Lyria's breathing was still erratic, her skin glowing with a silver-white pulse, as if some ancient celestial force had awakened within her. The air around her had gone static — dense, charged, and sacred. The elven runes that were once faded now clearly appeared — engraved across her skin, softly burning with lunar essence.
The system softly pinged:
> [Soul Resonance Complete.]
[Priestess Lyria Ascended: Moon-Touched Vessel Form Activated.]
[Bond Level with Ashen: Linked (Level 2)]
[New Trait Unlocked: Lunar Grace (Passive) – Lust Energy slowly regenerates in moonlight when bonded with Lyria.]
Ashen touched her cheek — soft, but firm. "You okay?"
Lyria's eyes held clarity… but her expression carried a faint horror. "W-What was inside you… it wasn't just power. It was primal. Ancient."
Ashen gave a slow smile. "And yet, you chose me."
Lyria closed her eyes. "No, Ashen. I didn't just choose you. I've started choosing myself… after centuries."
There was weight in her words, as if she were breaking some ancient vow.
The system interrupted:
> [New Quest Initiated: Divine Chains]
[Objective: Free Lyria from the Moon Queen's Binding Curse. Progress: 1/3 Anchors Broken.]
[Reward on Completion: Unknown. Emotional Trait Gain Possible.]
Ashen's mind sharpened. "So this wasn't just about lust. This was a step toward her freedom."
Lyria slowly stood, completely bare under the moonlight, yet her posture no longer held hesitation — only divine confidence. "Ashen… I understand now. The Moon Queen's blessing was a cage. I was a puppet for centuries — but now, I will choose my path."
Ashen approached her. "Then let's break your chains. Together."
Lyria's lips curved. "That's why I let you become my Incubus."
—
Before dawn, they exited the ancient ruin site. Lyria had conjured a protective moonlight cloak — elegant, semi-transparent, and infused with divine shimmer.
Ashen took the path through the forest leading from the northern exit of the Whispering Veins Dungeon. According to the system's map, there was a secret site nearby — the Moonlit Cradle. That was where the second anchor binding Lyria's divine chains was located.
But something else awaited them on the way.
The system flashed red:
> [Ambush Detected – Shadowmarked Hunters (Rank B-) Approaching]
[Enemies: 3]
[Warning: Enhanced Lust Immunity + Pain Reversal Sigils Detected.]
Ashen took a deep breath. "There's always someone stalking me."
Lyria narrowed her silver eyes. "They're shadow enforcers from my clan. The Moon Queen must've sent them — to drag me back."
Fast footsteps. Trees began to sway — not from wind, but from the weight of the shadows. The three attackers were swift and ruthless — lean bodies clad in full black elven armor, all with veiled masks.
One attacker whispered — their voice twisted, both mechanical and magical: "Return the Vessel. Or die beside her, corrupted one."
Ashen's lips curled into a crooked smile. "Guess I'll take 'die trying' for 500 gold."
Battle erupted.
The first attacker fired chain-blades — spiked and shadow-infused. Ashen dodged, but one chain grazed his side — causing an instant burning sensation, not like poison, but as if corrupted guilt had been injected.
> [Status Effect: Shadow Poison – Strength Drain (Slow).]
Lyria chanted: "Moonlight Surge!" A brilliant beam descended from the sky — toward attacker no.2 — but he raised a counter ward and absorbed the light.
Ashen growled. "They've got anti-divine gear."
System pinged:
> [Suggestion: Use Shadow Bind in combo with Aura Overload to bypass magical wards.]
Ashen flared his energy — a dark purple aura burst across the battlefield. The attackers hesitated — one trembled, another sidestepped.
Ashen chanted: "Shadow Bind!"
Dark tendrils emerged from the ground, wrapping around attacker no.3's legs — he screamed in fury, but the bind held strong.
Lyria saw the opportunity and formed a crescent blade in her hands. "Ashen, now!"
Ashen dashed forward — slipping through chain strikes and smashing attacker no.1's mask with a spinning strike.
The face was revealed — an elven woman with hollow eyes and a soul-dead expression.
Ashen hesitated for a moment — but clenched his fist.
"I'm sorry." He placed his palm against her chest. "Dual Climax Drive."
A flash — she vibrated violently, and collapsed.
System confirmed:
> [Enemy Defeated. Lust Core Energy Absorbed.]
[Shadow Poison Countered.]
The remaining two attackers entered retreat mode — but Lyria anticipated their movements.
She chanted, her voice divine: "Return… to the cradle."
Moonlight shaped into graceful, merciless hands — seizing the attackers. Their armor shattered with screams, and their bodies fell unconscious to the ground.
Ashen sighed. "You've really changed, huh."
Lyria looked at him. "No, Ashen. I've always been me. I just know myself now."
—
Dawn finally began to break. The horizon glowed with the first light.
System notified:
> [Path to Moonlit Cradle Now Accessible. Estimated Arrival: 1 Hour.]
[Environmental Buff: Lunar Harmony – All bonded abilities enhanced by 10%.]
