Elara's hand moved unconsciously to her lower abdomen, fingers pressing against the thin fabric of the borrowed nightgown. There was heat there—unnatural, insistent heat—radiating from just above where her... where her...

'No. Don't think about it.'

But she could feel it. A warmth spreading through her core, making her thighs clench together involuntarily. The nightgown suddenly felt too tight, too restrictive. She wanted to tear it off, wanted—

Movement caught her eye.

Through the manor's open doorway, backlit by the warm glow of magical sconces, another figure emerged.

Kaida.

The red-haired warrior woman walked slowly—no, stumbled—down the steps leading to the garden. She wore her usual combat attire: short pants that hugged her hips, a wrapped chest binding that barely contained her modest breasts, her twin daggers strapped to her belt.

But something was wrong.

Kaida's hand pressed against the doorframe for support. Her other hand rubbed her head, fingers massaging her temple as if trying to ward off a headache. Her legs... her legs weren't moving quite right. She took each step carefully, deliberately, like someone who'd been thoroughly...

Elara's face flushed deeper.

'He fucked her too. He fucked all of them.'

The evidence was there. Bella's marked body. Helena's knowing glances. Mira's competitive assessment. And now Kaida, stumbling like someone who'd been ridden hard for hours.

'And they want me to be next.'

"Miss Elara?"

Elara flinched violently. Bella had materialized beside her—when had she moved?—her yellow cat eyes wide with concern.

"What happened?" Bella asked, tilting her head. "Are you cold out here? Do you want to go inside? Should I send Young Lord to give you some herbs?"

Elara's mouth twitched. Her eye twitched. Every muscle in her body twitched.

'She's definitely trying to set me up with him,' Elara thought, her merchant instincts screaming danger signals. 'Send him to give me herbs? That's the oldest trick in the—'

"I'm fine," Elara said through gritted teeth, not trusting herself to say more.

She turned away from Bella, focusing instead on the scene unfolding around the bonfire.

Viktor had taken a seat on one of the larger logs, his posture relaxed but somehow still commanding. The firelight played across his features, casting dancing shadows that made him look even more dangerous.

Helena settled beside him, the food tray balanced on her lap. She picked up the spoon, scooping up soup, and brought it to Viktor's lips with practiced ease.

"Here, Young Master," Helena murmured, her voice carrying the warmth of a devoted caretaker. "You haven't eaten all day."

Viktor opened his mouth, accepting the food. His eyes never left the forge construction, even as he chewed.

"Rusty," he called out, swallowing. "The left support beam. Angle it fifteen degrees more. The weight distribution will be off otherwise."

"Kyuu!"*

The large purple slime adjusted accordingly.

Mira sat on Viktor's other side, Toby cradled in her lap. The boy had stopped crying, now just sniffling occasionally as his mother stroked his hair. The blueprint was spread across her knees, and she leaned toward Viktor, pointing at something.

"What about the cooling system?" Mira asked. "If we run it here—"

"Won't work," Viktor interrupted gently. "The heat from the main furnace would compromise it. Better to route it along the exterior wall."

Kaida had made her way to the construction site. Despite her obvious exhaustion, she was helping—lifting heavy stones that should have required two men, positioning materials where Rusty and Rustina directed.

Even Bella joined in, her smaller frame darting between the slimes, fetching tools and supplies with feline agility.

It was... domestic. Surreal. Like watching a family work together on some bizarre project.

Elara found herself drifting toward the gathering, pulled by some invisible thread. She sat on one of the smaller logs, positioned slightly behind and to the side of Viktor's group. Far enough to maintain distance, close enough to observe.

The bonfire crackled, sending sparks spiraling upward into the artificial night sky. The warmth was pleasant, chasing away the slight chill in the air.

'Just for a moment,' Elara told herself. 'I'll rest for just a moment, they are busy either way.'

She leaned back against the log, her body finally relaxing after hours of tension. The nightgown pooled around her legs. The heat from the fire made her eyelids heavy.

Around her, the sounds of construction continued. Viktor's voice giving instructions. Rusty and Rustina's chirps and squeaks. The occasional laugh from Toby as his mood improved. Helena's gentle humming as she fed Viktor.

It was... cozy. Peaceful.

Elara's eyes drifted closed.

'Just... just for a moment...'

Zzz-zzz-zz

She didn't notice when her breathing deepened. Didn't notice when her body slumped sideways, using the log as a pillow. Didn't notice when the conversation around the fire quieted as everyone noticed she'd fallen asleep.

Viktor glanced over, a small smirk playing at his lips finding it cute but more focused in his work. "Leave her. She's exhausted."

"Should I carry her inside?" Bella asked, already half-standing.

"No." Viktor's hand waved dismissively. "Let her sleep there. The fresh air will do her good."

Bella settled back down, though her yellow eyes remained fixed on Elara's sleeping form with obvious concern.

The work continued around the bonfire. Hours passed. The forge's framework grew more complete. The moon traveled across the sky.

And Elara dreamed.

Her face frowned deeply as her mind lost in a void before suddenly...

Water.

Elara stood in water. Not deep—just ankle-deep, cool and crystal clear. It stretched in all directions, an endless shallow lake reflecting the blue sky above like a mirror.

She looked down at herself. She was wearing the nightgown still, but it seemed... wrong. Translucent. Flowing. Moving with currents that didn't exist.

"Where...?"

Her voice echoed strangely, bouncing off nothing and everything at once.

The sky was blue. Perfectly, impossibly blue. Not a cloud in sight. Not a sun either—just diffuse, sourceless light that illuminated everything evenly.

It was peaceful. Empty. Lonely.

Elara turned in a slow circle, scanning the horizon. Nothing. Just water and sky meeting in an infinite line.

"Hello?" she called out.

Silence.

Then—

"I did not expect to find a Lust Demon in this life, Elara."

The voice came from directly behind her—soft, feminine, almost amused.

Elara spun around so fast she nearly fell. The water splashed, droplets hanging in the air for impossibly long moments before falling back down.

A woman stood there.

No—not just stood. Existed. As if she'd always been there and Elara simply hadn't seen her.

She was... beautiful. Terrifyingly so.

Her skin was dark—not brown, but a deep, rich black with undertones of dusky peach. It seemed to absorb light and reflect it simultaneously, creating an otherworldly glow. Her face was sharp and angular, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin. Her eyes were solid crimson—no whites, no pupils, just endless red that swirled with inner fire.

Her ears were elongated, sweeping back from her head in elegant points. Elven? No. Something else.

Behind her, a tail swayed lazily. Thick and muscular at the base, tapering to a spade-shaped tip that dripped with... was that water? No. Something thicker.

She was completely naked.

Her breasts were full and high, defying gravity, topped with dark nipples that were impossibly tight. And from those nipples—

Milk.

White, pearlescent fluid leaked in steady streams, dripping down her stomach, running down her thighs, merging with the lake water below.

Elara's eyes traveled lower, unable to look away.

Between the woman's legs, just above her vagina, was a tattoo. Pink and intricate, glowing faintly with its own light. The design was geometric but organic, pulsing like a living thing.

The woman smiled, revealing teeth just slightly too sharp.

"A Succubus," Elara whispered.

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