Morning sunlight filtered softly through the velvet curtains. Elias stirred, his arm draped around Aya's bare waist, both still tangled in the soft sheets. The night had been unforgettable—her laughter, her surrender, her fire. But now, in the quiet afterglow, something in the air felt… heavy.
Aya shifted slightly. Her eyelashes fluttered as her eyes opened, bleary with sleep. For a second, she looked at Elias as if unsure if he was real. Then her lips curved into a tired but genuine smile.
"You're still here," she whispered.
"I said I would be," Elias replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You didn't think I'd vanish after a night like that, did you?"
She chuckled, but it was laced with nervousness. "With everything going on… the system, the trials… nothing ever feels real anymore."
Elias kissed her forehead gently. "This is real. You're real. Last night—every second—we chose it. Not the system."
Aya's smile faltered, and she sat up slowly, drawing the blanket with her. "That's the thing… I felt something during the night. A pulse. Not from you, not from me. From the system."
Elias sat up too, instantly alert. "A new trial?"
"No. Something different. Like it was… watching."
He felt a chill settle in his bones. He had grown used to the system's intrusions, but this—this felt personal.
**[System Notification: Emotional resonance between host and target: Aya]
[Synchronisation level: 89% — unlocking new Lust Trait: Bound Flame]
Elias stared at the notification as it hovered faintly in the air. "Bound Flame?"
Aya's eyes widened as the same message appeared in front of her. "What the hell does that mean?"
Before Elias could respond, the bedroom door creaked open.
Standing there was Selene—or at least, it looked like her.
"Elias," she said softly, stepping into the room in a silky black robe. "We need to talk. It's about Aya."
Aya narrowed her eyes. "What about me?"
Selene's expression twitched. Not in fear—but in calculation.
Elias rose from the bed. "Selene? What are you doing in here?"
"I… I just needed to warn you. She isn't who she says she is."
Aya stood too, her voice tight. "You're lying."
And then Elias saw it—a flicker in Selene's eyes, a glint of something too cold, too perfect.
It wasn't Selene.
He clenched his fist. "Impostor."
The not-Selene smirked, and her form glitched, shifting slightly before stabilizing again.
[System Trial Triggered: Trial of Deception – Identify the Hidden Enemy]
Elias's body tensed. "Aya, stay back."
But Aya was already channeling energy—her aura burned a furious violet, drawn from the "Bound Flame" just unlocked. "No. I'm fighting with you."
The fake Selene lunged.
Everything exploded into chaos.
The bedroom erupted with blinding flashes as Aya's violet aura clashed against the fake Selene's shifting shadow form. Sheets flared off the bed as Elias moved—shirtless, eyes glowing with system-linked energy, bare feet gliding across the floor with precision.
"Aya, circle around! Don't let it get behind you!" Elias shouted.
Aya darted to the side, graceful despite the way her robe threatened to trip her. The fake Selene hissed, her face glitching again—like glass cracking mid-smile. "You're getting too close, Elias. That girl isn't stable. She's holding you back."
"Funny," Elias muttered. "You sound just like the system."
The imposter lunged again, this time targeting Aya. But Aya was ready—her new Bond Flame lit up her arms, violet streaks carving a path through the air as she spun, striking the fake straight across the chest.
The blow hit home. The figure stumbled back, black ichor leaking from her mouth. "You're not supposed to awaken that power yet…"
Elias's eyes narrowed. "So you're part of the system. A proxy?"
"No," the imposter said, coughing. "I'm a reminder. You're breaking the rule."
Aya looked at him, startled. "What rule?"
Before he could speak, a sudden sharp ping echoed through both their heads.
[System Alert: Emotional bond intensity exceeding 90%. Host approaching restricted threshold.]
[Warning: Host is not permitted to fall in love. Violation risks system penalty.]
Elias froze. His heart slammed in his chest—not from fear, but from truth. He hadn't said it out loud. But deep down, something had shifted. Aya wasn't just another conquest, another target for system progression. She was… warm. Honest. Brave.
Too brave.
Aya blinked. "You're holding back."
"I can't fall for you," Elias said, voice tight. "System won't allow it."
Her eyes softened, even as fire danced at her fingertips. "Then don't fall. Just… fight beside me."
The imposter didn't wait.
With a guttural snarl, it exploded into a dozen black tendrils, flinging toward them both. Elias reacted instantly, throwing himself forward, his body shielding Aya as his hand shot out, summoning raw system energy.
"Activate Lust Blade: Wrath Form!"
A massive black-and-gold blade materialized midair, pulsing with heat. Elias swung once—a single arc of fury—and cleaved through the center of the creature.
It let out a horrible scream as its body broke apart into glitchy particles, dissolving into the air like burnt ash.
Silence.
Then the system chimed again.
[Trial Complete: Deception Neutralized]
[New Trait Acquired: Emotional Lock – Resistance to forbidden attachments increased]
Elias panted, dropping to one knee. Aya ran to him, catching his arm.
"You alright?"
"Yeah…" he muttered. "But I think I just got punished for almost loving you."
Aya didn't say anything at first. Then she lowered herself to her knees beside him.
"Then stop trying to label it. Let me stand with you. Let me burn with you. No rules, no promises. Just… us. For now."
Elias looked at her, silent for a long moment, then finally nodded.
And yet—somewhere deep inside—he felt something shift again. Not love.
But something dangerous.
And the system knew it too.
[Hidden Flag Triggered: Forbidden Connection – Aya]
[System Override Contingency Activated – Entity approaching instability]
Far away, in the unseen space behind the system's walls… something ancient opened its eyes.
The room had quieted, but Elias could feel the tension like storm clouds behind his eyes.
Aya sat close beside him, arms wrapped around her knees, her presence a soft heat against his skin. They hadn't spoken much after the battle. Neither wanted to admit how close they came to something the system had forbidden.
"Love "