The god-forsaken Ilion was buried in shadows of obscurity. The old university still hinged on the money coughed up by the well-off families of the students coming and going to study there. I used to be one of them. Zoe Torn, Philosophy major on the verge of dropping out. Then one day they showed up. No demands. No negotiations. They killed for kicks. I escaped, hiding in the woods. But they came after me. And when there was nowhere left to run, I faced the darkness. Faced the man in a black cloak with eyes of obsidian. I knew this was the end for me. But the reaper... saved me. Was this really an escape? Saviors don't keep you in a cage. They don't threaten you. Don't take future away from you. They don't break your spirit. I am no longer living, merely surviving. I have to escape. I have to save my family. Even if my body is no longer mine. **My soul is mine alone. Right? ** Tropes: • Slow burn • Enemies to lovers • Kidnapping • Age gap • Opposites • Mafia • Forced proximity