Viktor's mind was still buzzing.

That dream. That weird-ass conversation with... himself? Or was it the demon? The incubus lord dying like an idiot. The reflection. The violet-eyed bastard with horns who'd offered him power.

He'd asked for the tail.

'Just for fucking.'

And now he had it.

He thought he'd forget about it the moment he woke up. That's how dreams worked, right? You remember them for maybe five seconds after opening your eyes, and then they're gone—dissolved into nothing like smoke.

But this one stuck.

Every word. Every image. The black liquid floor. The throne. The women. The demon's grin.

'"So you choose the power of Attor—"'

The words had been cut off before the demon could finish, but Viktor remembered them clearly. Too clearly.

'What the hell did I actually accept?'

He flexed the muscles in his lower back experimentally.

The tail responded instantly—swishing left, then right, the spaded tip cutting through the air with a soft 'whoosh'.

It felt... natural. Like it had always been part of him. Like moving a third arm he'd somehow forgotten existed until now.

"Viktor."

Kaida's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He turned his head to look at her.

She was standing a few feet away, red eyes locked onto his new appendage with an expression that was equal parts horrified and furious. Her dagger was already in her hand, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim phosphorescent light of the cave.

"Why," she said slowly, her voice dangerously calm, "the hell is this 'snake' not dying?"

Viktor blinked.

Watched as she lunged forward, blade aimed directly at his tail.

SWISH

The tail moved on instinct—whipping out of reach before Kaida's dagger could connect. It coiled defensively behind him, the spaded tip hovering near his shoulder like a scorpion ready to strike.

Kaida's eyes widened.

"It—it 'dodged'?!" she sputtered, her grip tightening on the dagger. "What the—"

Viktor sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. "Kaida. I already told you."

"Told me 'what'?!" she snapped, taking another swipe at the tail.

'SWISH.'

It dodged again, this time wrapping partially around Viktor's waist like it was 'hiding' behind him.

"That's my 'tail'," Viktor said flatly.

Kaida froze mid-swing.

Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

"Your... tail," she repeated slowly, like the words didn't make sense in that order.

"Yeah." Viktor shrugged, wincing as the motion pulled at his broken ribs. Pain lanced through his chest—sharp and hot, like someone had shoved a knife between his bones. He gritted his teeth, keeping his expression neutral. "You know. Like Bella's."

At the mention of her name, Bella flinched violently.

She'd been sitting a few feet away, still covering her face with both hands, but now her hands dropped slightly, revealing wide golden eyes that flicked between Viktor and Kaida with obvious panic.

Her own tail—silver and fluffy—curled protectively around her body as she grabbed it with both hands, holding it close like a child clutching a stuffed animal. The soft fur trembled in her grip.

"I—I have a tail because I'm a beast-kin!" Bella squeaked, her voice muffled. "That's 'normal' for me!"

Kaida's gaze snapped to Bella, then back to Viktor.

Her mouth twitched.

"Aren't you a 'human'?" she asked, her tone flat and incredulous.

Viktor spread his hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. "Come on. I'm a human." He jerked his thumb toward Bella. "Doesn't Bella also have a tail?"

Bella's face turned bright red again, and she hugged her tail tighter. "That's—that's completely different!"

Kaida stared at him for a long moment.

Then she slowly lowered her dagger and slid it back into its sheath with a deliberate 'snick'.

"Of course," she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How could I forget." Her red eyes narrowed. "No 'normal' human can possess more than a few abilities."

Viktor's lips curved into a smirk.

"You already noticed, huh?"

Kaida's jaw clenched. "Of course I noticed." She crossed her arms, her scarred face twisting into a scowl. "Do you think I'm an idiot? You think if you hide that sword skill, and then show off that inhuman water speed, and then create shit out of 'nothing'—" She gestured vaguely at the moss-covered walls. "—that I wouldn't figure it out? A 'fool' could tell you're not normal."

Viktor chuckled, the sound low and rough.

He'd been careful. Or at least, he 'thought' he'd been careful.

He hadn't shown them his 'Forge Mastery' yet—the ability that let him mold materials like clay and create weapons or tools from basically trash. That was his ace. The thing that would make him indispensable.

Because if they knew he could craft weapons? Build tools? Construct entire 'infrastructures' from raw materials?

They'd either worship him or try to control him.

And until he had their 'loyalty'—until he'd knocked them all up and given birth to kids who'd be bound to him by blood and system mechanics—he wasn't about to show his full hand.

Especially not to women who weren't fully committed yet.

'Kaida's sharp. Too sharp. She's been watching me closer than I thought.'

But Kaida was smart.

Too smart.

She'd pieced together enough from what little he 'had' shown to realize he was way beyond normal human limits.

Viktor shrugged, his smirk widening. "So what? You greedy or something?"

Kaida's eye twitched.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and for a moment Viktor thought she might actually punch him despite his broken ribs. He saw her fingers flex—saw the way her body tensed, the slight shift of her weight forward—and then she stopped.

Her gaze dropped to his torso. To the bruises. The swelling. The unnatural angle of his shoulder.

'He saved me. He took that hit for me. That log would've crushed my skull.'

The memory flashed through her mind unbidden—the crack of wood, Viktor's body slamming into her, shoving her out of the way as tons of timber came crashing down.

She'd heard his bones break.

And now he was sitting here, breathing, talking, 'moving' like it was nothing.

Her fist unclenched.

"'Bastard'," she hissed through gritted teeth instead. "If not for the promise I gave to my sister, you'd be 'dead' by now."

Viktor raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? For what?"

Kaida's mouth twitched again.

She pointed at his lower body with a trembling finger.

"Because of your 'bloody tail'!"

Viktor frowned, confused.

He looked down.

And immediately saw the problem.

His tail had unwrapped itself from around his waist while he wasn't paying attention.

And now it was coiled firmly around Kaida's thigh—sleek black length wrapped twice around the toned muscle, the spaded tip slowly sliding upward beneath the hem of her wet skirt.

As Viktor watched, the tip pressed against the front of her pants, lifting the fabric slightly as it tried to burrow underneath. The scales were smooth, warm, almost pulsing with a life of their own.

'Oh.'

'Right.'

'That.'

Viktor quickly retracted the tail, the black appendage snapping back to curl defensively behind him.

"I can't control it," he said with a completely straight face.

Kaida's eye twitched 'violently'.

"Then should I 'cut it off', huh?" she growled, her hand moving back toward her dagger.

Viktor held up both hands in mock surrender, wincing as the motion pulled at his ribs again. Fresh pain bloomed across his chest. "Come on. I'm already 'hurt'. Are you going to hurt me 'more'?"

"You bet, asshole!"

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