Lucien's hand tightened around Zaraya's throat—not to hurt her, but to anchor her.
Because her body was changing.
Her fire, once golden and wild, flickered black at the edges. The runes glowing across her skin pulsed with a heartbeat that wasn't hers.
Zaraya panted beneath him, her legs still wrapped around his waist, sweat dripping down her chest, eyes wide with terror.
"I didn't know…" she whispered. "I didn't know there was something else inside me."
Lucien's jaw clenched.
> [System Alert – Crimson Matron Seed Active]
[Status: Dormant Host | Risk of Possession: 67%]
[Options: Purge, Bind, or Accept]
Lilith appeared in the doorway, dagger drawn. "I heard her voice. That thing is inside her, isn't it?"
Lucien didn't look back. "Yes."
Veridiah stepped beside her, arms crossed. "So what now, Tyrant? Burn her? Banish her?"
Lucien met Zaraya's gaze. Her lips trembled. Her inner fire was flickering out.
"No," he said, voice cold. "I'll do what the Matron never expected."
He bent down, pressing his lips to Zaraya's burning skin.
"I'll tame her seed."
---
[Erotic Event Triggered – Matron Seed Binding Protocol]
Zaraya gasped as Lucien entered her again—not with hunger, but control. His bloodline wrapped around the foreign energy inside her, coiling like serpents, dragging the dark core to the surface.
Zaraya screamed—not in pain, but in overload. Her body couldn't tell where the pleasure ended and the corruption began.
> [Lustfire Countering Possession: 42%... 58%...]
"Lucien—!" she cried, back arching violently.
"I've got you."
The fire around them spiraled upward as Lucien poured everything into her—not just his body, but his will. The Matron's presence pushed back, shrieking in his mind.
She was watching.
"You dare bind what belongs to me?"
Lucien snarled into the void. "She's mine now."
---
> [Matron Seed Status: Contained]
[Zaraya Flameheart – Now Classed: Bound Inferna | Matron Link Sealed]
[New Trait Gained: Forbidden Embers – Allows Partial Matron Power Use Without Corruption]
Zaraya collapsed in his arms, tears of relief spilling down her face.
"You really… did it," she whispered. "You claimed me even from her."
Lucien kissed her forehead. "You're not hers. You never were."
But his mind didn't rest.
If the Matron had seeded one of the brides… how many others?
---
Elsewhere – Deep in the Wilds of Silvertide
The night was thick with fog and silver mist. Wolves howled in the distance, but the forest wasn't empty.
A girl stood barefoot at the edge of the river, her reflection split in two.
Two faces stared back.
Her own… and another, identical.
Twins.
Lyra and Liora.
One was calm, lips soft with mystery.
The other burned with wildness—eyes glowing faint red.
"The Tyrant comes," Lyra whispered.
"We'll let him think he's hunting," Liora said with a smirk. "But we're the ones stalking him."
They held hands.
Two bodies. One soul. And a secret neither had spoken aloud:
One of them carried the second seed.
---
Back in Emberhold – The Aftermath
Lucien sat with Zaraya by the edge of the lava pool, her head resting against his chest. Her skin was warm again—her fire pure. But the taste of the Matron's voice still lingered in his mind.
Lilith crouched nearby. "What if all of them are seeded? What if she's been planting her power in every bride?"
Lucien stared at the fire. "Then we rip it out of each one."
Veridiah nodded. "Or we use it."
Lucien looked up sharply.
"She made us her vessels," the former goddess said. "Fine. Let's flip the game. Use her power against her. Feed the system with her own curse."
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"Use her to kill herself?"
Veridiah smiled. "Exactly."
---
> [New Objective Unlocked: Seed Reversal Path – Turn Matron's Curse into Weaponized Power]
[Warning: Each seed has different behavior. Some brides will resist. Others… won't know they're infected.]
Lucien stood and summoned his Lustfire blade.
"Then we move to Silvertide."
Zaraya rose beside him, her flames reignited.
"I'm coming too."
Lilith cracked her neck. "Two twin brides in the next city. Wolf-blooded. And rumors say… they share everything."
Lucien raised a brow. "Everything?"
"Beds. Magic. Even minds."
Lucien's smirk returned.
"Good."
---
Scene Shift – Silvertide's Forbidden Forest
The fog thickened as Lucien approached the border. The wind smelled of fur, wet soil, and moonlight.
He didn't come alone.
Zaraya walked on one side, fire dancing at her fingertips.
Lilith stalked the other, licking her dagger.
As they stepped into the mist, two shadows appeared.
Identical girls.
Silver hair. Golden eyes.
One smiled. The other growled softly.
"Lucien," Lyra said, bowing her head.
"We've been waiting," Liora finished, stepping closer.
Lucien's Lustfire flickered, reacting to their presence.
They radiated something… strange.
Desire.
Dominance.
Danger.
> [System Alert – Twin Bond Detected | Bride Candidates: Lyra and Liora – Linked Core Detected]
[Warning: Only One Can Be Claimed – If You Choose Wrong, The Other Will Die… or Kill Her Sister]
Lucien froze.
But the twins just smiled.
"Don't worry," Liora purred, pressing into him.
"You'll get to know us both… very well," Lyra whispered into his ear.
They pressed into him—one from each side.
And Lucien realized the game here wouldn't be seduction.
It would be survival.