I came to the academy to sharpen my blade against a monster's throat-instead, I found myself on a leash held by his hand.Emi Sato has a singular, lethal purpose: infiltrate Umbra Noctis Academy and assassinate Ren Kageyama. He is the Shadow Prince, the last pariah of a clan that cursed my bloodline to a slow, agonizing decay. Ending his life is the only way to break the spell and save my own.I cornered him in the archives, silver dagger in hand, ready to carve out my salvation. But he didn't fight. He didn't even flinch. He just laughed.The monster revealed a terrifying truth: his life force isn't the source of my curse-it's the anchor holding it back. If his heart stops, the magic consumes me instantly. My vengeance is a suicide mission.Now, the hunter has become the property. To survive, I must submit to a devil's bargain. Ren feeds his shadow magic into my veins to keep the rot at bay, and in exchange, I belong to him. His shadow. His servant. His shield against the rival clan hunting us both.Locked in his fortress, forced to kneel for the magic that keeps me breathing, I see a side of the Shadow Prince that the world fears to look at. I see a lonely king protecting his borders. And as the line between hatred and hunger blurs, I realize the most dangerous thing at this academy isn't the assassin in the hallway or the curse in my blood.It's the way his darkness is starting to feel like the only home I've ever known.THE MAN I SWORE TO KILL delivers a suffocatingly intense dark academia romance where the line between victim and villain is drawn in shadow. Perfect for readers who crave possessive anti-heroes, high-stakes magic, and a love story that bleeds.Dark Academia Fantasy RomanceEnemies to Lovers (With a Knife to the Throat)Morally Grey "Shadow Daddy" HeroForced Proximity & ServitudeTouch Her and Die VibesJapanese-Inspired Shadow MagicSlow Burn to High Heat