Ashen and Lyria began walking at a slow pace. No words passed between them — only silence, but it wasn't heavy. It was comforting.
A faint black mist drifted from Ashen's shoulder — a reminder that the Devourer's Echo still held partial influence within him.
But Lyria saw the shadow — and without a word, held his hand.
The system whispered again:
> [New Trait Developing: Emotional Anchor (Bonded: Lyria)]
[Effect: While physically connected to Lyria, sanity resistance increased by +15%.]
Ashen smiled faintly.
"Feels like just the beginning."
And in a low voice, Lyria said, "You've only touched the moon's surface, Ashen. It's time to go deeper."
—
Ashen took a deep breath. The morning mist still curled through the jungle, but the first rays of sun pierced through the canopy. Lyria's words echoed in his ears like the sound of ancient gate locks turning.
"Only the divine or cursed may enter the Moonlit Cradle," Lyria said calmly, as though narrating the prologue of some ancient tale.
"Lucky me, I'm both," Ashen smirked, though unease stirred inside him. The system's notifications flashed across his retina, each line laced with warning.
> [Location Unlocked: Moonlit Cradle – Forbidden Domain of Lunar Wombs]
[Caution: Unstable Divine Energy Detected. Emotional Echoes Highly Volatile.]
[Recommended Condition: Enter with a Bonded Vessel.]
"Emotional Echoes?" Ashen frowned.
Lyria's face tensed. "The Cradle isn't a place… it's a test. The Moon Queen created it to ensure that anyone approaching her chosen must prove themselves against their deepest fears, regrets, and desires."
Ashen's expression darkened. "And if they fail?"
Lyria turned to face him. "Then they're consumed… by their own version of self."
—
When they reached the outer edge of the Cradle, the environment had completely shifted. The trees were twisted — unnaturally bent. Each leaf absorbed moonlight rather than reflected it. The soil was soft… but throbbed like a heartbeat.
Before the gate stood a lunar symbol — a glowing crescent moon embedded in obsidian stone. As Lyria placed her hand upon it, the stone pulsed.
> [Bonded Vessel Confirmed. Initiating Trial of the Cradle.]
[Ashen, Lust Marked. Confirmed. Trial Admittance Granted.]
The gate opened.
Inside, the place felt like a womb — curved walls, a warm silver glow, and mist that smelled faintly of lavender and old blood. As if this were the inside of a divine creature — the womb of a goddess.
But the moment they stepped further inside — everything shifted.
Ashen blinked.
He was now elsewhere — the same cradle, but distorted.
Lyria was gone.
System flashed:
> [TRIAL BEGIN: Facing the Forgotten]
[Objective: Confront your Echo.]
A figure floated before him. It looked just like him — but younger, more innocent, and… broken.
"Why did you abandon us?" the Echo asked.
Ashen froze.
The Echo was his own past self — from the time he betrayed his first love… when he sacrificed his last friend to survive. A version of the past he had buried long ago.
The Echo stepped forward.
"You think you forgot me? No… I scream in your dreams every night. You always ran away. Always."
Ashen's breath quickened. The walls around him pulsed. The womb seemed to absorb his guilt and amplify it.
But he forced himself to remain calm.
"And I've always fought," Ashen said. "I made mistakes… but I never ran from them. I remember my sins — but I live because of them. You are just an echo… I am real."
System flashed:
> [Emotional Anchor Detected. Lyria's Presence Stabilizing Your Core.]
Suddenly, the Echo began to melt — its face dissolving into moonlight.
> [Echo Confrontation Successful. Emotional Trait Gained: Shadow Resolve.]
The scene blurred… and Ashen collapsed.
—
When he opened his eyes, he was on a stone bed — Lyria leaning over him, her eyes full of worry.
"You were unconscious for two hours," she whispered. "The Cradle tested you."
Ashen weakly smiled. "I slapped my younger self around a little."
Lyria let out a soft laugh. "Typical you."
The system pinged again:
> [2nd Chain of Moon Queen Broken. Progress: 2/3 Anchors Severed.]
[Lyria's Power Growing: Lust Divinity – 38%.]
[New Bond Skill Unlocked: Lunar Pulse – Share Energy Between Bonded Users during Combat or Rituals.]
Ashen took her hand. "One chain remains. Then you'll be free."
But Lyria's lips curled into a twisted smile. "And when I'm free, Ashen… will you be able to stop me?"
Ashen blinked. "What?"
Lyria's voice suddenly deepened — as if someone else was speaking through her. "Because the Moon Queen didn't just bind me… she hid a piece of herself inside me."
The system shrieked:
> [WARNING – Possession Signature Detected. Divine Fragment Reactivation in Progress.]
[New Threat Emerging: Fragment of the Moon Queen Awakened.]
Ashen stood up instantly — Lyria's body was trembling, and her eyes glowed pure silver.
"Lyria!"
But she wasn't Lyria anymore. She had become something else.
A voice echoed — calm, but cold. "Ashen… you are mine. And you've just unlocked my key."
—
TO BE CONTINUED…