Cain was about to explain to Kiyomi what had happened with Maris and Mira when suddenly Cain heard an unfamiliar voice echoing inside o his head.

'Ooh? I like her. I want this one as my host~!'

A pink mist began to rise from Cain's soul as he unexpectedly heard the voice of Lust. The Sin had shown no reaction up until now, not even showing the slightest agitation since Pride had taken host in Jayden.

'It was a shame that the Wolf girl was taken from me but this girl is just as nice.'

The pink mist rose slowly from Cain's body, drifting upward before condensing into the shape of a woman. The silhouette was unmistakably feminine, with long flowing hair and a graceful figure, yet it lacked all features. No eyes, no mouth, no face at all. It moved with a soft, liquid grace as though its body was made of smoke and water combined.

Only Cain and Kiyomi seemed to notice it. The others stood there, watching the two of them in confusion as if nothing unusual was happening.

The figure's voice never reached the air. Instead, it slipped into Cain and Kiyomi's minds like a thought neither of them had summoned.

This one is starving, the voice murmured, smooth and even. There was no sharpness in it, no malice, just a strange calm with the faintest undertone of amusement. I can help her.

Kiyomi stiffened. The words struck too close to the truth she had been hiding.

Cain's eyes narrowed slightly. Help her how?

The faceless figure tilted its head toward Kiyomi. She denies what her body needs. I can offer her relief without breaking the vow she clings to. No shame. No cost. Only balance.

Kiyomi's grip on her dagger tightened, her pulse quickening. You can do that?

The voice was soft in her mind. Yes. You are hurting yourself. You will break if you continue like this. I can make it stop.

Kiyomi's chest tightened. It was not tempting her like a predator. It was simply stating a fact, quiet and unshaken, as though it had done this countless times before.

Cain's thoughts sharpened. And if she refuses?

The figure shifted its head ever so slightly, a faint trace of playfulness coloring its otherwise muted tone. Then I leave. The choice is hers. But the hunger will not go away. She will come to me eventually. They always do.

The pink silhouette began to unravel, dissolving into mist once more before vanishing completely.

The silence that followed was thick. Maris and Mira exchanged confused looks, clearly sensing the tension but not knowing what had just happened.

Kiyomi's breathing was uneven. Cain said nothing. Neither of them explained.

Maris shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting between Cain and Kiyomi. Mira crossed her arms but kept quiet, her brows knitting together. Even Jayden glanced toward the two of them, unease flickering in her eyes.

None of them knew what had just happened. They had felt something, an unseen weight in the air, but they could not name it.

Mira was the first to break the silence. "That… looked familiar," she muttered, mostly to herself.

Maris nodded slowly. "Yeah. Like the fog from before. Different color though."

Jayden stayed quiet, but the tension in her jaw betrayed her thoughts. She had felt something once too. Something that had stayed with her since.

Kiyomi was still staring at the place where the pink mist had vanished. Her grip on the dagger had loosened, but her heart hammered faster than ever.

"What," she asked softly, her voice steady despite the storm inside her, "do I have to do?"

The voice returned in her mind, calm and quiet as before. Open your heart to me.

Kiyomi's lips parted slightly. She almost laughed at the words. It sounded ridiculous. Dangerous. Maybe even wrong. But the allure of freedom from the constant, gnawing hunger twisting inside her was too much to ignore.

Her hand trembled.

The pink silhouette reformed in front of her, faceless and silent, but there was a faint curve in the tilt of its head, almost as if it was amused by her hesitation.

She exhaled sharply. "Fine," she whispered.

The figure approached with that same slow, liquid grace. It stopped in front of her for a brief moment, then its form dissolved into mist and seeped into her skin like water soaking into dry earth.

Kiyomi gasped and staggered back a step, one hand bracing herself as she fought for breath. Her heart pounded violently as an unknown power began filling her body, flowing through her veins like liquid fire.

Her blue eyes flickered once, twice, before settling into a soft pink glow.

Then came the voice inside her head, clear and absolute.

[Fragment of Lust has Taken Root]

[System Notice: Skill – Eyes of Temptation][System Notice: Skill – Alluring Absorption][System Notice: Skill – Essence Explosion]

The information crashed through her mind in quick succession, but it was the second skill that caught her attention.

Alluring Absorption.

She understood instinctively what it meant. A way to feed without ever laying a finger on anyone. The only condition was that the other person had to find her attractive.

As she stood there, still trembling from the aftershocks of power flooding into her, she felt it, just the faintest trickle of energy, warm and subtle, sliding into her body from someone nearby.

Her pink-glowing eyes shifted toward Cain.

The realization dawned on her instantly.

A small, slow smile curved her lips, her usual sharpness returning like a blade being drawn from its sheath.

"You should have told me," she said softly, her voice carrying a teasing lilt now, "if you found me attractive."

Cain stiffened instantly. "I don't—"

Kiyomi winked, her pink eyes glimmering faintly. "Don't bother lying. I can feel it now. Besides…" She tilted her head slightly, the smile never fading. "…I have Lust on my side."

Cain dragged a hand over his face, muttering something under his breath that no one caught.

For the first time since it had made itself part of her daily life, Kiyomi felt the hunger finally quiet down.

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