Daisy Chain

The world is steeped in dark magic, where every individual possesses a fragment of power, but its strength varies greatly. Society's harsh judgment hinges on this magical ranking system, establishing a brutal caste hierarchy that determines one's place, opportunities, and wealth. Our heroine, Daisy, hails from the slums, born to a mother who once survived as a prostitute, each of her children fathered by unknown clients. With their mother now incapacitated by a curable disease and unable to provide for them, the family's desperation mounts. Daisy, the eldest sibling, takes on the perilous role of a pest hunter, earning scant coins by ridding local businesses of rats and pigeons, all while desperately seeking a way to save her family from starvation and disease. When rumors of a mystical menagerie belonging to the high nobles reach her ears, Daisy resolves to risk everything. She embarks on a treacherous journey to the distant menagerie, stealing rides on carts and foraging for food along the way. Navigating the heavily protected forest that surrounds the menagerie proves challenging, but Daisy cleverly follows the small rats she once hunted, slipping through cracks in the wards that guard the enchanted realm. Inside, she searches for creatures that might grant her a boon in exchange for her help in escaping their captivity. Yet, she soon becomes prey herself, hunted by fearsome beasts that threaten her very existence. In her moment of desperation, she hears a voice in her mind offering an escape—an opportunity to bond with a powerful creature. As the ground shakes violently and the tree erupts in chaos, she unwittingly frees an enormous dragon, dark red and nearly black, which devours the manticore in an act of vengeance for its long imprisonment.