearances, sensing the hand of an otherworldly force. Her relentless pursuit led her to Malachai, and a deadly game of cat-and-mouse began between them. For the first time, Malachai's resolve wavered when he met Elara, a compassionate artist whose loving nature awakened long-buried yearnings for redemption. But the crone who had bound him resurged, threatening Elara's life to regain control over her wayward disciple. When Evelyn finally uncovered the truth of Malachai's unholy immortality, she was torn between duty and empathy for his tort