A darkness was born, a being meant to contain humanity's greatest evils. The Shadow, a stain upon the world, uncontained. consuming life, seducing followers, leaving only destruction in his wake. In the face of resistance, he retreated to a hidden place, growing stronger and forming an impenetrable Fortress, unique and isolated.
Until his eye fell on Eliza. Seemingly ordinary, a single mom, working hard and doing her best to support her daughter. The dark lord saw limitless potential in her, as a counterpart to rule at his side. Thus he ripped her away from that life, his plan: to persuade her to join him of her own volition. The Dark Gift demands her free will.
Eliza only wants her life back. Yet she must endure Shadow's machinations, keeping her from regaining her freedom and family. Faced with familiar evils, Eliza must choose friend from foe, life from death, passing judgement as her own sanity wanes in an unimaginable prison.
Is there any escape from the monstrosity of the human condition? AUTHOR'S NOTE: This novel contains no AI-generated content.