"Is that what you offered to Hera as well?" I laughed, tired of her games, tired of the way she circled around me like a predator choosing which part to bite first. The moment the words left my lips, Lyssandra's eyes widened with genuine surprise.

"Ahh… Beatrice, you— you cannot stop making me want you more… ahhhn…" Her voice dipped into something breathy and indecent, fingers drifting to a place they absolutely shouldn't. The look on her face twisted into one of pure pleasure, as if my resistance itself thrilled her. I hated the way she looked seductive even in a moment like this. I hated that she enjoyed every word that challenged her. I hated that she wanted me to fold.

"You see straight through me as if you have known me for years. How do you do that?" Her voice trembled with delight, her eyes shining with a hunger I wanted no part of.

"She used your energy. She tried to kill me with it. Do not pretend ignorance. You allied yourself with an enemy," I snapped, seizing the moment to drag her attention away from that earlier offer, away from the twisted affection lacing her tone.

"Tsk." She clicked her tongue in irritation. "You act as if you have not done the same. And this Elira girl… is she simply your little pet? Someone to please your sexual desires?" She laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the clearing like a cruel spark. My face burned with shame, and yet… a strange feeling crawled over my skin. Something deep inside me stirred, faint and warm, as if a memory hidden behind layers of ice finally tried to melt its way to the surface.

"You have it wrong, I—"

But she waved a hand sharply and cut me off.

"Enough. I do not need to hear your sad excuses. It was an amusing attempt to distract me, I will give you that, but you must make your choice, and you will make it now. I do not have all day. I need to do my nails later, and ahh… imps are truly the best at it, did you know?" Her tone shifted again, light and playful, as if she were chatting with a close friend instead of threatening me with slavery or death.

I could not understand her. Her moods turned like pages in the wind, slipping from seductive to cruel to bored to delighted without warning, and every word reminded me that for her, this entire encounter was nothing more than another game she fully expected to win.

I had words stuck in my throat, but in the end, there was only one path open to me. I could never go with her. Even if some distant, broken part of me wondered what it would feel like to stand beside a creature as powerful as her, the system had already carved my fate out long before this moment. Sometimes I even questioned which one would be the lesser torture in the long run, the system or Lyssandra… and which one would give more in return.

But the answer remained the same.

"I will not go with you. Not now, not ever." My voice stayed firm as I stared into her eyes, searching for even a flicker of disappointment. Yet she did not change. Her expression stayed perfectly calm, perfectly entertained, perfectly unreadable.

"Hehe… very well. It is your own fate after all, my dear Beatrice."

"Do not call me dear. And do not call me yours. You are not even worthy of speaking my name, Lyssandra." The bitterness in my voice tasted like venom, sharp and biting.

She only waved her hand, unbothered, almost amused, as if my hatred had never held the power to touch her in the first place.

"I guess that makes the both of us, because—"

My breath hitched mid-sentence. A violent shock tore through my stomach, sharp enough to knock the air out of my lungs. I doubled forward instinctively, but her hand shot up before I could bow fully, her nails sliding into my scalp and lifting my head by the hair. The pain pulsed through my skull, sharp and commanding, but it still felt dull compared to the agony burning through my abdomen.

"Because, my dear," she whispered, her voice dipped in poison and silk, "you are not worthy of speaking my name so casually."

Her grip tightened, forcing my gaze to meet hers. Crimson eyes locked onto mine with a slow, amused cruelty.

"To you, it is still master. Or empress, if you prefer. After all…" She smiled sweetly, the kind of smile that made my blood run cold. "I never said I would let you go forever, did I? You silly, silly girl. You still need to learn how to behave."

My pulse hammered wildly as she leaned closer. I could barely swallow. Her presence filled every inch of the air around me.

"But since you improved my mood today…" Her voice lowered to a purr. "As promised… I shall grant you something."

I didn't even have time to draw breath before her lips crashed into mine.

Heat exploded through my body. Her kiss consumed me with a force that made my cheeks burn and my thoughts scatter. Her tongue slipped past my lips with effortless dominance, curling around mine, claiming it, tasting every trembling breath I could not hold back. My body felt like it was being devoured by fire from the inside out, an overwhelming burn that clawed down my spine and left my legs weak beneath me.

When she finally pulled away, she dragged her tongue slowly across her own lips, savoring the taste as if it belonged to her now. She still held me suspended by the hair, her smile bright and playful, her eyes full of that unbearable, intoxicating confidence.

Out of the corner of my eye, a familiar shimmer flickered into existence. My system window popped open without warning. Panic shot through me. Would she feel that?

But the moment I read the notifications… my knees nearly gave out.

[You have gained {Enhanced Body Strength}]

[You have gained {Enhanced Fire Affinity}]

[You have gained a new skill {Blood Manipulation}]

[You have gained {Vampire Specific: Body Manipulation}]

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