The world shifted.
Not with thunder, not with a roar—just silence. A sudden blink, and the shrine was gone.
Elias stood in a dimly lit corridor, the walls made of smooth obsidian, pulsing faintly like they were breathing. Shadows whispered from every corner, but there was no danger. Only heat.
And three figures appeared one by one.
Aya, still glowing, her dress mended but eyes uncertain.
Lilith, arms folded, tail flicking behind her, annoyed but present.
Velaria, calm as ever, though her silver gaze watched everything like a hawk.
> [System Notice: Welcome to the Temple of Echoes]
Trial: Desire Unveiled
Task: Walk through the corridor of truth.
Rule: You may only move forward when the girls speak their deepest desire.
Warning: Emotional lies will trigger chaos.
Elias exhaled. "Of course. A truth trial. Because my life wasn't already insane."
Lilith snorted. "Let's get this over with. I'll go first."
She stepped forward, the dark corridor lighting up ahead.
But nothing happened.
> [Desire Not Accepted – Statement Incomplete]
Lilith gritted her teeth.
"I want…" Her voice cracked slightly. "I want to be more than just the demon you summoned. I want to be the one you choose."
A hum. The floor under her feet glowed. The path ahead opened.
She walked on without turning.
Aya stepped up next. Her hands clenched at her sides.
"I want to stop feeling like the weakest one." Her voice was small, but it echoed like thunder in that space. "I want to be seen. Chosen. Loved, not pitied."
The corridor lit again. The path opened.
Velaria moved with grace. Her voice was soft, but her truth was cold and sharp.
"I want what was promised. Not because of a past life, but because I'm still here. Fighting. Wanting. Needing."
The corridor responded.
All three walked ahead, and Elias followed.
> [Trial Progress: 50% Complete]
Then the whispers came.
"Whose heart will you break, Elias?"
"Who will cry for you?"
"Who will bleed for your love?"
He tried to shake them off—but a memory surfaced, uninvited.
A bed. Moonlight. A promise whispered between tangled sheets. A voice like honey:
"Don't ever leave me again…"
It wasn't Aya.
It wasn't Lilith.
It wasn't Velaria.
It was someone else.
Unknown.
Or forgotten.
> [System Alert: New Bond Memory Fragment Detected]
[Name: ??? | Status: Lost Queen | Emotions: Waiting]
Elias staggered, grabbing the wall.
"Another one…?"
The corridor split ahead.
Three doors. Three paths.
> Choose One:
Lilith — Path of Fire and Temptation
Aya — Path of Moonlight and Redemption
Velaria — Path of Ice and Memory
> Warning: Only one may be followed tonight.
The girls turned to him.
Aya's voice shook. "We can't follow you all at once."
Lilith raised a brow. "Choose wisely, lover boy."
Velaria simply waited, gaze unreadable.
Elias swallowed hard.
Because no matter who he picked…
Something would change.
Forever.
The door marked by flame pulsed as Elias stepped forward. The heat wasn't just physical—it pulled at something inside him, low and deep.
Lilith smirked, brushing past him. "Try not to burn up too fast."
With a snap of her fingers, the door burst open. Fire didn't consume the space—it danced. Alive. Controlled. Waiting.
They stepped into a chamber made of black stone and molten veins. The air shimmered. A long staircase descended into a pit glowing with crimson light, and at its center was an altar—a throne carved from obsidian and bone.
Lilith's world.
Her domain.
> [System Notice: You have entered the Chamber of Binding Flame]
Trial Objective: Face the desire you've both denied.
Status: Bound emotions will now surface. Control is limited. Outcome unknown.
Elias exhaled. "This again…"
But Lilith turned to him suddenly. No teasing grin this time. Her voice was low, almost strained. "Do you know how hard it is to share you?"
Elias blinked. "What?"
Lilith stepped closer, her eyes glowing. "I joke. I flirt. I push. But every time you look at one of them like they're the only ones who matter…" Her nails dug into his shirt. "I want to break something."
The air shifted. The flames around the room rose.
Elias felt it—the energy responding to her raw emotion.
"I'm not made for patience," she breathed. "I was born in fire. Raised to conquer. Demons don't wait, Elias."
He hesitated, but the bond between them was no longer silent. His pulse echoed with hers, and a truth he'd buried started to rise.
"You think I don't want you?" he asked.
She stared at him, lips parting.
"I do," he said, voice rougher now. "I've wanted you since the day you showed up and told me I belonged to you."
Lilith's breath hitched.
"Then show me," she whispered.
The flames closed in.
Clothes melted into shadow as the system cloaked the chamber in protection—privacy wrapped in fire. There was no need for words anymore. She pushed him back against the altar, climbed on top of him like a queen reclaiming her throne.
She was heat and chaos, biting his lip, her hands trailing fire down his chest. Every movement was rough and hungry, but every pause… trembling.
Elias gripped her waist, feeling her magic thread into his veins.
She kissed him like she was angry and desperate all at once. Their bodies moved in rhythm, and something in the room cracked—the altar glowing beneath them, syncing to their heartbeats.
The fire didn't burn. It marked.
> [System Update: New Bond Achieved – Lilith's Flame]
Status: Soul Link Active
Emotion Level: Overwhelming Possessiveness
Skill Unlocked: Infernal Guard – Lilith's flames now protect Elias passively during battle.
They collapsed, breathing hard, sweat mixing with ash. The flames dimmed.
But the silence wasn't peaceful.
Lilith stared at him, still straddling him, voice softer now. "You think I'm just after your power?"
He shook his head.
"I want you. Not because of the system. Not because of your past. Just… you."
She leaned in, pressing her forehead to his.
"I'm selfish," she murmured. "I don't share well. But I'll try. For you."
Elias smiled faintly. "You don't have to be perfect. Just real."
The chamber rumbled.
> [Trial Completed: Path of Fire and Temptation]
New Route Unlocked: Lilith's True Origin
Elias' body adapted: Resistance to Fire Magic increased.
Flame Affinity gained: 15%.
A new door appeared ahead—one carved with demon runes and a symbol Elias hadn't seen before.
Lilith stood, helping him up. Her usual sass returned, but her eyes were softer. "Come on, lover boy. We've still got hell to raise."
As they walked toward the next trial, Elias couldn't help but wonder:
What happens when desire turns into love?
And what happens when love meets the chaos of the system?